The Caribbean Examiner • Vol 9 • No 1 • May 2011

The Caribbean Examiner
Andre Bascoe
It was like a dream, the type of dream from
which you never want to be awakened. The Turks and
Caicos Islands experience was indeed a surreal one.
On the very first day of my arrival, I was greeted by
a warm and friendly set of people who did their best
to make me feel welcome. It was as if they were as
fascinated by me as I was by them. Amidst the smiles
and scintillating conversation, I was carried to the
Beaches Hotel where the ‘breathtaking’ seems too
simplistic a word to capture the magnificence of this
hotel. I remember thinking that this hotel was like a
microcosm of the world with restaurants reflecting
a different cultural theme and of course a diverse
and personable hotel staff. I was so impressed by the
abundance of restaurants, features, activities and
beauty of this hotel that it had me wondering whether
there was any need to leave and visit the island any
further. Of course I was wrong.
Over the next two days my fellow awardees
and I visited just a few of the cultural sites that the
islands had to offer such as a conch farm and one of
the conch bar caves. It was indeed an enlightening
experience to share a part of the Turks and Caicos
Islands’ culture. Even more memorable was the boat
journey to Middle Caicos and North Caicos, where
I was mesmerized by the picturesque and idyllic
flora and fauna.
However, what I cherish the most about my
experience in ‘Provo’ is the friends I made. From
our first meeting until the day we left, it was nothing
but fun. The dinner conversations, the late night
swimming ventures and even the humorous attempts
to understand each other’s dialect were some of
the things which made the experience memorable.
The day of our departure was poignant. Amidst the
eagerness to return home to family and friends and
the reluctance on the part of the CAPE awardees,
(now in university) to return and sit examinations,
there was the sadness of realising that it was time to
wake up from the dream and return to the reality
that is school life. However, though the experience
has ended, we have still managed to stay in contact
with each other and to maintain the friendships we
made in Turks and Caicos Islands. Perhaps fate and
CXC will smile down on us and offer us a reunion
trip. (One can always dream right)
40 MAY 2011 www.CXC.org