Introduction to the Caribbean:  These three presentations are special.  They originated with a series of original talks I created while living and working in the Caribbean.  Their purpose was to familiarize new arrivals with the variety of things they could see and do in the islands.  Into each presentation is woven a network of interesting stories, amusing anecdotes, and unique personal accounts of a ten-year resident of the Caribbean.  These are called Introduction to the Caribbean, Part I, II, and III.

 

A Virtual Walk Through a Caribbean Market:  Open air markets across the Caribbean tantalize shoppers’ senses with their exotic displays of colors, sights, and smells. This virtual walk identifies unfamiliar offerings and describes the preparation and consumption of fruits and vegetables that can be enjoyed without any advanced preparation.

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Tourism in the Caribbean:  The Caribbean is a natural tourism destination, with its spectacular natural beauty, sandy beaches, warm water, bright sun, friendly natives, mild climate, and healthy environment.  When those features are combined with seasonal festivals, water and land sports, exciting music, and fine dining, the Caribbean has something for everyone.

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Caribbean Cuisine:  New arrivals to the Caribbean brought their unique dietary traditions from Europe, Asia, Africa, and other islands.  They combined those traditions with locally available ingredients to create a fusion of foods and flavors, and that fusion gradually evolved to produce the unique culinary delights that, today, we call Caribbean Cuisine.

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Flowers of the Caribbean:  Flowers are one of the first things new visitors to the Caribbean notice. Flowers are everywhere, and splashes of luxuriant color spring from every garden, beachfront café, and hillside.  Many flowers are indigenous, some were imported, and some are hybrids, but they all flourish in the rich soil and warm tropical sun.  In addition to their stunning beauty, many Caribbean flowers have unique stories that are equally as colorful.

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Christmas in the Caribbean is a time for diverse seasonal celebrations. Many local festivities can be traced back to early European settlers; others were introduced by arriving slaves and bear distinct hallmarks of West African cultures.  Some celebrations are deeply religious: others are distinctly pagan.  These practices have become integrated into colorful Christmas festivals seen throughout the islands today, complete with their own costumes, food, and music.

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Lighthouses of the Atlantic and the Caribbean:  Lighthouses have played a prominent role in the history, culture, and art of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.  A visual tour of some of the most beautiful lighthouses in the Atlantic and Caribbean illustrates the history, structure, function, and charm of these silent sentinels of the sea.

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The Age of Exploration in the Caribbean:  The Age of Exploration, also known as the Age of Discovery, officially began in the early 15th century, when several European countries began exploring the world by sea.  These expeditions led to the discovery of several mid- Atlantic islands, the Caribbean islands, and the New World.  Many countries established new trade routes, colonies, empires and ultimately, a broader view of the world.

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UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Caribbean:  UNESCO identifies and protects natural and cultural sites that have outstanding universal value to the common heritage of humanity.  Over 1100 locations are inscribed as World Heritage Sites, and the World Heritage Convention is the most popular international treaty in the world.  This introduction to the World Heritage Program showcases the twenty-three UNESCO sites found in the Caribbean.

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