ST PIERRE MARTINIQUE

LIFELONG AMBITION TO VISIT MT PELEE ON MARTINIQUE.SITE OF MY FAVOURITE VOLCANIC ERUPTION STORY THAT I HAVE TOLD A HUNDRED TIMES WHEN TEACHING EARTH SCIENCE.MT PELEE ERUPTED IN 1902 WIPING OUT 30,000 IN THE TOWN ON ST PIERRE ON THE RIGHT OF THE PHOTO.

THE SOLE SURVIVOR WAQS AN ACCUSED MURDERER CYPARIAS AWAITING TRIAL IN THIS CELL.

MY INTERPRETATION OF HOW HE MUST OF FELT WHEN FOUND!!

WRONG!! HE WAS DISCOVERED UNCONSCIOUS,DEHYDRATED AND BADLY BURNT FOUR DAYS AFTER THE ERUPTION.THE THICK WALLS OF THE CELL PROTECTED HIM EVEN THOUGH COVERED IN 2 METRES OF ASH AND ROCKS. HE WAS NURSED TO RECOVERY AND (AS YOU WOULD) WENT OFF AND JOINED THE CIRCUS. BARHAMS IN FACT IN THE US WHERE HE WENT ON DISPLAY SHOWING HIS SCARS!!!
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RUM,MARLEY AND THE HASH

CALLWOOD RUM DISTILLERY CANE GARDEN BAY TORTOLA.RUM MADE HERE FOR 300 PLUS TEARS.BOILED CANE JUICE FERMENTING IN DEMI-JOHNS

OLD COPPER STILL

RAMSHACKLED OAK CASKS WITH MATUIRNGB RUM UPTO 10 YEARS

HAD TO BE DONE!! CAMPSITE BREWERS BAY

BOMBA'S NOTORIOUS BEACH BAR

RAMBLINGS IN THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

FIESTAS

FIESTAS-OFTEN PROCESSIONS TO THE ACCOMPANY OF MULTIPLE BANDS,DANCING,SWIRLING PUPPETS AND LOUD FIREWORKS SEEMS TO HAPPEN ALL THE TIME THROUGHOUT MESOAMERICA. PATRON SAINT DAYS,BIRTHDAYS,DEATH ARE ALL CELEBRATED IN NOISY STYLE WITH COPOIUS COPAL SMOKE INCENSE,ALCOHOL,FOOD AND MACHISMO WITH A BIG CAPITAL M!!

SAN SEBASTIAN FEAST DAY SAN JEAN BAUTISTA NEAR OAXACA.TO THESE PROUD INDIGENES ST JOHN THE BAPTIST IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN JESUS WHO TAKES BACKSTAGE

FIREWORKS WERE BEING FIRED ALL ROUND AS PROCESSIONS OF VAROIS VILLAGERS SOME ON HORSEBACK CAME TO PAY HOMAGE IN THE CHURCH.THE SAINTS STATUES WERE RITUALLY TAKEN OUT OF THEIR CABINETS,BLESSED AND REDRESSED THE COPAL SMOKE INSIDE WAS OVERPOWERING AND PHOTOGRAPHY AGGRESSIVELY FORBIDDEN

HOMEMADE SKYROCKETS AND THEIR CRAZY LAUNCHER ONE RIPPED PAST MY HEAD MISSING ME BY CM'S AND NECESSITATING A CHECK OF THE CONTENTS OF MY UNDERPANTS!!

MARKETS

EVERY CITY,TOWN,VILLAGE HAS THOSANDS OF MARKETS RANGING FROM HUGE JAM-PACKED MARKETS IN OLD COLONIAL BUILDINGS TO SIMPLE ROADSIDE STALLS. FASCINATING TO DISCOVER LOCAL FOOD SPECIALTIES AND OF COURSE ARTESANS WORK.
GOURDS SAN CRISTOBEL MEXICO-OBVIOUSLY INSPIRATION FOR THE FIRST SIMPLE POTS.

HIGHLANDS COSTA RICA

SAN CRISTOBEL

RUINAS

WE HAVE VISITED OVER A DOZEN TOLMEC-MAYAN-AZTEC CITY/TEMPLE RUINS THROUGHOUT MESOAMERICA DOWN TO COSTA RICA. LUCKILY WE VISITED EARLY MORNING OR LATE AFTERNOON AND ON MANTY OCCASIONS NEVER SAW ANOTHER SOLE UNTIL MID-MORNING. LOTS ARE SET IN UNEXCAVATED JUNGLE AND THE WILDLIFE(BIRDS IN PARTICULAR ARE STUNNING)FRO EXAMPLE WE HAD SPOTTED THREE RAIL SPECIES THE SIZE OTF TURKEYS HIGH UP IN TREES ROOSTING AND THREE SPECIES OF TOUCANS WITHIN 10 MINS OF ENTERING TIKAL IN GUATEMALA. PHOTOS DON'T DEPICT THE SERENITY AND MAJESTY. A FEW SAMPLES THE FIRST TWO ARE OF OLMEC MASKS ONLY EXCAVATED OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS AT LAMANAI IN BELIZE. THEY DATE TOO AROUND 750-250 BC. REPLICASA ARE BEING MADE WHICH WILL BE PLACED IN FRONT THEN THE ORIGINALS COVERED OVER AGAIN NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN-MAYBE UNTIL SOME INTREPID ARCHEOLOGISTS EXCAVATE AGAIN IN CENTURIES TO COME.

WHEN A RULER DIES A NEW PYRAMID IS BUILT OVER THE EXISTING ONE AND MASKS OF NEW RULER PUT IN PLACE. SO LIKE A RUSSIAN DOLL MAYAN PYRAMIDS ARE BUILT UP WITH UP TO SEVEN LAYERS.

TULUM UNIQUE LOCATION ON THE COAST MEXICO

MAIN FUNERARYTEMPLE PALENQUE MEXICO

JAGUAR TEMPLE TIKAL GUATEMALA

TEMPLE V TIKAL RESTORED 1995-2005.STUPENDOUS CLIMB TO TOP.

BACK OF TEMPLE v SEEN FROM TEMPLE v1 JUST ON SUNSET

PEOPLE

I HAD TO PHYSICALLY RESTRAIN JO FROM DEALING TO THIS CRETIN WHO BLATANTLY PHOTGRAPHED THIS OLD LADY AS SHE HAD HER MEAL.THE SIDE OF TOURISM WE HATE.

WE DIDN'T BUY BUT GAVE HER SOME FRUIT.SHE WAS DELIGHTED SO ASKED FOR A PHOTO.SAN CRISTOBEL MEXICO

MILES AND MILES OF NO PEOPLE -ISLA COLON PANAMA

INDIGENES GRAVES SAN JEAN BAUTISTA CIAPAS MEXICO ZAPPATISTA COUNTRY

SAN JEAN BAUTISTA WOOLLEN CLOTHING KEEPS BODY COOL IN THE HEAT!!

MIRAFLORES DOCKS PANAMA CANAL.WE TOOK LOCAL BUS THEN GOT SWAMPED WITH TOURISTS.RARE TREAT OF BOATS GOING UP AND DOWN AT SAMES TIME IN PARALLEL LOCKS.

WEARY AMISH ON BUS TO ORANGE WALK.AMISH AND MENNONITES PRODUCE 35% OF THE BELIZE ECONOMY. CAN'T UNDERSTAND THAT THEY USE HORSES FOR TRANSPORT AND FARMING BUT OBVIOUSLY USE BUSES FOR LONG JOURNEYS.

TILAPIA FISH FARMS GOT DESTROYED BY HURRICANES RELEASING THOUSANDS OF INTRODUCED FISH INTO THE WATERWAYS OF BELIZE AND HONDURAS. DEVASTATION FOR NATIVE SPECIES-DELIGHT FOR HUNGRY LOCALS!!

BEWARE CHILLEN THE EVILS OF DEMON DRINK!.TOTALLTY TEQUILLED- COMATOSE TO HIS HEAD. UNFORTUNATELY AN ALL TOO COMMON SITE. THIS OAXACA MEXICO.

CARLOS FROM ANTIGUA ,GUATEMALA77 YRS YOUNG -JUST DOWNSIZED FROM A 1200CC TO THIS 750CC-INSPIRATIONAL!!

VOLCANOES

MESOAMERICA HAS THREE CHAINS (CORDILLERAS) OF VOLCANOES THAT ARE ITS BACKBONE.GIVING RISE TO SPECTACULAR BACKDROPS AS THIS IN ANTIGUA GUATEMALA

ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF MY LIFE.TWO HOUR SLOG UP PACAYA VOLCANO GUATEMALA WATCHING LAVA CASCADE AND PICKING FRAGMENTS OF PIPING HOT LAVA TO ADD TO MY ROCK COLLECTION.sEERING HEAT,NO BARRIERS,NO HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES -BLISS!!

ANIMALS

PE -ANUT BEETLE LAMANAI BELIZE CONVERGENT EVOLUTION?

ORPHANED BABY CAPUCHIN BOROS DEL DRAGO PANAMA

SPIDER MONKEY ORANGE WALK BELIZE

FEMALE LOOK CLOSELY

BROWN TARANTULA LAMANAI BELIZE

TINY DAY BATS THE SIZE OF MONARCH BUTTERFLES NEW RIVER BELIZE

CAIMAN CROCODILE NEW RIVER

IGUANA TULUM RUINS MEXICO

FRUIT BATS LA GRUTA ISLA COLON PANAMA

STARFISH BEACH BOCOS DEL DRAGO PANAMA

RED POISON DART FROG AKA BLUE JEANS POISON ON DARTS FROM SKIN TO KILL SMALL ANIMALS BY INDIGENES 2CM LONG FOUND THIS ONE ON A BROMELIAD IN JUNGLE

THESE TAKEN AT NIGHT -JO HOLDING A TORCH IN FROG ZOO (RANARIO)MONTEVERDE
-BOTH 2-3 CM

NOTHING WASTED SAN CRISTOBEL DEL LAS CASAS MARKET MEXICO

BLACK VULTURE LURKING AROUND WAITING FOR DEATH

HUMMINGBIRD FEEDING GALLERY MONTEVERDE COSTA RICA

MALE QUETZAL RARELY SEEN BUT WE SAW TWO PAIRS NEST BUILDING MONTEVERDE COSTA RICA

KEEL-BILLED TOUCAN TIKAL GUATEMALA

NECESSITY CALLS EATING FREHLY CAUGHT RAW PADDLE CRAB

TRANTER MOBILE FISHING ROD DESIGNED FOR KINGFISH- CAUGHT CRABS!!