Meet St. Kitts!

St. Kitts will surprise you. While it offers everything one would want on a Caribbean vacation, it is far from typical. A visit is not complete with a ride on the "sugar train" and a visit to the black sand beaches!

The Living History of Curacao

Curacao is a tiny island in the Dutch Antilles. As was the case on many Caribbean isles, the Arawak Indians were the first inhabitants and were entirely wiped out by the Spanish. Following the Spanish, came the Dutch. Peter Stuyvesant was the first governor under Dutch rule. (Name familiar? Mr. Stuyvesant left the island to become the governor of New Amsterdam, New York City's early name.)

By the early 1700s about 2000 Jewish Settlers had moved to the island from various European nations and opened Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue in Willemstad in 1732. The Synagogue is the oldest operating Synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. The historic building is certainly a "must see" while in Curacao.

The African heritage in Curacao is perhaps the most evident living history on the island. The language of Papiamentu is commonly spoken - a language created to bridge the language barrier gaps between slaves and their owners. The cuisine and music of the island are both influenced by the African heritage. The African attributes are easily seen in one place at the Kura Hulanda Museum, an anthropological museum that showcases a world-class chronicle of the Origin of Man, the African slave trade, West African Empires, Pre-Colombian gold, Mesopotamian relics and Antillean art.

Gambling gets the Green Light in Jamaica!

Earlier this week, Jamaica finally approved gambling. While hailed as a smart decision by many, because a large majority of the earnings will be earmarked for improvements in health, education, and security, the decision did not easily pass through Parliament. Many of Jamaica's church leaders (Fact - Jamaica has more churches per capita that any other country in the world!) opposed the proposition for fear of locals being "drawn astray" by the evils of gambling. Others fought the decision for fear locals would drain their own funds in the casinos. Regardless of the validity of these arguments, Jamaica will be opening casinos in the coming years! I am not sure how I personally feel about this decision. I have always enjoyed Jamaica because it is a quiet getaway, an authentic Caribbean experience for me and I feel with Nassau booming in the Casino market, that the region only needs one Las Vegas. It will be very interesting to see how this new venture unfolds! Certainly more news to follow...