Turks and Caicos Islands National Dress

Sweet smiling island girls in their national dress

Sweet smiling island girls in their national dress

I love this photo………the girls are soooo cute with such beautiful smiles and dressed in their national costume. Up until 2002, we did not have a national dress representative of all the islands of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Our island ancestors wore basic and practical clothing reflecting a simple and humble lifestyle. An idea was born and developed by David Bowen with tremendous help from a group of dedicated people.

These handsome young boys were eager to smile for the camera

These handsome young boys were eager to smile for the camera

Colours were selected for each island: Red for Grand Turk representing the red/pink  fruit of the national plant, the Turks Head Cactus; White for Salt Cay and the colour of salt; Orange for South and East Caicos showing off the colours of the spiny lobster and fish as well as the fishing industry in South Caicos; Tan for Middle Caicos and the natural colour of the island’s thatch that covered most of the early homes and roofs and today the colour represents the crafts of basket weaving, straw hats and brooms; Green for North Caicos and Parrot Cay where fruit trees and others flourish in the fertile soil along with Wades Green Plantation where cotton grew and flourished in days gone by; Turquoise for Providenciales, Pine Cay and West Caicos where the turquoise water surrounds us and contributes to bringing us our newest resource of tourism.

These young people perform folk songs in their national dress of white cotton with coloured bands representing each island.

These young people perform folk songs in their national dress of white cotton with coloured bands representing each island.

Six colours were chosen for the main islands of the Turks and Caicos and two more for symbols of our national pride.  Pink for the conch shell and our flamingos and Yellow, the colour of the sun shining down on our beautiful islands and cays and also the sun is a major factor in bringing us all our tourist visitors.

These girls and boys performed in their national dress at the Carifta Games held in Provo in 2007.

These girls and boys performed in their national dress at the Carifta Games held in Provo in 2007.

Each person proudly displays and wears their individual island colour …..the girls wear scarves and sashes in their islands’ corresponding colour and the boys have hat bands in the colour of their island home .

I found this information so very interesting and I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed looking everything up.

When you are here in Provo make sure to find out if there are any cultural events or performances taking place.

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Conch World (Part 2)

The onshore nursery ponds can hold up to 2,000,000 conchs!!!

The onshore nursery ponds can hold up to 2,000,000 conchs!!!

Some 80 onshore ponds, where aeration systems keep the water oxygenated, are the nursery home of  the baby conchs which are fed a special conch feed by some 20 staff at the farm.

Each pen out in the shallow waters contains 5,000 conch

Each pen out in the shallow waters contains 5,000 conch

Conch World has 200 offshore pens which hold initially the 1 year olds (6 cm size). After 2 1/2 years in the pens or at 3 to 4 years old, the conch can be harvested.

Danver introduces us to Sally the resident female conch

Danver introduces us to Sally the resident female conch

Sally needs little coaxing to come out of her shell. Note the “foot” which is strong and powerful. 

And here's Jerry........the male conch with his male parts that Danver is pointing to.

And here's Jerry........the male conch with his male parts that Danver is pointing to.

Make sure to visit Conch World when you visit our island of Providenciales. Entry fee is only $10.00 per person and I think it is well worth it. You won’t have another opportunity anywhere in the world as this commercial farm is the only one.

See you there!

 

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Conch World

View of the Subsea Pasture where the conch grow from about 6 cm to adult conch

View of the Subsea Pasture where the conch grow from about 6 cm to adult conch

Today we headed out to see the Conch Farm…….the only one of its kind in the world. I’d heard that they had suffered quite some damage from Hurricanes Hanna and Ike. I have been through the farm several times over the years and today was an  opportunity to go again. The old dock was gone and lots of damage sustained by Ike’s 140 mph winds as well as an 8 foot storm surge during Hanna.

Here's our friendly and informative guide Danver who told us everything you ever wanted to know about conch and more!

Here's our friendly and informative guide Danver who told us everything you ever wanted to know about conch and more!

Provo Conch World has been in existence since 1984 with 12 million dollars invested to develop conch farming to the commercial scale it operates at today. Currently they have about 500,000 conch!

On shore nursery ponds containing small conch from 2 to 6 cm

On shore nursery ponds containing small conch from 2 to 6 cm

Baby conchs grow in these nursery ponds for about a year until ready to be put out in the sub-sea pasture

Baby conchs grow in these nursery ponds for about a year until ready to be put out in the sub-sea pasture

I have lots more photos and will continue tomorrow
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Potcakes

How could you ever hope to resist loving a sweet potcake puppy with a face like this?????

How could you ever hope to resist loving a sweet potcake puppy with a face like this?????

Recent guests of Harbour Club Villas adopted this sweet little potcake puppy from our Turks and Caicos SPCA. Steve and Andres fell in love with this little one and have named her Tromba which is Spanish for “waterspout”. Potcakes are named after the congealed food that remained in the bottom of the cooking pot after reheating usually peas and rice several times. The scrapings or potcakes were fed to the dogs and hence the dogs have become known as Potcakes. Many of these dogs and puppies are found around the island and the spaying and neutering programs are not keeping up. Many are taken to the TCSPCA and Potcake Place where they are hopefully adopted. They are loving and loyal and perhaps when you visit our islands you might consider adopting one.

Potcakes are loveable and make a great family pet

Potcakes are loveable and make a great family pet

If you are heading our way and would like more info or would like to adopt a Potcake, just let me know. I’ll put you in touch with all the right people.

See you soon,

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Turks and Caicos flora

Shak Shak Tree

Shak Shak Tree

 Here’s a photo of the Flamboyant tree or Royal Poinciana ablaze with colourful flowers on Provo.  I mentioned in a previous post that the Junkanoo band often has many percussion instruments that include the shak-shak.  This instrument is like a maracas and at one time, the seed pods of the Royal Poinciana or Flamboyant tree were used as a shak-shak in the Turks and Caicos Islands. I thought this was interesting as I didn’t know what a shak-shak was.

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Turks and Caicos Junkanoo

Junkanoo festivities on Provo

Junkanoo parade in the Turks and Caicos Islands

We made it to midnight and watched the fireworks from our deck. We had to get up at five to take guests to the airport for the early Miami flight. The downtown traffic circle was blocked off by police as the New Year’s festivities and junkanoo on Provo were just winding down. At the same time that we are going to bed, our island friends are heading out in the wee hours of New Year’s Day to celebrate and party till the morning. The junkanoo parade is the highlight of the festivities… full of people in colourful costumes dancing to up tempo combinations of goatskin drums, cowbells, horns, shak shak (see post) and other instruments. You can’t help but join in as the performers go through some wild, uninhibited and hypnotic dancing as they bang on drums and move to the island rhythms. The term “rush” is given to this all-out, no holds barred form of dancing in the streets and everyone joins in (“jump up”). We wish everyone all the best in 2009.

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com