SANTA CLARA CUBA

SANTA CUBA CUBA

SANTA CLARA ABOUT 270KM FROM HABANA IS ONE OF THE HOLY GRAIL DESTINRTIONS OF THE CASTRO REVOLUTION.AFTER A 4 HOUR BUS TRIP WE TOOK A LOCAL TAXI TO CHE'S MAUSOLEUM.

GOING THE ALEXANDER PARK WAY ROUND AND UNDER THE EXPERT TUTELAGE OF YOURS TRULY ,THE DIVER SCRUBBED UP THE STEAD AND WITH RAZOR SHARP PRECISION TOOK THE GAP JUST BEFORE THE TURN AND DIVED DOWN ON TO THE PASSING LANE.OUT SPRINTING HIS RIVAL IN A BREATHTAKING DRIVE TO THE ENTRANCEWAY!!!!

CHE GUEVARA'S MONUMENT(AS WITH ALL BUILDINGS/MONUMENTS UNDER REPAIR!!).SANTA CLARA WAS ONE OF THE LOCATIONS TAKEN SIMULTANEOUSLY BY THE REBELS. CHE WAS IN CHARGE HERE AND FIDEL ACROSS EAST AT SANTIAGO.UNDERNEATH THE STATUE IS THE MAUSOLEUM THAT HOUSES THE HEROES KILLED IN THE ACTION AND OF COURSE CHE'S REMAINS THAT WERE FOUND AND BOUGHT BACK FROM BOLIVIA YEARS AFTER HE WAS KILLED THERE. A VERY SOLEMN PLACE AND UNFORTUNATELY NO PHOTOS.

TREN BLINDADO.THE SIGHT OF THE REBELS ACTION THIS BULLDOZER WAS USED TO RIP UP TRAIN LINES TO DERAIL A TRAIN CARRYING BATTISTA SOLDIERS AND ARMS.

THE DERAILED WAGONS NOW A MUSEUM AND MONUMENT TO THE THE SUCCESSFUL BATTLE.

RANDOM VIEWS AROUND OLD SANTA DOMINGO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

THE DOMINCAN REPUBLIC WAS FULL OF PRESENT SURPRISES AND UNIQUENESS.I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT THE DR PRODUCES OVER 500 MILLION CIGARS ANNUALLY COMPARED TO CUBA A MERE 100 MILLION!!

A BUDGET PENTHOUSE!! AS WITH MOST MESOAMERICAN COUNTRIES THE FUEL OF REVOLUTION THE GAP BETWEEN THE HAVES AND HAVE NOTS IS EXTREME.

SANTO DOMINGO TYRE CHANGE SANS JACK!!

THE UBIQUITOUS MEMORIAL OF MESOAMERICA TO THE ANTICOLONIAL REVOLUTIONARIES.

SAN FRANCISCO MONASTERY SACKED BY SIR FRANCIS DRAKE IN 1586 REBUILT AND DESTOYED BY EARTHQUAKES ON THREE OCCASIONS USED AS AN INSANE ASYLUM UNTIL THE 1930'S.

UNIQUE DR SOUND. THE INSTRUMENT WHICH I RECKON IS BASED ON A TAPIOCA GRATER IS CALLED A GUILDERA.I HAD TO GET ONE TO ADD TO OUR PERCUSSION COLLECTION-YOU'LL LOVE IT LIAM!!

FUNDS FROM ALL THE WORLD BUILT THIS MONSTROUS MEMORIAL TO COLOMBUS FOR THE 500 ANNIVERSARY OF DISCOVERING FIRST LANDFALL IN INDIA!!AKA HISPANIOLA NOW DR AND HAITI. SINCE 1992 IT HAS SUFFERED PREDICTABLE MAJOR DETERIORATION.

COLOMBUS'S TOMB.DISPUTED BY BOTH SPAIN AND ITALY WHO ALSO CLAIM TO HAVE HIS REMAINS!! .IHAVE SEEN THREE OF HIS TOMBS NOW!. PARALLELS WITH FRAGMENTS OF CHRIST'S CROSS THAT I HAVE SEEN .MAKES ME THINK IT WAS THE SIZE OF A REDWOOD TREE (MATURE ONE!!)

CHRIS C'S STATUE IN FRONT OF SANTO DOMINGO CATHEDRAL.THE OLDEST IN THE AMERICA'S. (1514)

DESPITE THE ATROCITIES COMMITTED AGAINST INDIGENOUS PEOPLES BY THE UNION OF IMPERIALISTS AND CHURCH IT WAS OFTEN AMAZINGLY LIBERAL CHRITIAN PRIESTS AND BROTHERS WHO TURNED AGAINST THE RULING CLASSES IN DEFENCE OF THE INDIGENES.A TRADITION THAT WAS THE FOUNDATION OF REVOLUTION ALL OVER MESO AND CENTRAL AMERICA.MANY WERE MURDERED BY THE STATE AND CENTUIES LATER SANCTIFIED BY AN APOLOGETIC CHURCH.

FATHER BARTOLOME DE LAS CASAS-CHRONICLER OF SPANISH ATROCITIES AGAINST THE TAINOS (TOBACCO IS A TAINO WORD).ALL 400,000 WERE WIPED OUT BY DISEASE,SLAVERY AND SLAUGHTER.

OLD SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO

OLD SAN JUAN WAS CONSTRUCTED ON THIS PENINSULA TO PROTECT THE SAFE BAY IN FRONT.A STRATEGIC LOCATION FOR THE SPANISH TO STASH THEIR ILLGOTTEN TREASURES BEFORE SCARPERING TO SPAIN.DRAKE WAS DEFEATED HERE .TWO MAJOR FORTS AROUND A WALLED CITY.

THIS SITE WOULD HAVE DETERRED THE MOST FEARSOME OF PIRATES!!

SENTRY POST EL MORROW FORT.

THE DUNGEON IN CASTILLE SAN CRISTOBEL IS ADORNED WITH DRAWINGS OF SHIPS BY A SPANISH SEA CAPTAIN AWAITING EXECUTION FOR MUTINY.TODAY HE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE DONE SUKUDO!!

AS IN TRUE MEDIEAVAL FASHION OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF THE PRIVILEGED BECOME HOME OF THE DEAD

AND LA PERLA THE OLDEST GHETTO IN THE CARIBBEAN.

TYPICAL STREET.WE WERE LUCKY TO FIND A TIGHT PARK ALONG HERE EACH NIGHT WE HAD A CAR.ABOUT 6 MANOUVRES TO PARK AND OUT THE PASSENGER DOOR BECAUSE OF HIGH GUTTER!!

THIS IS THE WIDEST STREET IN OLD SJ .DRIVERS VERY PATIENT .THRESHOLD OF JAM ABOUT 3 MINS BEFORE THE HORNS START.TRUCKS,RUBBISH COLLECTION AND EVEN BUSES FREQUENT THIS ROUTE!!

UNCORRUPTED CIGAR CRAFTING.I STEPPED INSIDE AND INHALED ,INHALED AND SMELT DREAMS OF TIMES FOR ME PASSED BY.

7.00AM GOOD FRIDAY AND THE STAGE IS SET (IN THIS CASE OUTSIDE THE CATHEDRAL) BUT ALSO OUTSIDE EVERY RESPECTABLE CHURCH.PROCESSIONS LED BY PASSION PLAYS WEAVE UP AND DOWN THE NARROW STREETS TO END WITH REENACTMENTS OF THE CRUCIFIXION AROUND 5PM.

ONE OF THE AT LEAST 4 PROCESSIONS FROM OUR CASA EL CHEAPO

........ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE DE-DUM DEDUMDEDUMDEDUMMM....

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!!!
..

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!!