Anguilla My Morrela Kenisha Findlay St. Lucia Caribbean ... can taste a different flavor when you talk about Suriname’s cuisine. ... Suriname’s cuisine is nothing to make fun of,

AnguillaMorrela Kenisha Findlay

From the rocky shores of the Atlantic Ocean, to the west, my island, “St. Lucia, simply beautiful,” is experiencing a “tourism boom” that could cause it to outgrow its current reputation as “the honeymoon capital of the world.” This is simply because St. Lucia is fast becoming a favorite Caribbean hotspot for the popular Jazz

Music Festival which takes place in May. “St. Lucia Jazz” has been ranked among the top three festivals in the world and continues to improve with each passing year. This activity organized by the St. Lucia Tourist Board draws thousands of visitors to our shores; both regional and international world-renowned artists have graced our stages with their potpourri of music from around the world.

In a quest to satisfy and savor the beauty and splendor of my island, my expedition began from the cacti-dotted, picturesque top of Moule-a-Chique Hill. What a sight to behold! Nestled beneath is a vast expanse of crystal clear water with miles of safe and serene beaches; another tourist attracting device to our shores.

The Maria Islands which were at one time connected to the mainland, lies less than a mile away. There are seasonal birds nested on this secluded, restricted area. As I traveled along the east coast, I noticed that farms, which were once banana plantations, have become arable, an indication that tourism is fast replacing the banana industry which was at one time our main cash crop.

As a traveling journalist my tour would be incomplete without visiting the town of Soufriere, the home of our internationally acclaimed World Heritage Site, the Pitons. In Soufriere a bath in the Diamond Falls is a “must,” as well as a visit to the mineral baths and the Sulphur Springs; the only drive-in volcano in the world. Further north, in the city of Castries, huge cruise ships berth in the harbor pouring out by the “thousands.”

Visitors to our island enjoy the duty-free shopping spree in and around the city. Considered myself fortunate to chat with one visitor from Europe and questioned him.

Nadege: What made you choose St. Lucia as your vacation destination?

Simon: This is my ninth visit to the island! I’ve been here before on a cruise ship for a day and it was absolutely stunning so I decided to come back every year. I enjoy the friendly faces, the vegetation and the local cuisine.

Wow! St. Lucia, simply beautiful. So much to do and see! Like the unique animals and plants decorating this unspoiled land, St. Lucia is a great place to look at nature in all its diversity.

As the island enjoys global recognition more opportunities seem to be emerging. More recognition means more tourist arrival and a better economy. That’s a beautiful plus for all of us living in the beautiful “Helen of the West.”

“My tour would be incomplete without visiting the town of Soufriere, the home of our internationally acclaimed World Heritage Site, the Pitons.”

St. LuciaNadege Boriel

“Imagine that you are a travel journalist and have been assigned to write a story about your country for Condé Nast Traveler. Remember that our motto is Truth in Travel, and we like to go beneath the surface to show people more than just the usual tourist spots.”

My CaribbeanE s s a y C o n t e s t

in cooperation with the Caribbean Tourism Organization

14th annual


St. Martin is not just about shopping and beaches, but about unique historical, cultural and environmental treasures. If you didn’t come here, how could you follow the 4,000-year-old trail of the Arawaks from Slope Estate to Red Bay or take the easy route to Marigot Museum where you can learn about how they lived in old time days.

If you didn’t come to my island, how could you hike in Pike Paradise to see humming birds, monkeys or sugar birds in the trees and see Mrs. Laurell cook bull foot soup on three firerocks after you’ve gone hiking to see if we could find a “Naked Boy” or a “Mami Tree.”

If you didn’t visit St. Martin, you couldn’t see from the hills, the Steineken Regatta boats look like birds flying on the deep blue sea, or dive in our waters to see lobsters, fish, sharks or a big, mean barracuda. You adults couldn’t enjoy the “serious fun” of the parties in Marigot and Philipsburg with strings of bands, rivers of Heineken, and crowds of people.

Did you know that we have two carnivals? There is one in February and one in April. People dress in colorful costumes and there’s lots of music. My favorite celebration is Old Year’s Night when fireworks light the sky and you don’t know where to look because there are so many. How could you enjoy the holidays and serenading in the early mornings when the singers wake you and ask you for black cake and guavaberry?

Could you go to the marketplace, smell the spices, and eat mangoes or meat patties from Miss Rose? I bet you couldn’t see the fisherman bringing in their fish to Marigot Market to sell on Saturday mornings. How could you go to Friars Bay, sit on the sand, and enjoy the sun and the wind?

How about a cockfight, have you seen one of those, with roosters from South America, Puerto Rico, and other places?

If you didn’t come here, could you go to the nightclubs and casinos and see the shows and the fetes on Friday and Saturday or go to church at a historical monument on Sundays?

You couldn’t even go on the boardwalk and dance and sing or listen to music while eating in a restaurant and looking at the sea.

Could you go anywhere else and see things like St. Louis fete with food, ponum, dance, and maubi? How could you enjoy the “I love my Rum” contest in Colombier where you can vote for your ugliest, prettiest, smelliest goat?

For sure, you can’t sit on the waterfront and watch the sunset of orange, peach, red, blue and green in the sky off Bluff Point. But most of all, you won’t be able to meet our people who for more than 350 years, have lived in friendship and harmony here on our beautiful island under the sun and in the sea.

“My favorite celebration is Old Year’s Night when fireworks light the sky and you don’t know where to look because there are so many.”

St. MaartenAlexandria Stanford




14th annual


I am going to take you where no other reporter has ever taken you. Some places seldom heard of and hardly seen. All of the Caribbean islands are beautiful but none can compare to the thirty-two islands and cays that make up St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Barbados, St. Lucia, and Grenada take their stay-over visitors

on daily tours to our exotic islands to enjoy the best sailing waters in the Caribbean. Travel and Leisure magazine and Rodale Scuba Diving Magazine rated our islands the best in 2004. Mick Jagger, Donald G. Trump and many more persons make these islands their homes.

The Grenadines is a sight to see, it has clear crystal waters, uninhabited resorts and cays, beautiful views and friendly people. The mainland has more to be seen, felt and heard of. Running through the centre of our island is a chain of mountains and there are over one hundred waterfalls and streams. This rich vegetation is always lush and green, so there are lots of flora and fauna to be seen in St. Vincent.

If you love adventure then come to our island. We will take you to the well-kept Vermont Nature Trails; you will enjoy our interesting bird life, our non-venomous snakes, our indigenous whistling frog and lots more. Put on your hiking boots and take three to four hours up this green mountain peak, you will be flabbergasted by what this trail has to offer.

On the Northern tip of our island is our majestic la Soufriere Mountain. It rises over 4,000 feet in height. You will need a day to hike up and down this splendid mountain. When you get to the top you will see the Caribbean sea and Atlantic Ocean. You can also walk from the windward side of the island to the leeward side.

We have the oldest Botanical Gardens in the Western Hemisphere. There are a wide variety of flower and plants and an aviary for our indigenous birds. Did you know that we have natural salt ponds? One of our best is the Owia Salt ponds where water is seen flowing through the rocks as it sprays our faces. We also have petroglyphs and rock carvings found in various places in St. Vincent.

Tunnels are found throughout the island. Black Point Tunnel is the most famous for water is seen gushing from the right side of this cave. There are many scenic views on the leeward and windward side of the island. Our largest river, Rahhacca Dry River, is made up of thousands of tons of volcanic sand, with only a stream running through it. It is a beauty to behold!

We have many historical forts, rich fertile valleys, white and black sand beaches, turtle sanctuary and islands where no vehicles are present really, a hide-away perfect for every romantic get-away.

“Running through the centre of our island is a chain of mountains and there are over one hundred waterfalls and streams.”

St. Vincent & The GrenadinesYahtibah Speedwell




14th annual


In these times, we like to visit a lot of places, but we get a little bored with all kinds of enormous buildings without a bit of nature. Come to Suriname; there you have many recreational resorts. You can taste a different flavor when you talk about Suriname’s cuisine. There you see a mix of so many ethnic groups in one country

for the first time. Also, unspoiled, clean nature, so much art and culture, and so many languages that are not spoken in 15 countries. If you don’t believe me, come and have a look in this short, but very beautiful, recap. Suriname is a very beautiful country with so much to do, enjoy, and see, starting with the Surinamese resorts. There are two of the many I want to mention: these are White Beach and Overbridge. It is very nice, very attractive, and without danger. Beautiful huts and tents, and the air will do you good while drawing you to visit more often each month. Most Surinamese resorts are in Para, one of the districts with the most pleasant activities. An important point follows here: the Surinamese cuisine, one of the most important things Suriname is famous for. This is because of the many ethnic groups that live in Suriname. Suriname’s cuisine is nothing to make fun of, because you have the dishes of the different ethnic groups, which are already very delicious, and what’s more, one ethnic group uses the spices of the other ethnic group, and this gives the dish something extra. That is why the Surinamese cuisine is one of the biggest reasons why I stay in Suriname. And now I come to another surprising point. It is surprising because it is not found in many countries and in many countries it cannot be sound because of the racial problems, and I am talking about the people. The people of Suriname are a breed apart if you compare it to other countries; it is actu-ally a mix of 10 ethnic groups in one country. This is such a surprising point because all of these ethnic groups can live together so peacefully, which is often a big problem because of the many religions side by side. What a good community. It is something to look at in surprise. If I were you, I would not believe it for myself, so come and see it for yourself to confirm this. Another important point that is not found in many countries anymore, and if it is not found anywhere within a century or so it is a loss for the world’s population, is the unspoiled nature of Suriname, which is very clean. The same fragrance there was before man ever existed and that gives your lungs a different good feeling from the one you get when you sit in an office with the air-conditioning on. In the forest, you have that origi-nal air that is healthy for your lungs. Instead of irritating car-horns, you hear the birds sing and this gives you a very peaceful feeling. You feel young and want to just sit in the forest and forget all your daily problems, and that is really something that should be saved. You see animals you haven’t seen before, so come and see so you can experience one of the most beautiful things of your life. And I also want to mention our arts and culture. When it comes to art, we are also well known. We have a lot of artists and writers who have done a lot and have become world-famous. If you come to Suriname and you don’t read a Surinamese book and you don’t go and see any art in one of our museums, you haven’t really been to Suriname. Beautiful, unique, at first you don’t recognize it. You need not be an artist to recognize it. It is very beautiful and you must really see this because we also have many cultures because of the many ethnic groups. If you come to Suriname and you haven’t seen, for example, the Djarang Kepang dance of the Javanese or haven’t seen, heard or read one of the customs of the other ethnic groups, then you’ve seen only three-quar-ters of Suriname. One of the most important things of Suriname’s culture is music. So you have music of the different ethnic groups separately and then they mix. For example, one ethnic group uses an instrument of another group, but plays it in its own way and it sounds different then. In this way, you can get to see and experience the cultures of the ethnic groups in a cheap and yet original way, and see the beautiful costumes that have been made with much care and love by many ethnic groups. Finally, I come to another point, namely the language. Sixteen languages are spoken in Suriname; some of these are Sarnami Hundi, Sranantongo, Saramaccan, etc., something that should not just be looked at just like that, but with respect, because this is not found in many countries if we look at the mother country and colonial system. If you want to hear them all, come to Suriname.I have told you something about how rich Suriname is, and the points a tourist resort must meet, and if you don’t want to believe me, or if you think it is exaggerated, come and see it with your own eyes!

“Instead of irritating car-horns, you hear the birds sing and this gives you a very peaceful feeling.”

SurinameJasherel Wielzen




14th annual

Documents

Anguilla My Morrela Kenisha Findlay St. Lucia Caribbean ... can taste a different flavor when you talk about Suriname’s cuisine. ... Suriname’s cuisine is nothing to make fun of,