tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46694048168322559562024-03-13T18:25:54.074+00:00Definitive Caribbean BlogA fun and informative look at the islands from the team at Definitive Caribbean...Caribbean nature, Caribbean reviews of travails, books, restaurants and quirky Caribbean characters we have met in over 80 years of collective Caribbean travel.DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-68373844592109447722011-12-12T15:52:00.004+00:002011-12-12T16:15:31.319+00:00Sara Macefield's Impressions of World Travel Market 2011Times may be tough but, as always, the Caribbean Village shrugged off the industry’s woes with its irrepressible partying spirit that injected colour and glamour into this year’s World Travel Market. However, there was no disguising the signs of the global economic squeeze – and resentment among some exhibitors at the high cost of exhibiting at ExCeL. St Lucia had opted for a smaller stand than previously while, for the first time I can remember, Sandals didn’t take a stand at all, preferring to base itself with various tourist boards.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2p5V5MWmnjk/TuYoFf94c1I/AAAAAAAAAa0/A66KHAivib4/s1600/Sara%2BMacefield.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 246px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2p5V5MWmnjk/TuYoFf94c1I/AAAAAAAAAa0/A66KHAivib4/s320/Sara%2BMacefield.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685275654547338066" /></a>But, despite this, the village not only retained its optimism in the face of the increasing APD burden, but came out fighting with news of continuing investment and new developments determined to keep the Caribbean at the forefront of travellers’ minds. Work has already started to expand Antigua’s VC Bird International Airport, one of the region’s main hubs, while St Kitts is forging ahead with some major tourism and residential developments.<br /><br />It was encouraging to see new badly-needed life being injected into Tobago’s hotel scene with the former Tobago Hilton becoming the Magdalena Grand and government initiatives to encourage further hotel developments on the island. But, to my mind, it was left to Sandals – one of the region’s most innovative companies – to come up with the most exciting news; that work will finally start next April on the Caribbean’s first over-water villas. This is a development bound to prompt much interest and promotion which should hopefully help to draw attention to the region as a whole.<br /><br />Having visited the Caribbean on cruise ships this year, stopping in the Bahamas, Grand Cayman and Jamaica and, more recently, staying on Barbados and going off-the-beaten track in the Dominican Republic, the beauty and culture of the Caribbean continually leaves me entranced. And it’s this that makes me optimistic for the future. <br /><br />The Caribbean has much that rival destinations can only dream of and with new developments and extra products coming on-stream, it has plenty to shout about. As a Caribbean specialist writer, there are plenty of stories I am hoping to tell through Definitive Caribbean. With its unparalleled breadth and depth of knowledge, the relaunch of this website promises to strengthen Definitive Caribbean’s position as an informed and independent authority – and most importantly, one that users can trust.<br /><br /><iframe width="400" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLD4DDF943D19D319A&hl=en_GB" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-51592765495524403882011-12-12T15:34:00.005+00:002012-05-09T14:59:06.626+01:00Emily Ashwell's Impressions of World Travel Market 2011This year the Caribbean Village at World Travel Market again brought a taste of tropical fun to the expo. But behind the glamour of the carnival queens and rum punch cocktail hours, there was serious business to be done.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3EU77ZrKNR4/TuYiI3VScVI/AAAAAAAAAao/u8wclQA3msE/s1600/Emily%2BAshwell.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685269115289366866" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3EU77ZrKNR4/TuYiI3VScVI/AAAAAAAAAao/u8wclQA3msE/s320/Emily%2BAshwell.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 187px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a>There are massive tourism opportunities in the Caribbean at the moment. At WTM I was able to get updates on developments, such as Cristophe Harbour and Kittitian Hill on St Kitts and Canouan Island in the Grenadines, to name a few. As well as new tourism developments some well-established favourites, such as <a href="http://www.definitivecaribbean.com/accommodation/antigua-and-barbuda/hotels-and-resorts/blue-waters-hotel">Blue Waters</a> and <a href="http://www.definitivecaribbean.com/accommodation/antigua-and-barbuda/hotels-and-resorts/carlisle-bay">Carlisle Bay</a> on Antigua, have had facelifts.<br />
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However, the Caribbean certainly faces challenges in 2012, particularly in the face of the Treasury’s announcement of the double inflation rate rise in Air Passenger Duty (APD) next April. The <a href="http://www.onecaribbean.org/newsandmediacenter/apdtax/default.aspx">Caribbean Tourism Organisation</a> has vowed to continue lobbying against the tax, which unfairly hits the region.<br />
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It was particularly interesting to talk to representatives from Trinidad’s hotel sector on how the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgaSRpmqKPs">State of Emergency</a> has affected tourism. The good news is that it looks like the new 21st Century Policing Project is set to make a positive impact on Tobago.<br />
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I was delighted to return to travel journalism earlier in the summer after maternity leave. One of my first jobs was editing some of the content on Definitive Caribbean’s website, as well as freelancing for my old employer, Travel Weekly, to contribute to its Caribbean features. The depth and breadth of the knowledge on Definitive Caribbean is, I believe, unparalleled. As the internet opens up a world of user reviews that sometimes present vastly differing opinions, it is essential that travellers have access to a comprehensive and trustworthy resource such as Definitive Caribbean.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rgaSRpmqKPs" width="400"></iframe>DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-46620949100939752872011-12-12T15:28:00.005+00:002011-12-12T15:30:39.617+00:00Jane Anderson's Impressions of World Travel Market 2011There was a generally upbeat mood in the Caribbean Village despite the harsh realities of the worldwide recession and I felt there was an emphasis on returning to an authentic Caribbean, where the islands play to their strengths and unique cultures.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FFomePu7EXQ/TuYZ4LmZM9I/AAAAAAAAAac/5ORfaj962so/s1600/Jane%2BAnderson.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FFomePu7EXQ/TuYZ4LmZM9I/AAAAAAAAAac/5ORfaj962so/s320/Jane%2BAnderson.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685260032579023826" /></a>I liked the fact there were many small, family-owned properties as well as large groups, and it was interesting to see the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lyrdkYZ9NA">Turks & Caicos</a> promoting the lesser-developed islands as some of the last of the true exotics in the Caribbean, with Salt Cay and the caves and mangrove swamps of Middle Caicos. I loved the emergence of activities like the proposed cycle/swim/run/swim/run across North Caicos, Parrot Cay, Dellas Cay, Pine Cay, Water Cay and Provo.<br /><br />Russ and Magdalena from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sjtC0e-LQ0">True Blue Bay on Grenada</a> were full of news about how they promote local arts and crafts, while <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M6W8cTs_Ck">Rebecca Thompson at Maca Bana</a> described how guests get taken into the countryside for art lessons and to the hotel’s small-holding to pick fresh produce to cook with the chef. I think artisanal activities such as these are set to become more valuable to tourism in the Caribbean.<br /><br />This year has seen me travel to <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/centralamericaandcaribbean/8331240/St-Barts-on-a-budget.html">St Barths</a> and Barbados to see what these upscale islands can offer travellers on a budget, while on a visit to Antigua I took my children to sample the Puffin Books-inspired kids programme at <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/americas/picture-this-fun-for-all-in-antigua-2259312.html">St James’s Beach Club</a>. In 2012 I’m looking forward to returning to the Caribbean, potentially to the Turks & Caicos for Definitive Caribbean and possibly Bermuda.<br /><br />In my travels across this region, I will bring back whatever I find to the Definitive Caribbean website, keeping it innovative and up-to-date. I’m keen to seek out relatively unexplored areas like the Caribbean art scene, while at the same time spreading the exciting news of the <a href="http://definitivecaribbean.blogspot.com/2011/08/our-new-website-is-coming-in-october.html">relaunch of Definitive Caribbean</a>.<br /><br /><iframe width="400" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PL332B3C6B08F7EB81&hl=en_GB" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-73015249650966919582011-11-29T10:25:00.005+00:002012-05-09T16:16:58.060+01:00Trinidad State of Emergency 2011 – ‘Curfew’ by Stephen ThorpeThe situation on the streets of Trinidad has been a cause for concern since the Government announced a curfew and state of emergency in August as a response to growing violence in some eastern sections of the capital Port of Spain.<br />
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While the curfew has now been lifted, a UK Channel 4 television programme entitled ‘Unreported World: Trinidad: Guns, Drugs and Secrets’ went out on primetime on November 25th highlighting alarming social problems engendered by gang culture and drugs trans-shipment which is an increasing menace throughout the region.<br />
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The twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago attracts half a million tourists per annum and visitor arrivals have undoubtedly been affected in recent months. However there is no reason for prospective travellers to abandon plans in the coming weeks as the Trinidad Carnival season gets into full swing before the climax on February 20 and 21.<br />
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The main social drag of Ariapita Avenue in Port of Spain with its buzzing bars and restaurants has been unaffected and the mantra for any newcomer to the country remains the same - stay alert, avoid ostentatious displays of wealth and never cross the central Savannah parkland at night. Commonsense is the watchword in fact, just like every other developing country.<br />
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Elsewhere, the established beach resort of Mt. Plaisir at Grande Riviere on the north coast and the birdwatching mecca of Asa Wright in the Northern Mountain range remain havens of tranquillity. The state of emergency has been mollified and is expected to be lifted entirely by early December.<br />
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For information on what to do and where to stay on island, please see the <a href="http://www.definitivecaribbean.com/caribbean-guide/about-trinidad">Definitive Caribbean Guide to Trinidad</a>.<br />
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More from World Travel Market, November 2011:<br />
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World's Best Tourism Destination 2012<br />
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Visit and Invest in Trinidad and Tobago<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tmNaEdSqRWE" width="400"></iframe>DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-83826265734294273112011-08-04T13:34:00.008+01:002011-12-05T19:04:04.026+00:00Our new website is coming in December!<span style="font-weight:bold;">More Journalists</span><br />We’ll have a bunch of new islands for you to digest. The Cayman Islands, written by dive specialist Tim Ecott, and Montserrat, St Martin/Maarten, Saba and St Eustatius written by top food writer, Nigel Tisdall. Jane Anderson is exploring art through the Caribbean, while Peter Ellegard has joined us as our golf correspondent. Sara Macefield has been subbing vast swathes of our top level copy, written about Sailing and Regattas, Culture and Heritage, Food and Drink as well as Cruising in the Caribbean and a host of other new features. Emily Ashwell is looking to become our “News Guru” with Sara - covering all the major hot topics as they arise. Tess Hokin has updated our Anguilla Guide and will be submitting news and reviews about the island as well as stories from St Martin/Maarten.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f1Vh9yyl788/TjqSmYC17YI/AAAAAAAAAXg/ebED695KLkI/s1600/New%2BSite.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 186px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f1Vh9yyl788/TjqSmYC17YI/AAAAAAAAAXg/ebED695KLkI/s320/New%2BSite.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636979071594655106" /></a><span style="font-weight:bold;">More Topics with Better Navigation</span><br />As our journalists cover more topics, igniting news stories and giving added interest to each destination, so our website will grow – from having fewer than 500 pages to more than 1200! It will also be much easier to navigate around the site…our user testing showed us that our visitors wanted to search by image, by product and by map, so we’re giving them what they want – making our navigation much more intuitive.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Full Directory Listings</span><br />We are adding a Directory Listing, so that the site goes from featuring the best of the best in each business category to listing all businesses that cater to tourism on every island. This will be the first directory of its kind, in the Caribbean! However, our journalists will still make their own recommendations of who is doing the best job – it should be interesting to see who gets featured!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Social Media and User Review Integration</span><br />Once you’ve seen what we have to say, perhaps you’d like to discuss it or tell your friends? We will be integrating the usual social media tools so that our users can share their research, comment on our reviews and list their favourite places - perhaps recommending a few places that we haven’t managed to get to!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UTvjErJSzXM/TjqS3WSFXUI/AAAAAAAAAXo/Rcy595-lSHU/s1600/DWG_DC_Badge.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 225px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UTvjErJSzXM/TjqS3WSFXUI/AAAAAAAAAXo/Rcy595-lSHU/s320/DWG_DC_Badge.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636979363179486530" /></a><span style="font-weight:bold;">Booking Facilities</span><br />And whilst we still don’t count ourselves as a booking engine, rather a guide to the region, we are pleased to say that we are improving our booking facilities so that users can more easily book directly with a product or company, contact a tour operator or down the line make arrangements using a carefully selected booking engine.<br /><br />We hope you enjoy the new site when it goes live and we welcome any feedback…<br /><br />Happy Travels!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.definitivecaribbean.com/">www.definitivecaribbean.com</a>DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-82710773944885993712011-02-07T11:40:00.004+00:002011-02-07T11:48:04.313+00:00TripAdvisor Versus True Advisors by Sara MacefieldWhenever I’ve flicked through the hotel reviews on TripAdvisor, I’ve always been puzzled as to how some hotels can attract feedback of such opposing extremes. On the one hand, there will be a glowing report from Mr and Mrs Over-the-Moon about how they’ve had the best stay of their lives; on the other will be a bitter diatribe-like rant from Mr and Mrs Angry that leaves you thinking their lives have been irreversibly blighted by the experience.<br /><br />How can a single property go from being so wonderful to so terrible?<br /><br />Having gone on to TripAdvisor and other such sites for guidance, reviews like that leave me more confused than ever and I end up having to go with my gut feeling or better still, turn to a source where the reviews are accredited. <br /><br />You see, I have a problem with anonymous claims and statements. <br /><br />As a journalist who is used to putting my name to whatever I write, I have to make damn sure that my facts are correct and my views are genuine and defensible. The shroud of secrecy surrounding the authors of posts on TripAdvsor and other such sites makes me suspicious, especially when I hear of stories where complainants have a grudge to bear or are working to some hidden agenda.<br /><br />Likewise, I also wonder if syrupy sweet reviews have been posted by the hotelier himself, his friends or even his public relations company.<br /><br />It doesn’t seem as ridiculous as it sounds as such cases have come to light in the past, and TripAdvisor, for one, promised to step up its monitoring. But is any system foolproof? Allowing people to write whatever they like, without having to face the consequences, sets a dangerous precedent to my mind. Why should they be above putting their name to what they write and why aren’t they made to?<br /><br />This is the issue that has been taken up Scottish entrepreneur and hotelier Duncan Bannatyne who is leading a campaign again a negative review of one of his hotels on TripAdvisor. His calls for the US-based site to remove fraudulent and defamatory reviews have turned the spotlight on a company, known for attracting the wrath of hundreds of hoteliers for its virtual “anything goes” policy on reviews.<br /><br />Adam Raphael, editor of the <a href="http://www.goodhotelguide.com/Default.aspx">Good Hotel Guide</a>, which tracks its reviews; knows the identity of the authors; and checks up on the comments they make; has branded TripAdvisor as “shameless” for its “feeble” approach over authenticating contributions.<br /><br />About <a href="http://www.definitivecaribbean.com/">Definitive Caribbean</a>, Sara says:<br />As a reader, you may not agree with everything you read on Definitive Caribbean, but at least you know who’s written it, and can contact them if you feel strongly enough.<br /><br />Such openness brings trustworthiness that those at DefinitiveCaribbean and the Good Hotel Guide strive for and sites such as TripAdvisor can never hope to achieve unless they take radical and badly needed action.DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-46346139019171917612011-01-17T11:42:00.004+00:002012-05-09T13:16:10.906+01:00A window into the past with a West Indian twistIf you’ve ever visited one of the English-speaking Caribbean islands, jumped into a car and driven off on the left-hand side of the road, have you ever wondered why?<br />
Maybe you’ve been too busy trying to avoid a darting mongoose or dodging the potholes to give it much thought…But this is just one of the many present-day reminders of the islands’ past that has helped to shape these countries today.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_grO6acLmXto/TTQryuSg1TI/AAAAAAAAAWw/j5d8vMnJ5IA/s1600/St-James-Parish-Church.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563119590128538930" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_grO6acLmXto/TTQryuSg1TI/AAAAAAAAAWw/j5d8vMnJ5IA/s320/St-James-Parish-Church.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 274px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 250px;" /></a>The English may have left traces of their time on these islands, but the Caribbean people have given them an unmistakeable West Indian identity. Take the traditional stone-built churches that could have been plucked from any English village, surrounded by tropical palm trees, and hosting the sort of rousing Sunday church services not often found in the UK.<br />
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Beautiful Georgian architecture and imposing plantation houses may have taken their inspiration from English designs, but creeping bougainvillea and hibiscus brighten up the stonework and lend an unmistakeably tropical touch. This continues inside such building where beautiful locally-made furniture, of Jamaican mahogany for instance, adds a special flair.<br />
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Of course, while English is the official language of these islands, many locals speak “patois”, their own language combining a mix of English, sometimes French, African and their own unique words, that make it impossible for outsiders to understand. Strike up a conversation with locals, and you’ll probably find they have relatives who live in England. They might even challenge you to an impromptu game of cricket and will enthusiastically discuss the latest form of West Indies and English players.<br />
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There are even familiar-sounding places such as Brighton or Worthing in Barbados, Falmouth in Antigua and Portsmouth in Dominica, but all have their own distinctive West Indian ambience. In the British Virgin Islands, which are among a handful of spots that are still British Overseas Territories, there’s even a traditional red phone box in one of the bays, which has been ingeniously converted into a shower!<br />
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In some ways, aspects of the English Caribbean lifestyle are reminiscent of Britain 20 or 30 years ago, particularly among the older generation who place more importance on formal manners and modest dress. Children are turned out immaculately in their uniforms for school and families turn out en masse in their Sunday best for their weekly visit to church. For visitors from modern-day Britain, it is a refreshing reminder of times past – yet with its own distinct flavour that tells you exactly where you are.DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-89299765152238773042011-01-05T10:14:00.005+00:002012-05-09T13:17:35.611+01:00Families at Cotton Bay Village in St LuciaJane Anderson met with their Director of Marketing, Michael Bryant, at World Travel Market 2010...here’s what she found out...<br />
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Cotton Bay Village likes to promote itself as ‘life in full colour’. Take your family here for a week and you’ll certainly feel the rosy hue of a luxury hotel that really understands what families need for a successful holiday.<br />
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For starters, this small property in the north of St Lucia has a great range of two, three and four-bedroom villas with designer kitchens, en suite bedrooms throughout with flat screen TV’s, private pools and gardens, all perfect for families or even two families holidaying together, which works out very economically. Villas come in an eclectic range of styles from colonial to South Beach and can be booked self-catering, á la carte or half-board. There’s great attention to detail as re-visiting families find a photograph of themselves in a frame in the entrance hall. <br />
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But it’s not just about accommodation. Cotton Bay Village has taken the trouble to devise father and son programmes such as playing cricket with the locals, deep-sea fishing or diving, whilst mothers and daughters can head to Heaven spa for some quality girl time. All programmes are tailormade to family requirements.<br />
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For active families there are two good stables next door to the hotel and it’s possible to ride along the sand and take the horses into the sea. Quite a magical experience - especially for children! Families with older kids might like to try kite surfing on the beach. Three-hour tuition sessions cost US$300 to get you started. There’s also an 18-hole championship golf course right behind the hotel. Whale and dolphin watching or zip line adventures can also be arranged.<br />
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The Hummingbird Kids Club offers mums and dads a little freedom. The Hummingbird Crèche takes babies as young as six months, up to the age of three years. Staffed by Montessori trained nannies, parents can rest assured their little ones are in good hands. The crèche is free of charge for up to two hours daily. Parents are also entitled to one free night’s babysitting during their stay. If they want extra one-on-one assistance, a nanny can be hired for US$20/hour.<br />
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The Hummingbird Club caters for children from four to eight years and is open daily for a varied activities programme with kite flying outings and picnics a speciality. Joanna, one of the Hummingbird carers takes youngsters on beach-combing expeditions where kids return laden with beautiful shells and driftwood to transform into collages and the like. There’s also a cinema room with beanbags for times when kids need a rest out of the sun, along with computers, a Wii and a ‘dirty room’ for painting.<br />
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A great innovation is ‘Bring the Baby not the Baggage’ which allows parents to pre-order practically anything they need for their baby such as Johnson’s baby products, cots, highchairs, Pampers nappies and waterwings. Mums no longer need sacrifice that extra pair of shoes for baby’s paraphernalia and this also helps massively with current luggage restrictions imposed by airlines.<br />
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Carseats and babyseats are all ready and waiting when the hotel car picks families up from Hewanorra Airport and DVD players with videos of your choice entertain little ones on the one and a half hour drive north.<br />
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When it comes to fussy eaters, the Beach Club 1461 caters for most tastes. Think oversized armchairs on the sand and lots of kiddie favourites on menu such as fresh pasta and gourmet fish fingers. Children Under-12 eat free from the 1461 children’s menu every day and under fives are not charged an all-inclusive supplement when a family elects to go all-inclusive.<br />
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Bruschetta is a lovely deli open daily, which sells fresh produce from bread and fruits to coffee and wine. Sandwiches and pastries are made fresh on the premises and can be home delivered. There’s also a local supermarket close by, but if you don’t feel like lifting a finger, you can pre-order with concierge. <br />
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Butler service is offered, but you can have as much or as little done for you as you like from unpacking your luggage to private dining – a real treat for parents. Life in Technicolor I’d say!<br />
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For more general information about the hotel please see <a href="http://www.definitivecaribbean.com/accommodation/st-lucia/villa-and-condo-resorts/cotton-bay-village">Definitive Caribbean’s Review of Cotton Bay Village</a>.DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-83859394550300901712010-12-08T12:39:00.001+00:002010-12-08T12:41:11.629+00:00World Travel Market 2010 - DefinitiveCaribbean reports from ExcelWorld Travel Market is the biggest event of the year for us...A great chance to meet and greet our friends from the Caribbean as they update us on all the latest news and views from the region.<br /><br />This year we linked up with Caribbean specialist journalists, Jane Anderson, Tim Ecott, Sara Macefield and Stephen Thorpe to explore their specialist areas - Cricket, Diving, Family Travel, Weddings and Honeymoons.<br /><br /><iframe width="480" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Hl1WAUZyCHo?fs=1" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br />Feel free to leave comments and spread the love!DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-27973456795305606402010-11-29T14:49:00.004+00:002012-05-09T16:18:47.249+01:00Security in the Caribbean - Danger in Paradise?Sara Macefield explores the subject of security in the Caribbean.<br />
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Once again, a Caribbean island has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons - crime. It is a curse that blights every country across the world, but when it strikes in such a seemingly tropical paradise, the impact is far worse.<br />
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This time it was the turn of St Kitts and the victims were a coach-load of cruise passengers who were ambushed and robbed at gunpoint in an audacious attack. Luckily no one was injured, but the blatant nature of this crime meant cruise lines were quick to respond in dropping the island from their itineraries. <br />
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And who can blame them? How could they possibly guarantee the safety of their guests ashore with such criminals at large? The victims were left mourning the loss of their possessions and St Kitts was left mourning the damage to its reputation and disappearance of vital tourism business.<br />
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As islands such as Jamaica and Antigua know to their cost, the spiralling effect of such incidents can have a deadly impact on their image. Nothing hurts healthy tourism trade as fast as a crime-ridden reputation, and countries have to ensure that they act fast – and are seen to act fast – to clamp down on criminal or anti-social activities. After all, this doesn’t only benefit tourists, but the local population too.<br />
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St Kitts has responded swiftly, rounding up suspects and implementing security measures, but this isn’t always the case. Some Caribbean destinations kid themselves, claiming that crime levels are no worse than in London or other big cities around the world - but that’s completely missing the point. Is it really realistic to compare a tropical island, where the population is generally in thousands, with major cities where the population runs into millions?<br />
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Of course, holidaymakers need to be aware and they need to be streetwise. However, they don’t expect to have to adopt the sort of siege mentality needed in some rougher areas of the world’s leading metropolises. On the other hand, it’s also important to keep things in perspective. An outburst of violent crime in Jamaica’s capital Kingston doesn’t mean that its popular north coast resorts are no-go areas. Not only are they on a different side of the island, but there’s a mountain range between them too.<br />
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Everyone realises that crime happens and when it happens to tourists there will be a flood of international newspaper headlines. It’s then up to the islands to nip the problem in the bud. Catch the perpetrators and put systems in place to prevent a repeat. Paying lip service to such efforts and failing to take appropriate action fools no one.<br />
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Editor’s note:<br />
Definitive Caribbean passionately believes in the beauty and friendliness of the Caribbean islands. Crimes that touch tourists are very rare but as in every other country of the world, they exist. As Sara Macefield says, "It all depends on how swiftly governments respond to negate the problems as to whether you should travel to the destination." Our message to those contemplating a holiday on St Kitts is to keep things in perspective - when did it last happen (never) - is this likely to happen again? Unlikely...<br />
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For an update to this story please read <a href="http://www.nevisblog.com/cruise-lines-return-to-st-kitts-after-armed-robbery.html">Cruise Lines Return To St. Kitts After Armed Robbery</a> by Nevis 1.<br />
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For information about what to see and do on St Kitts please see <a href="http://www.definitivecaribbean.com/caribbean-guide/about-st-kitts">The Definitive Caribbean Guide to St Kitts</a>.DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-7227128195352870172010-11-22T14:38:00.004+00:002012-05-09T16:22:32.630+01:00Jamaica – the world’s first 3D destination filmTravel writer, Sara Macefield, discovers a new dimension in Caribbean advertising.<br />
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Jamaica has always been one of the most forward-thinking and high-profile destinations when it comes to advertising. In years past, it carved out a niche as one of those destinations to appear regularly on TV screens in the post-Christmas advertising blitz as it competed with other countries across the world for our attention.<br />
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Its memorable TV adverts brought a slice of tropical glamour into British homes, brightening up cold, dark winter nights with glorious shots of dazzling white-sand beaches, ultramarine seas and lush forested mountains. And all to the distinctive soundtrack of the island’s legendary son, Bob Marley and his distinctive One Love anthem.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_grO6acLmXto/TOqCH2hagJI/AAAAAAAAAWc/YFkc6LgXnOg/s1600/Dolphin3D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542385362839175314" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_grO6acLmXto/TOqCH2hagJI/AAAAAAAAAWc/YFkc6LgXnOg/s320/Dolphin3D.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 167px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 250px;" /></a>Now Jamaica is leading the way again with what it claims is the world’s first destination video to be filmed entirely in 3D. This time viewers are drawn even closer to Jamaica’s iconic sights - and the effect is stunning. One of Jamaica’s national symbols, the Doctor Bird, flutters just in front of your eyes as it takes viewers on a 24-hour journey across the island’s most iconic sights in just a few minutes. Even rafting along the Martha Brae river suddenly becomes more real as the punting poles seemingly reach out to touch you.<br />
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“While viewers will need to use standard red and cyan glasses to fully enjoy the destination film, it has been released in anaglyph 3D, which means it can be watched on any screen or laptop. The film will also be aired in private viewings and some cinemas around the world in polarised 3D, which requires special screens. This was a conscious decision taken by the eXposure4 team and Jamaica Tourist Board to ensure the widest possible audience enjoyment. The film will be accessible across multi-viewing platforms, including home televisions, laptops and computers, and even mobile phones. Viewers will be able to apply online for free, Jamaica-branded 3D glasses, which will be sent in the post to them. The destination video will be available on the internet on <a href="http://www.visitjamaica.com/">www.VisitJamaica.com</a> and viewers can also request copies on a flexi DVD.”<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_grO6acLmXto/TOqCTbc9R6I/AAAAAAAAAWk/_vGZ4mdBLwo/s1600/Golf3D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542385561731155874" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_grO6acLmXto/TOqCTbc9R6I/AAAAAAAAAWk/_vGZ4mdBLwo/s320/Golf3D.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 167px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 250px;" /></a>Look closely and you will spy some Jamaican personalities too. Watch the enthusiastic barman in the nightclub scene, which was filmed with locals. It’s none other than the JTB’s UK district sales manager Torrance Lewis, while the chilled our Rasta-man who appears works at the Mystic Mountain tourist attraction. Jamaican tourist officials are excited about their latest creation and rightly so, because as you watch the scenes unfold, it really makes you want to go. Full praise to Jamaica for having the courage to devote time and money to such a project.<br />
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Shouldn’t it be something that perhaps the Caribbean as a whole should consider? At a time when the region is suffering from falling UK visitors amid recession and ever-rising Air Passenger Duty, wouldn’t this be an ideal occasion to invest in such a campaign. After all, many destinations would kill for the sort of photogenic landscapes and colourful cultures that make up the fabric of these islands – perhaps the Caribbean as a whole should follow Jamaica’s example and make the most of them.<br />
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For more island information please see our <a href="http://www.definitivecaribbean.com/caribbean-guide/about-jamaica">Definitive Caribbean Guide to Jamaica</a>.DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-52959177478559433962010-11-15T11:23:00.004+00:002012-05-09T13:18:32.550+01:00Air Passenger Duty - Unfair and Biased? Sara Macefield Reports...Could there, at last, be light at the end of the tunnel for the Caribbean in its fight for a fairer playing field where Air Passenger Duty is concerned?<br />
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Ever since the spectre of the new tax emerged some years ago, it has been a cause for controversy. And with the second round of increases coming into force earlier this month, the need for reform has taken on a more urgent need.<br />
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The main point of contention surrounds the four banding levels that critics say place the West Indies at more of a disadvantage than other destinations further away.<br />
How can it be fair, they ask, that air passengers pay more to fly to the Caribbean than Hawaii?<br />
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How indeed? No one can argue with the facts. Hawaii is around 7,200 miles from the UK while, for example, Barbados is 3,000 miles closer. Yet Hawaii is in the less expensive Band B while the Caribbean is in Band C.<br />
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The bandings are actually based on the distances to the capital cities of each country – in this case Washington DC and Bridgetown – a formula branded as iniquitous and illogical by Caribbean nations.<br />
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In an impressive show of strength and unity, the region mobilised its tourism leaders in an intensive lobbying campaign that took them to the corridors of power at Westminster.<br />
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Their strong words and determination brought tea and sympathy aplenty from MPs – but none of the reforms they asked for, even following the change of government. Faced with such an implacable stance, Caribbean leaders knew they could not afford to accept defeat especially as the number of British tourists to the region has already dropped.<br />
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Instead, they have changed tack. Amid high-level discussions at last week’s World Travel Market in London, tourism chiefs revealed their latest idea – to replace the current bands with a two-tier system placing European destinations in one band, and the rest of the world in the other.<br />
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The Caribbean Tourism Organisation says just £1 extra APD on flights in Europe could enable cuts of up to £50 on long-haul flights, and even increase revenue. Suggesting a system with potential to bring in even more money to Britain’s cash-strapped coffers could prove to be too tempting a prospect for the government to refuse – leading to the breakthrough the West Indians have been looking for.<br />
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But for now, having delivered their report to the powers that be, all the Caribbean countries can do is wait and hope. They’re not in the mood for giving up – there’s simply too much at stake.DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-33255952874171362922010-11-11T10:12:00.003+00:002012-05-09T16:24:47.433+01:00Hurricane Tomas, a unique insight from Brigitte Maronie at Villa Caribbean DreamHere we publish an email from one of our friends on St Lucia, Brigitte Maronie, owner of <a href="http://www.definitivecaribbean.com/accommodation/st-lucia/guest-houses/villa-caribbean-dream">Villa Caribbean Dream</a> - 'a fascinating insight illustrating how everyone was caught out by Tomas - and the chaos it caused', Sara Macefield, travel journalist.<br />
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For those of you who did not know: <br />
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Hurricane "Tomas" hit us very hard on Saturday October 31st. It was very stressful, because we were completely unprepared. On Friday it was said that it would be a tropical storm and it would be heading out to the open Atlantic. But then in no time it suddenly came straight toward us and changed into a hurricane category 1 and later category 2. The eye passed through St Lucia and St Vincent with a wind speed of 150 km/h but the forward speed was only 10 km/h. That is why it took sooooo long (24 hrs.). It was pouring down rain all this time and everywhere was flooded. I was very stressed out and completely exhausted afterwards. We did not have electricity for 4 days and everything in my fridges and freezer was spoilt! Our telephone lines were not working and after 4 days we could use cell phones, but the internet only came back after 6 days.<br />
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Last Friday I had to work my German airline CONDOR - not expecting any arrivals. But they still brought 65 passengers who did not know what had happened here!! More stress again for me, because most of the hotels were closed and the roads were not accessible between Vieux-Fort and Castries and also Vieux-Fort to Soufriere. A lot of bridges were broken. So we had to organize little aircrafts for those people in the night and shuttle most of them to the north, where the damage was not so great. Anyway, we tried to handle it the best we could.<br />
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The island is devastated - especially the area around Soufriere. We have NO water in most areas up to now. But people are working feverishly to get things back to normal. We get quite a lot of aid from overseas and also have a lot of international volunteers helping with bringing in goods and fresh water as well as helping with the clean up. The roads are in a deplorable state, but also that is tackled speedily and hopefully things are running much more smoothly by next week. The country will be receiving tourists from November 12th again. Hopefully we have a good high season!!! We need it!<br />
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Anyway, just for you to know... I am ok, Noelita and Louis as well as To-To and Lu-Lu are also fine. Our house had only little damage (thanks God!!), but the garden looked like a mine field! We are still cleaning up and do repair works. My next guests will be arriving on November 16th. Until then everything hopefully will be alright.<br />
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My heart goes out to the relatives of people who lost their lives and to them who lost all their belongings! It was a very frightening experience for me after living here 31 years and I never had seen something like this. Thanks god, we are still alive. All my friends are ok too. It could have been worse. <br />
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I now look forward to welcoming new guests for the high season and hope that we do not get any bad weather within the next few weeks again. It would be great to see some of you again soon too!!! (Editor's note - We believe the best way to support Brigitte and her fellow islanders is to book a holiday now! Please see a review of her property - <a href="http://www.definitivecaribbean.com/accommodation/st-lucia/guest-houses/villa-caribbean-dream">Villa Caribbean Dream</a>!)<br />
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P.S. If you would like to look at some videos check on Youtube. There are lots. Here's a link to one by Mr Arnold Henry - The Aftermath of Hurricane Tomas in St Lucia:<br />
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Love to you all .... and let's stay in touch!<br />
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Very sunny greetings from St.Lucia!<br />
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BrigitteDefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-44403799731793191682010-11-07T20:19:00.005+00:002010-11-07T20:30:08.686+00:00Hurricane Tomas - St Lucia and Haiti Fight On...It’s the time of year when the Caribbean islands breathe a collective sigh of relief as the hurricane season draws to a close. But this year, it has come back to bite them with devastating results.<br /><br />Tomas emerged with little warning on the cusp of Halloween to rampage through the Caribbean, causing death and destruction just as islanders started to relax. However, what few outsiders will appreciate is that most islands will have been left unscathed as Tomas concentrated its force on those in its path – namely St Lucia and Haiti. Islands on the periphery of the storm course – notably Barbados, Jamaica and Cuba - also felt its affects, but thankfully to a lesser extent.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/49754000/gif/_49754508_hurricane_464x395.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 213px;" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/49754000/gif/_49754508_hurricane_464x395.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a>Even on St Lucia, it was a trail of two halves with the northern part of the island taking less of a battering while the southern section – around Soufriere – took the full force of the hurricane winds and lashing rain, with roads and houses swept away in the ensuing landslides. Tomas has been declared the worst storm in the island’s history, destroying its lucrative banana crop, and putting the country’s main dam, which supplies the population with fresh water, out of action. Properties such as Ladera have temporarily closed and the race is on to mop up and get back to normal in time for the peak Christmas/New Year holiday season.<br /><br />As for Haiti – how much more can this poverty-stricken nation take? Earthquakes, cholera and now Tomas but, and you have to take comfort from this glimmer of hope, it could have been so much worse. Tomas is the sort of natural disaster that spares no-one in its path and West Indians are resigned to the fact that such devastation is the price they pay for living in one of the most beautiful corners of the world.<br /><br />Yet few communities are more adept at recovering from such setbacks. The clear-up operation begins instantly, swinging into action and often resulting in the destinations emerging phoenix-like with a new lease of life.<br /><br />You only have to look at Grenada, Jamaica and Antigua and others which have emerged refreshed and reinvigorated after such tumultuous events. In these circumstances, many in the tourism industry turn adversity to their advantage by taking the opportunity to upgrade and renew. And it’s with this in mind that those worst affected by Tomas can look ahead and realise that no matter how tough things seem, the strength of the Caribbean islands and their people will shine through.<br /><br />*Anyone wishing to donate to the ongoing relief effort in Haiti should go to <a href="http://www.redcross.org.uk/Search/TagSearch?tag=Haiti%20Earthquake%20Appeal">www.redcross.org.uk</a>DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-74552481729208823562010-10-13T13:30:00.003+01:002012-05-09T16:25:20.466+01:00Breadfruit and Bligh - The Captain's Artocarpus InciseAnyone who ever stepped ashore in the Caribbean has seen them and marvelled, hung with their trademark large green globes, not quite football sized usually but certainly heavier, and big enough to satisfy several appetites at one sitting. Widespread and prolific, you’ll spot them in backyards and boulevards and most places in between, and never confuse them with the cannonball tree. They seem such a part of island landscapes as to have been around forever but that’s far from the case. So whither did it come this island staple, the solidly reassuring breadfruit? And therein lies a story, a gloriously improbable one, writ large in the annals of seamen, tall tales and naval history.<br />
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In the late 18th Century plantations in Jamaica and St Vincent struggled to feed their slaves at times while elsewhere in the Pacific British botanist Joseph Banks, who was accompanying Captain Cook, had noted breadfruit as a major food source amongst the South Sea islanders. Plans for transhipment were made and on April 4th 1789 HMS Bounty under Captain William Bligh set sail from Tahiti with 1,085 of the precious seedlings bound for St Vincent. Every schoolchild, and some grown ups, know what happened next. Come on, you should, it’s been immortalized in film and word a few times too.<br />
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The Mutiny three weeks into the voyage on April 28th was led by Fletcher Christian and resulted in Bligh and nineteen loyalists being set adrift in an open 23foot launch, effectively a rowing boat in the Pacific. A year later, Bligh was back in England a hero having somehow navigated 3,600 miles of Southern Pacific ocean to Timor, an epic journey in any era and now considered as the greatest act of courage and open boat seamanship in history. By 1793 he was back in Tahiti and delivering the inaugural consignment to Kingstown, St Vincent where his diligence is duly recorded on a suitably impressive tree specimen in the Botanical Gardens: “Breadfruit Artocarpus Incise - a sucker from one of the original plants introduced by Captain Bligh in 1793 on HMS Providence” it proudly proclaims.<br />
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A year later they were growing around the Caribbean, and nourishing generations of West Indians ever since. It came as quite a surprise a couple of years ago to learn that Jonathan Agnew, BBC Radio’s Cricket Correspondent, an erudite and worldly man and veteran of several full tours of the Caribbean, had neither heard of nor set eyes upon the self same arboreal wonder. Remarkable. After all, the glossy green foliage, rent into long leaved yellow veined fingers, is as distinctive as the fruit itself, especially when glistening in the rain. It’s not to everyone’s taste of course, and an overcooked breadfruit is dry and starchy. Rosemary Parkinson however, the Caribbean’s First Lady of Food and all things thereof, has a few ideas on how to maximise this most singular of fruit—firstly, like all locals, regard it as a vegetable, "It’s dense and heavy and don’t try and carry more than a handful or you’ll do yourself a mischief."<br />
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Some people swear that roasting is best, over coals for about an hour, the skin peeled off later and buttermelt poured over the fleshy white interior, avoiding the pithy core (breadfruit cou-cou in Barbados has herbs and spices added to the mash); it’s used in soups, for pickling, in oil downs and is excellent when sliced, baked or fried too (don’t over indulge though, it’s filling, and that from someone who likes to nyam). The blossom can be made into jams, the flour into porridge or dumplings, and all manner of medicinal benefits are attributed from a chewing gum pain reliever made from the sap to bush tea from the leaves to counteract headaches, asthma and high blood pressure. Young buds are also chewed for mouth and throat ailments.<br />
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Whatever its benefits, the tree looks here to stay, West Indian to its Pacific roots. If “breadfruit” hadn’t stuck, then “lifefruit” could have worked.DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-49562981049108133962010-09-30T10:45:00.004+01:002012-05-09T16:25:39.966+01:00Elizabeth "Ma Pampo" Israel - Dominica's Oldest WomanTime waits for no man, but for dear old ladies in distant Dominica defying the ravages of age is all part of the natural process. Elizabeth Israel became the world’s oldest woman on authentic record when celebrating her 125th birthday on Jan 27th 2000 and, while agelessness is often misconstrued, in her case it seemed entirely appropriate. She never did enter the Guinness Book of Records though, the authorities decreeing that the lack of a birth certificate, which disappeared in a hurricane, precluded it despite a clear account in the local baptismal register. I know - I once spent three days sourcing it before spotting the original entry.<br />
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“Even the old people here knew her as an old woman”, said Lucien Da Silva, a long time neighbour in the Glanvillia tenantry near Portsmouth, “and I always felt she was a very special lady”. The register at St John and St Lewis Catholic Church also identified Louisia Frager as godmother and the date of birth as January 27th 1875 but many people in the village actually thought her much older. She was probably one of the last direct descendants of a slave, her mother Magdelaine Israel, a tall “redskin” from Antigua speaking Kokoy dialect, was brought to work on the Morne Talin plantation near Colihaut on the west coast. The terrible 1838 hurricane required a switch to the Picard estate near Portsmouth where she lived to more than a hundred herself. Something in the genes then, or are there other reasons?<br />
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When I met Ma Pampo, as she was known to one and all, she was blind but her recollection for times past still sharply acute. On the eve of her 125th I asked what had been the secret. “Well”, she chortled, “I ate callalloo, dumpling, meat, lots of fish and crab”. Sitting straight backed, upright in bed, cuddling a toy Dalmatian, she was listening to the radio in her humble two roomed chattel house. “An doan forget de coconut milk an dasheen either!” Finally, she advised “never eat a heavy meal after 6pm, then drink a bush tea. Fertilizers are making people weak”.<br />
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<a href="http://www.paho.org/Images/DPI/persp15_photo01.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.paho.org/Images/DPI/persp15_photo01.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 143px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 250px;" /></a>Raised with four siblings, she got up early, drank pure water and went to work at Picard aged 25, picking peas for 2/6d per month. A penny for a nine hour day. Rough trails were the only means of communication, no electricity, no telephone, and Roseau could have been another country, but she recalled her only trip to the capital 20 miles to the south. “My wedding day, and we went by the estate boat”. She bore a son Burleigh Codrington who died at 30 though a grandson Charlesworth lives in England. Pampo was known as Minetta George for a while after marrying Ernest, and remembered “walking to work and being turned back if you weren’t over dat bridge when bell rang at 7am.” Graduating to supervisor, she directed ox carts and the grinding mill, and organised lime, vanilla and coconut processing. “I danced the cacao too,” referring to the now rarely practised cocoa polishing with the feet manoeuvre. She avoided alcohol as a girl, and smoked tobacco in a clay pipe instead. Pampo preached simplicity, honesty, good faith and health care, with humour, patience and kindness never far behind.<br />
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In 1979, still strong and agile at 104, she took redundancy from Picard, lived alone and was revered throughout the neighbourhood, a classic case of care in the community, her life led at one with the soil, sustained by diligence, diet and an unfettered environment. “She was a sharing, kindly person”, Martha Martin said, “and the only lady who was never called witch by the children”. Suddenly the old radio crackled into life, a gruff voice from Roseau exhorting “we want Pampo down here to talk!” “Me gwan nowhere”, laughed Pampo, “dem haffa come to here”. Tributes poured in later from far and wide, and there was banter around 25 missing telegrams from the Queen.<br />
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People like Pampo are not unusual in Dominica. Just round the corner, I was introduced to Ms Rose Peters, a mere stripling at 117, who had sorted cacao with Pampo, still walked down the lane, chatted to everyone and prayed twice a day. A further four of her close associates were also centenarians, (there are currently over twenty others, three times the ratio of western developed countries), testament to the strength of its motto: After God, the Earth. Israel embodied Dominican toil and spirit from another era, sadly passing away in 2003 aged 128 after complications arising from a pedicure.DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-12763358339513322552010-09-20T15:54:00.004+01:002012-05-09T16:26:10.438+01:00High in the Blue Mountains, Jamaican Flowers and GardensFlowers and gardens are part of the rich tapestry of everyday life in the Caribbean, startling in their variety, vibrancy and colour for the first time visitor, but an element of the landscape it’s easy to become blasé about. Run of the mill even, and often overlooked. Every major city will usually have somewhere to while away time amongst unusual trees and plant life, a welcome oasis of tranquillity and calm amid the clamour of urban living. In Kingston Jamaica, the 200 acre Hope Gardens which were officially designated by the Queen in 1953 serve the purpose well and there are other long established havens beyond the city at Bath, Castleton and Cranbrook.<br />
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It’s probably true to say though that most of the populace will be oblivious to that holy grail of gardens due east, the stunning sanctuary at 5500 feet in the beguiling Blue Mountains and only 2.5 miles as the crow flies from the central ridge line. It’s impossible to know everywhere in the Caribbean of course and Jamaica casts a veil over its secret places better than most, but Cinchona Gardens has a definite other worldly feel, an ethereal ambience of swirling mists and strange new aromas. The stairway to heaven is never easy to locate either, it’s not the sort of spot you come across by happenstance...to savour the spirit of Cinchona you have to be committed to going...and be prepared for the rigours of the ascent and the occasional landslip.<br />
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Deep in coffee country, past Pine Grove, Guava Ridge and Mavis Bank and on towards the mystical heights of Clydesdale, a rough road suddenly veers upwards for two miles to the aptly named Top Mountain junction, from where an even steeper incline, riven with crevasse like gullies and channels to hinder weary hikers, leads to Cinchona, which commands an utterly spellbinding location on a remote bluff above the Yallahs and Green river valleys. It’s quite probably the highest botanical garden in the world (if anyone knows of another at a higher elevation let us know)<br />
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Its history and development is equally fascinating; European settlers encountered malaria on the first incursions along the coasts of Africa and Asia in the sixteenth century but it wasn’t until the wife of a Spanish nobleman, the Viceroy of Peru, was miraculously cured by a tea prepared from the bark of a cinchon tree, a native of the High Andes, by the Inca descended Quechua Indians that quinine was taken seriously as an extract. In 1868 seeds were brought from Kew Gardens in London and planted in conjunction with Assam tea but the dual project failed due to competition in India and the site slowly changed from a scientific arboretum to English country garden. By 1874 it was more a centre for orchid propagation under Kew’s William Nock and subsequently botanists arrived from all over the world to view night flowering shrubs and other magical visions in his glass palm-houses.<br />
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Sadly it fell into disrepair over many years, severely damaged as well by hurricanes, vandalism and general neglect. I was fortunate to discover this place almost thirty years ago when I was brought for an audience with Andreas Oberli, a Swiss botanist who had just been engaged as project manager to restore the gardens to their Victorian grandeur. Lloyd Stamp, keeper of the estate, has been here even longer and both are dedicated to the cause though Andreas lives in Kingston now. The uninhabited central Great House contained a large fireplace with a ton of dried wood, my first indication that it could get cold in the Caribbean and, though I came for an hour, I finished up staying three days such was the power of the experience.<br />
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That spirit still exists today, much of it down to these two latter day guardians. In the early 1980s Oberli dissuaded then Prime Minister Edward Seaga from developing it as his helicopter accessed private mountain club, and even observed another PNP politician Ronald Thwaites ordering his henchmen to dig up rare plants and bulbs to cart off to his own garden. Through all this, Cinchona has somehow survived, not intact, but forever changing; the 150 feet high Masson pines remain, a landmark even in the murkiest of light from as far away as Lime Tree Farm (a stupendous site in its own right several miles away, a working coffee farm and one of the best places to stay in the mountains) the Panorama walk too with its wonderful vistas of the Blue Mountain ridge and main peaks.<br />
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There are well tended lawns and flower beds and a lattice work of paths and walkways, interspersed with extraordinary tree specimens like eucalyptus, juniper, Japanese cedar, Chinese cypress, rubber trees, cork oak, incredible gold washed ferns and banks of hydrangea and azalea. At every turn, something new draws your eye. Nowhere is the term splendid isolation more fitting—for a new perspective on Kingston far below, here is somewhere to head for.DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-2784685533960965012010-09-09T11:53:00.004+01:002012-05-09T16:26:47.795+01:00Hurricane Allen and other pleasant Caribbean Hurricanes!We’re half way through the hurricane season and so far so good, for the most part anyway. Despite projections of a greater incidence than usual in this era of changing global weather and climate, the anticipated flurry of storms has not transpired despite the battering of the northern Leewards and Virgin Gorda last week by Hurricane Earl. Antigua and St Maarten had trees flattened and power outages, parts of the Virgins suffered substantial damage and restaurants and other buildings on Frigate Bay in St Kitts were lashed by heavy rain and high winds. It could have been worse, so let’s hope the status quo continues.<br />
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<a href="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/tm/2008/06/LaSoufriere_428x269_to_468x312.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/tm/2008/06/LaSoufriere_428x269_to_468x312.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 157px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 250px;" /></a>The period is one of fear and loathing for many in the Caribbean, the several thousands who live in less sturdy accommodation, though satellite tracking systems now give ample early warning and time for safety measures which the old time West Indian simply did not have. Seeing out a powerful hurricane then was a matter of experience, good fortune and trusting in the shelter as much as anything else. As an ingénue in Barbados in 1979, I awoke one morning to find everywhere covered in a thick red dust, blown over from the erupting Soufriere volcano in St Vincent. It was a startling revelation, something quite out of the ordinary, disturbing to the status quo. Not long afterwards something far more traumatic and personal assailed Little England, the first indication and realisation that perhaps all was not sweetness and fine light in these balmy isles.<br />
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Sundays then were reserved for beach cricket, and that alone, and Bathsheba on the east coast the chosen destination once a month. This one morning, someone rang advising against it, mentioning a brewing storm which the dogs accepted but not the mad Englishmen relishing the noonday sun. Beautiful day, over Farley Hill we drove, past Morgan Lewis mill and down to that glorious foreshore on the most atmospheric part of the island. Things were blissful till around mid-afternoon when suddenly the wind whipped up and the sea got angry. Even then, as someone used to rough weather in the Pennines, often for months on end, I wasn’t unduly concerned. The game continued, though one or two of the more enlightened decided to head back to Bridgetown and the south coast.<br />
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A hardy Irishman Mr David O’Flynn lingered with me, but eventually we too were forced to repair to the Edgewater Inn for sustenance. Soon after, we were about to set off for the west coast when the proprietor hailed us, obviously worried: “no one can leave now, you’ll die” were his words of admonishment, spoken in all seriousness and registering like no other. “It’s a hurricane now, and heading our way fast”. We were forced to bed down for the night along with a score of others on mattresses scattered on the floor. It was humourous at first, until we heard a St Lucia radio broadcast echoing through the bar area “Ok Barbados, signing off here, the Caribbean is with you, the Lord God too, we trust there’ll be minimal damage”. By now it was dusk, doors and windows were barricaded and taped, the wind howling like a banshee, the rain driving horizontally.<br />
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<a href="http://members.shaw.ca/jehutson/tenby.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://members.shaw.ca/jehutson/tenby.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 181px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 300px;" /></a>The Edgewater was built of solid coral stone blocks on a cliff edge high above the roaring ocean, seemingly exposed to the raw elements but in defiance of all the weather could muster and probably one of the safest structures on the island. As darkness fell I took one last glimpse of the world beyond through a chink in one of the thick porthole glass windows. The vision that appeared shocked me to the core - Hurricane Allen was upon us, in all its fury. As far as the eye could see out to the horizon, gigantic lines of white topped breakers tumbled shoreward, immense battalions of them, twice the size of houses. To the right down the coast road, coconut trees were bent at ninety degrees, snapping amidships when the force became too great and scattering their cargo like bouncing bombs, chattel houses had their corrugated roofs peeled back like sardine tins, then torn asunder and flung to the heavens.<br />
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A sleepless night ensued, followed by a long, surreal journey back to the west coast later the next day, clearing roads of debris, matchwood trees and people’s belongings. I was dropped off at my place on Gibbs Beach, incredulous at the scene that awaited - a palm tree had toppled right across the car, a write off, the gently sloping beach had all but disappeared, replaced by a 20 feet high cliff, and my cottage awash with smashed cutlery, broken trees and foliage forced through open louvres stupidly left open. My cat clung on terrified at the top of what remained of some flimsy curtains. Twas a salutary sight, an awakening to the awesome power of nature. It was deemed a glancing blow, not even the full impact. In Dominica, people still talk of “David”, in Jamaica of “Gilbert”, reverentially in a way, out of respect. Hurricanes. Don’t underestimate them and ignore them at your peril. Heed any warnings and batten the hatches.DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-75302695128950389472010-09-01T14:15:00.003+01:002010-09-01T14:28:56.794+01:00Farewell to Lord Glenconner by Stephen ThorpeThe Caribbean lost one of its great characters last week. Not a sportsman, statesman, comedian nor entertainer, but someone who defied formal categorisation and remained rather indefinable - an eccentric indubitably, and a true Brit born not just of the silver spoon but with the whole tea set intact. Yes, Colin Tennant, aka Lord Glenconner was one on his own for sure, the last of a breed in the West Indies who bestrode Mustique, south west St Lucia and a few other places besides for nigh on half a century. In 1959 he acquired that Grenadine backwater, a scrub covered, mosquito ridden Mustique for a song, then spent years and half a fortune developing its infrastructure having given Princess Margaret a few prime acres for her wedding present.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/07/03/article-1291628-0A4DCE20000005DC-81_468x780.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 417px;" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/07/03/article-1291628-0A4DCE20000005DC-81_468x780.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>After Royalty, the new aristocracy followed - rock stars, media moguls and socialites, in search of escape and hedonism alike which Colin was more than happy to facilitate over the next twenty years. After various management and financial wrangles he decamped to another gilded piece of paradise between the Pitons in St Lucia, importing Bupa, a pet elephant, for company. More trouble ensued over land development and Colin eventually settled for a relatively quiet life running his small estate centred on the Bang bar and latterly selling off plots of subdivided land. I first became familiar with him in Barbados in the 1970’s through his son Charlie who enjoyed bejewelled teenage years in Mustique before sadly dying young; family calamity became a theme but Colin somehow maintained a stiff upper lip throughout.<br /><br />His trademark outfit of white cotton pants, white cotton shirt and hat never seemingly changed, and I can truthfully aver that I never saw him in anything else throughout our acquaintance. Sometimes he’d misplace the hat and get cross. He was a patriarch, with a loyal staff and following in rural St Lucia and prone to the occasional tantrum when things went awry. Once, in some down at heel shop in Soufriere, he overheard me mention I had to go to Castries the next day and kindly offered a lift (this in the days before a properly surfaced west coast road existed); he collected me in the morning in a battered jeep and we set off on a journey scheduled to take two hours. It lasted eight. At every wayside halt, for every fruit seller, fisherman or higgler in Anse La Raye or Canaries he had a friendly word, or they for him. Chats turned into discussions, long ones; at one stage, just as I thought we were getting somewhere, he drove into a deep drainage gully, almost writing off the vehicle. Four Rastas hauled us out, and we repaired to a rum shop to thank them. The Laird of Lucia I called him, which he quite liked.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/00679/lord-glenconner_679875e.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 192px; height: 270px;" src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/00679/lord-glenconner_679875e.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Another time I found myself in some smart hostelry, which was unusual in itself, when suddenly Princess Margaret walked in unannounced, clutching her customary bottle of Famous Grouse (half empty as I recall), followed close behind by Colin and his wife Lady Anne, the Princess’s Lady in Waiting. We were introduced, and chatted briefly. A while later I felt a light touch on my forearm. It was Colin, whispering over my shoulder: “Stephen, Her Royal Highness has requested you accompany us to supper”. Lawd God Almighty, I was dumbstruck for a moment. What could a poor boy do? I’d never had the Royal Command before (then or since), me dear ol’ monarchist Mum back in Rochdale would have been proud. As a vehemently (dis)loyal subject of the Crown, I suppose I had no choice, and dutifully accepted. Besides, I was bloody hungry. Later in a memorable evening Colin lifted an eyebrow disdainfully when I failed to rise as Marj briefly excused herself from the table for a fag. As I told him later - I wasn’t going anywhere, so why bother getting up. He despaired.<br /><br />Only last Christmas, he learnt that a London psychotherapist Joshua Bowler was his illegitimate son from more than fifty years ago by Henrietta Moraes and, true to form, gladly accepted him into the family fold. I bumped into Colin a year ago in late afternoon on an isolated beach at unfashionable Laborie on St Lucia’s south coast. He was taking his evening stroll miles from home, alone in his thoughts at 83, a ghostly figure in the gloaming, in the twilight of a life well spent. We shared a pot of tea. He seemed tired, something in his pale blue eyes said this would be the last time I’d see him. And it was. Many will miss him.DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-4929553027797482682010-08-25T09:44:00.006+01:002012-05-09T16:29:25.102+01:00Pelican Bar Jamaica and other scenes to tryBars. Love em or hate em, you’ll sure as eggs find yourself in one if you visit the Caribbean for even the shortest layover. You may not know you’re in one, it may look like a shop, a grocery store or a post office, and sell all manner of unwanted items until you spy those tell-tale bottles of dark stuff tucked away on a dusty shelf. Rum to you and I, often it’s clear, or “white” but don’t let that wholesome innocence fool you. Oh no, always treat the white one with the utmost respect in fact, otherwise you’ll wake up later, wondering why. Yes, the rum shop is ubiquitous, multi-facetted, more plentiful than churches some would opine, and there are lots of those to admire.<br />
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A bar on a beach people like the sound of too. Sort of double your money, two for the price of one. I once lived close to Mullins beach bar in St Peter, Barbados, the only 24 hour bar in its earliest incarnation and accessible from the south in the days before traffic, not that I was a regular, though it was nice to know it was there, a neighbourly comfort as it were. Bang on a great roadside beach a well, it’s changed over the years, things do, more restaurant than bar for a spell, but the essence of a great place to relax remains. Location is all.<br />
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The Owl Bar commands another timeless spot and is aptly named, in one of Grenada’s finest, the Flamboyant hotel, overlooking the southern end of Grande Anse beach and prides itself on convivial late night opening. I knew a chap once who moored a boat bar offshore at Mullins in a failed venture to add the maritime perspective to Bim’s bar scene, but perhaps only in Jamaica, to repeat a well worn phrase, would they ever consider going one step beyond. Let alone actually doing it.<br />
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Riding the swell down Jamaica south west, no surfboard just outboard, I was reminded not long back of that other Jamaican maxim “the Jamaica you find depends on the company you keep”. Someone had mentioned “a bar with a difference”, so I thought why not, seen a few already, what’s one more? Far offshore from Black River did seem a bit extreme, I mused, scanning a foam flecked horizon for signs of life, then suddenly a bizarre spindly edifice of driftwood, flotsam and bamboo loomed afore. More a rustic vision of a seaborne “wicker man”, it’s an extraordinary piece of construction, nailed and pieced together on stilts atop a narrow rock shoal in a matter of weeks--- the result of the fertile, some would say damaged, imagination of Floyd a local fisherman.<br />
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The Pelican Bar he’s called it, owing to its most regular customer so far out at sea. Colleagues advised him against, exhorting that “him lost him mind” but Sally Henzell at Jakes hotel actively encouraged him. Yep, this place was definitely different. No sign of a barman for a start, least of all a beer on a scorching morning, as we clambered up some rickety ladder. “Jussa small hinconvenience sah, no problem”, whispered the boatman. Jeees...uz.....hey, he’s right though, this is Jamaica, chill out capital, miles from land, blazing sun, no drinks, something will turn up. Incredibly they did, quite a while later.<br />
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It was hard to leave, not least because you couldn’t, the sort of place where you never know you may be gurgling your last, should a rogue wave come rolling in. Someone suggested we should stay overnight, and not entirely in jest. I glanced inland at a storm billowing in over the Santa Cruz Mountains and nay..........terra firma’s best.DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-28352009778043161812010-08-16T16:29:00.003+01:002012-05-09T16:30:00.677+01:00Hiking in the Caribbean - Take a Local Guide!AAAaaah..... wonderful. Stretched out on a comfy lounger, gentle waves lapping by your toes, cocktail bar not too far distant. Dreamy days, languid nights, palm trees whispering in the breeze--everyone’s idea of Caribbean bliss, the stereotype plugged in a traveller’s memory bank. And why not, it’s an image which has sold the region to countless millions of prospective visitors. But wait, look over at them thar hills, that hazy mountain range, what mysteries and delights therein to discover? Thankfully, over the last decade or so Tourism Authorities have come to realise this too and hiking has become a far more high profile diversion, an actively encouraged pastime that adds so much to the participant’s appreciation of a country, the land, its people and wildlife. Get that gear on then, stretch the sinews......... and feel the difference. Most of the islands lend themselves to hiking in some degree, even Barbados and Antigua, the flatter ones, have great coastal walking but it’s the mountainous interiors of the Windwards and Jamaica which are really rewarding, that set the heart and mind a pumping.<br />
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The flagship hikes around the Antilles are pretty self evident—if not easily achieved---- the trek to the Boiling Lake via the Valley of Desolation in the fastness of the Morne Trois Pitons National Park in Dominica has a singular allure that the adventurer finds irresistible, if only for the place names, the ascent of Gros Piton in south western St Lucia looks fairly straightforward from distance then is ever more daunting as the true scale of the pyramidal massif becomes evident at its scrub covered base. The twin apex peak of El Tucuche in Trinidad’s Northern Range is quite challenging, Mount St Catherine at 2756 feet in Grenada equally so while St Lucia’s Mount Gimie is no cakewalk either. And then there’s Jamaica, specifically the Blue Mountains. The Danish philosopher Kierkegarde said he’d often walked himself into his best thoughts, which was a nice way of putting it. If hiking nurtures peace and contemplation, even upliftment, there can be no greater theatre than this place, the midnight hike to Blue Mountain peak its apotheosis.<br />
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Theoretically you can hike in the Caribbean at any time of year of course, but it’s sensible to temper things on occasion and the rainy season causes all manner of complications. Mountain walking is hazardous if not downright lethal after heavy rainfall and the optimum period is always going to be the relatively dry period between November and April, outside the hurricane season. Daytime temperatures hover around 85 degrees tempered by cooling trade winds but at higher elevations it becomes significantly cooler; no specialist equipment is usually necessary, water being the sole essential requirement with lightweight cotton clothing, rainwear and a solid pair of trainers perfectly adequate for most terrain. Climate is changing around the islands like everywhere else though, and it’s wise to keep a weather eye open at all times. Many years ago I had cause to climb Mount Liamuiga, the volcano in St Kitts, and all seemed set fair as a wispy wreath of cloud encircled the summit on a bright sunny morning.<br />
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My guide advised against it however, shaking his head doubtfully, sensing something in the air I hadn’t but, fearing an editor’s wrath, an hour later after much discussion I decided to strike out alone. Ah the folly of youth, a gross error of judgment. I reached the top without too much trouble but commencing the descent the heavens opened without warning, water, water everywhere, in biblical proportions, the steep track quickly becoming a raging torrent, carrying with it mud and tree debris, and nearly myself. It was deafeningly noisy in the thick confines of the forest, disorientating, terrifying briefly till I gained a grip. Six hours later in pitch black I somehow staggered into a canefield miles below, cut to ribbons, safe, but definitely unsound. A rescue team was about to set forth. It was a salutary lesson, never to be forgotten---always, ALWAYS heed local advice.DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-14328449190825767052010-08-04T10:55:00.004+01:002012-05-09T16:31:09.929+01:00Caribbean Facts About Sea Turtles - Protect Them!Everyone should do it. Wander down a dark beach at midnight or later that is, preferably in the pitch black and definitely without flashlight or camera. A sliver of moonlight on a silvery sea can help but this is no romantic interlude, not for the voyeur at any rate. It is though a heartrending experience with something of the primeval about it, and not to be forgotten in a hurry, to be a privileged witness to the egg laying ritual of the giant leatherback turtle, the largest living marine reptile and known to have existed for 100 million years. Children in particular are wide eyed in amazement, most adults too in truth. It really is that extraordinary to see these great ocean wanderers, leviathans of the deep as big as coffee tables, hauling themselves from the surf on some remote shoreline at dead of night. The males are entirely pelagic with the females only coming ashore to lay eggs after six years of age.<br />
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Grande Riviere in North Trinidad is the second most important nesting ground in the world after the beaches of French Guyana, and it’s easy to see why in the period from March to August when 300 have been known to lumber up the beach on a single evening close to the <a href="http://www.definitivecaribbean.com/accommodation/trinidad/boutique-small-hotels-and-inns/mt-plaisir-estate-hotel">Mt. Plaisir Estate Hotel</a> which is a prime observation post. Dozens of people are bussed in nightly from Port Of Spain three hours away now, it’s that much of a spectacle. It’s strenuous work over 1.5 hours for the poor beast, with a three feet deep hole excavated with its hind flippers initially, then 60-80 eggs deposited in a trance-like state when the inert beast can actually be stroked without distraction. It actually appears to be weeping when a viscous film develops over the eyes but it’s merely a protective measure against sand which is flung around violently in the covering over process, or the removal of excess salt.<br />
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The eggs, and the turtles themselves, are highly vulnerable of course - they’re persecuted by egg stealers like the “Cobo” vultures, packs of wild dogs, and not least, dumb humans who also slaughter turtles for meat despite widespread educational and awareness programmes. Green turtles and the Hawksbill suffer the same fate. Things have changed in recent years but it’s still a problem on the more inaccessible north coast beaches like Madamas further west and in other countries like Dominica and Grenadines outposts.<br />
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Sterling work is undertaken in St.Kitts by the sea Turtle Monitoring Network coordinated by Kimberley Clark who also arranges constant clean up campaigns on sensitive beaches like Cayon and Keys, favoured grounds of all three species. In Carriacou in the southern Grenadines the Kido Ecological Research Station run by Marina Fastigi and Dario Sandrini actually pays fishermen for turtles caught accidentally, or otherwise, in their nets before tagging and release. The Rosti project (Rosalie Sea Turtle Initiative) in eastern Dominica is another laudable effort to preserve these remarkable creatures and the soon to be opened Rosalie Bay Nature Resort, like <a href="http://www.definitivecaribbean.com/accommodation/trinidad/boutique-small-hotels-and-inns/mt-plaisir-estate-hotel">Mt.Plaisir</a>, has also set up hatchling nurseries to improve baby turtles’ chances of making it back to the sea. For turtles to survive and flourish in the Caribbean spreading the word is the key, so everyone - do your bit quickly before 100 million years of evolution disappears.DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-58992421140897383672010-07-26T22:31:00.008+01:002010-07-27T10:09:36.412+01:00Veni Mange, Bars in Trinidad and CarnivalThey reckon they like a good knees up in Brazil. A Carnival there too apparently, lots of dancing, loud music, dressing up in even louder outfits, that sort of thing. Been there, done that you might say.........and then you come to Trinidad......... and realise those samba groovy South Americans are only playing at having fun. Assuredly, no nation on earth likes to party more than the Trinidadian, “Trinis” to one and all.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_grO6acLmXto/TE4Bd6EC5sI/AAAAAAAAAWA/Id5fmgvj5X0/s1600/Rosemary-Hezekiah-and-Allys.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 166px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_grO6acLmXto/TE4Bd6EC5sI/AAAAAAAAAWA/Id5fmgvj5X0/s320/Rosemary-Hezekiah-and-Allys.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498333808380012226" /></a>An old journalist pal, a carouser, wit and night owl of international repute, now sadly departed, was embraced by strangers like a long lost friend when first encountering hospitality Port of Spain style. “I feel at home here”, he mused within the hour, and shortly afterwards I watched in awe as he brought the house down with an impromptu dance routine during an incendiary, full-on soca night where only foolhardy foreigners dared to tread. Oh yes, “Crash” Lander was a true Trinny in truth.<br /><br />Any well laid plan for a night out with a Trinidadian is only ever a starter for ten though.....or a dozen..... or a score of other options. Just as you think everything’s fixed and you know what you’re doing, where and when, you’re propelled into a tangential scenario... with a totally different time frame. Zany, capricious and prone to flights of fancy, the Trinny reveller is dangerous to know and hard to categorise. The basic rule is then.... plan nothing. Go with the flow, and watch your step.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_grO6acLmXto/TE4EnS8-6kI/AAAAAAAAAWI/38b6GLEj8Y8/s1600/Veni-Mange-Trinidad.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 166px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_grO6acLmXto/TE4EnS8-6kI/AAAAAAAAAWI/38b6GLEj8Y8/s320/Veni-Mange-Trinidad.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498337268214983234" /></a>The city has spectacular mega clubs like Zen and 51 degrees with dress codes, VIP rope offs and all the trappings but the street culture is just as entertaining... and costs far less. For years, the myriad bars of the Western Main Road in St.James were the favoured haunts, culminating in raucous bonhomie at Smokey & Bunty’s bar around 4am, but now the scene has changed and the Avenue is the hipster’s boulevard of choice. Ariapita Avenue to be exact, home to Rosemary and Allyson’s legendary bar and eaterie, Veni Mange, and newcomers on the block like Coco’s, More Vino, Shakers and lots more.<br /><br />A fortnight back, I was sat minding my own business, supping a Carib in this neck of the woods when I witnessed something you might only glimpse in Harlem or the Bronx, and possibly not even there nowadays---an extraordinary half hour demonstration of pavement gymnastics by a group of young blokes, who were not really showing off, and definitely weren’t drunk, as though engaged in some wildly exuberant private competition. Olympic coaches would have been proud, patrons in adjacent bars put aside their drinks and gazed in admiration, mesmerised. As did I. It was that good. Not even Lander could have pulled off some of those moves.DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-74415636685515084932010-07-20T11:27:00.003+01:002010-07-20T12:15:27.013+01:00Dominica Traffic - Caribbean Norm or Witches Curse?It’s everywhere you go. Even the Caribbean has more than its share nowadays, though Anguilla is never overburdened and several of the smaller islands beyond the capital cities are usually untrammelled. We’re talking traffic, lots of it. Kingston Jamaica, Port of Spain Trinidad, Bridgetown Barbados, Castries St Lucia are increasingly clogged with cars as journey to work times continue to expand.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dominica-weekly.com/wp-content/uploads//2009/02/double_parking.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 157px;" src="http://www.dominica-weekly.com/wp-content/uploads//2009/02/double_parking.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Last week I experienced a strange variation on the theme. The narrow one way systems of Dominica’s main town of Roseau are rarely congested, unless one of the giant cruise liners just happens to have docked at the waterfront, but this was not one of those days. I’d pootled into town from Goodwill in the north, clattered over the river bridge into Queen Mary Street and was quietly minding my own business when the light traffic in front inexplicably ground to a halt.<br /><br />There was no obvious obstruction ahead, no breakdown, no minor collision or stray dog, just some sort of impasse. It happens all the time of course around the islands, drivers passing the time of day with each other, handing parcels over etc., just as you want to get somewhere fast. I could see passengers gazing sideways where people were thronging the porticoed sidewalk in steadily growing numbers so I turned off the engine, sat awhile because there was no option, and strained to see what the fuss was about.<br /><br />Eventually, with time ticking on, I leaned out and inquired of a sensible looking citizen “whappen down de road, sir?” His response was immediate, and throwaway; “Nuttin’ much sah, a witch jussa block de footpath” ! Whhaaaaaat?? Apparently then, if a pedestrian comes face to face with a witch, black or white, it’s common courtesy to pass to her right so you won’t be affected by any spell. If she doesn’t allow it, a stand-off ensues and a blockade develops. This had just happened, effectively bringing the whole of downtown Roseau to a halt as drivers stopped to await the outcome.<br /><br />They may still be there, it wouldn’t surprise me; nobody was budging so I somehow manoeuvred a nifty reverse and made my getaway down a sidestreet. You’d think stories like this were apocryphal but here they’re commonplace. In Elma Napier’s wonderful evocation of a 1930’s bohemian colonial life here in “Black and White Sands” published by Papillote press last year, she muses “it has never been easy to analyse, to define the mysterious charm that has lured some people to stay in Dominica forever, and from which others have fled without even taking time to unpack”. Incidents like this at least give us a clue. Yes, Dominica’s different, very different.DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4669404816832255956.post-43982184815164632572010-07-12T15:01:00.004+01:002012-05-09T16:36:08.880+01:00The Standpipe - Caribbean Newsletter - July 2010Did you know that we publish a quarterly newsletter? We aim to feature each season's happening events and what's new and exciting around the Caribbean. We feature interviews with leading personalities throughout the islands and recipes from our favourite chefs!<br />
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Why not have a look at the topics we cover below and click through to read it?<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.definitivecaribbean.com/Caribbean_Newsletter_July_2010.aspx"></a></span><br />
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Editor's Note - We have moved to a new website, with a new newsletter - <a href="http://www.definitivecaribbean.com/caribbean-newsletter">http://www.definitivecaribbean.com/caribbean-newsletter</a><br />
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Old articles refered to below will be loaded onto the new site shortly...<br />
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In this edition Stephen Thorpe talks to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Colin Hunte, GM at Villa Beach Cottages</span>, we have a look at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Diving in Dominica</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Boat Building in Carriacou</span> and give advice on where to go for that special <span style="font-weight: bold;">Caribbean family holiday</span>.<br />
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Our recipe this month is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Roasted Plantain wrapped Snapper Fillet with Virgin Salsa and Tomato Coulis</span>, a Signature Dish from the AAA Four Diamond-rated Great House at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nisbet Beach Plantation and Spa, Nevis</span>.<br />
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Happy Travels!DefinitiveCaribbeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09562393309211521589noreply@blogger.com2