As hurricane Irma continues its devastation in the Caribbean, laying flat so much of Antigua, Barbuda, Saint Marten, Saba and so many other islands, and is now continuing its vengeance towards the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba before reaching Florida, our thoughts and hearts go to the people of these beautiful places, especially as we have passed some of our happiest times there.
The first Caribbean island we visited was Antigua back in 1995. In those days digital cameras weren’t current but video recorders were. So the majority of our holidays are on tape (which we must digitise before it’s too late).
However, from 1995 I’ve managed to digitise several photos:
Barbuda was an especially fascinating island. We arrived during the frigate bird nesting season.
I wrote this on these amazing birds.
FRIGATE BIRD
Our yacht sails through a mirror sea
towards the unseen isle,
sharp reefs defending its pink shores
with palms born to beguile.
Landing at the tumble-down pier
the headman drives us to
an enormous brackish lagoon
which the outboard skims through
to reach a half-submerged forest,
nest of the frigate bird.
Its vast wings span every tree,
anyhow its mews heard.
The little ones have not yet fled:
a big-throated courtship
has blossomed like deep red orchid
in life’s thalassic trip.
Motor silenced, the boat is pushed
through knee-deep rivulet,
children’s laughter on board mingled
with nature’s salt roulette.
Magnificent bird, sky’s corsair
uncontested you glide
across the southern ocean vasts,
steal my heart to your side.
We returned in 1998 and our visit included St. Marten, St Lucia and Saba.
We visited Cuba. And back again to Antigua in 2004. But those amazing stories will have to wait another time.
We all know there is a hurricane season in the Caribbean when September steps in but this, to all accounts, is the worst one that has happened in living memory with winds in excess of 200 miles per hour. The only hurricanes I’ve experienced, have, fortunately been outside the Caribbean. They include the notorious UK great storm of October 1987 and the equally terrifying great storm which hit the Val di Lima in March 2015. In both cases I was terrified most by the noise. It seemed as if I was inside a powerful jet engine which, in fact is a close analogy to the dynamics of a hurricane.
May God be close to these wonderful people who gave us so much happiness and joy during those ineffable summers and may Irma remember the true meaning of her name which signifies ‘whole’ or ‘universal’ and is closely allied to another name, ‘Emma’.
Yes indeed we met so many wonderful islanders as well as tourists to these fabulous places so full of light and colour and delightful mysticism. Their religious fervour is so flourishing their churches and chapels so well attended cemeteries well tended a good sense of community with sound values. I too would have loved to transfer to this idyllic semblancee of Paradise mostly with lush vegetation sweet scented air a variety of fresh foods and flavours colour carnival music and beauty ( as experienced also in the UK end of August in London and Leeds Carnival.) Certainly the UK owes much to the sugar plantations of Antigua which contributed to the building of many luscious palaces back home. Tate and Lysle still refines sugars from there. I do hope that we can muster up aid to help all these islands and their inhabitants. Maybe we could use the underused manpower living in Italy of boat people to help rebuild -there are now jobs galore for everyone after all their ancestors were once imported to these islands to work in the sugar plantations a home from home maybe for some and certainly a better life more productive life than just sitting around and maybe planning to escape to England in search for the non existant work Utopia.
Thanks so much for your heartfelt comment