Wild orchids blooming at Harbour Club Villas over looking the sail boats in the Marina.
We enjoyed our first sunset of the first day of the new year in our favorite spot overlooking the marina. I had to include a beautiful Encyclia Altissima (orchid), the sun setting and some sail boat masts. Perfect end to a perfect day!
Hope 2012 is a great one for all!
Marta
Love the unique masks at Maskanoo tonight at Grace Bay
What a fabulous evening down on Grace Bay where the hugely anticipated 2nd annual Maskanoo was held. We thoroughly enjoyed the music and great island entertainment, kids and adults of all ages with and without masks, food and even face painting for the kids. Grace Bay Road was lined with vendors selling local food, drinks, arts and crafts and everyone turned out for all the fun and excitement.
Diamond plays the ripsaw
There were adults and kids, tourists and residents chatting or walking, many dancing and having a great time as they enjoyed traditional ripsaw music played by the Island Boys and then we all listened to the awesome voice of Turks and Caicos’ own Barbara Johnson.
What a cutie...love those big eyes.
David Bowen, Cultural Director jumped, danced and blew his whistle as he led the Maskanoo parade along Grace Bay Road.
The most amazing and sensational Maskanoo hat mask that I've every seen!
These youngsters were having such a fun time
Even little babes were taking in the festivities
Hand made mask with palm frond decoration
Maskanoo parade .. if you missed it you'll have to wait until next year!
Colorful costumes and people dancing to the music
Stunning hand made maskanoo woven hat with embroidery
What a glorious voice! Barbara Johnson sang for crowds at Maskanoo
Maskanoo banner stretched across the road
A captivating little miss in her Maskanoo attire.
David Bowen leading the parade at Grace Bay
There was lots of dancing in the streets down in Grace Bay. Hope you managed to get down to experience this wonderful event and if you didn’t, we’ll see you next year.
See you there!
Marta
Wishing you and yours joy, happiness, sunshine and much laughter
at this very special time of year.
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com
It must be that time of year again! I just saw my first Christmas Vine with its' stand out red flowers creeping over some native bush along the Venetian Road and near the villas at Harbour Club.
Every year as we head into December, I search the bush for these spectacular, showy red flowers. Sure enough there it was today…..the Ipomoea Microdactyla, also known as the Christmas Vine or Hog Potato Vine. Look around you as you are sure to sight it too.
Marta
Heading out of Harbour Club Villas and Marina for a day out on the waters of Provo's south side.
It’s another glorious sunshiney day in the islands with a gentle breeze blowing and calm clear waters. Pretty idyllic and just made for a boat ride. Just look at the beautiful colours of the water and this is what you can expect when you visit our stunning country. Book your trip today and we’ll see you soon!
Marta
Another spectacular sunset leaves the skies over the marina at Harbour Club Villas ablaze with fiery colours and a sliver of a moon appears
A beautiful night sky on Provo……….how lucky we are to live in such a glorious spot!
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com
Mike's photos of Harbour Club's newest resident.........a Caribbean Octopus
By the time I had run down to the docks at our villas…Harbour Club Villas and Marina….the octopus had disappeared. I was disappointed to say the least but left my camera down there in case our son Mike saw it again. Well, yes……..he came out apparently changing colours and with at least two foot tentacles. Mike was able to get the following photos.
You can see the distinctive blue-green colours with occasional mottled-brown markings
The Caribbean reef octopus is usually a solitary and are able to quickly change colour using specialized cells in their skin known as chromatophores.
Trying to hide in under the ledge of the rocks underneath the floating docks at Harbour Club Villas and Marina
Close up of the octopus' bulbous head
The Caribbean Reef Octopus lives in hidden, rocky lairs that are difficult to locate. Their lairs are usually created in shallow warm waters.
Its colour range is incredibly large; it can change from crimson to green, bumpy to smooth.
The Octopus is difficult to describe because it changes color and texture in order to blend into its surroundings. It can weigh around 3.3 lb or 1.5 kg.
It can move pretty fast but Mike got some amazing shots!
Beautiful colours and constantly changing !
It feeds on a wide array of animals including primarily crustaceans as well as small fish and bivalves. This octopus species often feeds by spreading its webbed arms to form a canopy to net its prey.
Thanks to my son Mike for these great photos of our new resident reef octopus and perhaps you’ll be able to see them for yourself when snorkeling or diving here in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Marta
Marta on horse back???? Yep, the last time was also on a trip up to the Citadel in 2003!
Two of us were on horse back, some walked all the way up and we even had someone who ran the route of about seven miles (11 km) from the little town of Milot uphill all the way to the Citadel. The Citadel is a large mountaintop fortress to the south of the city of Cap-Haitien. I can’t tell you how impressive this named ” World Heritage Site” is and it is a must to see and experience. The first portion of the hand cut stone work trail up can be done by car but I chose to go the horse route. From the mid-level parking lot, the second portion must be completed either on horseback or on foot.
Saturday was wash day and all the dwellings had clothes strung out and over bushes drying in the sunshine.
On the way up were small dwellings surrounded by banana and other fruit trees, even coffee beans had been picked off the hillside bushes and lay drying at the side of the trail/road. Since this was a Saturday (our trip was on Sept 24 ) everyone it seemed had done their washing and many had wares to sell to the tourists on their way up to the Citadel.
The first sighting of the fortress perched on a high mountain surrounded by what I thought was fairly lush vegetation.
The massive fortress walls as we made out way to the entrance
This fortress was built by King Henri Christophe on top of a 3,000-foot mountain called Bonnet-a-l’Eveque, or the Bishop’s Miter, using between 10,000 some 20,000 workers in the years between 1805 and 1820. Around ten percent of them did not survive and there’s a popular Haitian belief that there is human blood in the Citadel’s mortar. It is Haiti’s most revered national symbol and was built to protect the interior of the country in case the French tried to retake the former colony. It is a symbol of the will of the Haitien people to fight for their freedom and understanding the Citadel is crucial to understanding Haiti’s turbulent history as the only nation whose birth was the result of a successful slave rebellion.
A bright green lizard caught our attention......and note the orange lichens on the stone walls
View over looking hundreds of cannon balls and the mountaintops beyond.
The Citadel fortress is said to have some 365 cannons and 10,000 rounds and it took up to three months for a single cannon to be moved from the coast and up the mountain to the fortress. On a tour of this awesome stone structure we saw a room filled with more cannon balls in addition to the piled up mounds of cannon balls shown in the photo above.
An impressively decorated cannon faces the stone openings where cannons were positioned to defend the fortress from invaders.
Opening in the solid fortification walls showing the mountain greenery below with the mouth of the cannon.
View from the top of the Citadel with the inner courtyard to the right.
Water collection for the cisterns
As there was no inner spring or water source, large amounts of rain water were gathered in 8 huge cisterns, to supply the garrison and inhabitants of the fortress for a whole years’ time.
The sloping roof of the Poudrière (powder store) on the left
The Poudrière exploded in 1818, killing Prince Noël, the kings son-in-law and Citadel’s commander.
Around the inner court were the crew's quarters, the kitchens and the storerooms, each of these 50 feet deep.
It's a long way down..........no barriers or anything so we had to be careful and not go close to any edges.
Wow! what a stunning view...we were almost in the clouds on top of the world.
And time to head down the mountain and leave this wonderful place. I took over 850 photos and everywhere I turned there was a picture to take. The people were friendly and yes, the vendors will try to sell you a painting, a necklace, a hat or some other ware. I rode my horse down the winding road making one last stop at the Sans-Souci Palace and a group photo.
The Palace of Sans-Souci was the royal residence of King Henri I (better known as Henri Christophe) of Haiti
What a fabulous day we had here at the Citadel and hopefully there will be another occasion to return. I’m hoping to post a little more of this really all too brief visit that will include some photos of Cap Haitien and the Cormier Plage Hotel.
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com
How lucky can a person be? Up close and personal with a Turks and Caicos Rock Iguana!
The Turks and Caicos Islands has approximately 50,000 rock iguanas. Their official name is Cyclura carinata and these iguanas are critically endangered and endemic (found nowhere else) to these islands. I was lucky enough to spend a fair amount of time and at least 300 photos later with the rock iguanas on one of the little cays.
I think he was posing for this photo.
The West Indian rock iguana is one of the smallest of the Cyclura species and measures less than 770 mm or 30 inches when fully grown. Its basic colour ranges from green to brownish grey and usually patterned with some darker markings.
Don't come any closer!! They are so very dinosaur-like and can be very intimidating when coming towards you.
The rock iguana has a ridge that runs from the top of the head to the tip of the tail. The males, have a very prominent ridge on the crown, and a large dewlap. This is a large flap of skin that hangs from the throat area and assists in temperature regulation. This beautiful creature is adorned with a crest of some 80 to 110 scales down the centre of the back, and rings of enlarged spiny scales around its tail.
Showing off its magnificent tail ......it really does look prehistoric!
The Turks and Caicos rock iguana lives in rocky areas and sandy habitats as sand is required for nesting. It lives and sleeps in shallow burrows dug in loose sand or under rocks. In the morning they will emerge from their burrows and
bask in the sun before going off to feed. At midday, when the sun is the hottest, they hide in the shade to avoid overheating.
A handsome ridge runs from the top of the head down to the tail
We have some 2,000 iguanas that are the only land creatures living on Little Water Cay. A boardwalk has been built throughout the island and our visitors can take a tour of the island by walking along the boardwalk. But please, do not step off the walkway.
The Atabeyra drops a group off to see the iguanas at Little Water Cay.
See you next time when you visit the rock iguanas at Little Water Cay.
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com
Yummy.......... fresh conch salad for lunch at Harbour Club Villas.
Honeymooners Chantel and Rick enjoyed their conch salad today for lunch in the gazebo by the pool at Harbour Club Villas.
I was invited for a bowl of conch salad and it was delicious with a little zip to it.
Chantel prepared a delicious, fresh conch salad from green and red peppers, juicy tomatoes, conch of course, cilantro, onions, freshly squeezed limes and some of their own, favorite special spices.
A nice glass of chilled white wine goes great with a "fresh from the sea" conch salad
And to top it off, a glass of chilled white wine goes great with conch salad. I know our honeymoon couple, Chantel and Rick will more than likely enjoy some more conch salad appetizers this evening but they’ll be drinking some Dom Perrignon as sadly, this is their last evening at Harbour Club Villas and on our tropical island paradise.
If you are thinking of a honeymoon vacation, the Turks and Caicos Islands can’t be beat…..sunshine, stunning beaches and crystal clear turquoise waters. Our honeymoon couple can attest to that as they enjoyed three days of great scuba diving. Call us or email and we’ll arrange everything for you to make things easy.
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com