Snorkel Safari

We went snorkelling in Labadee, Haiti and having snorkelled in Key Largo and Tobago, it was interesting to compare the experience. I was very impressed with the set up and the staff was great. Conrad, our tour guide, was excellent and all his staff were really professional and good fun. And this snorkel boat had some of the best music that I've heard in long time and great Presidente beer which is made in the Dominican Republic. You can also buy a CD of their best underwater shots or rent an underwater 6mp digital camera for your own pics. The ones that I am posting come from Conrad's CD. The quirky coral below is known as Featherduster coral.The day that we snorkelled, the water was a bit murky however the reef was full of interesting coral (including the notorious fire coral which I know well from Tobago) and anemones like the one above.Above is a close up of Brain Coral and it does like eeriely brain-like. An underwater seascape is as complex as any garden. Amazingly, however, all the "flowers" and "trees" can be hundreds of years old. Visiting a coral reef is amazing just to see the variety of colours and textures. The colour palette is so different underwater. It is not unusual to find bright yellows, deep indigos and swirling patterns.
The freedom underwater can be intoxicating.

Weightlessness and silence except for the sound of your breathing is deeply relaxing. It's one of the reasons that I am actually wary of diving.
The few times that I have gone diving- I am always lulled into a sense of false complacency which I know can be dangerous. So I think it's snorkelling for me from now on.

I would have loved to have this experience but we did not see any turtles.

This colour green is definitely an underwater colour because even with all the shades of green in my garden, none come close to this particualr shade.A seahorse. I have seen them down the islands but only at a distance. Seaurchins are a delicacy in many islands as the inside of this rather formidable exterior is delicious but they can be the ruination of your holiday if you stand on one. Another seen it, done it, got the Tshirt experience from Tobago. Not a pleasant memory.

Snorkelling in Haiti was excellent and if you ever make it to Labadee, it's well worth the adventure.

Shades of Pink

Remember the Datura from two days ago? In a magical tranformation, the beige whorl became this lovely pink bell. A close up of a hybrid Crown of Thorns which is a member of the Euphorbia family, characterised by its milky sap that is often a skin irritant or, in extreme cases, poisonous. Poinsettia is also a member of this family. Most of this family will catch easily by piece but it is often necessary to let the cutting "dry" a bit before placing in potting mix.

Frangipani. I like to float these petals in shallow bowls when I am entertaining. I first saw this done in Guatemala years ago and copied the idea. I think they may do the same thing in Hawai. For those who have asked, I keep my garden together with the help of my trusty gardener Bolan. I would like to say that I dig every hole and prune every tree but it's just not realistic. We spend some time together in the morning and decide what we are going to tackle for the day. Generally we move from bed to bed. The garden is an organic place, it is constantly evolving and changing. He is great and I could not do it without him.
Thanks Bolan.

Glad to be back home

It's so good to be home.I walked in the garden this morning to see what had come into bloom while I was away. Below is the unfurling flower of a new Datura. I have two new varieties- orange and pink. The one below is pink believe it or not, but I am waiting to see how it opens up. My Rangoon Creeper has come into full bloom with its distinctive smell. I love the dry season as the humidity drops dramatically, the sun is out more often and everything blooms. With all of this comes a definite dry season "smell" which I love. It's a mix of the earth, the flowers in bloom and a distant smell of fire sometimes.

I caught this costus from a small piece so am very proud of it. It is called "French Kiss". I really must find out the name of this orchid. It is scented as well.
Everyone out having their early morning sun.
Shooby is back after spending 10 days with his new granny, Barbara Cabral. He is glad to be back home (I think) but is still not his boisterous self.Mad Suzy who will be the death of my computer and scanner. As I am trying to type this she is lying on my mouse.

Fairchild Gardens in Miami

I was able to visit the magnificent Fairchild Botanical Gardens in Miami today and enjoy some truly gorgeous gardenscapes. Below is a clump of bromeliads that make a great statement next to all the different shades of green. The flower of a bromeliad.
The bark of the Eucalyptus Rainbow tree. This tree looks as if it is made of plasticene. Does anyone remember plasticene? That odd smell of childhood in the early 1970s.

I dare anyone to challenge him. He was big.

Just chilling on a log. Life does not get better than this.

Cozumel, Mexico

We spent the better part of yesterday on the Yucatan Peninsula. The ship docked at Cozumel, the small island jst off the mainland and we took a ferry over to the Eastern Yucatan peninsula to visit the magnificent Tulum Mayan ruins. These were just a few of the things that I saw...... Even though I live in the Caribbean, sea this blue is just as thrilling for us. This was such a typical holiday scene. It is also the beach that lies just below the Mayan ruins and I couldn't help but think of all the human sacrifices that this beautiful vista has witnessed. Sobering really. Human sacrifice is not something that I think about every day but the fact that it existed among a people who were highly academic and intelligent made me think lots about the power of ritual and the ability of a whole civilization to move to the taboo with apparent ease once it's justified by religious ritual. Makes you think.

The side of a hand painted plate.

These wonderful chess figures are amazing in their detail.

This looked a lot like something that I know as "Scambled Egg Cassia" but will have to get home to check my Tropica.

This balcony scene is so Mexico, it's almost a caricature.
A Mexican God in one of the the craft markets.

A bunch of bananas. There are bigger and more impressive than the ones we get at home.

Haiti

I have mixed feelings when pulling into Labadee, Haiti on a sunny Monday morning. This island (half-island?) shares the island space with Dominican Republic. It is responsible for many firsts in the region.
Some are definitive Caribbean milestones- Haiti was the earliest Caribbean colony to overthrow slavery with François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture, also known as Toussaint Bréda, or Toussaint-Louverture (born 20 May 1743 - died April 8, 1803), the important leader of the Haitian Revolution. In a long struggle against the institution of slavery, he led the blacks to victory over the whites, freed the blacks, and secured native control over the colony in 1797.

For many of us that live in the region, Haiti is both an historic beacon and a tragic example of all that can go wrong on so many levels. It was also the first island in the region to explode into a full blown Aids crisis in the 1990s. It is well known for its distinctive art

scarily real voodoo and Edwidge Danticat, renowned author who has written beautifully and eloquently about the Haitian experience and Wyclef Jean, performer who has worked tirelessly to draw international attention and aid to his homeland.
Below is a brief recent hostory of Haiti
In December 1990, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a charismatic Roman Catholic priest, won 67% of the vote in a presidential election that international observers deemed largely free and fair. Aristide took office on February 7, 1991, but was overthrown that September in a violent coup led by dissatisfied elements of the army and supported by many of the country's economic elite. Following the coup, Aristide began a 3-year exile in the U.S. Several thousand Haitians may have been killed during the de facto military rule. The coup contributed to a large-scale exodus of Haitians by boat. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a total of 41,342 Haitians at sea during 1991 and 1992, more than the number of rescued boat people from the previous 10 years combined.
From October 1991 to September 1994 an unconstitutional military de facto regime governed Haiti. Various OAS and UN initiatives to end the political crisis through the peaceful restoration of the constitutionally elected government, including the Governor’s Island Agreement of July 1993, failed. When the military refused to uphold its end of the agreements, the de facto authorities refused to allow a return to constitutional government, even though the economy was collapsing and the country's infrastructure deteriorated from neglect. I found them to be a proud and friendly but there is an underlying edge. The women, especially, tended to be more suspicious and less open. But one can hardly blame them.

I saw these shells and I had not seen them before any where else in the Caribbean.
The terrain is quite dry and rocky with unusual formations. And the above unusual nest like plant is actually a bromeliad.

David Rudder's Haiti (early 1990s) with its haunting lyrics- Haiti, we're sorry- put Haiti's plight back on the Caribbean agenda. It is impossible for us, the regional citizens not to take some responsibility for our fellow Caribbean brothers. CARICOM policy towards this little island has always been hazy to say the least and Haitians are not usually welcomed when they arrive in their makeshift and dangerous escape boats.. Unfortunately in the Caribbean these days, we're all trying to keep the pieces together in our own islands. Spiralling crime, inflation and poverty are just a few of the factors that affect us in our small post colonial societies.

What struck me the most in Haiti (and bear in mind that I only had access to approved vendors) was how similar they are to us in Trinidad in so many ways. Even in a society that has supposedly collapsed, the human spirit is still so resilient in songart and craft No matter how bad it gets, meals must be cooked, children are born and raised and there are good and bad people. But in Haiti many still work hard, buy school books and uniforms for their children and deal with the harsh lot that fate has handed them in the best way that they can.
So did I enjoy Labadee. Yes, I did. We snorkelled on a lovely reef which I will post about tomorrow. And it is sad that we enjoyed so much natural beauty in such an unhappy country but without these cruise ships, many would have no jobs.

In the words of David Rudder, "Haiti, we're sorry". We really are, we didn't mean to turn our backs on you.

Miami Macro

Every now and then I get a craving for serious macro. It's like a sushi craving- it won't go away until you give in to the impulse. Why do I like this style of photography so much? I guess it gives me that dreamy, other-wordly feeling that you sometimes get after a long afternoon nap. Kind of spacey but spot on- that's how my images make me feel when I get them right.
The first one is lavender- up close and personal. My sister Jennifer's Lavender plant in Miami.

There's something about lavender that we recognize instinctively- calming, relaxing and soul satisfying. Heaven would be lying in a field of lavender.

While I am not a big fan of aniseed flavoured tarragon in my food- I love the bold little flowers- so brave and debonair in their yellow-ness.

Key lime blossoms- a hint of yellow, purple and green that will somehow miraculously transform into a firm, green lime. Isn't nature beyond amazing?
A shell that in perfectly symmetrical in its concentric swirls