Farsighted Fly Girl

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!

Barbuda The reports of Hurricane Irma's destruction across the Caribbean region   has left me worried and with my stomach in knots. After watching how Hurricane Harvey pounded Texas, and how Irma continues to menace Florida, it's doubly concerning because the Caribbean doesn't get the visibility or response that the U.S. commands. The islands of the Caribbean are more than just vacation spots, they shelter a people and a culture that I know and love. After hearing from friends and researching reports, it's clear that donations are needed more than anything else to start a rebuilding process that will probably take years. The most extreme devastation happened on Barbuda,  the tiny sister island to Antigua whose proud citizens and pink sand stole my heart years ago. The island has been almost completely wiped out, leaving Barbudans homeless and evacuated to Antigua. St. Thomas, Anguilla, St. Martin and parts of Cuba are also challenged with trying to recover fr...

I'll never get tired of traveling through the Caribbean, especially since Chicago has gifted us with snow in April. Besides the sun, I'm thrilled to be returning to San Juan and St. Croix to explore Caribbean cuisine at two popular food fests. In San Juan, I'll be visiting Saborea , a four-day festival of  the island's culinary standouts as well as music and culture. In St. Croix, I'll be experiencing A Taste of St. Croix , an island wide culinary competition where I'll also serve as a guest judge! In between all the gorging, I'll also stroll the streets of Old San Juan shown above, and Caguas, to witness the distinct criollo  culture. On my beloved St. Croix, pictured below, I'll revisit historic sites like the Whim Estate as well as a few rum distilleries. My San Juan trip is at the invitation of  Puerto  Rico Tourism and St. Croix ,the U.S. Virgin Island Tourism.  Expect lots of tasty posts and pix coming soon!

If you crave local creole cooking in St. Thomas, two names will always come up.  Cuzzin's and Gladys' Cafe are the two eateries that specialize in spicy and hearty Caribbean cuisine.   Located in a former 18th century stable on  bustling Back Street, Cuzzin's attracts lots of travelers.  Frothy drinks like the Green Iguana above, cater to touristy tastes but locals go for Virgin Islands home cooking like island style mutton, conch and curried anything. Saltfish happens to be my favorite so I ordered this overflowing platter of it slathered with peppers, dumplings, plantains and cassava. Cuzzin's is an intimate spot accented with vivid tablecloths and  brick walls. The dancing lady logo on the Cuzzin's signs always looks to me like she's trying to shake off all the food she's just inhaled. Gladys' Cafe is ensconced in a lovely  stonework courtyard, inside of what used to be a 17th century pump house.  The menu above, features a host of...

Most of my time in St. Thomas was spent on eco excursions and the first was to historic Hassel Island.  From the lovely Frenchtown Harbor pictured above, I kayaked with my trusty St. Thomas expert Karen, to  Hassel Island. Now a part of the Virgin Islands National Parks, Hassel Island was originally a peninsula with a narrow isthmus between it and Frenchtown. The St. Thomas Harbour formed on the west by Hassel Island, was the major entry point for vessels sailing the Caribbean.  There was once a coaling station for ships to refuel and a marine railway.  Today, Hassel Island is a picturesque strip lined with crumbling 17th century forts and  because of its tradewind heavy location, lots and lots of trash. Our group of 10 volunteers spent an hour picking up the bottles, cans,straws and cigarettes that wash up on the island's shore. The sun blazes down on the sand and there's little shade.  It was definitely a task of eco love made mor...

I've heard of bake sales, I've heard of formal dinners but I had never heard of food sales for political candidates. That's until I dropped by a St. Thomas food sale for the campaign of  U.S. Virgin Islands Governor John deJongh. My St. Thomas expert Karen, invited me to the grassroots event, which was held in a parking lot. Caribbean dishes like curried chicken and goat, rice and peas, grilled fish and fungi, the Virgin Islands staple of corn meal and okra. deJongh, above, really grabbed an early start for the November elections but you can never start too early when it comes to fundraising.  The place was packed with hundreds of voters buying food and shaking the Governor's hand. I think holding food sales for political candidates is an interesting St. Thomas custom.  Don't think it would work in Chicago, though. Have you discovered any unexpected customs on your travels?

While you're at Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort in St. Thomas, there's one comment that you're bound to hear. It's not, "what stunning views this mountain top hotel has!" Or " that beach really has a lot of fish." No. What you will hear in the lobby, in the restaurants or at the pool is "I can't believe you have to walk up all those steps just to get to the pool!"  This irritated me to no end because it seems to me that if you're going to loll around the pool all day, a little step climbing isn't going to kill you. Granted, as you can see from these pix, that staircase wasn't some little 10-12 step number. This is a real, winding, staircase with 99 steps and you will work your thigh muscles climbing it. But if you're not elderly or disabled, I don't see what the fuss is about. After all, just a few minutes clopping downs those stairs will get you This.                    ...

I love flowers and plants so I'm a sucker for botanical gardens.  In St. Thomas, the botanical gardens are located on 11 lush acres along volcanic peaks 1,000 feet above sea level on Hull Bay.  Perched on a mountain on the northern rim of the island. St. Peters Great House and Botanical Gardens was an 150-acre plantation in the 1800s. More recently, it was owned by the governor of the Virgin Islands.  You can see examples of the antique furniture that fills  the sprawling estate above. This s-shaped loveseat  was my favorite piece of old-school living. I can imagine a courting couple sitting demurely in it while a chaperone watches closely to see that no body parts touch. The gardens boast 17 varieties of orchids and 150 species of Caribbean plants. A self-guided nature trail allows you to stroll through and for awhile, be surrounded by your private Garden of Eden. This parrot flower with its bold crimson leaves edged in yellow, was my favorite. They ...

Sorry for the time between posts, I've been sick for a week and I'm counting on these sunshiny pix to drive my cold away.  St. Thomas offers lovely views, especially at high points around the island. I snapped these from the observation deck of the Botanical Gardens. In the distance, you can see the neighboring islands of St. John and Tortola, which is part of the British Virgin Islands. I love that the sea looks so blue that it resembles a fabulous oil painting instead of reality.  Have you seen any great views lately?

One of the most memorable activities on my St. Thomas eco trip was feeding the iguanas.  I'm used to laid back Mexican iguanas that bask in the sun and pose patiently for photos. Little did I know that St. Thomas iguanas do not share such a genial nature.  My first indication was the sign above. Posted at the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort which sponsored my trip,  I discovered similar signs all over the island. I heard rumors of iguanas snapping the fingers of the hands that fed them.  This didn't exactly make me eager to feed the little creatures but I wasn't deterred. Wild iguanas live in trees but at exactly 10:30, which is their feeding time on the resort, I watched a dozen slowly emerge from the water, rocks and bushes. They slithered slowly, freezing into a position and then moving when they thought the coast was clear. Most St. Thomas iguanas are greyish, to blend into the rocks along the shoreline. Some boasted extra long tails like this one. He was viscious...

I'm headed for the lovely sands (that's Magens Bay above) and relatively (for the Caribbean) fast-paced streets of Rock City, also known as St. Thomas. St. Thomas carries the Rock City nickname because of its rowdy night life but I won't be catching much of that scene.  This press trip will focus on eco and volunteer travel so I'll be snorkling in the Mangrove Wildlife Sanctuary, kayaking to Hassel Island to clean beaches and trails, as well as checking out Saint Peter Great House and Botanical Gardens. I also hope to get the chance to volunteer at a school for an afternoon. Other than that, I'm most looking forward to feeding iguanas!  I'll be gone for the rest of the week, taking in a side of Rock City that I've never experienced. I promise lots of pix and posts on my adventures when I get back.

I love mocko jumbies. I think one of the reasons that I love them so much is that they always represent a party of some kind. In Caribbean culture, these masked, colorfully-costumed stilt walkers typically appear at carnival celebrations or other festivities. You'll find them on most English-speaking islands, where these figures can be traced back to traditional West African rituals where they represented spiritual seers and protectors of the village. I bought the fanciful mocko jumbie sketch above from artist Judith King in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. It enlivens my hallway with its playful spirit. In May, the U.S. Virgin Islands unveiled their new logo and I thought it was particularly fitting that the symbol is a mocko jumbie. On St. Croix, St. Thomas and St.John, mocko jumbies pop up everywhere,from neighborhood jump ups to beauty pageants. Below, a crew of mocko jumbies get ready to parade in St. John. Watching mocko jumbies dance and clown is an entertaining experience be...