Like I said in my last post, I am not a huge fan of carnival. I guess all that excessive partying is no longer my thing, which is why I usually try to find great travel deals around this time of year to get off the island, and get as far away as possible from all the mayhem. I must admit though that I shockingly found myself enjoying this year’s Dutch St. Maarten Carnival. I was dragged by friends out of my bed at four in the morning to take part in this year’s jouvert, a parade that starts at dawn and ends sometime around midday and leaves a trail of drunks in its wake. I found myself in the village on at least one occasion enjoying the different food and drink booths and I surprised myself by attending the grand parade, an event so colorful I am still smiling days later.
Guest Blog Post: How 8 days in Cuba felt like 8 years
By Gerson Eleonora – Writer for Skempi.com, History Buff and an Aficionado of all things Caribbean
Well, you saw the title so let me just jump right in here: With Fidel Castro’s passing last November Cuba experienced a resurgence in news presence for a minute. Hate him or love him, you can’t deny that Castro put that island nation on the map. I mean, no disrespect to Ernesto Lecuona, Chano Pozo and the other world famous Cuban artists from the first half of the 20th century but, albeit in a polarizing manner, Fidel Castro took Cuba’s brand name on the global stage to a ubiquitous realm.
It was this strange mystique that had always pulled me to our somewhat taciturn Caribbean cousin to the north.