Farsighted Fly Girl

I didn't realize just how confused people are about the Turks and Caicos islands.   Before I traveled to Providenciales,  the most developed of the eight main islands, I promised my blogging students that I would discover enough about this island nation to explain exactly where it is and what it's like. But it wasn't only my students that didn't know. When I tried to put a travel advisory on my credit card, the customer service confused Turks and Caicos with Turkey. And that was after I spelled it! Very few of my friends and family knew where the heck I was going so here it is: The Turks and Caicos islands consist of a group of 40 islands and small cays, with eight of them inhabited. The country is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and located southeast of the Bahamas and East of  the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic. ) Currently, the Turks and Caicos is a British Overseas Territory.  (Although the American dollar is the official currency.) T...

It's been a while but I'm happy to be returning to Barbados for the annual SATW Travel Writers Convention.  I'll be in meetings for a big portion of the trip but I will still find time to visit the legendary Oistins Fish Fry, take in a beach and rum shop, as well as hike along a nature trail. I'm also scheduled to check out the fabled Cin Cin By The Sea  with al fresco dining and views of the west coast of the island. Stay tuned for pix and videos!

Everybody loves Carnival. A lot of people think that it's just a big, colorful excuse to party but there is so much historical significance to the practice. Carnival literally translates to "farewell to meat" in Latin. It represents the Lenten tradition of the Catholic church to sacrifice during the month leading up to the resurrection of Jesus. A big party preceded the month of sacrifice. Spanish and Portuguese colonizers brought the tradition to North and South America. But as I watched St. Thomas Carnival , I was excited to see the Shaka Zulu troupe above, because so much of contemporary Carnival culture incorporates African culture. Enslaved Africans weren't allowed to join the Carnival celebrations so they created there own. All the feathers and masks used for costumes directly relate to African ceremonial style. The masks and feathers were used to invoke spirits. And the Mocko Jumbies or Stilt walkers?  Most Virgin Islanders recognize them as a direct ...

It's been a long while since I visited the lively Rock City, also know as St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.  After 2017's Hurricanes Maria and Irma, I covered how the VI was affected and how to help.  This week, I'll get the chance to observe the recovery firsthand and see how legendary vistas like  Magens Bay , shown above, have fared. I'm also excited to attend St. Thomas Carnival!  I'll be watching the kids parade, sampling goodies at the Soca Village and maybe even participating in the adult's parade, so please keep a look out for posts and videos!

This week, I'm honored to travel to Guadeloupe and explore the island's extensive black history.  This French Caribbean territory boasts a long culture of resistance and I will be documenting it all, including the battles of Louis Delgres , who fought Napoleon's attempt to return slavery to the French Caribbean, Gwo-Ka music and dancing rituals, and the Memorial ACTe,  a global initiative to tell the history of slavery and the institution's effect on the world.  Of course, I'll also be capturing Guadeloupe's unspoiled natural beauty so please stay tuned!

The summer adventures are really heating up! This week I'll be exploring the colorful landscape and intriguing history of Curacao.  This Dutch Caribbean island has been on my bucket list for a long time so expect breathless posts about my experiences. I'll be strolling the capital city, UNESCO World Heritage site of Willemstad, taking in the iconic Queen Emma swinging bridge and the famous, candy-colored  Handelscade backdrop, pictured above. I'll also be visiting several of Curacao's 35 cove-covered ,beaches.as well as local food trucks nightclubs (including 27, honoring famous musicians who died at 27-years-old) and Museum Kura Hulanda , which focuses on African art, history and the Dutch slave trade. Please look out for my updates about this fascinating island!

Photo courtesy of Bahamas Tourism It's that time again. No matter the destination, I never turn down the chance to participate in the joyful celebration of carnival. This weekend, I'm headed to Nassau for the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival.   I was in Nassau three years ago when plans for the inaugural event  were kicking off and I'm excited to be able to experience the festivities in person. Junkanoo is a series of concerts, costumes, competitions and street parties that incorporate Bahamian cultural elements like rake n scrape folk music. One of my best Bahamian memories was hearing rake n- scrape for the first time at the iconic Elvina's on Eleuthera.  I can't wait to hear it in another setting and learn about the history Junkanoo traditions as well as possibly participating in the Road Fever  parade, so stay tuned!

BBC World News: "A Cuban in London" Mario Lopez Goicoechea reflects upon and remembers Fidel Castro Part 1 from Jamsheda on Vimeo . The passing of Fidel Castro has stirred up intense emotions from every corner of the globe but I was thrilled to see my blogger friend Mario from A Cuban in London explain Castro's influence from the too rarely heard Cuban perspective on the BBC. Listen and learn.

There's no person that has done more to promote Jamaica and her culture than Robert Nesta Marley. My exploration of Kingston and Port Antonio involved many standout experiences but I have to start with the island's most famous son. The Kingston house that Bob lived in during the height of his career has been transformed into a museum . It holds his recording studio, gold and platinum records,original bedroom and an eerie hologram image. Photos aren't allowed inside but there's more than enough to document outside.  The bronze statue of Bob stands atop of a painting of his "three little birds" the I-Threes backing group that consisted of Judy Mowatt, Bob's wife Rita Marley and Marcia Griffiths. On the side of the structure are paintings of significant Rastafari figures: Haile Selassie who represents God and Marcus Garvey, the Jamaica born cultural activist. Lions representing Selassie's lion of Judah flank both sides of the statue. There ...

The heart of any Caribbean island is always a bustling, open air market where locals buy fresh produce, crafts, clothes and anything else considered a staple. In Martinique, the cosmopolitan capital of Fort- de- France hosts the island's shopping mecca, Le Grand Marche' Couvert  or covered market. It was designed by a French architect in 1901 and still serves generations of locals. I love shopping in local markets because it's the best way to sample cultural hallmarks. In Martinique, spices are essential. The line-up of spices shown above include a heaping pile of columbo , the curry powder that flavors many Martinican dishes. The madras cloth that represents the island's cultural tradition fills many stalls. The boldly colored cloth appears in basket linings, on dolls, purses and  on an array of clothes. I spent a long time looking through all the dresses and shirts until I found a turquoise madras sundress that I quickly snapped up. Jewelry also play...

Whenever I visit the Caribbean, witnessing local dance and music is always a priority. The essence of the people and culture are reflected in the music and movements so I was thrilled to witness the vibrant dancing of members of Le Grand Ballet De La Martinique. Gracing the lobby of  Hotel La Pagerie  in Trois- Illets, the wave of rhythm, color and spirit took over everyone present. The dancers creole dress uses the bright madras pattern brought from India when indentured servants from India immigrated to the region after the abolition of slavery. The points on the hats represent the wearer's social status, one for free, two for engaged, three for married and four for anything goes! The drummers and musicians are pounding out a traditional  Bele'  rhythm, which traces directly to West Africa. The charm and energy of the twirls and steps can be witnessed all over the island, in Martinican's stylish and fun-loving attitudes.

It's been a busy summer and a huge highlight is traveling to the French Caribbean island of Martinique. Although the island is noted for lush vegetation and dozens of orchid varieties, I'm excited for the chance to delve into Martinique's multi-faceted culture, courtesy of Martinique Tourism Authority. My introduction to Martinique has been through  the exuberant rhythms of zouk music, the poetry of Aime' Cesaire and through my favorite movie, Sugarcane Alley  so I'm thrilled to experience it firsthand. I'll be visiting the Aime' Cesaire Museum and the vibrant covered market in the capital city of Fort de France as well as Le Petibonum, the restaurant famous for creole dishes, as well as the cook charmingly dubbed chef hot pants. So please stay tuned for some lively Martinique posts! Photo of Martinique's Pitons Du Carbet courtesy of Steve Bennett,of  Uncommon Caribbean

Farmers markets offer Americans an easy way to buy fresh produce, directly from the farmers. But in St. Lucia, this concept gets a Caribbean twist with this farmer floating out to our sailboat with freshly picked tropical fruit. The sensory delight of his coral-colored canoe, laden with gold and green fruit against the deep sapphire ocean was not lost on me. I just gazed at the spectacle for awhile before I could even focus on what I would taste. In the end, I passed up juicy starfruit and luscious mango for my all time favorite, jelly coconut.  The farmer whipped out his machete and swiftly opened my coconut, handing it to me before he floated off. I can still taste the lightly sweet coconut water, swirling around the jelly pulp at the bottom. What's your favorite fruit to try when you travel?

I'm a huge music fan so although I don't follow them every week, I can never resist even scholocky music reality shows like X-Factor. But I was totally thrown off guard last week not by the music but by front runner Melanie Amaro's accent. After two months in the competition, intense emotions finally unleashed her true Virgin Islands accent, which she had covered with a proper American drawl.  Fans watched amazed as a heavy Caribbean patois poured out of Melanie's mouth. "This is the real Melanie," she explained when asked about her suddenly transformed speech pattern.  The singer had learned to adopt an American accent when people complained that they couldn't understand her.  So, like so many immigrants to this country, she felt compelled to blend in and "cater" to American sensibilities. I watched with tears in my eyes because I know the emotional and psychological toll that this embeds on someone's spirit.  It's not simply a matter ...

The original inhabitants of the Caribbean region of North America were the Arawak, Taino and Carib  native peoples.  The Tainos are a subgroup of the Arawaks and are recognized as the founders of the island of Boriken or Puerto Rico.  These were the people who offered a peaceful welcome to Columbus in 1493.  They didn't know the cruelty and violence that would follow his so-called "discovery" of the land that they had cultivated for centuries. Despite official government pronouncements that the Taino have been killed off by the massacres and slavery that followed in Columbus' wake, they live on.  As demonstrated in the photo above by  members of  the Puerto Rico Folklorico Dance & Culture Cultural Cente r, Taino traditions, food and names remain strong. Throughout Puerto Rico, town names like Mayaquez, Utuado and Caquas echo the Taino language as do the musical instrument maracas and hamaca or hammock. Legends of Taino warriors, like Hatuey, who ...

Today would be Bob Marley's 66th birthday. This freedom fighter, poet, musician and mystic continues to influence and encourage so many people, in so many ways, that he technically still lives. The video above is for Redemption Song, Bob's analysis of power and peace. It's my favorite Marley song, it also contains my favorite quote, "emancipate yourself from mental slavery/none but ourselves can free our minds." I'll never forget when I journeyed to Bob's hometown, the tiny fishing village of Nine Mile, in the  mountains of the parish of St. Ann. It sounds cliche but I could actually feel a strong, serene, presence. Bob's house has been transformed into a museum and his mausoleum is nearby. If you question the ability for a spirit to live on, I'd visit this lovely place. The video below gives a tiny glimpse of Nine Mile:

I've just finished decorating my Christmas tree, which always inspires me to think about the origins of many of my ornaments.  Glittery, beaded, balls from India are favorites, as well as embroidered bells from Italy. But the most unexpected decoration is a pure white sand dollar I got from St. Croix. Sand dollars make elegant Christmas ornaments and are commonly used in coastal areas and the Caribbean. The pretty sand dollar-covered tree above was captured in Eleuthera, with echos of the sea right outside. I never realized that sand dollars are fuzzy sea creatures similar to starfish. The sand dollars that wash ashore are actually skeletons.  Decorating a tree with skeletons gives a whole other perception that doesn't quite fit with the holiday season but I still think they're pretty. Will you be decorating with any souvenirs from your travels this season?

Most Americans down mugs and mugs of coffee everyday but I love tea. Technically, I don't drink the black tea leaves that are commonly considered tea but herbal infusions that are really a collection of herbs, flowers and spices. In the Caribbean, this is called bush tea and I always order a cup on whatever island I visit. There's just nothing like fresh bush tea. In St. Kitts, I ordered a pot at the Spice Mill restaurant and this earned me some surprised looks. Not because it was a hot, 90 degree Kitttitian afternoon but because few Americans know about the joys of bush tea and they didn't expect anyone to order it.  After much bustling and questioning, my waitress stepped outside the restaurant and plucked some lemongrass and thyme from the garden. You can see the tips of the plants in the photo above. I savored the spicy smell when she brought the pot out and sipped on cups and cups for over an hour. Bush tea is typically drunk for medicinal purposes and lemon...

It's easy to take things for granted. Especially when you have been blessed to live in a place that's filled with tropical lushness and a lovely rolling landscape. I quickly learned that Kittitians are a very thankful people. It's evident from their graciousness, to their eagerness to share their beautiful island. But I was taken aback when I saw this display. Who paints phrases on a house? Apparently, a very thankful Kittitian who was provided with a government-funded home.  It wasn't enough for the owner to lovingly deck out the place with sky blue hues and painted roses. They wanted to always remember the source of their good fortune. It made me stop and think about how grateful I was to even be in St. Kitts, admiring the beauty of the island and its people. What are you grateful for?

Public transportation can be torturous in many bustling meccas but it doesn't appear to be a problem in St. Kitts capital city of Basseterre.  You see, the public transportation consists of privately-owned mini buses lovingly painted with slogans and names that reflect the owner's sensibilities. How can you have a rough ride when the bus is emblazoned with "honesty? " I think just watching these moving murals is enough to brighten your day. I'd hop in this angelic white van just because I believe that its name would bring only good things. This is my personal favorite, because the heartfelt emotions of this phrase resonates in all cultures. This flashy display makes me think that the owner is a gregarious extrovert. The owner's name hovers over the slogan  of this bus in a way that suggests that perhaps he's joined the cut-throat competition. This says a lot about the owner's outlook. I really like the style of this slogan because whet...