Islandscene A Publication for The Islands of The Bahamas
Baha Mar Mega Resort An Idea Whose Time Has Come.
contents Islandscene / 2011/1
4.
About This Issue
6.
Welcome Aboard
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Uniquely Bahamian: Junkanoo...A Celebration of Life
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Bahamas Beat: Ronnie Butler, Bahamian Music Icon.
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News Lines
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Sustaining Nature’s Treasures
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Bahama Islanders: My Uncle Bertie. By Cordell Thompson
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A Good Read: China In The Bahamas. How Zhou Wen Beat Columbus to The Isles of June. By Charles Huggins
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The Islands of The Bahamas: Abaco, The Sea Beyond Compare
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Doing Business in The Bahamas: Baha Mar Resort, An Idea Whose Time Has Come. By Inderia Saunders
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Islandscene We’re looking for people who love to write.
Islandscene magazine is published quarterly by Benchmark Publishing Co. Ltd. P.O. Box CB-12957, Nassau, Bahamas. Tel: 242.323.3398 - Fax: 242-326-2020. www.islandscenemagazine.com. and Email: islandscenemagazine@gmail.com
Publisher & Editor-In-Chief Aaron H. Knowles, Jr.
Features Editor Stephanie Toote
Business Editor Berencia Isaacs
Art Director
Islandscene is seeking contributing writers
Aaron H. Knowles, Jr.
Picture Editor Antoine Ferrier
Research You’re invited by the Editors to submit your manuscripts for possible publication and to accept occasional writing assignments on topics listed in our writers’ guidelines below: Writers’ Guidelines: Interesting and provocative articles on: Domestic and Foreign Travel, Business, Banking, Financial Services, Real Estate, Culture, The Arts, Music, Theatre, Entertainment, Film, Food, Dance, Festivals, Sports, General Human Interest Stories, Fiction, Book Reviews, Personalities, History, Government, Current Affairs, Politics, Law, Religion, Family Life, Health, Fashion. Articles, should be lively to a degree of sophistication and should air for literary excellence. Domestic travel and business features must have a specific story angle. First person approach is generally unacceptable. We are not opposed to controversial articles. We seek stories on relevant contemporary themes, but wish to explore all angles in controversies. For additional information and rates please contact us through:
The Editor Islandscene Magazine P.O. Box CB 12957, Nassau, Bahamas - Tel: 242.323.3398 - Fax: 242.326-2020 Email:islandscenemagazine@gmail.com / www.islandscenemagazine.com
Irwin McSweeney Ashley Knowles
Contributors Cordell Thompson Inderia Saunders Melissa Knowles Charles Huggins
Circulation Kevin A. Knowles
All rights reserved. Contents copyrighted, 2010 by Benchmark Publishing Co. Ltd. Nothing may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the Publisher. Unless mutually specified all letters addressed to Islandscene, its Publishers and Editors, are assumed intended for publication. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information and the Publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions that may occur. No responsibility accepted for unsolicited material.
IslandScene / 2001/1 / 3
about thisISSUE
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n this issue, Islandscene’s contributing writer, Charles Huggins’ piece: “China In The Bahamas, How Zhou Wen Beat Columbus to The Bahamas,” introduces Gavin Menzies controversial book: “1421, The Year China Discovered America,” to Island Scene’s readers (Good Read pg. 32) for further discussion. Menzies contends that Chinese Explorer, Zhou Wen, having lost some of his ships in a hurricane off Puerto Rico (Antilia) which would have been charted before the birth of Columbus, sailing before the prevailing winds, would have gone toward Hispaniola and Cuba then through the Grand Bahama Bank to the east of Andros Island and inside the Berry Islands. According to Menzies, in 1421 the banks and reefs of the Great Bahama Bank, which stretches from Andros towards Cuba, would have been above water, and that Zhou Wen, sailing through, at night, may have spotted the land but not the submerged reefs which would have damaged some of his ships. To minimize the loss of his fleet, he had to find safe haven in shallow water where repairs could be carried out and ships which were too badly damaged could be salvaged before being abandoned. Menzies believes this is exactly what happened on the first Chinese voyage through the Bahama Islands. Beyond the Berry Islands on the doorstep of the Gulf, sits the Bimini Island chain, and according to Menzies it was the only logical place for Zhou Wen to find shelter for his damaged fleet. The most compelling evidence of this, Menzies says is the Bimini Road, first discovered in 1968 by Zoologist and underwater archaeologist, Dr. J. Manson Valentine. The Bimini Road is made up of flat rocks, eight to ten feet square, laid out in two parallel lines running southwest towards the deep ocean. Menzies believes this “road” formation was constructed with these flat rocks which were used as ballast for the huge Chinese Junks Zhou Wen sailed during his explorations. What Menzies has discovered awaits confirmation if and when the Government of The Bahamas lifts the moratorium on salvaging in Bahamian waters. It’s a good read. Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Aaron H. Knowles, Jr. Publisher / Editor-In-Chief 4 IslandScene / 2001/1
welcomeABOARD
very year, millions of individuals find it necessary to travel to The Bahamas or within the country to visit friends or relatives, conduct business transactions or take that dream vacation. For many of these travelers, this experience begins with Bahamasair, our national airline, where customer care is personal. From reservations to baggage collection, we
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are driven by a personal desire to do everything to make Bahamasair your preferred airline. Bahamasair places steadfast focus on employee development and customer care. In this regard, we are committed to ensuring as far as possible that we consistently deliver an enjoyable travel experience at a competitive rate from Florida in the southern USA to Inagua in the southern Bahamas. If however, at any time you feel that as a customer, we have fallen short of our goal, we encourage you to take advantage of our customer feedback programme. We also invite your specific ideas for product improvement or commendation when a Bahamasair representative goes beyond the call of duty. We thank you for choosing Bahamasair, and we look forward to serving you today and in the future. Welcome aboard!
Sincerely, The. Hon. Neko C. Grant I, J.P., M.P. Minister of Public Works & Transport
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We know there are those who would like to keep these secluded islands all to themselves. Sorry, we have to get the word out.
t u O The Islands of The Bahamas v
Escape the crowds and discover our, virtually untouched, Out Islands.
www.islandscenemagazine.com
uniquelyBAHAMIAN
Junkanoo A Celebration of Life
What we call Junkanoo is not especially Bahamian. Cultures throughout history have celebrated it. What is uniquely Bahamian is the way we express it. We bring the ancient spirit of Junkanoo alive through the magic of the drum, cowbells, whistle, costumes and the dance.” R. Brent Malone ust at the turn of midnight on New Year’s Eve, while the downtown streets of Nassau are relatively quiet, activity is frenetic in the camps or “shacks” of Junkanoo groups in the surrounding neighbourhoods, bannermen, paraders, dancers and musicians receive the final touches to their elaborate Junkanoo costumes. Under streaming shafts of light, faces are painted with glitter; colourful beads are flung around necks. Dance steps are rehearsed once again. Trumpeters test their notes and the performers sometimes numbering as many as five hundred, per group; start shifting into parade formation to the hypnotic, rhythmic beat of goats’ skin drums. By 1:00 a.m. New Year’s morning the mood of downtown shifts. Spectators pour into dark streets strung with Christmas lights, weaving between food vendors and scrambling up bleachers and spots that offer the best views. People spill onto balconies and the verandahs of stores,
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Colours Junkanoo Group was the first place winner in the B division during the Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade on Monday, December 27. The group’s theme for the parade was “Charity Balls.” (BIS Photo/Patrick Hanna)
hotels and houses. Voices rise, and then hush, in a night electric with anticipation. That is the dawn of Junkanoo, a centuries-old celebration in which a nation remembers and reveres its history. Drawing its spirit from an ancestry with origins in West Africa, Junkanoo lifts up again that one joyous day of the year when these enslaved people were released from their labour. It is “Junkanoo time,” and in contrast to “normal” time. At a few minutes before the hour of 2a.m., the first cowbells are heard in the distance. Then, from all corners of the island they come, a moving, dancing mass of
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glorious sound and colour. Group after group after group swells into streets, stunning the crowds with their spectacle and dancing, wining and jumping to their musician’s throbbing Junkanoo beat. From the sidelines the crowds gasp in awe at sights that defy even the most fantastic imagination. Individual themes of freedom, thanksgiving and friendship, drawn from all cultures of the world, charge every aspect of each group’s presentation, the gigantic, beautifully designed, thematic banners, the magnificent costumes, the synchronized whirls of the dancers, the intoxicating, pulsating music.
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The Shell Saxons Superstars finished first overall in the Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade, Monday, December 27, under the theme “The Great Aztec Empire.” The group also won Best Music, Best Costume, and Best Choreograph Dancers. (BIS Photos: By Patrick Hanna)
Huge costumes, some 10 feet tall, sway above the crowd celebrating the themes: “Majestic Africa”, “Let’s Get Married” and another “Legends of the Wild, Wild West.” Beneath sky-scraping, enchanting pieces, dancers with shoulder ornaments spread like winds reel and dip in jubilant unison while their leaders in smaller, but highly decorative and very beautiful costumes whirl freely between them. The musicians festooned with colour cheerfully bring up the rear, brass horns playing familiar melodies above the quick, Junkanoo rhythms of Goombay and goat skin drums, bellowing conch shells and the shrill
staccato blasts of whistles and cowbells. Each year the themes vary, but always they are themes of vitality, beauty and power; themes that celebrate their ancestor’s inner strength to rise above adversity. The most wondrous thing of all, however, is the collaborative spirit of Junkanoo itself; the coming together of neighbours, relatives, family and friends who through their long days and months of preparation nurture and preserve this unique legacy. In every Junkanoo group each participant has his or her part. Designers research and develop the chosen theme. Builders form and shape the huge cardboard pieces
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into sculpture. Artists draw on the intricate designs. Posters lay in the endless ribbons of gaily coloured crepe paper. Decorators drape the glittering beads and jewelry. Chorographers chart the steps and drill their dancers. Composers finalize their scores and rehearse their musicians. And then there are the participants themselves, including those assigned to carry the magnificent central pieces that can weigh up to 300 lbs. or more. To honour these devoted artists and as a place for
estingly sophisticated form – literature, music, theatre, dance, design, fashion and architecture – Junkanoo artistry today is enjoying a huge surge in popularity. Many Junkanoo inspired works are now represented in the Smithsonian Institute, The Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Royal Ontario Museum and other conservatories. Several Junkanoo music groups have hit the world music charts. Even participants from the Junkanoo parade itself have appeared in festivals throughout the Caribbean,
others to study the craft, a permanent museum was established by the Ministry of Youth & Culture in 1992. Located on the Prince George Dock in Nassau, the Junkanoo Expo displays and preserves these spectacular costumes which, until its establishment, lay discarded on the streets after the parade. The enthralling exhibit also houses works by renowned Junkanoo artists, a dramatic audio-visual presentation of Junkanoo parades and a museum shop well worth a visit. As the Bahamas’ most vibrant expression of cultural identity, Junkanoo is recognized around the world as the nation’s creative signature. In all its varied and inter-
Canada and the U.S.A., including the Smithsonian’s “Festival of American Folklife.” Rich in its heritage, exuberant in its execution, the pageantry and splendour of Junkanoo is something only The Islands of The Bahamas can offer to the world. Its spirit springs from a unique amalgamation of cultures that have survived some of the cruelest times in history and by its very nature, celebrates the idea that anything is possible.
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Ronnie Butler Bahamian Music Icon
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f f you didn’t know Ronnie Butler and you saw him in one of his favourite restaurants sipping coffee or dining on a sumptuous bowl of boiled fish you’d imagine him to be a retiree out with friends whose sole mission was to while away the time by engaging in small talk and exchanging pleasantries. Then you would hear him say something like: “Every day when I wake up (and look in the mirror) I tell myself - Lord, my ma and pa could’ve done better than all this ugly.” That’s vintage Ronnie Butler…always turning a phrase which would probably end up as lyrics in one of his songs.
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onnie Butler is perhaps one of his generation’s finest and enduring songwriters and performers …still working and in sync with the times. “I sorta glided into the business,” says Butler, who recalls having done masonry and other odd jobs while finding his place as a musician. At about age sixteen Ronnie was introduced to the Hawaiian guitar by a neighbour who intrigued him by placing the guitar across his knees while teaching him to play. They were later
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the time spent with King Eric was invaluable as he credits ‘The King” with providing the foundation, training and encouragement that led to his success. “I’ll always give King Eric credit,” Ronnie said, “because he enabled me to become the songwriter / musician I am today…the six years I spent with him were invaluable.” While King Eric’s influence on Ronnie’s development was by far the most impactful, he was also influenced by Roy Hamilton, Lou Rawls and Ray Charles. Butler says even though he was afforded the opportunity to meet and work with Hamilton and Rawls and admired their work, it was Ray Charles who impressed him most. “The soul of the man was in his voice,” Ronnie said of Ray. ith over 50 years in the business and having the largest number of popular songs in the Bahamian market, Ronnie has become a local icon but the absence of a large national market has negatively impacted the sales volume of Ronnie’s recordings. Unlike Marley and others who could rely on a home market of millions of people, The Bahamas on the other hand has a domestic market of just over three hundred and twenty thousand (320,000) people with an adult population forming some 60% of that number. Marley and others could, at the least, rely on their domestic base markets for the sale of their recordings. The Bahamas’ recent recording successes have all been launched from an international market base. Both the Beginning of the End and Baha Men were launched from the U.S. with the full weight of prominent U.S production houses, studios and savvy management teams supporting them. Notwithstanding the above realities Ronnie is a domestic success story ostensibly because he targets the local Bahamian market, producing recordings replete with social commentary, at once entertaining and insightful. Ronnie is at present in studio producing an album of religious music the title of which he says he’ll release just before its launch. Until such time, to Ronnie Butler we say: Keep looking pretty and smiling!
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joined by a “bongo” drummer who played alongside the guitarist while Ronnie provided the vocals. fter months of practicing and honing their skills, these, now confident, musicians formed the Alexander Trio and began the search for work. It wasn’t long before the fledgling trio secured its first engagement at the Carlton House Hotel, located on East Street, north, a short distance from Bay Street and Nassau’s Harbour. At the end of its three-month engagement, the trio moved on to the Buena Vista Restaurant & Guest House at the invitation of its proprietor who was impressed by their performances at the Carlton. The Alexander Trio was flourishing and Ronnie was still working as a stone mason by day which was beginning to take its toll and, in turn, gave rise to Ronnie’s life changing decision to put down his masonry tools, hang up his hard hat and become a fulltime musician. The Alexander Trio was short lived, however, as Ronnie soon left the trio to join King Eric Gibson’s band, as a Conga drummer, at Captain Kid’s, a night club located just off St. Albans’ Drive, west of Ft. Charlotte. Ronnie says
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LPIA’s New
US Departure Terminal T
he Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) hosted the grand opening of the US Departure Terminal at the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) on Friday 25 February. The new 247,000 sq.ft. terminal is stage one of the $490.5 million airport redevelopment projects which offers 19 retail and food and beverage options including a native sit-down restaurant capable of seating up to 1700 patrons. The new terminal also includes a $10 million state-of-the-art baggage system, eco-friendly building design features and stunning Bahamian artwork by artists John Beadle, Nicole Sweeting, Susan Katz-Lightbourne and John Cox. Photos by Yontalay Bowe.
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Pictured above: Check-in counters and Junkanoo Sculptures.Photos by Yontalay Bowe.
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n delivering the keynote address The Rt. Honourable, Hubert A. Ingraham, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance said his Government is delighted by the successful conclusion of this first phase of the redevelopment of the Lynden Pindling International Airport. In addition to congratulating the Airport Authority and its Chairman, Hon. Frank Watson and all Board members; the Nassau Airport Development Company, its former President and CEO, Craig Richmond, and it’s current President and CEO Stewart Steeves, their executive and support staff; and Vancouver Airport Services, the project manager for the redevelopment, Mr. Ingraham said he was also happy to recognize all companies and contractors associated with this spectacular building, “all are deserving of thanks and recognition for a job well done. “Enormous pride can be taken in the role which so many Bahamians played in the planning, design and execution of the project, now we are definitely on our way to realizing a long deferred national aspiration for an attractive, modern and efficient principal air gateway to The Bahamas. “This is befitting of our status as the premier destination in our region. We are home to Atlantis, a veritable paradise with unparalleled amenities including world-class
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accommodation, cuisine, gaming, upscale retail, and a full spectrum of sporting facilities and entertainment.” The terminal is unique in the region, being of a size, scale and scope, and having amenities and features unlike others in the region and incorporating state-of-the-art baggage systems, environmentally-friendly cooling systems and al fresco dining facilities not typically available in airports. Mr. Ingraham said his government is transforming and building at LPIA a new airport with an enhanced passenger and visitor experience for Bahamians and visitors alike, and for all those who live and work here and that, for those who travel to and from Nassau for business or pleasure, today is a happy day. Special attention was paid to ensuring that the new facilities are appropriate to Bahamian culture and climate, and that the construction was done in an environmentally sustainable way, facilitating the airport’s efficient operation and maintenance. Mr. Ingraham said he is pleased with the success of NAD in its oversight of the construction of this first phase of the redevelopment of the LPIA and is particularly satisfied by the large number of contracts awarded to qualified Bahamian consultants, sub-consultants, contractors and
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sub-contractors and that the new facility will offer worldclass customer service and will meet all international safety standards. Mr. Ingraham used the occasion to thank all those persons who contributed by serving on the Government’s 1999 advisory committee; the Hon. Brent Symonette, Deputy Prime Minister, the first Chairman of the Airport Authority; succeeding Chairmen A. Bismarck Coakley; Anthony Kikivarakis; members of the Board; managers of the Airport Authority and all the persons who daily make LPIA work. Mr. Ingraham acknowledged the contribution of former Prime Minister Christie and his Government in continuing the planning and redevelopment of LPIA; the Ministries of Finance and Public Works, and all the other government agencies concerned were commended for their role in bringing the project to fruition. e also acknowledge the advice and assistance of the institutions that served as financial advisors, arrangers and ultimately as bankers to the project: Citigroup, First Caribbean, Royal Bank of Canada, Scotia Bank; Export Bank of Canada, the National Insurance Board and AF Holdings (Colina Group). “I welcomed the encouragement, campaign and agitation by Sir Sol Kerzner of Kerzner International in support of the redevelopment of the airport - the first and last impression for The Bahamas’ all important stop-over visitors. “The importance of the new facility to The Bahamas’ national economy and specifically to tourism - the engine of our economy - cannot be overstated. Airports and seaports are critical to island nations’ economic growth and development. When coupled with good connections and communications the power of creative entrepreneurial talent can be unleashed. Joined by sound public policies and a government grounded in a belief in its people and systems, human potential can achieve its zenith.” According to Mr. Ingraham, that is why the Government consciously and deliberately set about, during the midst of the worst recession the world has seen in 80 years, to rebuild the country’s physical plant and prepare
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The Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance delivering the keynote address. Photo by Sharon Turner
the Bahamian people for better days ahead. “Indeed we have launched the most comprehensive and ambitious infrastructural investment programme in Bahamian history, which will enhance the quality of life for Bahamians and residents and the visitor experience of guests to our country,” Mr. Ingraham continued. Funding of the airport project, primarily from user fees, has permitted the Government to proceed with other important capital works on New Providence, the nations’ capital and home to more than 60% of the population, which required funding from the Government, including: the dredging of Nassau Harbour to accommodate the largest cruise ships in the world, the reconstruction of the historic Nassau Straw Market, destroyed by fire in 2001, and the removal of cargo shipping from downtown Nassau to a new port currently under construction at Arawak Cay. In addition, the Government is creating a whole new world of opportunities and amenities. From a new housing development, in southern New Providence, to a transformed Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre that will be one of the best athletic and sporting complexes in the Caribbean. Phase I of that Centre, the new Thomas A. Robinson Stadium, will be completed this year. “We are transforming New Providence and the IslandScene / 2011/1 19
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historic City of Nassau into more than a world-class destination. We are seeking to make our capital island an urban centre that works in terms of basic infrastructure, and that is safe and a creative home for the arts and culture with an extensive network of parks, heritage sites and windows to the sea. “We will do all of this and much more,” Mr. Ingraham said, “as we make New Providence greener, more beautiful, cleaner, and more environmentally sustainable. Even as we appreciate the enjoyments and advantages that city living offers, we must respond to the challenges of urbanization, inclusive of human services and well-being, infra-
March 3rd, will provide an impressive entrance to the traditional old charm of New Providence that the Government is conserving and the new, cosmopolitan New Providence that’s being created. Phase one of the Gateway Highway will lead from the LPIA to the six (6) way roundabout (or oval) near Farrington Road and extend on to Wulff Road and Blue Hill Road, and from JFK Drive along Harrold Road to the Milo Butler Highway. Added to all of this will be even more technologically advanced and competitive telecommunications services with enhanced broadband and Wi-Fi capacity over net-
Pictured left to right: Chairman Hon. Frank Watson, President and CEO Stewart Steeves, Mrs. Deloris Ingraham, Prime Minister, Hubert Ingraham, Lady Pindling. Photo right: Sir Arthur and Lady Foulkes and The Hon. Tommy Turnquest. Photos by Antoine Ferrier & Yontalay Bowe.
structure, livability and aesthetics. Simple things make an enormous difference in how we feel and function on our island-home.” r. Ingraham said, “the things we build are not ends in themselves. They are the indispensable means to improve the quality of life of the Bahamian people and residents. Towards this end, I look forward in the months ahead to the continued progress of the New Providence Infra-structure Improvement Project as additional segments are completed, and to the immediate commencement of the second stage – the International Terminal at LPIA.” The LPIA will be linked to the new four-lane Gateway Highway, the ground breaking for which took place on
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works with more speed, efficiency and reliability. It is the Government’s intention to provide citizens, residents and visitors with infrastructure and services befitting a 21st century Bahamas with a world-class tourism product and international business centre. The new terminal is an excellent demonstration of what the Government is doing and how its being done, utilizing a consortium of talents to build a common dream. “This is why I have taken the time to recognize the many individuals, agencies and businesses who have contributed to this new Bahamian gateway which will connect the world to the Islands of The Bahamas in a new global age,” Mr. Ingraham said in conclusion.
Sustaining Nature’s Treasures Our many islands offer an eclectic mix of activities and leisure opportunities unmatched in the region.
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ifty miles across the Gulf Stream from Florida, lay the 700 island archipelago which is The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The Islands of The Bahamas are sprawled over 100,000 square miles of ocean and shallow sea. Boarded on the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the south and west by the Gulf Stream, the multi-island nation is a region of spectacular natural beauty and extraordinary bio-diversity, particularly in its marine ecology. With its year-round balmy climate, its mix of destination options, extensive range of accommodations and easy accessibility to the United States, The Bahamas has long been the major tourist destination in the Caribbean. Our many islands offer an eclectic mix of activities and leisure opportunities unmatched in the region. In the resort areas of Nassau, Paradise Island and Freeport, the accent is on action, twenty-four hours a day. But for the Out Islands, it is an entirely different story. Nassau, the nation’s capital, located on New Providence Island, is an historic city, distinctive in character, and offering every modern amenity and luxury in an ambiance of Old World charm. Connected by bridge to Nassau, the 825 acre island resort of Paradise Island, with its choice of luxury hotels, is an ideal base from which to enjoy nature-oriented pursuits such as bird watching, a round of golf on a tee overlooking the ocean, deep-sea fishing and scuba diving expeditions or sunning on a secluded beach. Freeport on Grand Bahama Island is the nation’s second city. This island is a Mecca for aficionados of all types of sports.
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Bonefish Pond National Park. Established: 2002. Size: 1,280 acres. Bonefish Pond lies on the south central coast of New Providence. It is an important marine nursery area for the island, providing a protective, nutrient rich habitat for juvenile stocks of fish, crawfish, and conch. This area supports a wide variety of waterfowl and an important variety of Bahamian flora. The wetland itself provides critical protection from storm surges to communities along New Providence’s southern shore. The educational and ecotourism potential of this wetland area is significant. The Trust has recently added a 600 foot boardwalk and viewing platform which provides access for teachers and students studying mangroves.
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he Out Islands maintain a pace of their own. Undisturbed by modern development, they provide an oasis to those who seek their tranquility and natural beauty. As has been said of the Out Islands, “those islands are the way God meant it.” Abaco, Andros, Bimini, Eleuthera, Exuma, Long Island, Cat Island, San Salvador, Acklins, Crooked Island, Mayaguana, Inagua are all islands which have remained pristine, clean, green and serene. The Bahamas is marked by a remarkably diverse environment which remains unspoiled, and to a large degree, unknown, even to our own people. Ecosystems range from the pine forests of Abaco and Grand Bahama, in the north, to the wetlands and barrier reef of Andros, the jewel-like chain of the Exuma Cays in the centre, and down to semi-arid conditions of Inagua’s salt pans and flamingo sanctuary in the far south.
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ur surrounding seas create a perfect playground for every water-sport imaginable: sailing, deep-sea fishing, water skiing, kayaking, parasailing, windsurfing, snorkeling, swimming, and scuba-diving. Activities range from sport fishing safaris to relaxing catamaran cruises and guided nature tours of deserted islands. Landlubbers can stay dry and still enjoy breathtaking views of our spectacular coral odyssey 80 feet below sea level from the state of the art Atlantis submarine, which operates in the waters off New Providence. And there is the bird’s eye view from hundreds of feet above, from a seaplane on tour of our capital. Our islands are endowed with ideal conditions for diving and sports fishing. Serious divers will find 2,500 miles of spectacular ocean wall drop-offs, blue holes, underwater caverns and centuries-old wrecks.
Union Creek Reserve: Established: 1965; Size: 4,940 acres. The Union Creek National Reserve is seven square miles of enclosed tidal creeks on Great Inagua’s northwest shore. This shallow creek serves as a prime habitat for young Green Turtles. Union Creek National Reserve is a critically important research site for sea turtles, with special emphasis on the Green turtles which has been studied there since 1974. Some of the most important scientific data on this endangered turtle has been provided through studies conducted jointly by the Bahamas National Trust and the Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research at the University of Florida.
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ivers have the option of varied combinations of dives organized by operators located throughout the islands. Bimini, where fishing greats Ernest Hemingway and Michael Lerner pioneered bill fishing, is today the site of many annual popular fishing tournaments. San Salvador, historically significant as the site of Columbus’ landfall in the New World in 1492, is fast becoming known for its record-breaking Wahoo catches. Forests, lakes, expanses of sea, creeks, cliffs, countless miles of beaches and plentiful birdlife present the naturalist with variety and countless opportunities. Surrounded by these abundant natural treasures, we are careful not to take them for granted. We remain keenly sensitive to our role as guardians of the globally important treasure that is our immediate environment. The Bahamas works in close cooperation with
worldwide conservation initiatives. Our country is signatory to most of the major conventions and international treaties on environmental protection. To ensure that we bequeath to future generations a healthy environmental heritage, we have designated vast areas of land and sea as national parks.
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hirty miles southeast of Nassau, the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, a 175-square mile sanctuary established in 1959, is the first of its kind in the world, and one of the finest showcases of our natural beauty. Its waters abound with prehistoric life-forms, coral heads, tropical marine fish, turtles, lobsters, and more. The Exuma Cays are home to the endangered rock iguana and our only indigenous land mammal-the hutia, thought to be extinct until rediscovered in 1966.
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he world’s second or third largest barrier reef, depending on your definition, is located off the eastern shores of our largest island and encompasses some 33,235 acres received its national park status in 2002. Abaco, in the subtropical north, boasts not one, but two national parks. The 2,100-acre reef-lined Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park is sanctuary to a wide variety of marine life. The 20,500-acre Abaco National Park, established in 1994, encompasses the breeding and essential foraging ground of the rare and endangered Bahama Parrot. These birds have inhabited The Bahamas for centuries. When
place to see local bird life. At the southern tip of our archipelago, the island of Inagua is sanctuary to over 60,000 West Indian flamingos, our national bird. Back from the threshold of extinction, the flamingo flourishes in a national park that is home to the world’s largest concentration of these birds. This thriving population is testimony to the conservation efforts of The Bahamas National Trust. The Bahamas National Trust, established in 1959, administers the network of national parks in The Bahamas. The National Trust serves as a prototype for the develop-
Lucayan National Park: Established 1977. Size: 40 acres. The park (located between Freeport and Freetown at Gold Rock Creek) features an underwater cave system that has been charted for up to six miles. Other attractions include elevated walkways through the mangrove wetland, a magnificent unspoiled beach, one of the highest coastal dunes on the island, and a diverse range of fish and waterfowl. Lucayan skeletons were discovered in one of the caverns and other pre-Columbian artifacts have been found. Only certified cave divers are permitted to explore the cavern system.
Columbus made his first landfall on our island of San Salvador in 1492, he recorded in his log that “flocks of parrots darkened the sun.” Another eco-jewel, the Lucayan National Park, is located on Grand Bahama. This park is the site of a six mile underground fresh water cave and cavern system, the longest charted system in the world. Also located on Grand Bahama, in the centre of downtown Freeport is the Rand Nature Centre, a 100acre forest reserve with a captive West Indian flamingo flock, curly tail lizards, beautiful butterflies and native boa constrictors. The Rand Nature Centre is also an ideal
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ment of National Trusts in the Caribbean and the Pacific. Some of the celebrated accomplishments of the Trust include the preservation of the West Indian Flamingo, important turtle conservation work, white crowned pigeon management, rediscovery and reseeding of the hutia, and an ongoing public education campaign. Our preservation efforts extend beyond natural resources, to the historical, architectural and cultural aspects of our past. The eco-sensitive visitors may pause to see the best preserved historic public buildings in the English speaking Caribbean - in Nassau. Or they may enjoy Bahamian music, dance folklore and traditional
customs and gain insight into a way of life that has sustained self-reliant communities over several centuries. During the summer of 1994, The Bahamas showcased its culture and traditions in a well received presentation at The Smithsonian Institute’s Festival of American Folklore. We take this opportunity to invite you to our country to discover the delights of Nature that we have described in so few words.
The Bahamas National Trust
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primary function of the Bahamas National Trust is to build and manage the national parks and protected areas of The Bahamas. This responsibility, mandated by the Bahamas National Trust Act, 1959, makes the Trust unique as the only self-funded, non-governmental organization to manage a country’s entire national park system. Within these parks and protected areas are many unique features: the world’s largest breeding colony of West Indian Flamingos, one of the world’s most extensive underwater cave systems, the world’s first park to encompass land and sea areas that is also one of the first marine fishery reserves, one of the world’s most successful marine turtle research facilities, one of the world’s largest privately owned collection of rare palms, the largest uninhabited island in the Wider Caribbean existing in a natural, undisturbed state, and 250 acre wetland in south central New Providence that is home to more than 100 bird species and is the largest roosting area for Herons and Egrets on New Providence. Currently the Trust manages 26 parks and
The Retreat, BNT National Headquarters. New Providence.
protected areas throughout the 700 islands of The Bahamas comprising a total of more than 700,000 acres. Collectively, our national parks and reserves are an impressive representation of tropical island ecosystems and resources. As such they are a source of tremendous pride and enjoyment for the Bahamian people and of paramount importance to visitors and conservationists. (For a complete list of our National parks go to: http://www.bnt.bs).
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Home From The Contract
My Uncle Bertie By Cordell Thompson
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was entering my teens when I first noticed the effect of the Contract on the little community where I lived. I had several uncles who had made trips on The Contract. They were special people, because for one, they had the experience. They had in fact travelled. My favorite relative was Uncle Bertie. I remember one day, shortly after he came off The Contract, I gave him some sass and he looked at me rather sternly and said, “I bet you believe you think you different cause your ma got you in high school but that ain’t nothing boy.” He said “I travelled boy, you ain’t been nowhere, I been to America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, the only country God blessed.” I was totally humbled, because even at that age I felt that this statement truly summed up the enormity of the experiences of most of those men and women who were sometimes catapulted, from small family island villages, direct to the heart of America. Mind you, very few of them even saw a large city or town, but the fact is they were able to see the country, America. I later came to admire and respect my Uncle Bertie and the many others like him for their experience, even though he still made me laugh. Uncle Bertie couldn’t read and write and for several months after he returned I used to have to write letters for him back to his girlfriend in the States. I also had to read the replies too. What he lacked in education he more than made up for in emotions and descriptions. One time I had to write a letter about his taking care of the horses at the race track where he worked as a groom. Thus, he said: “boy put pen to paper.” He went on, “my dear, when my eyes first lighted upon you, my heart fluttered like a butterfly under a fruit jar, and I was sore afraid that I would not contain myself. Since I have
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returned home I have been helping my father who has a horse and dray. All day long I am going (uncle Bertie made a sound for the word he could not pronounce) after those animals.” I said, Uncle Bertie, I can’t spell that sound you just made. He says, “that’s a word, what you mean you can’t spell that and your ma sending you to Government High? You can spell..” (he made another sound). I said, Uncle Bertie they ain’t words. He said “they is so words and I want you to learn how to spell them cause I want her to understand what I doing now. These womens does want to know everything you doing, otherwise they leave you for someone else.”
Mamma told me later that she used to beat Uncle Bertie every day and he just wouldn’t go to school. She was from Mastic Point Andros and had Seminole Indian in her blood. She met and had five children for my grandfather, Frederick Smith, a white Bahamian of Loyalist stock who migrated to Andros from Exuma, during the boom days of the sponge industry. Papa was a well educated well rounded gentleman of the day, a seaman, carpenter, and farmer who later became
the first director of Agriculture in a pre independent Bahamas. When the Contact started, nearly every Bahamian of every class, color and educational status signed up to go, it was real money they were after and the Bahamas was in a severe depression following the end of prohibition and the collapse of the sponge industry. By anyone’s estimates or boasts, there must be at least 20,000 Bahamian Americans in the Southern United States as a result of the exploits of the Bahamians who went on the Contract.
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f you visited places today like West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, Boynton Beach, Homestead, Delray, you only have to turn on your radio to the local black station and wait for the gospel hour and the name and accent of the preacher, would tell you he has a Bahamian connection. Now some of the preachers and other upstanding citizens of the communities mentioned could also be Bahamians who did not come back or who “jumped” the Contract and sort of went underground. It wasn’t hard for Bahamians to do this especially as they moved to central or northern Florida into Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia, where they could pass of as “Gullahs” or “Geechies.” The term Geechies refer to communities of Blacks who live on Islands off the coast of Southeastern Georgia and their culture, speech pattern and even their food is very similar to that of certain islands of The Bahamas. It wasn’t hard for many Bahamians to pick up the Gullah/ Geechie speech patterns if they wanted to jump the contract. Many of the returning Contract workers are still talking like Geechie in their late 70’s. They still got the “Merican” slang on the tongue. Naturally if you jumped the Contract you ran the risk of getting caught and the American authorities had their own way of tracking down Bahamians. If they walked up to a group of Black men, all speaking Geechie, they would give each one in turn a metal bucket to go to the spigot and get water. The Bahamian would invariably be the one to turn the bucket upside IslandScene / 2011/1
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down and beat it. That comes from our Junkanoo tradition. Bahamians can’t help beating drums or any container with their flat palms. Uncle Bertie was typical of the many thousand of semi-literate and illiterate young men who left the Bahamas for the chance to make some real money. The construction of the Air Force Base at Windsor Field and Oakes Field was providing employment for several hundred unskilled Bahamian workers, but no other activity in the Bahamas at that time held the same kind of economic promise for young Bahamians. First of all only the strongest and the fittest got to go. The Contract was interested in strong backs and able hands. The physical exam was most exhaustive; they were not taking any weaklings. Also, consider that for 15 years out of the life of a country, The Bahamas was absent the energy of a population who could have been contributing to the agricultural effort of the Country.
was ordered through the Sears Catalogue. In the family islands you collected the money from the commissioner’s office. Life for the Contract workers in the United States probably was no better or worse than that of the Haitians who migrated to the Bahamas in the late 60’s and 70’s looking for work. Their labour was contracted to large and small farmers and their living and working conditions were determined by the size of the operation and the attitude and disposition of the overseers or owners. There is no doubt that there were confrontations where race was involved, but if you believe their stories the Bahamian always came out on
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he immediate effect of the Contract was economic, real money. When you signed up to go if you were single, you could assign some of your earnings to a family member, but it was compulsory to assign an amount to your mother. If married, then naturally assignments were made to wives, but the system ensured that some of your earnings were remitted to the Bahamas. That’s not to say that it ran smoothly. Many men returned home to find girlfriends, wives and money gone, and themselves only richer for the experience. But by and large, good sums of money flowed to The Bahamas into small communities and villages that heretofore had no relationship to a wage scale or regular earnings. In Nassau, relatives had to collect the money from the Labour Office in Oakes Field or the Post Office Savings Bank. Those days when your name was called out was a big day in the communities and on Bay Street because the money allowed households to purchase the necessities of life in quantities, like a case of lard, sack of flour, sack of grits, a side of salt pork and a case of corned beef. Also around Easter or Christmas time if a son or husband was truly attentive you would go and pick up something that 30 IslandScene / 2011/1/
top. Nearly every person who went on the Contract told you: 1. He never travelled without a razor or gun 2. He back talked cracker 3. Or worse, he slapped a cracker. You could believe all the above if you wanted to. The majority of Bahamians worked in citrus and fruit groves and vegetable farms in Florida, Georgia, Virginia and Minnesota to pick beans and corn, and undoubtedly saw the worst of a kind of segregation but also acts of kindness and understanding. On their return home many of them symbolically
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noted their favorite or longest place of work by writing it on the chain guard of a three speed or “tick tick bike.” The tick tick bike in the 50’s and 60’s was like the BMW or Mercedes in The Bahamas today. To own one you had to be a person of substance. To the returnee it was a visual display of them having travelled and especially after they dressed up the bike, which also had to be a Raleigh on BSA. I got my first real lesson in Geography from those bikes, when I started noticing for example, “Pahokee, Fla.,” or “Belle Glade, Fla”., “Twin Lakes, Minn.,” or “Cedar Rapids, Iowa.” They also couldn’t leave the bike
The bikes were more than transportation, they were status symbols and more than one lady’s heart was won by a man who had the best dressed bike or who could pedal straight up Farm Road Hill with her on the bike, crinoline slip blowing, and without getting off to push. These were real men. Men who had been on the Contract were also marked by a distinct dress code in two styles; Zoot Suits and Coveralls. The Zoot Suit was usually reserved for when they came home off the plane, for the Joe Billy dance on Saturday nights or the dances at the Silver Slipper. For those of us who don’t know what the Zoot Suit was, it was a style influenced by Jazz and Rhythm and Blues artists in America.
I the way it was made; it had to be dressed up with chrome clips, like “hood wrenching” a car fender. Normally the bikes came from the shop with one or two clips to hold the wire from the small generator to the headlight, but after some of these bikes were dressed, you couldn’t see the frame at all. These dressed town bikes became personal statements about the owner who could stand a block away and pick out his bike from a row of 20. The economic benefits surrounding the care and attention of bikes also filtered down to my friends and I who used to be engaged to “watch” bikes for owners while they attended the movies at the Capitol or Paul Meeres Theatre. They paid us about three pence (truppence) to watch the bikes and make sure no clips were removed by other bike owners or other bike watchers.
t was basically a double breasted suit with pleats, full in the knees but tapering down to pegs at the ankles with cuffs. It was usually adorned with a gold chain that hung from the vest of the suit travelling past the knee and back up to the side pocket. It was worn with two-tone shoes, and topped off with the widest hat that the wearer can find, either felt or Panama straw. The Zoot Suit was almost like a uniform and the outfit was worn especially if the wearer could Boogie-Woogie or Jitterbug. It was like you only wore the suit to do the Boogie-Woogie or Jitterbug. The two were inseparable. The casual attire for the contract returnees were a pair of overalls and Brogans. Brogans were a big thick U.S. army issued boots, and with the coveralls, was also a standard uniform for agriculture workers in North America. On their return home the men wore well-kept versions of the two. Both outfits were usually topped off with some kind of head gear and the Bepop Glasses. Some of these glasses were clear and some were tinted, but you had to have a pair. They were called Bepop Glasses as the period of the Contract coincided with the Bepop era in American culture when Jazz was changing from the syncopated New Orleans style of music to the more improvised sounds of Charlie Parker, Dizzie Gillespie, Max Roach and others. (Continued on page 39) IslandScene / 2011/1
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CHINA IN THE BAHAMAS How Zhou Wen Beat Columbus To The Isles of June History being the victor’s story can and often dismisses or ignores the vanquished. Less than a decade after the Quincentennial of Columbus’s arrival in The Bahamas, there is now irrefutable evidence that European explorers were not the first to chart their way to the “new world”.
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1421Copyrighted 2002 by Gavin Menzes
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Charles Huggins
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question often ignored in the telling, is where did the Europeans get their maps and charts by which they supposedly circumnavigated the world (Magellan) and discovered other lands (Columbus, da Gama and Cook)? On a maiden voyage, one cannot have a chart or map of a place yet to be discovered. We know Columbus believed that he could sail west and end up in the east, and that this was based on the charts and maps extant at the time. Who created these maps? Gavin Menzies did not set out to prove anything. He is a retired Royal Navy submarine captain, trained in cartography, seamanship and astro-navigation, whose passion is medieval maps and charts. In his book “1421: The Year China Discovered The World” (1421) he writes of his passion: “I love to examine these old charts, tracing contours, coastlines, the shifting shape of shoals and sandbars, the menace of rocks and reefs. I followed the ebb and flow of tides, the pull of unseen currents and the Track of prevailing winds, peeling back the layers of meaning within the charts.”(p.29) In pursuit of his “consuming passion” Menzies came across a chart, dated 1424, showing both Europe and Africa and which was signed by a Venetian cartographer, Pizzigano. Two things caught his eye, the chart’s accuracy - Europe’s coastlines were accurate; but on the same map in the western Atlantic were a
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group of four islands, all highlighted by the cartographer. The islands were Satanzes, Antilia, Saya and Ymana. What bothered Menzies was the juxtaposition of fact and fiction appearing on an authentic chart of unimpeachable provenance. It made no sense. Why would a map from 1424 show two continents accurately and yet have a group of unknown islands in the western Atlantic? He put it down either to the cartographer’s fancy or more likely, to lack of skill, since the chart was a full three centuries before Europeans would master the “difficult art” of calculating longitude.
invented paper and moveable type, had been mass publishing for over a thousand years, invented the stern post rudder, had been building ships with watertight compartments, had created calipers with an accuracy of one thousandth of an inch, had standardized weights and measures as well as weapons with replaceable parts.
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eing a man whose life had been spent learning the importance of accuracy in calculations, Menzies had to find out whether these islands existed. After months of research, study and consultation with experts, Menzies concluded that Antilia and Satanzes were in fact Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe. His conclusion was based on the irrefutable similarities between the Pizzigano map and the actual islands. “There were far too many points of similarity between them (the Pizzigano map and current maps of the two islands) for it to be coincidence...” (1421: p. 30) The enormity of what was forming in his mind was not lost on the submariner. If the islands shown on the Pizzigano map existed were real, then it meant someone had seen them and charted them onto a map nearly 70 years before Columbus had stumbled upon The Bahamas. It also meant that “Columbus had not discovered the New World, yet his voyage had always been regarded as an absolutely defining moment.” (1421: p. 30) Who created the maps that Europeans used in their voyages? Which country had the resources – human and material - to circumnavigate the world, chart their findings and make them available? The world at the beginning of the Fifteenth Century was dominated by a nation which by then had invented and or mastered agriculture, had been accurately predicting the arrival of Haley’s Comet since 240 BC, had sold weapons as well as harnesses and stirrups to the Roman empire,
The third Ming Emperor, Zhu Di, under whom exploration flourished. (Image courtesy “1421 The Year China Discovered America” by Gavin Menzies)
By the time of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) China was the world’s leading power. Chinese world view is rooted in its national identity; its main qualities are belonging to a superior country and self esteem which flows from the belief that they are all IslandScene / 2011/1 33
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descendants of the mythical Emperor Huang Di, whose 25 sons created the 25 clans that became the Chinese nation. In China: Ancient Empire New Horizons (CAENH) Bolch and Fulling write that “there can be no doubt that the Chinese world is aligned differently from our own (western) world, that it follows its own principles, and that it has virtually nothing in common with our own
adventures or conquest of additional lands.” Zhu was succeeded by his 21-year-old grandson when the heir apparent, Zhu’s first born died. The young emperor, threatened by a number of armed uncles in princely cities of strategic importance, tried to consolidate his position by stripping his uncles of their power. The new emperor’s reign did not go down well with one of the
The influential Cantino world chart of 1502. (Image courtesy “1421 The Year China Discovered America” by Gavin Menzies)
world, apart from the laws of nature.” (p. 11). Ming founder Zhu Yuanzhang (1328- 1398), one of only two peasants in Chinese history to become emperor, having defeated the Mongol Yuan dynasty, set about consolidating his empire. Zhu’s ideal society was one based on a “vast array of self sufficient agrarian villages.” (p.282) China: The World’s Oldest Civilization Revealed. (CWOCR) In pursuit of his ideal society, Zhu eschewed commerce, urban development or foreign trade. Indeed, Zhu explicitly warned his successors “against military 34 IslandScene / 2011/1
uncles, Zhu Di, Prince of Yan who, under the guise of protecting his nephew from the influence of “evil underlings,” left his home in the strategic northern city of Beijing, and rode into Nanjing the imperial capital. Zhu subsequently won the civil war and established himself as Emperor Yongle (Eternal Happiness) (1402-1424). Once he had wiped out all opposition to his rule, Zhu Di set about strengthening his empire, moving his capital to Beijing, building on his father Zhu’s domestic policies. Zhu Di, however, ignored his father’s inward-looking policies and ban against “military adventures or conquest of
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additional lands.” His primary aim in foreign policy was to bring glory to China not only by attracting many ambassadors to China but also to enhance his stature among the people. Unlike the Europeans, “the Chinese preferred to pursue their foreign policy aims by trade, influence and bribery rather than by open conflict and direct colonization.” (1421: p. 60)
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ithin three years of assuming the throne, Zhu Di appointed his trusted advisor Zheng He to head up the expedition. In 1405 the first of six expeditions left Nanjing for the Indian Ocean. It is esti-
gavinmenzies.net/pages/maps/voyages) there were navigators, interpreters, medical and religious specialists, craftsmen along with substantial military forces that included both foot soldiers and cavalry, as well as concubines. The treasure ships were filled with porcelain, silk, lacquer and other goods to use as gifts, and if necessary, to trade for water and food. Each voyage took approximately two years to take advantage of the two-year monsoon cycle. The sixth expedition of four fleets under Zheng He’s command, set off on the 3rd of March, 1421 with over 100 ships. The outward journey was packed with envoys of
By the sixteenth century European trade with ports such as Calicut, pictured above, was thriving but the level of scientific inquiry did not reach Chinese proportions until the advent of Captain James Cook and Joseph Banks. (Gavin Menzies’, “1421 The Year China Discovered America”)
mated that the 1405 expedition consisted of 62 large ships (a large ship was 440 feet long and 186 feet wide with a displacement of 25,000 to 30,000 tons.) These were called the treasure ships. The remainder of the 255 ships were horse ships which were 370 feet long, while supply ships were 280 feet, billet ships 240 feet and battle ships 180 feet. (CWOCR: p. 291) Since the purpose was to impress the leaders of foreign lands, the first expedition of 317 ships carried 27,800 men. Apart from Zheng He and his four Admirals Hong Boa, Zhou Man, Zhou Wen and Yang Qing, (http://www.
states from around the Indian Ocean and the East African seaboard, all of whom had travelled to China to celebrate the dedication of the Forbidden City, Emperor Zheng Di’s new palace complex in Beijing. To give an idea of Zheng Di’s wealth and power, while he could put a fleet of 100 ships manned by 30,000 men on this his sixth voyage, England’s Henry V, one of Europe’s major kings who went to war with France in June of 1421 “...ferried his army across the Channel in four fishing boats carrying a hundred men on each crossing and only in daylight hours.” (1421: p. 63).
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As the emperor bid his guests goodbye, he commanded his trusted Zheng Di to “proceed all the way to the end of the earth to collect tribute from the barbarians beyond the seas...to attract all under heaven to be civilised in Confucian harmony.” (1421: p. 64). In acknowledging this epic sixth voyage and its accomplish-
port a month earlier remained in the Indian Ocean with his portion of the fleet plotting longitude, an accomplishment predating late fifteen century European exploration and their discovery of longitude. Indeed Menzies points out that the Cantino map of 1502, based on Chinese expertise, shows the East African coast with such accuracy that “it
The Bimini stones. (Image courtesy of Gavin Menzies’ “1421 The Year China Discovered America”)
ments, Zheng He erected a stone monument at Liu-ChiaChang in south China with the following: “the countries beyond the horizon and at the ends of the earth have all become subjects and the most western of the western or the most northern of the northern countries, however far away they may be.” (1421: p. 298-9). According to Menzies, Zheng He returned home after the fleet provisioned at the Indian port of Calicut, arriving in China in November that year. Yang Qing who had left 36 IslandScene / 2011/1
appears to have been drawn with the aid of satellite navigation.” (1421: p. 375-6). Unlike the Europeans who would follow in their wake seven decades later, Zheng He’s admirals - Hong Boa, Zhou Man and Zhou Wen – were fully equipped and capable of not only finding but recording accurately, every land mass or island they would visit. Zheng He’s admirals sailed down Africa’s east coast rounded the Cape of Good Hope up Africa’s west coast to Santo Antao in the Cape Verde islands. From the Cape Verde islands the fleet split up. Hang Boa and Zhou Wen headed south-west making landfall in what is now Venezuela. And there is where we leave them for it is his epic journey that would establish the
first connection between China and The Islands of The Bahamas. Zhou Wen, unlike Columbus, was not blindly sailing into the west. Nearly a century before he began his epic journey through the Caribbean, the Chinese cartographer Chu Ssu Pen (1273-1337)“had made an accurate estimate of the distance from the Pacific to the Atlantic...” (1421: p. 281). And even earlier than that, the Chinese knew that there was land on the other side of the Atlantic.
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In 499 AD, the first year of the “Everlasting Origin” Emperor during the period known as the Southern and Northern Dynasties (386-581 AD), a Buddhist priest, Hoei-Shin, returned from a land eight thousand nautical miles east of China. He named the land Fusang after the trees that grew there. He described the tree as bearing fruit like a red pear and bark which the inhabitants used
the whole world except in Central America. Hoei-Shin’s exploits became part of China’s official history known to all. The existence of Fushang would therefore have been known when Emperor Youngle, had issued his command to Zheng He and his three admirals. Sailing in the equatorial current westwards, Zhou Wen’s fleet of at least 20 ships, arrived in the Caribbean. And thus
The Piri Reis map 1513, oriented with north to the left, so that South American is at the bottom of the map and and Africa and Europe at the top.
for clothing and paper. (1421: p. 145). Hoei-Shin also noted that the country had no iron. We now know that what he called the Fusang tree is in fact the maguey tree of the agave family, which grows only in Central and South America. It grows red fruit and is used in the ways described by Hoei-Shin. We also now know that iron occurs almost throughout
it was that the four mysterious islands - which Menzies had seen on Pizzigano’s map first came into the world’s consciousness. Having lost some of his ships in a hurricane off Puerto Rico (Antilia) which would have been charted before Columbus was born (1421: p. 297), Zhou Wen, sailing before the prevailing winds would have gone toward IslandScene /2011/1 37
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Hispaniola and Cuba then through the Grand Bahama Bank to the east of Andros Island and inside the Berry Islands. All of these are easily verifiable on the Cantino map (http:// www.gavinmenzies.net/pages/maps/cantino.htm.) But as the Cantino map demonstrates, the topography was different. Since that time, sea levels have risen between four and eight feet. According to Menzies, in 1421 the banks and reefs of
Menzies believes this is exactly what happened on the first Chinese voyage through the Bahama Islands. Beyond the Berry Islands on the doorstep of the Gulf, sits the Bimini Island chain. It was the only logical place for Zhou Wen to find shelter for his damaged fleet. The most compelling evidence however is the Bimini Road, first discovered in 1968 by zoologist and underwater archaeologist, Dr. J. Manson Valentine. The
Visitors in small craft meander through Bimini’s shallow crystal-clear waters to view underwater rock formations. (Image courtesy Bahamas Ministry of Tourism).
the Great Bahama Bank which stretches from Andros towards Cuba, would have been above water. Zhou Wen sailing through the Grand Bahama Bank at night may have spotted the land but not the submerged reefs which would have damaged some of his ships. Once Zhou Wen’s fleet had cleared the Grand Bahama Bank along Andros’s east coast and the Berry Islands, he would have found himself with several damaged ships and the ocean ahead. To minimize the loss to his fleet, he had to find safe haven in shallow water where repairs could be made and ships which were too badly damaged could be salvaged before being abandoned. 38
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Bimini Road is made up of hundreds of flat rocks eight to ten feet square laid out in two parallel lines running southwest towards the deep ocean. The shoreward section of the road is 1,200 feet long by 200 feet wide, while the curved section of the road which runs directly to the shore is 330 feet long. The imported stones of which there could have been as many as 600, weigh 10 tons each. Several of them have been used to build the Miami seawall. (1421: p. 315). What Menzies has discovered awaits confirmation if and when the Government of The Bahamas lifts the moratorium on salvaging in its
waters. Menzies believes that at least nine of Zhou Wen’s ships were abandoned. When they are finally salvaged, these centuries-old wrecks will conclusively confirm that, even before Columbus’s birth, the Chinese had made the journey to the “new world” creating the very maps that Columbus would need and did use. Despite the evidence will China’s role in discovering and charting the “new world” change a centuries-old misconception? Unlikely.
bahamaIslanders My Uncle Bertie cont’d. The men who came from the Contract also brought these musical influences with them, and they had their favourite artist in the rhythm and blues tradition like Ruth Brown, Ivory Joe Hunter and to the lesser extent Ray Charles. In essence, they brought back a profound African American exposure with them during a time period when Americans were just preparing themselves for the great civil rights confrontation that took place in the 60’s. Not all the returnees were Bepop artist and Jitterbug (mind you, the Jitterbugs were probably the most artistic and interesting dance to watch and take part in, and has a lot in common with the acrobatic style of the break-dance that we see today), except in Jitterbug you had to have a partner, I use to sit for hours and watch the men fling ladies over their shoulders and through their legs.You had to be very nimble, quick and strong to do the Jitterbug.
Aside from the cultural effect, you could say that the foundation of true Black Bahamian entrepreneurship started with the first Contract returnees. While some of their brothers were Jitterbugging, the story was told that our Acklins and Crooked Island brothers, mostly Church of God oriented, did not fool with the song and dance in America, and as a result when they came home, they had a nice little piece of change. It wasn’t uncommon for a hard working person to come home after a four or five years experience with three or four thousand dollars in the Post Office Bank, and in the early 50’s and 60’s that was a lot of money to have in one place. Most of the housing for working class Bahamians south of Wulff Road in the Englerston and Coconut Grove area was built by men who had been on the Contract. Many of them got a good head start, and have not looked back yet. But as noted earlier, many of them, my uncle Bertie included, were only richer for the experience.
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The Islands of
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sland Scene is pleased to present The Islands of The Bahamas Accommodations & Resources Directory, a comprehensive listing of places to stay and things to do in Nassau/Paradise Island, Grand Bahama Island and the Out Islands. This directory has been compiled to include island-byisland listings of accommodations and resources that are unique to each destination. From resorts to inns, and restaurants to shopping, this section of Island Scene is a convenient source of information to assist you with planning your next vacation. Each island offers visitors excellent opportunities for snorkeling, diving, fishing, boating, romance and relaxation. Whether you prefer to lounge in a hammock, play a round of golf, spin the roulette wheel or enjoy the warm Bahamian water, The Islands of the Bahamas have a little something for everyone. To learn more about each destination and traveling to The Bahamas, go online to www.islandscenemagazine.com, and have a look at our Accommodations & Resources Dirctory.
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The Bahamas
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Abaco The Sea Beyond Compare
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n a sparkling aquamarine sea just east of Grand Bahama Island lies the crescent
necklace of Great Abaco, two verdant islands surrounded by clusters of tiny, quiet cays. It’s a place of balmy breezes and unhurried beauty whose naturally protected waters draw yatchmen from around the globe. So much so that Abaco is often called the “Sailing Capital of the World.”
With the wind in your sailes, the salty air in your throat, the brilliant sunshine on
your back, sailing the channels of the Abacos is a succession of unforgettable experiences. From the powder-soft beaches and quaint settlements of Walker’s Cay in the north, past the busy hub of Marsh Harbour, and on another hundred miles south to the great barrier reef at Cherokee Sound and the lighthouse at Hole-In-The Wall, each island, cove and cay offers its own special charms. Some of these ports-of-calls echo small, sleepy Nerw England fishing villages with their colourful clapboard houses, cozy cottages and worn, narrow streets, an atmosphere brought by the British Loyalists who first settled these cays in the late 1700’s. There are many excellent marinas along the way which offer every amenity imaginable to the boats docked at their slips. You’ll see exclusive private clubs on cays by themselves and sail to other cays that are totally uninhabited. Silent, out-of-the way places where you can drop anchor and linger undisturbed for a night or a month, however long you can stay. Your exploration of The Abacos might begin at the northernmost of these islands where you’ll find the charming harbour of Walker’s Cay, the protected anchorages of the Grand Cays and their splendid beaches and superb snorkeling, deep-sea diving and fishing grounds. On Little Abaco, a short sail south, at the tiny picturesque settlements of Crown Haven and Fox Town. IslandScene / 2011/ 43
Abaco Reaching the northern tip of Great Abaco (the second largest island in The Bahamas and one cay dwellers refer
Sailing on you will discover Treasure Cay Beach Resort and Marina, a luxury development that’s home of
to as the “mainland”), you’ll pass the settlements of Cedar Harbour and Cooper’s Town, where you can dock for
the five most beautiful beaches in the world, an 18-hole, 72-par championship golf course and modern marina. Here
supplies. From Cooper’s Town you also have the option of
you can visit the post office, shop, arrange for daily snorkel trips, scuba dives and fishing charters. You may also want
driving south by road past low, rolling hillocks topped with stands of feathery, Casuarina pines and grove upon grove
to hike the two miles to Carlton Point, the authentic site where British Loyalists fleeing the newly independent
of Valencia orange trees. All settlements on this 80-mile isle and its many surrounding cays are reachable by road
United States established Abaco’s first settlement in 1783. Fifteen minutes away by water-taxi is historic
or ferry and are a joy to explore.
New Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay. In this buoyant
On Abaco, sailing is only the beginning
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Abaco fishing village, the old world charm of the Loyalists is visible everywhere.You'll see it in the tidy rows of
from strong westerly winds. The marinas are filled with deep-sea fishing boats, speed boats and all
pastel pink, blue and green salt-box houses hemmed by white picket fences; in the artifacts, paintings and
manner of sailboats, yachts, catamarans and sloops. At Sunsail you can hire an excellent fishing
model ships of the Albert Lowe Museum; in the thirty Bahamian visages sculpted to represent each differ-
guide, take a sailing course, rent bareboats or hire boats with or without captain and crew.
ent island at the Memorial Sculpture Garden; in the lacy fretwork of the mid-19th century New Plymouth
Beneath swaying palms and an ever-blue sky you'll shop Marsh Harbour's modern department
Inn; and, yes, even in Miss Emilie's happy Blue Bee Bar, where there's no shortage of friendly smiles and
stores, hardware stores and fresh-produce groceries. Sort through souvenir stands jammed with locally
the best Goombay Smash in all the islands! Strolling Green Turtle Cay's pathways, you'll
made crafts and keepsakes. Go to the bank, the beauty shop. Sip a Goombay Smash under a beach
hear children spelling in unison in a one-room schoolhouse. Spot goats and roosters running through thick
umbrella. Taste your first conch (pronounced "conk") fritter, Bahamian turtle steak or wild boar. There's
clusters of Croton and Hibiscus.
also a good chance one moonlit night will find you
But in June, these gentle rhythms change when
savouring the fare of a gourmet chef and, much later,
the cay is flushed with the excitement of The Green Turtle Yacht Club's annual Invitational Fishing Tour-
dancing to the irresistible rhythms of an island band. Overnight guests may choose to stay in one of
nament, and in July, its famous Regatta. Pivotal to everything in The Abacos is Marsh
Marsh Harbour's plush hotels or beachfront villas. These are sure to soothe your senses with their
Harbour, the bustling commercial hub and boating center on the "mainland.� Marsh Harbour carries
manicured gardens, health spas, tennis courts, swimming pools and stunning white-sand beaches. And, of
with it the air of a colonial frontier town, but one stroll around reveals this sun drenched settlement
course,there are always Marsh Harbour's shaded clapboard cottages and town houses for
is very much otherwise. The harbour is easy to enter and sheltered
rent, many with housekeeping services. The transparent waters surrounding Marsh IslandScene / 2011/ 45
Abaco
Harbour as well as Walker's Cay, Treasure Cay
overnight guests and a fine marina. The watersports centre
and other locations in the Abacos are ideal for dedicated dive vacations, too. Each year hundreds
where scuba divers can arrange to swim with dolphins is also on Great Guana Cay in an area called Treasure Island.
of visitors sign up for a guided scuba diving experience or a certification course. These explorations take
Tranquil and unspoiled, this is by far one of the nicest beaches in The Bahamas and a hideaway known to few
you to an underwater world of well-formed, vibrant coral patches teeming with marine life and etched with exciting
outsiders. Across from Marsh Harbour is Man-O-War Cay,
caverns, tunnels and ledges. Many of these reefs are located within the boundaries of nationally sanctioned
another settlement that will take you back in time. Famous for its master ship building for well over 200 years, this
marine preserves and are officially protected against spearfishing or fish capture.
industrious little cay still rings with the sound and feel of colonial days despite its tall palms and tropical breezes. Life
The modest airport at Marsh Harbour accommodates incoming and outgoing passengers from Nassau, the capital
is so peaceful here that there are no police, no jails. What's more, if you stay long enough, you can watch craftsmen
of The Bahamas, on regularly scheduled flights via Bahamas-air as well as direct flights from South Florida. (An-
hand-build an entire boat without plans in a tradition that has been passed down for centuries.
other way to reach Abaco, if you have the time and an adventurous inclination, is by Bahamian mailboat.) Incoming
Hope Town, in the crook of Elbow Cay, also lies off Marsh Harbour and is one of the most popular excursions
flights, incidentally, are also a signal to watch for ferries outbound to settlements on the many surrounding cays.
of all. In this picturesque village of clapboard and salt-box houses, profusions of purple and orange bougainvillea and
Great Guana Cay is one excursion to make by ferry if you're in the mood for a quiet, isolated beach that's
other blossoms tumble over the stone and picket fences. You can smell the aromas of fresh bread baking, hear the
brushed with grassy sand dunes and lapped by electric blue waters. Its low-key Guana Beach Resort has rooms for
echoes of old Cockney voices, shop in "shoppes," or follow narrow, winding streets down to gorgeous stretches of
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Abaco
empty beaches. At Harbour's Edge restaurant on Elbow
beyond this you'll enter Abaco National Park, a rich forest
Cay, you'll have a perfect view of the boat-packed harbour and the famous peppermint-striped lighthouse. Looking out
preserve that sprawls over 20,500 acres. Thick with feathery Casuarina pines, flowering plants,
on all this serenity, you'll find it impossible to believe that people here once made a living by looting wrecked ships.
mangrove swamps and tall tropical trees, this quiet ecosystem gives cover to scores of wild animals and exotic birds.
As the story goes, "wreckers" used to shine a light to boats drawing them on to these rocks. The boats would wreck,
This is the protected habitat of the endangered Bahama Parrot (a brilliant blue and yellow-winged, ground-nesting
sink, and they would swim out to steal whatever was salvageable on the ship. It's true, too, because the proof is
species), the rare reddish egret, pelicans, humming-birds, spoonbills and blue herons. On a very lucky day, you may
all there in the Wyannie Malone Historical Museum. Elbow Cay also happens to be one of Abaco's many
even come upon a wild boar straying in from the remote game region of the forest.
superb deep-sea fishing grounds. At Easter, HopeTown and Walker's Cay host their annual Anglers Fishing Tournament,
Reaching the southeast point of Great Abaco you’ll discover a long, natural perforation of rock known to
a 20-day event in which anglers will reel in everything from marlin, wahoo, sail fish and dolphin to kingfish, bonefish,
seamen as the “Hole- In-The-Wall.” Above it towers a major navigational lighthouse faithfully keeping its vigil on
tuna and barracuda. Back on Great Abaco, there's another whole region to
ships out in the distant, ever-changing sea. Through every turn of your sails and travels, you’ll be
explore in the deep woodlands further south. Driving by car, you'll see glimpses of local life; women strolling along quiet
charmed and astonished by the warmth of Abaco’s people. Cheery, helpful and always ready to lift your spirits, these
lanes, balancing trays of fruits and vegetables on their heads, goats grazing by the roadside. You'll pass the settle-
gentle islanders know the secret of making you feel at home and welcome in their small corner of paradise. In
ment of Crossing Rocks and the fork that leads to Casuarinas Point, one of Abaco's most sybaritic resorts. Not far
fact, for however long you stay, you’ll find yourself enchanted by the mesmerizing isles of Abaco.
IslandScene / 2011/ 47
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Baha Mar Resort An idea whose time has come. By Inderia Saunders
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housands of Bahamians, throughout the islands of The Bahamas who were eagerly awaiting the $2.5 billion Baha Mar mega resort project getting into full swing, need wait no longer. The luxury development touted to have the ability to boost the economy to levels that will have profound effects on the development of countless local industries, was officially launched, at groundbreaking ceremonies, on Monday, 21st. February. The entire Baha Mar project is expected to contribute a cumulative $11.2 billion over the next 20 years to The Bahamas gross domestic product (GDP). That’s in addition to the 12,000 new jobs that will stem from the project, set to come on stream in late 2014. “Baha Mar will create 4,500 jobs during construction and 7,500 jobs post construction,” said Robert Sands, senior vice-president of administration and external relations. “We’ve always articulated the impact it will have on the Bahamian economy. It’s a tremendous benefit because once Bahamians are working, the multiplier effect is huge because everyone benefits with more disposable income in the pool to do more things.” Approximately $1 billion in new spending is to be added to the economy in the first year of completion, said resort officials. That money will come from among other things - a 30 percent increase in stopover visitors to the country, which adds up to an additional 430,000 people coming to the resort in the first year. They are visitors that will all be coming to see the resort projected to further The Bahamas’ image as one of the best tourist locations in the world, placing it alongside top tourist’s destinations such as Las Vegas and Orlando. Millions of vacationers and business travelers are expected to flock every year to its six hotels with almost 2,250 new rooms and condos, the largest convention center in The Bahamas, the largest casino in the Caribbean, a world-class golf course, retail village and much more.
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Aerial rendering of the project.
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ands said the appeal of the resort will be further heightened by the hotel management brands recently announced. Baha Mar recently signed letters of intent with Rosewood Hotels and Resorts to operate and manage its 200-room Luxury Hotel, Morgan’s Hotel Group for the 300-room lifestyle hotel and Hyatt Hotels and Resorts to operate and manage the planned 700room Grand Hyatt Convention Hotel. These operators will contribute a total of $57 million to the development, in capital investments, with Morgan’s and Rosewood spending $10 million each and $37 million spent by the Hyatt. There will be more such partnerships on the horizon, said Sands. “Six months from the signing,” he added, “we will be announcing who our casino partner is.”
In January, Baha Mar announced it had closed on its financing with the Export Import Bank of China. With construction already started and scores of Bahamians now working on the rerouting of West Bay Street and Corridor 7 Road, which forms part of the project’s $60 million first phase, Sands said it signals “the official start of the project,” and the trickling down in the economy that will come from the development. “The project was having an impact from the day we signed the agreements,” he said, referring to Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham’s recent statements on stamp duty amounting to $27 million from the closure of the financing agreement. “Work is already in. We’ve hired a number of independent contractors as we begin to do the prep work.” Baha Mar said it will employ approximately 4,000
IslandScene / 2011/1 49
doingBUSINESS
Casino Hotel. Bahamians over the life of the construction period, which is set for four years. This number was determined based on information from the Department of Labour about the number of registered Bahamians with the specific, expert construction skills needed to build Baha Mar. o supplement the Bahamian labor available to build the resort, Baha Mar has made clear its intentions to partner with the China State Construction Engineering Corporation to assist the development with short-term labor from China in an effort to get the property’s hotels fully operational as early as
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possible. In addition to the Bahamian workers, an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 Chinese workers are needed to construct the project, said resort officials. These workers will be coming and out of the country at different points of the project and will not all be working on the project at one time. “Baha Mar will immediately create thousands of job opportunities for Bahamians, including the ability to learn new skills and build meaningful careers as managers and supervisors,” said a statement from Baha Mar. “It will also add millions of dollars in wages and tax receipts. The Bahamas will be a better place to live
doingBUSINESS
Above left: Officials participating in ground-breaking ceremony include: Hon. Brent Symonette, Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Vincent VanderpoolWallace, Minister of Tourism & Aviation, His Excellency Ambassador Hu, His Grace, Mr. Li Ruogu, Chairman The Export-Import Bank of China, Mr. Liu Jinzhang, Vice President China State Construction Engineering, and Mr. Chen Guocai, Vice President China State Construction Engineering. Hon. Brent Symonette and Hon. Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace chatting with Chinese officials.
and work, with a stronger economy immediately and over the long term.� he resort recently signed a conditional Letter of Intent for works valued in excess of $40 million for the road works. Through an open-bidding process, well-known firms: Bahamas Hot Mix Ltd., and Bahamas Marine Construction were chosen for this venture. Their scope of works is expected to create 100 direct jobs as well as 100 indirect jobs, within the community, from the construction work on a new Commercial Village that forms part of the project’s $60 million first phase. Conditional Letters of Intent have also been signed for $15 Million in works for this project, with four Bahamian contractors: John F. Dunn and Associates, Osprey Developers Co. Ltd., Cavalier Construction Co. Ltd. and CGT Construction, responsible for building the new center.
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Pictured left is Sarkis Izmirlian Chairman and C.E.O.Baha Mar Ltd. Photo by Antoine Ferrier.
IslandScene /2011/1 51
doingBUSINESS “This bodes particularly well for the upgrade of skills in our work force,” he stated. “In an ever more competitive international tourism sector it is increasingly important that tourism sector workers are of the highest caliber. “In these tough economic times ‘value for money’ vacation experiences take on even more than their usual importance. Hence, my Government has been very keen to secure firm commitments from all its private sector partners in the hotel and tourism sector for continuous training of sector employees. “Such a redevelopment has been highly desirable for some time and its long anticipation relates to the trad-
getting approval from the National Development and Reform Commission of the government of the People’s Republic of China, and ending a lengthy search for a joint venture partner. That happened during the second half of 2010 and replaced a former agreement that was in place with earlier joint partner Harrahs and its subsidiary, Caesars Bahamas before the latter bailed. “We and the ScotiaBank-led syndicate have worked very hard to reach a settlement that serves the best interests of all parties, and should also benefit the Bahamas,” he stated. “I want to thank the ScotiaBank-led syndicate for their continued support of Baha Mar. In reaching this
itional contribution the area has made to the Bahamian economy through tourism. Mr. Izmirlian said there is much to be proud of, and thanked his partners, financiers, Export Import Bank of China, General Contractor and Investor and China State Construction and Engineering, as well as the government and people of The Bahamas, under the able leadership of Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, for taking this leap of faith and for placing their trust in him and the project. “We are committed to delivering the immediate and long term economic benefits to Bahamians both from its construction and eventually operations, and to give opportunities to thousands of Bahamians who can now look forward to a better future,” he continued. The comments follow the development overcoming several approval obstacles that stood in the way of getting the project underway. High in the mix, was
settlement, both sides accommodated each other, with the ultimate goal of fully repaying the lenders for their outstanding loan. The settlement, which includes the syndicate now becoming an equity participant in The Baha Mar project, demonstrates ScotiaBank and its other partners’ confidence in the project, and its economic potential for the Bahamas.” Once complete, Baha Mar said it will host one of the largest casinos in the Caribbean, five acres of convention and meeting facilities, 20 acres of beach and pool experience, three world-class spas and Jack Nicklaus signature golf course. Baha Mar will also create a “show lake” surrounded by a retail, dining and entertaiment village, with residential condos. “Baha Mar will be the Caribbean’s largest single-phase destination resort,” said Baha Mar’s developer, Mr. Sarkis Izmirlian.
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