If you've traveled to the islands one or twice, you've probably heard of the enigmatic Green Flash. Whether you've seen it or not is another matter - many people suspect this sunset vision is little more than a mirage promulgated by locals in the direction of soused, Midori-clutching tourists. The event is a "flash" (actually a momentary glow) of green light that emanates from the sun just as the sun's corona top edge hits the horizon line (the best view is from a position a few hundred feet above sea level, with an unobstructed view of the horizon, i.e. no clouds). Thanks to the folks at NASA, now you can see the flash for yourself, any time of day. A photo and links offering copious scientific explanation are available at: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000507.html. Enjoy.
Sleepy little Carriacou in the Grenadines is coming of age with a pair of new, low-key resorts, an expansion, and plans for a small resort. Ready this month is the 14-room Grand Vue Hotel on Belair Road, offering sweeping views of Hillsborough Bay. Also recently opened is John's Unique Resort, a 17-room property which features six units with kitchens. The Cassada Bay Hotel in Belmont has increased its room count by 12 and now has a dive shop. Down the line, a 42-room resort should begin construction later this year. Also in the works are a nautical museum and boat building academy in Windward and a marine park for pretty little Sandy Island in Hillsborough Bay. The Carriacou Regatta will take place August 4-7, featuring boat races, sports competitions and cultural performances. For more info, call the Grenada Board of Tourism at (800) 927-9554.
The Cuba embargo hasn't been relaxed for Americans yet. Our prediction is that it will be a final gesture by Clinton near the end of his term. That is, if the Republican-controlled Congress doesn't block it. Hey, if we trade with China, then it's hypocrisy to maintain the Cuba embargo! But if you can't wait for the floodgates to open, check out the M/V La Habana, a cruise ship that will visit the island out of Nassau starting in November. The ship is operated by a Canadian company - Blyth & Company Travel - and will run year-round, offering three- and four-night itineraries to Havana and the Bay of Pigs. How does the ship get around U.S. laws that "prevent" travel to Cuba? Quite simple: As you'll read in the Cuba chapter of R&R, U.S. regulations don't stop Americans from traveling to the island, but they do prohibit us from spending money in Cuba. So, Blyth & Company is working with an unidentified Canadian organization that promotes "people-to-people understanding" - they will act as "hosts" for Americans, meaning guests won't literally be paying Cuba for goods and services. Or something like that. For more information, call Blyth & Company Travel at (800) 387-1387, and do check R&R's Cuba chapter for more details about the embargo.
We just returned from an invigorating week in the Dominican Republic, thanks in part to Patricia Thorndike de Suriel of Iguana Mama in Cabarete. She's a Coloradan who has traveled the globe, and in 1993 chose the DR as a place to settle down, start a business and raise a family (she has two adorable children by her Dominican husband Freddy). The business she founded is principally a mountain bike tour operation, but she packages a variety of experiences, including a five-day hike to Pico Duarte (at 10,128 feet, the highest point in the Caribbean), white water rafting (class III and IV rapids on the Río Yaque del Norte), and whale-watching out of Samaná (January-March). And, of course, bike tours - the all-day downhill cruise from an elevation of 3,000 feet is a blast. In fact, we would trust Patricia and her staff to construct an excellent, weeklong adventure in the DR - and although she predominantly works with singles and couples, some of her itineraries would make excellent family experiences. Contact Iguana Mama toll-free at (800) 849-4720, or check out their web site: www.iguanamama.com.
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During our round of hotel inspections in Cabarete, we visited a condo agency that particularly merits attention. Home Key Management rents condos around the area, but particularly at a site called Bahía de Arena. The prices provide outstanding value - our favorite is an attractive three-bedroom, two-bath villa with its own pool, right on the beach, for $910 a week in low season. The quartet of Americans staying at this home during our visit were astonished by the quality of their find (a comparable villa on St. Barts would rent for at least four times the price). The villas come with daily maid service, and you can hire a cook for about $20 a day. For more information, contact Home Key at (809) 571-0370 or check them out at www.cabaretevillas.com. By the way, Continental Airlines just began daily service to Puerto Plata, the airport closest to Cabarete, out of Newark.
If you're traveling to the Dominican Republic next month, check out the Merengue Festival that takes place July 20-30 in Santo Domingo. The festival is mostly an unstructured street party that takes place downtown each evening, but there are a number of private events open to visitors (call the DR's Tourist Office at (800) 752-1151 for more details). In particular, there is a Merengue Gala at the Teatro Nacional at 8:30 p.m. on July 28 - this Gran Concierto is aired live on TV and consists of 400 songs performed by local musicians (most of whom have never professionally recorded) with prizes awarded by a panel of judges.
Another event we want to try someday is the Tobago Heritage Festival, a two-week celebration of this languid island's culture. The event is held in a different village each day, with themes tied to life, death, rites of passage and the Old Time Wedding (in Moriah) where 18th- and 19th-century weddings are recreated replete with costumes, a mock ceremony and music. Heritage Festival ends with old-fashioned Carnival revelry and an all-night street party. The event will be held this year July 14 – August 1; for additional info call Trinidad & Tobago's tourism office: (888) 595-4TNT.
Hurricane season starts this month, but rather than fret about storms ruining your vacation, take advantage of it. Summer and fall deliver the cheapest hotel rates of the year, and by August, airfares tend to dip as well. Fear of megastorms is one reason the islands become quiet. But you can - and we do - travel to the Caribbean during storm season without worrying about a cyclone botching the trip. The ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao) lie outside the hurricane belt, as do islands in the southern part of the eastern Caribbean, particularly Trinidad, Tobago and Barbados - these islands experience storm damage so rarely as to be virtually risk-free destinations. On the other hand, collectively, the region's tourism officials stick their head in the sand regarding the areas most regularly impacted. But a quick look at hurricane tracks for the last decade shows that the north-eastern part of the Caribbean is like a bowling alley whose islands are lined up like pins. We don't advise skipping these destinations during hurricane season, but we do recommend having an alternate plan tucked in your back pocket, particularly for September vacations, the peak month for major storms.
We're hard at work planning our next research trip, but can't reveal where at this time - it's a covert excursion designed to uncover the secrets behind one of the region's most popular destinations. Stay tuned.
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