e get letters. Usually they come from readers who pass along recommendations (which we always appreciate), but occasionally feedback originates from other sources. As we prepare for the release of the next edition of Rum & Reggae’s Caribbean, we have been in contact with various tourism representatives for the Caribbean islands we write about. When we asked Dominica to assist with updating info on departure tax and other governmental matters, we received a curt letter that seemed to indicate they were only just becoming familiar with R&R's chapter on the island. They complained that our remarks on pages 169-170 were "derogatory and disrespectful to the Government and (we) suggest that you change these comments."

What are they upset about? Specifically, two lines that read "the government still seems clueless," and "the government, it would seem, just doesn't get it." Dominica's tourism officials did not, however, respond to the larger issues that these comments address: that of the island's increasingly conflicted position on environmental matters, despite Dominica positioning itself as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean." That contradiction is once again being tested as the International Whaling Commission prepares to vote in July on whether to lift the ban on the commercial slaughter of whales. Japan, the major proponent of whaling, is brandishing "checkbooks and suitcases stuffed with cash," according to London's Observer, in hope of swaying the Dominica vote to their side. Aid to the island, in the form of a huge new fisheries complex, a pair of new ambulances, and a fleet of Toyota lorries, is flowing thick and fast, though Japan denies it is buying votes. The biggest irony? Whale watching tours are one of Dominica's highlight attractions - sperm whales regularly cruise the island's coastline. Atherton Martin was Dominica's Environment and Fisheries Minister in 2000, but he resigned in disgust when Prime Minister Douglas voted with the Japanese at the last IWC meeting. Martin says: "Small islands are enormously vulnerable to offers of aid. Through extortion with aid, Japan has been able to get many island nations to join the IWC and vote its way." Among the other Caribbean countries turning Japanese: Antigua-Barbuda, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines - all of which have been voting with Japan on all whaling issues. We'll have more on this contentious issue after the July meeting.

iny Saba has had a tough couple of years. The charming, beachless, five-square-mile island has long been a haven for divers for its dramatic and unspoiled underwater scenery, and nature-lovers in general for its bucolic and verdant hiking trails. It's always had a small infrastructure - with just 1,600 residents and less than 100 hotel rooms, Saba was always the definition of undiscovered, and we liked it that way. In 1998, the island was whacked by Hurricane Georges, a storm that did a fair amount of property damage - most notably to Captain's Quarters, a modest inn that was our favorite berth on Saba. The hotel has been for sale ever since (there are rumors it will be open again soon), while another small inn, The Gate House, closed abruptly last year and is also reportedly up for sale. So, of late, the island has been even quieter than usual.

There are, however, faint glimmers of life poking through Saba's cloud-wrapped mountains. The picayune airport terminal - demolished by Hurricane Lenny is 1999 - is being rebuilt, and the runway enhanced (and no, the island is not preparing for jet arrivals - at 1,200 feet in length, the runway will continue to be one of the world's smallest international airports). A new hotel, the ten-room Ecolodge Rendez Vous, is scheduled to open in early 2002, and will eye the eco-minded traveler with its solar-heated showers, composting toilets and organic-oriented restaurant. And the tourist office has created a new web site that offers further reports on how Saba is welcoming visitors today: www.sabatourism.com.

We like to think of the Caribbean as a tropical paradise, where the sun, rum and reggae are freely administered, the mood is mellow and restorative, and nothing goes wrong. Alas, some islands are having a rough time on that last count, but it's important to separate the issues that affect us as tourists, as opposed to those that impact the local population. Jamaica has long had a horrible reputation for crime, but little of it is directed at tourists. Sadly, the country's appalling murder rate is on the rise again: 233 people met a violent end between January and early-April this year. Many of the murders are linked to the gang turf wars in Kingston, a major transshipment point for Colombian cocaine headed north. But 75 of the 233 people lost their lives in domestic disputes. And, equally unsettling, 53 of them were killed by police, security guards or licensed firearms holders, a figure that Amnesty International calls the highest rate of police killings per capita in the world. Again, we stress, for the most part violent crime manages to stay out of the tourist areas - in fact, the parish of St. Ann, where Ocho Rios is located, remains one of the island's lowest crime zones.

But other islands are having to deal with crime directed at tourists. In April, following increased complaints from cruise ship passengers and others, Dominica passed a law that prohibits visitor harassment. And St. Martin has added 21 police officers from mainland France to patrol on foot and bicycle to combat a recent wave of robberies that have swept the island since the beginning of the year. Areas that have been particularly impacted include Marigot, Orient Beach and Grand Case. The French officers are cooperating with the Dutch side, and no word as to whether crime is up on this side of the island. We can't offer reliable statistics as to whether a visitor is more at risk for petty crime when vacationing on Jamaica versus St. Martin, but the bigger picture seems to advocate a modicum of caution with valuables on both islands.

Time for some good news. Jamaica has not one, but two big music events this summer. The Ocho Rios Jazz Festival runs June 10-17, while Reggae Sumfest (which replaced Reggae Sunsplash a few years ago) takes place July 29-August 4 in Montego Bay. Alken Tours has packages to both parties, including some that take advantage of the new Air Jamaica service from Boston that started this Spring: 800-221-6686 for more info. Other events just around the corner include the Bonaire Dive Festival (June 9-16); the Aruba Jazz and Latin Music Festival (June 29-30); the Vincie Carnival in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (June29-July 10); and the Tobago Heritage Festival (July 13-August 1).

ne last note. If you're pondering a tropical vacation this summer but are considering ruling out the Caribbean due to the threat of hurricane season (which is "officially" scheduled for June 1-November 30), here's our annual reminder: some islands are safer from major storms than others. The island's closest to South America - Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Margarita, Trinidad and Tobago - are rarely impacted by hurricanes; Barbados, Grenada and the Grenadines are almost as storm-free. By contrast, major tempests stalk a zone we call "hurricane alley" almost every year - this includes the northern Windward islands from Antigua to the Virgins. We're not advising against a summer vacation to these islands (savings can be steep, after all) - just keep Plan B in your back pocket in case a storm musses up the prospects for Plan A.