Ross, my husband, grew up on a ridge just below the fort and spent many a summer holiday trekking up the hill with his brothers to look for grapeshot. Among other things, they unearthed a stash of grapeshot (large, rust-encrusted ball bearings used as ammunition), a sword handle and a metal plate. The canons, the dungeon (with its gun barrel bars) and the typical period architecture are well preserved reminders of a different world.
This moth landed on the balcony of the verandah and was quite oblivious to our presence. Look at his patterns. Isn't nature's symmetry beyond amazing? No doubt this is a sophisticated camouflage for a predator and serves our moth well , but that should not take away from the miracle of his design. My friend Geoffrey Gomes, a well known nature guide, once told me that he sometimes goes up to a forested bluff after nightfall, sets up a white sheet in front of a light, and sits back for the show. What comes out of the inky darkness can defy description. Odd things like blue cockroaches. Moths and others insects of all colours and shapes gravitate to the light and land, to be showcased, on the white sheet. At the end of the day, we sometimes forget how lucky we are to live in the rainforest.
This is the view of the mountainside, just beyond the giant mango tree. The abundance of bird and wildlife in these hills is remarkable, a constant reminder that we are really South American in our terrain rather than Caribbean. From the Western end of the fort, there is a clear view over the small island chain that dots its way to the Venezuelan mainland , a mere seven miles away.T
The children were fascinated by this dungeon (I was a bit as well!). Look closely at the gun barrels that make up the bars. I wonder who made this decision? And how many lonely and frightened men slept here?
