Caribbean Beat — July/August 2021 (#165)

A MESSAGE From OUR CEO We are more than halfway through 2021, and while some borders remain closed, research by leading publications suggests that demand for travel is expected to climb as more people become vaccinated and more countries re-open. The months of July and August have traditionally been a time when families go on vacation, and with our commercial operations up and running from Barbados, Guyana, and Jamaica, our summer schedule was done to facilitate the increase in passenger movement.

The summer schedule operates through 10 September, and offers non-stop flights between Montego Bay, Jamaica, and New York. The flights operate on Friday and Monday, complementing the existing service into JFK, New York, from Kingston. Additionally, we have re-started non-stop service between Barbados and JFK. The flights run as one-way sectors on Thursday out of Barbados and on Saturday out of New York, and are timed to facilitate same-day onward connections to and from Dominica and other islands. In addition to these regular commercial flights, our teams have operated repatriation services into Trinidad and Tobago based on government requests.

Alongside the commercial activity, our cargo operations continue apace, and I am happy to share that in May 2021, Caribbean Airlines Cargo transported 100,000 Sinopharm vaccines into Trinidad and Tobago, which to date was the largest single shipment of COVID-19 vaccines brought to the country. The temperature-sensitive shipment was moved from Bejing to Port of Spain within fifteen hours through our

cargo charter service and an interline arrangement. Since March 2021, Caribbean Airlines Cargo has transported a significant number of COVID-19 vaccines throughout the Caribbean, to Guyana, Barbados, and Dominica. We recognise that getting the vaccines to destinations in the region is critical to recovery efforts and we are resolute in supporting the fight against the pandemic in this and other ways.

In fact, from the onset of the pandemic, Caribbean Airlines demonstrated our commitment to safety and rolled out programmes to educate and secure the health and wellbeing of our employees and customers. This continued into 2021, and in April, Caribbean Airlines became the first airline in the Caribbean to obtain Platinum Status from the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) and Simpliflying.

Since then, our teams have undergone further training through the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). The CARPHA training was the first step in Caribbean Airlines acquiring the Caribbean Travellers Health Assurance Stamp for Healthier Safer Tourism (HST) award. The HST Stamp is a measurable and verifiable recognition award for tourism entities that are implementing CARPHA’s recommended proactive COVID-19 health monitoring and safety measures. It provides travellers with the added assurance of a healthier, safer option when choosing a tourism product in the Caribbean. Caribbean Airlines was the first airline in the region to receive this training and to enrol and initiate the process for the HST award.

As we move into the second half of 2021, we expect with guarded optimism that the vaccination roll-out will encourage more travel. That said, surveys reveal that travelling remains top of mind in most source markets for the Caribbean region. One survey found that one third of Americans said they had daydreamed about visiting other places the previous week, and a quarter have talked to friends or family about future trips and have researched destination ideas online (US Travel Association, 2021). Moreover, travel sentiment analyses suggest that many persons have positive attitudes towards flying again. We are hopeful that these sentiments translate into commercial traffic in the latter half of the year.

In the coming months, we will tweak our operations to meet demand and keep you up to date on any new developments. Meanwhile, please continue to follow the safety protocols, as we work together to remain safe and overcome this pandemic.

Garvin Medera Chief Executive Officer

Contents No. 165 • July/August 2021

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22 32 EMBARK

8 Wish you were here Havana, Cuba

10 Need to know

Make the most of July and August, even during the time of COVID-19 ARRIVE

22 RounD Trip

Just for you There’s no such thing as a one-sizefits-all vacation. Everyone’s dream getaway is different. But whether you’re looking for family fun, a solo escape, or a romatic interlude, there’s somewhere in the Caribbean to lift your spirits and recharge your energy

32 Snapshot

Olympic dreams When the 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed because of the

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COVID-19 pandemic, no one was more disappointed than the athletes who’d waited years to make their debut at the Games. Sheldon Waithe profiles four Caribbean hopefuls, from Jamaica, Grenada, and T&T, getting ready to participate in their first-ever Olympics this July, as the rescheduled Games open in Tokyo

40 Bucket List

Grand Anse, Grenada These two miles of brilliant white sand on Grenada’s southwest coast might be the Caribbean’s most famous beach — for good reason

42 Discover

Natural healing For generations, Caribbean people have used local plants — leaves, seeds, roots, and more — for medicine.

But scientific research into these folk remedies has lagged behind. At the University of the West Indies

campus in Mona, Jamaica, the pioneering Natural Products Institute is working to change that, Erline Andrews learns

48 DID you even know

Are you the Caribbean’s biggest sports fan? How well do you know the history of our region at the Olympics?

Let our trivia column put you to the test

Caribbean Beat CaribbeanBeat An MEP publication

Editor Nicholas Laughlin General manager Halcyon Salazar Design artist Kevon Webster Production manager Jacqueline Smith Web editor Caroline Taylor Editorial assistants Shelly-Ann Inniss, Kristine De Abreu

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Cover From family fun to adventure trekking and solo travel, the Caribbean has vacation options to suit every taste and wish Photo LightField Studios/Shutterstock.com

Printed by SCRIP-J, Trinidad and Tobago

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Caribbean Beat is published six times a year for Caribbean Airlines by Media & Editorial Projects Ltd. It is also available on subscription. Copyright © Caribbean Airlines 2021. All rights reserved. ISSN 1680–6158.

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Bonds of care Scientist Kimberly Ashby-Mitchell explains how the COVID-19 pandemic has brought people together across nations, communities, and families, despite the difficulties of social distancing

R

ecently I have been mulling over the letter “P”, and whether we should banish its use forever. Panic (and by extension panic buying), Paranoia, Pandemonium, Pessimism, Peril, and Pandemic — these are all words that have been mentioned with increasing frequency over the last year; words we have almost become desensitised to, as our world has dramatically changed.

In March 2020, Jamaica became the first English-speaking Caribbean country to confirm an imported case of COVID-19, followed shortly after by Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. Similar to others around the world, our lives changed in an instant. Caribbean islands which are known for being idyllic tourist destinations quickly became silent, as hotels and tourist attractions turned into ghost towns.

Since then, the University of the West Indies, where I am based (like other universities in the Caribbean), has no longer been that vibrant place with the accents of various countries permeating the air — instead there is silence and emptiness, both on the halls and within faculty offices, making one wonder if there was ever a time when they were occupied.

If anyone had ever told me the entire world could change so drastically in such a short period of time, I would have laughed in disbelief.

At a regional level, while our countries routinely offer support after natural disasters and economic shocks, this current period has been marked by the sentiment that while the Caribbean is made up of islands, no single island has to face this pandemic alone. Tears come to my eyes as I speak to friends in other parts of the world about the vaccine donations countries in our region have received from their neighbours, even when those donors are themselves experiencing catastrophic trials. As Caribbean nations, we have banded together and sought to secure our region and its people, and our regional institutions have had to be proactive and innovative in the face of scarce resources.

Over the last year, while some of us have lost jobs, had to place business ventures on hold, to balance home and work life as children were out of school, and even lost loved ones, we have continued to persevere (perhaps I have been unfairly nitpicking at the letter “P” all this time). For many of us, our family lives experienced a renewal, even as we grappled with high-stress demands on our time. In fact, retailers of toys and family games have indicated that the sale of “retro activities” like board games and jigsaw puzzles all spiked during the pandemic — much needed entertainment during a time of great uncertainty and psychological distress. Families that once met frequently are now forced to find alternative means to share their lives and love with each other.

On a personal note, my mother last saw my daughter (her only grandchild) when she was three months old, and while in a few months my daughter will turn two, there is no guarantee that inter-Caribbean connectivity will improve anytime soon. As such, my close-knit family has had to rely on video calls and messages, but we have become more dedicated to checking in with each other even when there is not much to report. We accept that the only way to beat this virus is to restrict movement and adhere to the safety protocols.

During the pandemic, Caribbean people have especially shown care towards our older relatives, friends, and community members. In my work, I am able to interact with older adults and their family members on a daily basis, and I am moved especially when I see the compassion and pride we take in ensuring that those in their “golden years” are protected and their needs attended to. The intergenerational love, respect, and solidarity that I have seen as persons come to be vaccinated has left a lasting impression on me.

I have no doubt that we will make it out of this pandemic as a more united region — after all, the true measure of any society is found in how it treats its most vulnerable.

Dr Kimberly Ashby-Mitchell is a public health scientist at the Mona Ageing and Wellness Centre at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica. Born and raised in Tunapuna, Trinidad, she has worked at both regional and international health agencies and has lived in countries around the world.

This essay is part of a series reflecting on the Caribbean Identity and what it can be.

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wish you were here

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Havana, Cuba

It’s a city that haunts the imagination: from the ornate pastel-hued façades of the buildings lining its historic streets to the plazas crowded with musicians and local characters, from the curving seaside promenade of the Malecón to the monumental museums and theatres, the impeccably kept classic cars, the world-famous nightlife, the music and art at every turn — there’s something about Havana that can’t quite be put into words, though generations of writers have tried.

Photography by Imageplotter Travel/Alamy Stock Photo

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NEED TO KNOW

kamel ADJENEF/Alamy Stock Photo

Essential info to help you make the most of July and August — even in the middle of a pandemic

Don’t Miss Notting Hill Carnival Trinidad and Tobago? Flags up. Jamaica?

Free up. Everybody? Dance up. And on it goes during the last weekend in August, as the spirit of London’s Notting Hill Carnival returns. Last year, forced by COVID-19 to call off Europe’s biggest street party, Notting Hill Carnival organisers went virtual, with a packed weekend-long programme of performances, interviews, archival videos, and more, streamed 10

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via four distinct YouTube channels, and accessible to Carnival jumbies around the world. For the 2021 lineup — scheduled for 29 to 30 August — organisers are exploring a return to in-person events, but the virtual components will also be big in the mix. Visit nhcarnival.org closer to the festival for details, and plan to join the virtual bacchanal from your very own living room.

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need to know José Raúl Capablanca first took the world chess champion title in 1921

Harris and Ewing Courtesy Library of Congress

Being challenged as an unknown participant sweetened Capablanca’s win in a major tournament in San Sebastián, Spain, in 1911. It was only the second time someone won a major tournament at their first attempt.

His San Sebastián victory was the catalyst for title match negotiations with world champion Emanuel Lasker of Germany. Capablanca lost to Lasker in 1914, then the First World War brought international chess to a halt.

Capablanca finally faced and beat Lasker in a tournament in 1921, played in Havana. Capablanca won after fourteen games, without losing a single time.

Life and Times José Raúl Capablanca The Caribbean’s first international chess superstar, nicknamed “the Human Chess Machine,” inspired generations of Cuban players Imagine a battle between two kingdoms. To become victorious, a king must surrender — or worse. Action, strategy, and competitiveness transcend borders in the game of chess. International Chess Day on 20 July is an opportunity for rookies to try their skills against seasoned players, as thousands of chess players around the world convene online and in-person to participate in events and tournaments organised by the International Chess Federation.

In Cuba, chess is revered like cricket or football elsewhere the region — it’s a cultural institution. Havana-born José Raúl Capablanca — world champion from 1921 to 1927 — was one of the most extraordinary players in history.

Called “the Human Chess Machine,” due to his speed, accuracy, and endgame mastery, Capablanca inspired generations of Cubans to study chess and become internationally ranked players. It’s only natural that Cuba would become the matrix of Caribbean grandmasters, but Capablanca’s style also influenced world champions Mikhail Botvinnik and Anatoly Karpov of Russia, and Bobby Fischer of the United States. Here’s a glimpse at this icon’s career, one century after he first took the world title: José Raúl Capablanca (19 November, 1888–8 March, 1942) learned to play chess at the age of four, by watching his father and his friends.

Just shy of his thirteenth birthday, he beat Cuba’s then national champion Juan Corzo in a match in Havana.

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Capablanca moved to New York City in 1905 to study engineering and play baseball at Columbia University — as well as joining the Manhattan Chess Club. Two years after he enrolled at Columbia, he dropped out to pursue chess.

In 1922, Capablanca set the record for the highest percentage of wins (99.5 per cent) in a large simultaneous exhibition. He won 102 games with one draw.

He lost a simultaneous exhibition in 1925 against twelve-yearold Mikhail Botvinnik in Leningrad, after winning all his other games.

He predicted Botvinnik would be a champion one day.

Capablanca — though he entered the tournament as the clear favourite — lost the world championship to Russian Alexander Alekhine at a 1927 tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The thirtyfour-game match held the record for longest world championship until 1984.

Capablanca died of a stroke in New York in 1942, and was buried in Havana. “I have known many chess players,” said his rival Lasker, “but only one chess genius: Capablanca.” Since 1962 an annual Capablanca memorial tournament has been held in Havana.

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need to know

Must Try Tobago treat Time seems to stand still while you enjoy the sweet Tobago jawbreaker known as a benne ball — a traditional recipe handed down from West Africa, made from sesame seeds (called benne in the Maninka language of Guinea, Mali, and Senegal), plus molasses and sugar. Some say benne balls are best savoured while you take in the cultural traditions of the Tobago Heritage Festival, which usually runs from mid-July to August.

Others recommend it as a seaside snack. Either way, these treats are a homemade temptation that makes visitors’ cars stop at scenic lookouts, beach stalls, and airport and seaport vendors to purchase some. The aroma of the roasted sesame seeds triggers your appetite, and your stomach forgets the meal you just devoured. There’s nothing like enjoying benne balls under the Tobago sun, but the next best thing is to make them yourself at home. Try this recipe passed down from generation to generation.

Benne Balls 2 cups sesame seeds 1 cup sugar ¼ cup water 2 tbs molasses Heat a frying pan on medium low. Add the sesame seeds and let them toast. Stir constantly until golden brown and fragrant.

Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside. Put a saucepan on the stove, set fire to low. Add the water and sugar and let the sugar dissolve until it reaches a syrupy consistency. Add molasses and stir. Turn off the stove. Transfer the toasted sesame seeds back to the frying pan and turn on the stove to a low heat. Pour in the molasses and sugar mixture and stir. Transfer to a tray and allow to cool to the touch. Take a tablespoon and form the mixture into one-inch balls. Store in an airtight container.

Shelly-Ann Inniss

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che kothari, courtesy machel montano

need to know

Listen In The Wedding Album Nigel A. Campbell talks to soca superstar Machel Montano about his latest album, and the need to go past “crossover” Caribbean music always needs a ta-dah moment to break onto the global stage. Belafonte in 1956 with his Calypso album, Jimmy Cliff starring in The Harder They Come and Eric Clapton covering Bob Marley’s “I Shot The Sheriff” in 1973–74, Ricky Martin igniting a Latin explosion with a single Grammy Awards performance in 1999. In 2021, Puerto Rican and Dominicano musical identity, heritage, and diasporic dreams are reinforced with the releases of movie versions of Broadway hits West Side Story and In the Heights. This year, too, soca music has a golden moment for changing the way audiences everywhere engage with and consume it, with the release of Trinidadian soca superstar Machel Montano’s latest, The Wedding Album.

Delayed by a year, due to Montano’s desire not to celebrate during a time of COVID-19 pandemic uncertainty, this album is a triumph of the cross-cultural appeal and influence of Caribbean music. Unlike much soca, it moves 16

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way beyond the idea of “jump and wave” or a post-Carnival album compilation, to create a broad-ranging, globally inspired recording that addresses emotions not tied to festivity on the road. The Wedding Album is a template for the forging of new ways of connecting with an African diaspora and a new world market, and new ways of reinforcing the Caribbean ethos as a starting point for popular music in the Americas.

“The inspiration for this album has always been what we call ‘an elusive goal,’” says Montano — “the goal of creating outside the lines: Carnival and the Carnival season. So for me, not having to produce an album for Carnival fetes or a road parade, but yet still deliver a soca product, meant that we can take these chances in a bigger way. We can colour abstract and go way past the lines.” What might be a limiting factor for others, in the hands of Montano, is an opportunity to innovate the sound with superlative production values and fine songcraft.

Collaborators include a score of producers, DJs, singers, and musicians: the children of Africa born in the diaspora, Afrobeats stars from the continent, the Caribbean music family. And, with modern Black music icons Lauryn Hill and Teddy Riley, a case for going beyond crossover is made.

Afrobeats and dancehall fuse with soca, while R&B and rap absorb the power of Caribbean music. Our dance is not frenetic, but glorified. “Production comes first,” suggests Montano. “There is a moment here for us to reflect on what our production would need to become a little more palatable, to be a little more related and streamlined to fit in with some of the genres that are doing well out there.”

The distinction of that production showcases this album’s potential in new markets, including those recently added to music streaming giant Spotify here in the Caribbean and in Africa. Global audiences are listening to new music now. Montano says “there is a natural environment for heavier collaboration, and of course, this will definitely be in our best interest to use these vehicles to share what soca has to offer.”

Machel Montano is cognisant of legacy. Going into the fortieth year of his career, he says this will not be his last album forever, but “the beginnings of some new styles.” He has created an important body of work, forty-nine albums thus far, and The Wedding Album points to a reckoning of a maturity needed to break inured biases that sometimes relegate “world music” to a cult of nostalgia, similar to that which brought fame to the Jolly Boys, Cesária Évora, and Calypso Rose in their golden years. Hits matter in the music business. Ta-dah moments hinge on sensing those opportunities outside. The world is now moving to a Caribbean beat. It’s soca’s time now.

For more information on The Wedding Album, visit www.monkmusic.co

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need to know

Word of Mouth Under the volcano In December 2020, more than three decades after its previous most recent eruption, St Vincent’s La Soufrière volcano rumbled back into action. By 8 April, 2021, La Soufrière’s continued activity resulted in an evacuation order for the northern area of the island, with an explosive eruption imminent. Soon, plumes of ash towered miles above the crater, spread by the wind as far east as Barbados. In the midst of the ashfall, access to water, food, and shelter became difficult and even risky. Two Vincentian photographers, Nekoro Spencer and Stephan Hornsey — both based in the green zone along St Vincent’s south coast — share their experiences, and tell us what life’s been like as the island recovers

Nekoro Spencer: “the emotion inevitably hits” My friends and I went for a hike up La Soufrière a week before the first eruption. We were scouting and planning to camp inside the crater. It was still dormant, and we joked about the odds of it blowing up. Then the earthquakes started, and no one knew what would happen. The UWI Seismic Centre requested my images for scientific research, and then came on site. The scientists said anything could happen, as it was sporadic and random.

Even after the eruptions people didn’t take precautions. People went to bed with windows open and didn’t consider the ashfall. A few of my cousins have been displaced and are staying at shelters in the orange zone, and with my grandfather in the green zone. Someone gave up their house so people can stay there, too.

We needed to help, so my friends and I compiled lists of shelters, 18

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bought groceries, and began distribution. I also volunteered with World Central Kitchen. We carried water and food to the shelters and also took extras in case anyone along the way was in need. I’d always see people who need food and water, and just give them.

I also volunteered with Just Us League. We created a database from the shelters and found out what they needed, and supplied as much as possible. Now people have moved back to the red zone and clean-up efforts are still underway.

I haven’t returned to work since the eruptions, except to clean. The government’s memo said if you are doing relief work, continue. So, we continued asking for donations and making deliveries. COVID-19 took a backseat during the eruptions, but I always wore my mask while doing deliveries.

Since the eruptions, I’ve had an emotional breakdown. I was overwhelmed with all the images, a death in my family, and empathy. I’m usually indifferent as a survival tactic, but the emotion inevitably hits. I keep busy and keep helping. I’m proud of my little rock and I will always be here to help.

Photography by Stephan Hornsey Opposite page Ash cloud visible over Kingstown Left Feeding stray dogs in the red zone

Stephan Hornsey: “every day yields something so phenomenal” After the second explosive eruption, the column of ash seemed to hit the roof of the sky. In an upwards avalanche, it pumped outwards in every direction. The atmosphere felt claustrophobic. I jumped on a motorcycle and rode around the island photographing the column from different vantage points. The activity at the top of the ash plume formed wild halo-like shapes as it affected the air around it.

Many people hit the ground with humanitarian gears in motion — it was overwhelming to note the sheer scale of what Vincentians would be facing. Certain local residents weren’t going to be forgotten — the animals. I volunteered with the Vincentian Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (VSPCA) immediately. It’s changed the way I think about Vincentian people and their compassion for animals. In the past, food was already scarce for many stray cats and dogs living day-to-day on scraps provided through kind offerings. During the initial stages of the eruption, many people left communities, creating ghost towns. Even in Kingstown, the capital, pedestrian traffic fell to an uncomfortable count. On top of this, food scraps were covered in ash. This is inedible even for a street dog.

In the northern communities within plain view of La Soufrière, the ash fell so thick that the little paws of dogs and cats kicked up their very own personal clouds. These clouds turned into larger ash plumes with the many packs of dogs or hunting parties roaming the empty streets in search of food. Fowls, goats, dogs and more remaining in these areas fight for survival, while those who are too shy, nice, or weak to fight for

food get skinnier and skinnier. The VSPCA established feeding missions to go in and deliver food and water to these animals in dire need.

Some residents in these northern communities had ‘never-left’— a term used for locals who remained in the red-zone since the first explosive eruption and continue to do so. Many of these individuals approached us as we went on feeding missions, eager to help distribute food to help the animals. Their connection to the animals was tangible. They had so much to say about the what, when, and where in relation to the animals’ behaviours.

They became very important resources for information on how to strategise feeding for future missions.

The recovery and relief efforts have been amazing, both in the sheer quantity of things which have been donated, and also the number of people who have participated. So many people from around the Caribbean, here in St Vincent, and the world have been incredible in reacting to the needs of those who were affected. If anyone missed a beat, they knew someone would go hungry, thirsty, naked, without shelter, or have to sleep on a hardconcrete floor. It is a humanitarian war against the challenges caused by La Soufrière.

I fear for the safety and security of St Vincent and its people. We are vulnerable, having already been through so much. Despite this, there is no other place I would rather be.

We take it day by day.

Just as the ashes covered the landscape in grey, and then it slowly became greener and lusher than before, we are also experiencing growth within ourselves from what we are going through. I have never interacted with the people and the land on such a regular basis. Every day yields something so phenomenal and personally developmental.

As told to Shelly-Ann Inniss WWW.CARIBBEAN-AIRLINES.COM

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need to know

The Read One Thousand Eyes In her fifth novel, Jamaica-born, Trinidad-based Barbara Lalla — professor emerita of language and literature at the University of the West Indies — plunges the reader into a near-future version of the Caribbean in the aftermath of a mysterious calamity. Set on an unnamed island that Trinidadians may recognise, One Thousand Eyes follows a band of children prematurely compelled to become self-sufficient, as they search for sanctuary and for answers about their past and possible future — a breathtakingly timely story of resilience and community. An excerpt from chapter one: The twins had trapped her again, backed up tight with the dull green pads of a prickly pear that bristled with vicious spines inches from one side of her face and a soft fuzz of shorter prickles a breath away from the other cheek. She screamed for Shine.

They had closed in as Myche raced back to the Trust. The twins had grown heavier on whatever they ate out there in the bush, and she would have no chance of fighting her way out once their grubby paws clenched on her.

She held her breath as they pressed forward, unwashed as ever, faces too smeared for her to recognise which was which, clothes hanging in filthy shreds and, now they were older, attended by some rank odour she could not place.

The last time they cornered her, she had tricked them with the old ploy of signalling to someone behind them, but that could not work again. She faked a dodge to the right almost onto the long sharp cactus spines and steeled herself. Then when the boy nearest to her shot out a hand she squeezed one eye tight and lunged left, scooping up a cheekful of fine hairlike prickles, and clutched at a low branch. She swung from that onto a sturdier limb, screaming again for Shine, as the other twin grabbed for the first branch.

A rending sound brought a grin to her aching face as the branch beneath broke under his weight and his body

thudded to the ground. “Jabmolassi,” she yelled. All the children had adopted Five Cent’s name for the twins. “Shine going give you one cut-tail.” The twins had always been too clumsy to scramble up a tree. Now they could only pound the trunk and hurl abuse. But when

they stopped, the one who had fallen stepped back and grinned. And who was he to call anyone crapaud-face?

From her perch way above his upturned face he seemed to be only that gaping lipless grin. “Is so?” he shouted between hands cupped around his mouth. “Keep

on bawling for Shine. They come for he and he ent cutting nobody tail no more.

A good. Quail up in you tree. See how it feel to be mines from now on. Shine gone for good.” That, more than tuft after tuft of needles in her cheek, put an end to any inclination to smile even as the two older boys lumbered away. *** “How you mean — gone? You story.”

Brand stared at her almost on eye level when she got back to the Trust.

He was tall for his eight years and Myche short for ten. (Nearly eleven perhaps, it occurred to her.) They knew their ages at least roughly because Shine had seen to that, but more urgent things like the meanings of words could be slippery.

Myche was not sure herself what gone meant now, only that she had had an older brother for as long as she could remember but they had not seen him for two nights. At first she had closed that out. She refused to contend with it even though his vanishing should have surprised no one. Shine was tall and broad for fourteen — or more? — bigger than Mitch, although Mitch was older.

Shine was too quick and powerful for anything else to have happened to him.

The last time they had spoken, he warned Myche to keep hidden in the Trust, now more than ever. Hurriedly, he had whispered things he wanted her to know, signs she must look out for.

Daughts had known, he said.

Myche struggled to remember Daughts, an older girl who had disappeared several years before. As for Shine’s warnings, Myche had been too busy puzzling over a frantic look on his face she had never seen before, and she had hardly taken in what he said. Now, try as she might, she could not connect the instructions he had thrown out while gripping her shoulder and shaking it to keep her attention. All very well him urging her to remember stuff after years of ordering her to forget.

One Thousand Eyes (ISBN 9789766408206, 303 pages) is published by the University of the West Indies Press. For more information, visit www.uwipress.com 20

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The evergreen Suzuki Jimny has been reinvented for a new generation, bringing the classic mini 4x4 right up to date. You’ll find the same classic virtues with a host of new features to improve performance, safety, and practicality.

From first glance, it’s obvious that the 2021 Jimny is serious about its offroad fun. The rugged exterior screams practicality. Upright A-pillars and a flat bonnet optimise visibility, and chunky, moulded wheel arches and bumpers protect the bodywork. It’s a look that is both practical and appealing — Top Gear calls it “instantly desirable.”

Under the skin, a proven ladder chassis boasts Suzuki’s TECT concept, with curved main sections to improve strength and rigidity, and three-link suspension maximises grip. Ride height is a generous 210mm, while Hill Descent Control can be activated so the driver can focus on steering. The Electronic Stability Programme detects wheel slip and compensates, helping the driver stay in control.

What Car says “You can’t fault its capabilities when you get it onto the muddy stuff.”

It’s the ideal urban ride too. What Car says “The Jimny’s high driving position gives you a good view of the road ahead . . . visibility at junctions is excellent.” The Jimny’s controls have been designed to work with gloved hands, including the infrared 7-inch touch-screen display. SRS front, side, and curtain airbags are available. Interior space is bigger than ever, and resin-coated surfaces are easy to clean.

What Car concludes: “The Jimny can’t be beaten in this price range.”

Contact your local Suzuki dealer today to arrange a test drive and visit www.suzukicaribbean.com to learn more!

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round trip

Just for you

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A year and a half into the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s safe to say most of us — if not all of us — need a break. There’s no one-size-fits-all vacation, but the Caribbean is lucky enough to have the perfect holiday destination to suit almost every taste

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If you’re looking for sun, sand, and watersports adventure . . .

Antigua and Barbuda Antigua’s fabled 365 beaches — one for each day of the year — are a magnet for young (and young-at-heart) sunseekers. The island’s warm, glistening surrounding sea and gorgeously windswept bays are the place to try ziplining or windsurfing, or — more sedately — paddleboarding and snorkelling. Tour the many islets off Antigua’s northeast coast on a catamaran cruise, explore the reefs and other undersea formations at Cades or Sunken Rock, and be sure to allow a day or two to just soak in the rays, with cocktail in hand and sunglasses firmly in place.

Imagine an island with a reputed 364 more beaches like this one . . .

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Courtesy St Lucia Tourism Authority

If you’re looking for family fun . . .

St Lucia A holiday with kids in tow doesn’t need to be a challenge — especially not in St Lucia. Here you’ll find family-friendly beaches like Reduit (complete with a floating waterpark in mid-bay), fun history lessons at Pigeon Island, rainforest hikes to learn about tropical flora and fauna, and horseback tours along the picturesque trail to Cas-en-Bas. Kids and parents alike will never forget a beach picnic with the Pitons in the background, or the view through the treetops at one of the island’s ziplining attractions.

Life goes by fast on the zipline at St Lucia’s Rainforest Adventures

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Baarssen Fokke/Alamy Stock Photo

East of central Willemstad, the neighbourhood of Pietermaii is full of colourful historic houses converted into boutique hotels

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If you’re looking for a solo adventure . . .

Curaçao Perhaps what you really need to recharge is some solitary time — or maybe you’re just one of those travellers who loves going it alone. Compact (at just thirtyeight by nine miles), easy to traverse, laid-back, and diverse, Curaçao is made for the solo traveller. In Willemstad, you’ll find historic architecture easily explored on a self-guided walking tour, plus trendy boutiques and cafés. You’ll have your pick of gorgeous beaches strung out along the west coast, some buzzing with activity and others almost deserted. When you want to stretch your legs, head to Christoffelpark, the island’s biggest nature reserve, with rare wildlife, exhilarating hikes, and even more exhilarating views. And when you’re finally ready for a bit of socialising, you’ll find friendly locals more than ready to chat — in English, Papiamentu, Dutch, or Spanish, as you please.

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Pristine, mineral-rich water, clean forest air, and the embrace of nature — Dominica’s Emerald Pool offers natural therapy for body and soul

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If you’re looking for natural rejuvenation . . .

Dominica The volcanic history that created the dramatic landscape of Dominica, with its sheer peaks and fertile soil, is also responsible for the dozens of hot springs across the island, some of which have been turned into thermal baths where you can soak in sulphurinfused water. Or give yourself a natural massage at one of the island’s many waterfalls, and allow the pristine cascade to pound your shoulder and back muscles into relaxation. Yet another form of natural hydrotherapy: float in the fizzy waters around Champagne Reef, where undersea vents cause the sea to literally effervesce.

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If you’re looking for a romantic getaway . . .

Tobago First honeymoon, second honeymoon, or just a chance to spend some time alone with your most special someone — Tobago is your ticket. Picture quiet bays along the leeward coast, sheltered by forested hills, where broad, sandy bays meet the brilliant blue sea.

Wake to the calls of birds, breakfast with a view of the Caribbean Sea, while away the day dallying on the beach…. You’re in prime position to catch a flamboyant sunset, dine on a verandah surrounded by fireflies, then gaze at the stars while whispering sweet nothings. Tomorrow’s plan? Do it all over again.

The sun sets at the end of another romantic day at Castara Bay, Tobago

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snapshot

The postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to COVID-19 was a major disappointment to athletes and sports fans alike. When the rescheduled Games open this July, it will be a significant statement for a world ravaged by the pandemic, seeking a sense of normality and a reason to celebrate humankind. The Caribbean’s established athletes will bear the task of bringing joy to the region — and the next generation have also been waiting for a year to make their own statement. Sheldon Waithe profiles four talented, eager, first-time Olympians seeking to be “Faster, Higher, Stronger” on the biggest stage of all

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t’s not often that an athlete making his Olympic debut is listed as a favourite for a gold medal. But when that athlete is the reigning World Champion, then it’s understood that he is a performer for the big occasions.

Tajay Gayle is the latest product from the seemingly endless conveyer belt of Jamaican track and field stars unleashed upon the world. After a magical 2019, a year that also saw him secure Pan Am Games silver before his ascendency to World Champion, the twenty-four-year-old is eager to relegate the Olympic postponement to the annals of yesteryear, and channel all the frustration of waiting to compete as thrust for his event, the long jump.

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Taku Wu/Alamy Stock Photo

Olympic dreams

A born competitor and dedicated sportsman, Gayle says he coped well as his country went into lockdown, “The only problem for me was not competing, because everything seemed the same to me. I never wanted to go out anyway — it’s just training, home, TV, games, that’s all. Just the competition alone I missed.”

The man who got into athletics simply to beat his cousin in the street races of August Town, Kingston, was initially focused — like so many youngsters — on the 100 metres. But his high school coach saw the potential for jumping, and coerced him to try the high jump. Minor success at the national level followed, but a curious Gayle fulfilled his curiosity about other events by immersing himself in the multi-discipline decathlon. It was his

Tajay Gayle Jamaica • Born 2 August, 1996 Long jump Personal best: 8.69 metres

long jump performance that stood out, and within a year he had crossed into the jumper’s global standard of regularly leaping over eight metres.

Combining his natural speed with a penchant for putting in the hard yards created the steep trajectory that would take him to the top step at the Doha World Championships in 2019.

“I developed a real love for training. My coach had to stay on my case to keep me on track, but once I started enjoying it, I committed.”

Being physically ready for an Olympics is but one part of the ambitious athlete’s repertoire, and Gayle is about to run down the ramp within the greatest cauldron of pressure for a sports-

man. However, there should be little doubt about his ability to cope mentally, as evidenced by the lessons learned two years ago. “In Doha, my goal was to get a medal, but I never thought it would be gold. I made a big mistake. I put the event on a pedestal, started to overthink it. I saw the clock counting down and rushed it, jumping 7.81 on my opening attempt. OK, no big deal. I looked down the runway, imagining what I was about do.

My mind was blank, the way it should be. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven — I counted my steps. When I landed this time, I knew it was a good jump. The crowd’s reaction told me. It was still only the fourth round, but it started to dawn on me — I was about to become the world champion.”

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Ishona Charles Grenada • Born 15 May, 1986 Javelin Personal best: 30.33 metres

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n Olympic debut is a daunting prospect, but being the first athlete ever to represent your nation at the Paralympic Games is an altogether different matter. Ishona Charles does not seem fazed — the Tokyo Paralympics are part and parcel of her stride through a life that is guided by her perspective of cherishing health, happiness, and the desire to compete against the best in the world. For Charles, it is all embedded in the concept of making a difference that will pave the way for other Paralympians from her talented island of Grenada.

She expresses some frustration at the effect that the COVID19 pandemic has had on her training, but her determination to represent in Japan with aplomb saw her improvise, using the rural environment as well as modern technology to create a makeshift gym. Large stones from a nearby river together with pieces of iron became the weights that are a crucial preparation element for her event, the javelin. Jones recorded videos of her daily regime and sent them to her coach. Few training days were lost, even as Grenada endured twenty-four-hour lockdowns. Problem solved.

After all, the Games were postponed, not cancelled.

It is symbolic of a determination born out of tragedy. A dedicated track and field athlete from the age of nine, Charles was attacked by a neighbour when she was nineteen, and lost her lower left arm. She credits her sports background with helping her escape a worse fate. “My ability to run saved my life. It’s a constant reminder of what I have. I have life, and I still do the

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things I used to do before.”

Those things include throwing a javelin extremely far. After the attack, encouraged by family, coach, and friends, Charles began to train once more, though it was more for love of the sport rather than seeking to compete, as there was no parasport in Grenada at the time.

The transition for Charles was matched by changes in the governance of sport in her country. Aided by world body the International Paralympic Committee, the education programme I’mPOSSIBLE was introduced, followed by the formation of the Grenadian Paralympic Committee. Now, there were means for Charles to pursue her dreams, and fittingly she became Gre-

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images Europe

nada’s first registered Paralympic athlete. She wasted no time in grabbing the opportunity, duly winning her first-ever competition, the javelin at the 2019 Arizona Annual Desert Challenge.

Gaining media attention back at home due to her performance, Charles immediately took up the mantle of a spokesperson. “I will be able to change the perspective of other people when they look at people with physical disabilities. Others are probably not as bold as I am, to put myself out there. Because of the way people look at [people with disabilities] and treat them.

I use my disability as my motivation.”

That motivation is crystal-clear: “My biggest dream is to win Paralympic gold for my country.”

“My ability to run saved my life. It’s a constant reminder of what I have.

I have life, and I still do the things I used to do before”

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Teniel Campbell Trinidad and Tobago • Born 23 September, 1997 Road cycling

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any world-beating athletes from the Caribbean have one thing in common: they all compete in explosive events. Fast-twitch fibres create enviable speed, height, and distance, as the region’s finest defy the odds and bring home precious metal. Not so for Teniel Campbell. The south Trinidad native has opted for the ultra-endurance of road cycling, and with it the monk-like existence required to succeed at the very highest level of the sport.

It’s a position she has duly attained, as the sole woman of colour at the elite level of the sport in its European hotbed.

From her teenage years, her burning desire was matched by her singular focus on the bigger picture.

Making the national team, being offered a place on a development squad in Switzerland, and earning a spot on a globe-trotting Italian squad, were all stepping stones to get the twenty-three-year-old cyclist to her current position in Team Bike Exchange. The forward-thinking elite Australian squad — the first to offer equal pay for women and men — has been a perfect fit for Campbell, and offers the best preparation for her Olympic debut on a challenging Tokyo course certain to be amplified by heat and humidity, as well as a hungry peloton of fellow competitors. Three medals for seventy competitors in a single-day event are difficult odds, but Teniel has a history of defying the odds. Witness her CAC Games gold, and two silver medals from the 2019 Pan Am Games.

Her ebullient personality has been a boon for her team, her

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sport, and her country. Over the past year, the media-savvy Campbell caught the attention of global sports fans with her candid video blogs about her attempts to cope with being in lockdown, on her own, in a small apartment in pandemicravaged Italy. Her words and tears offered perspective. “It will all be worth it in the end. It is a new ‘way of life,’ and nothing worthwhile comes easy. This is the life you dreamed and worked your tail off for, remember?” Her Trini accent and colloquialisms offered insight into her nation’s culture. Her frankness continues to gain her followers across the social media spectrum.

Campbell eschewed the burning desire to return to T&T — having not been home for over a year — and got on with

Andrea Kareth/Getty Images Europe

the job of qualifying for the Olympics. The job is only partially completed — her legion of fans now await her debut, knowing that the hard miles she has put in on European roads throughout the first part of this year could come to fruition in July 2021.

She is acutely aware that her role extends beyond the bike and beyond the domain of women. “I chose the discipline that you’ll hardly ever see in Trinidad and Tobago newspapers — a tall, lanky, successful endurance cyclist making waves on the international circuit, smashing down the doors and paving a path for the upcoming generation.”

“I want to achieve the unthinkable” is one of her mantras.

Teniel Campbell has already begun that process.

“It will all be worth it in the end. It is a new ‘way of life,’ and nothing worthwhile comes easy”

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Eldric Sella Rodriguez IOC Refugee Olympic Team • Born 24 January, 1997 Boxing

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n an Olympic Games that represents hope to a world ravaged

by COVID-19, and that rekindles the idea of triumph over adversity, Eldric Sella’s participation is a true example of succeeding against the odds to fulfil a dream.

When Sella marches out at the Opening Ceremony on 23 July, he will be part of the second-ever refugee team commissioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), with the proviso that “The athletes represent not only themselves, not only the IOC, but also all refugees in the world.”

It’s a remarkable turnaround for Venezuela-born Sella, who fled to nearby Trinidad and Tobago in 2018 when his country’s humanitarian crisis and its accompanying violence became too big a threat. It seemed to be an end to his Olympic dream, which began at age ten. When Sella first stepped into the boxing ring to learn to defend himself, he found his competitive fire ignited, with the resulting burning desire to join the ranks of the few who can be called Olympians.

Sella took his passion, added discipline, and made sacrifices — he decided to forego a university education to dedicate himself to boxing — a combination that secured him a place on the Venezuelan national team. A champion by the age of fifteen, by eighteen he was on a national team that could no longer continue, due to nationwide turmoil.

But the first instinct of a good boxer is to always get back up after a knockdown. Arriving in Trinidad, like many of his countrymen in exile, Sella took on any and every work oppor-

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tunity, from painting houses to mixing cement, while reviving his dream. Boxing was always on his mind, but could he make a return to the ring in his new environment?

The altruistic nature of sport revealed itself when the Trinidad and Tobago Boxing Association extended an invitation to Sella to compete in one of their tournaments. Despite not being in peak condition, as well as being ill, he won his bout. The fire was reignited.

Sella then learned about the official refugee team that took part in the 2016 Rio Olympics, and applied online for the IOC scholarship that he hoped would change his life. In December 2020, he was accepted, declaring “I feel alive again!”

UNHCR/Jeff Mayers

Sella could now train full-time, and the arrival in Trinidad of his father, who is also his coach, completed the support system that includes his girlfriend, who acts as his manager and nutritionist. The trio earned immediate results, with the middleweight winning a silver medal in the T&T Boxing Association Championship. Then came the news that he received just fifty days before the start of the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics: Eldric Sella will indeed be an Olympian.

“Life is crazy!” he says. “It’s hard to understand, but you have to trust her fully because when you least expect it, she will act in ways you never thought possible and give you what you always dreamed of. Thank you, Life!” n

A champion by the age of fifteen, by eighteen Eldric Sella was on a national team that could no longer continue, due to nationwide turmoil

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Hugh Whyte Courtesy Unsplash.com

bucket list

Grand Anse, Grenada Is this magnificent bay on Grenada’s southwest coast the Caribbean’s most famous beach? It might deserve to be

GRENADA

Imagine the perfect beach scene from countless postcards, magazine spreads, and fond daydreams: a two-mile stretch of white sand, warm blue sea lapping gently, a bay dotted with small boats and a coast lined with coconut trees. For decades, Grand Anse has been the most popular of Grenada’s many beaches, and the reasons are obvious.

To the north is a view of picturesque St George’s, nestled around the Carenage. To the northeast, the magnificent green hills of the island’s interior. Here on Grand Anse you’ll find luxury resorts next to modest guesthouses, all sharing a laid-back vibe that takes its cue from the gentle Caribbean Sea.

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Grand Anse

F1online digitale Bildagentur GmbH/Alamy Stock Photo

Opposite page Looking down through the treetops to the sands of Grand Anse . . .

This page . . . and up at the brilliant blue sky

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discover

Olga Popova/Shutterstock.com

Natural healing

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Caribbean flora have been used informally for medicine for many generations, but scientific research, to help legitimise these botanical remedies, has lagged behind.

The Natural Products Institute at the University of the West Indies Mona campus is working to change that.

Erline Andrews learns more

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Known as guinep in Jamaica and chenette in Trinidad and Tobago, this popular fruit may offer a remedy for hypertension

elicoccus bijugatus — known as guinep in Jamaica and Spanish lime, chenette, and skinip elsewhere in the Caribbean — is a gumball-size fruit popular in the region.

The sweet, peach-coloured, sticky pulp around its seed is potentially effective in treating hypertension.

The same has been found of the big, glossy leaves of the breadfruit tree, very familiar to people living in the tropics.

The jackfruit, in the same family as breadfruit, may have cancer-fighting properties in the heartwood of its tree.

The herb Peperomia pellucida, very common in the Caribbean and commonly known as shining bush, pepper elder, rat ear, or man to man, can possibly lower cholesterol and treat inflammation, pain, and fever.

T he abu nd a nce a nd va r iet y of Caribbean flora lend beauty to the landscape, and provide delicious foods that help make the region a popular tourism destination. But, more importantly, our plant life has been a source of easily accessible medicine for as long as human beings have lived here. And as more people arrived — from Europe, Africa, and Asia — they brought with them more plant species and ways of using vegetation to prevent and treat illness.

The Traditional Medicine for the Islands network (TRAMIL), which documents medically useful plants from the

countries within the Caribbean Basin, has an online library that features 360 plant species. And there’s much more research to be done. Caribbean scientists who explore and document the medicinal value of the green life in their countries have a lot of work ahead of them.

“I love my work, and I love telling people about it,” says Dr Sheena Francis — one of those scientists. She is a researcher with the Natural Products Institute at the University of the West Indies Mona campus in Jamaica. The NPI, founded in 1999, is at the forefront of natural medicine research in the Caribbean. “We have all these fruits right there, all these plants that are right in our backyard throughout the Caribbean,” she says. “You see [plant supplements] coming out of America. But you find out that you have something as effective or even better that’s ours.”

The effectiveness of natural medicine has been demonstrated through centuries of use. But scientific confirmation is important to its acceptance as legitimate medical treatment, which could have positive or negative effects if used in conjunction with conventional medication.

NPI scientists noted in one research paper: “Of the approximately 3,175 vascular plants in Jamaica, at least 334 have been recorded as medicinal, but the actual number is likely higher.” A survey conducted by the NPI found that seventythree per cent of Jamaican adults used medicinal plants. Another survey showed

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Courtesy National Products Institute

that eighty-one per cent of adults on prescription medicine also used natural medicine in their treatment regime, with only eighteen per cent saying their doctor was aware of it. Only eleven per cent said their doctor asked if they used natural products.

Meanwhile, a 2015 study in Trinidad and Tobago found that while a majority

ventional medication. The institute has produced a handbook detailing possible interactions. “The chance of interactions of a prescription medication [used] along with a natural product can be clinically relevant and can therefore lead to adversities,” NPI director Professor Rupika Delgoda told an audience at a scientific forum at UWI Mona in April.

The Caribbean’s plant life has been a source of easily accessible medicine for as long as human beings have lived here of doctors used natural medication themselves, and believed the products boost conventional treatments, only a small minority were willing to recommend natural medicine to patients.

To encourage and help health professionals discuss natural product use with patients, the NPI researches interactions between natural treatments and con-

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In a recent interview, Delgoda discussed the different activities of the NPI, many of them in collaboration with scientists in the region and other parts of the globe. NPI researchers collect information from communities in Jamaica about what natural products are used, for what ailments, and in what form. Based on this information, the institute tests various

Members of the team at the Natural Products Institute at UWI Mona. Back row, from left: David Picking, Joette McKenzie, Kimberley Foster, Issac Morrison, Sheena Francis. Front row, from left: Rupika Delgoda, Je Ann Murray, Shaneice Wauchope

The effectiveness of natural medicine has been demonstrated through centuries of use. But scientific confirmation is important

looking for more “private sector involvement,” she says.

NPI researcher Dr David Picking, a member of the global Society for Economic Botany, believes there’s a huge potential return on investment in natural medicine. The production of pharmaceuticals is a distant and expensive possibility for Jamaica, but the production of nutraceuticals, or foods with medicinal properties — a billion-dollar industry worldwide — is something the country could do right now.

“One of the things I’m passionate about is how we can bring a project from the ground all the way through to a finished product,” says Picking. “The critical thing is funding. We need to raise consciousness about this so that we can

steps in that direction — so far approved by the Jamaican government and in the process of being finalised — is the amendment of the Food and Drugs Act to include the classification and registration of natural health products.

T he NPI and other depar tments at UWI Mona have also collaborated with Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellness to form the Mosquito Control Research Unit in 2017. It monitors mosquito resistance to insecticides in Jamaica and conducts other mosquitorelated studies. The NPI is currently investigating the possibility of natural insecticides. Potentially deadly mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, zika, Macmontree/Shutterstock.com

extracts and concoctions for possible usefulness in the treatment and prevention of diseases that widely affect Jamaicans, among them cancer, the second-largest killer in the country. The experiments are conducted using cell lines, enzymes, and, more recently, computer-based molecular modelling.

Delgoda hopes to expand her current team of four researchers to as many as fifty in the next six years. There is no shortage of interest in the field among students, she says. However, there is one major obstacle.

“Having a continued stream of funding support is our biggest challenge that limits the pace of our work,” she explains.

“Meagre funds mitigate access to expensive instrumentation, curtails purchase

Shining bush, a common wild herb found in many backyards, may have cholesterol-reducing properties

of specialised fine chemicals, and, more importantly, prohibits the expansion of the scientific team.”

Delgoda points out that the Caribbean doesn’t have the equivalent of the Medical Research Council or the National Institutes of Health, state bodies that fund medical research in the UK and US, respectively. The institute is therefore

do the work we need to do.”

Political support is vital. So far, it seems to be there. The Jamaican government established the National Nutraceutical Industry in 2015, a programme with a mandate to “develop a national industry, the essence of which is to embrace the cultural science and technology surrounding our healing plants.” One of the

and chikungunya are a major health challenge in the Caribbean.

“We aim to add to the current selection of insecticides something that is natural, environmentally friendly, and tolerable to most people,” says Sheena Francis, who is part of the unit. “Something that is easily accessible, something that people probably have in their backyards.” n

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Drive Up Your Savings And Miles Now you can rent vehicles via our website and enjoy special low rates plus earn miles with

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Jamaica’s Olympic hero Arthur Wint, on the left, at the 1948 London Games

The Games are afoot

The Tokyo Olympics are finally happening, a year behind schedule, and Caribbean sports fans rejoice. How well do you know the history of our region at the Games? Try our trivia quiz, and check your score in the answers below!

1. The first athlete from the Caribbean to win an Olympic

8. Who holds the record as the Caribbean athlete to

2. Cuba also won the Caribbean’s first Olympic medal in a women’s event, at the 1968 Mexico City Games. What was the event?

9. A question for longtime Caribbean Beat readers — check our online archive for the answer! Who was the first Olympic athlete ever featured on the magazine’s cover, back in 1996?

3. Eight Caribbean territories have won Olympic gold medals — can you name them all?

4. Arthur Wint won Jamaica’s first ever Olympic gold medal at the 1948 London Games — in which track and field event?

5. What Caribbean territory participated in the Olympics on just one occasion, the 1960 Games in Rome?

6. Jamaica has won 78 Olympic medals overall — 77 in track and field events, and one in which other sport?

7. What Caribbean territory last won an Olympic medal at the 1928 Amsterdam Games?

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have appeared in the greatest number of Olympic Games, competing in eight Olympics over a forty-year period?

Answers: 1 Fencing. After winning gold and silver medals in 1900, Fonst went on to win two gold medals at the 1904 Olympics in St Louis 2 The women’s 4x100 metre relay. The Cuban team won silver 3 In alphabetical order: the Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago 4 The men’s 400 metres 5 The Federation of the West Indies. The team included athletes from Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago 6 Cycling — a bronze medal won by David Weller in the 1980 Moscow Games 7 Haiti — a silver medal won by Silvio Cator in the men’s long jump 8 Sailor Durward Knowles of the Bahamas. He competed for the United Kingdom in the 1948 Games and for the Bahamas in seven subsequent Olympics, winning a bronze medal in 1956 and gold in 1964 9 Ato Boldon of Trinidad and Tobago

medal was Cuba’s Ramón Fonst, at the Paris Games in 1900.

What was his sport?