Times of the Islands Fall 2017

TIMES
OF THE
SAMPLING THE SOUL OF THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS FALL 2017 NO. 120
ISLANDS
COLUMBUS LANDFALL
Making the Case for Grand Turk
THE WONDER TREE
Moringa abounds in TCI
FANCY FLIERS
A home for rescued birds

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Frontage
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KIDS
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Vacation time is a great time for everyone at Beaches ® Turks & Caicos. With 5 villages set on Grace Bay, voted one of the best beaches in the world, you will
have so much to do, you won’t know where to start. Maybe at the 45,000 square foot Pirates Island Waterpark, with 10 waterslides, a surf simulator and a lazy
river. You can dive* and snorkel along some of the best reefs in the Caribbean or swim-up to four bars (or 10 others on dry land), because the drinks are always
on the house. And 5-Star Global Gourmet TM dining means you have 20 global restaurants to choose from, satisfying even the most finicky eaters. There are luxury
accommodations for every size family, and programs and activities for the kids, from an Xbox Play Lounge to a teens-only nightclub to our Very Important Kids
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registered trademark. Unique Vacations, Inc., is an affiliate of Unique Travel Corp., the worldwide representative of Beaches Resorts.

contents
Departments
6 From the Editor
13 Getting to Know
Fancy Flyers
By Jody Rathgeb ~ Photos By Tom Rathgeb
61 Crossing Africa Update
Compiled By Claire Parrish
Photos By Mario Rigby
70 Faces & Places
Caribbean House Evolution Festival
Story & Photos By Claire Parrish
72 About the Islands/TCI Map
77 Where to Stay
79 Dining Out
81 Subscription Form
82 Classified Ads
Features
34 The First Columbus Landfall
By Ben Stubenberg
64 Winning Without Fighting
By Kathy Borsuk
Photos Courtesy Graceway Sports Centre
Green Pages
21 The Wonder Tree
By Dr. Eric F. Salamanca, Ethan Griesbach and
Bryan Manco
Photos By Dr. Eric F. Salamanca
25 BirdsCaribbean International Conference
By B Naqqi Manco
Photos By Dr. Eric F. Salamanca
26 Safeguarding TCI’s Future
By Don Stark, Kathleen Wood and
Marsha Pardee
30 Coral Health, Global Wealth
By Sarah Fleming and Dr. Heidi Hertler
TIMES
OF THE
SAMPLING THE SOUL OF THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS FALL 2017 NO. 120
On the Cover
Hobbyist photographer and Assistant Director for
Research & Development at the TCI Department of
Environment & Coastal Resources Dr. Eric F. Salamanca
took this rare photo of a Bahama Woodstar hummingbird
enjoying the nectar of Moringa flowers. He says,
“I was lucky to be at the right place in the right time
because it is normally difficult to take photos of hummingbirds.”
Page through this magazine to see more of
his beautiful work.
61
ISLANDS
Astrolabe
48 The National Lost & Found Department
By Dr. Donald H. Keith
50 Library Tales
By Pat Saxton
54 Postcard Mania
By Jeffrey Dodge
MARIO RIGBY
4 www.timespub.tc

THE COOL SIDE
OF CLASSIC
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an elegant, luxurious, award-winning resort,
but beneath that cultivated exterior beats
an untamed heart. Parallel23 sprinkles every
dish with a dash of the unexpected. 72˚West
offers you the moon and the stars. Whimsy
rules at The Palms Courtyard Shops featuring
T H E S P A
W I S H
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7 2˚W E S T
Wish Boutique. And your senses are
utterly seduced at The Spa at The Palms.
Feel free to visit and indulge your inner wild
child in all we have to offer.
649.946.8666 | thepalmstc.com
L A ID -BAC K LU X E

from the editor
MARTA MORTON—WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLAS.COM
This is the reason people flock to the Turks & Caicos Islands. The clear, calm turquoise sea and vast skyscapes are like no other in the world.
The Ripple Effect
I recently had the chance to spend a late afternoon on the east end of Grace Bay Beach. The air was so clear, it
seemed to shimmer off the turquoise sea with a pink tint. Here, the beach is wide and mighty and the location affords
a western view for miles of the embracing curve of the bay. It was low tide and the placid ocean’s surface was rippled
like a well-plaited braid. Folks of all shapes, colors and ages enjoyed the peaceful setting together. Kids jumped into
the water from the nearby pier; teens teased each other in the shallows; the athletic jogged; seniors strolled; babies
toddled. Everyone gathered to marvel at a seven-foot stingray resting in the sand below the pier. The scene filled
me with awe and wonder at God’s marvelous creation—consistently ranked among the world’s best beaches—and
creation(s)—the array of citizens, residents and visitors who are sharing this hallowed space.
This is not a place to feel threatened or fearful, but to soak in a splendor that is often missing in our daily grind.
In speaking about crime in the Islands, our church deaconess reminded us that there are hurt and broken people
in the world. We mustn’t let evil, in turn, curdle our thoughts and actions. Instead, let’s find it in our hearts to send
love and mercy out into the world in a ripple of positivity and grace.
Enjoy this issue, rich with articles and photos about the nature, heritage and history of the Turks & Caicos Islands.
Kathy Borsuk, Editor
timespub@tciway.tc • (649) 946-4788
6 www.timespub.tc

Turks And Caicos
TurksAndCaicosProperty.com
Real Estate
Breezy Villa
Breezy Villa is a luxurious 2650 sq. ft. oceanfront
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Hills. The property is situated on .54 of an acre and
is comprised of a 3 Bed/3 Bath (all en suite) main
house, plus a separate 1 Bed/ 1 Bath guest suite.
US$1,975,000
Long Bay Beachfront
Located on the island of Providenciales near the center
of Long Bay’s kite boarding community, is 1.11 acres
of beachfront land. This tranquil site features clear
shallow water as well as over 80’ of powdery white
sand frontage along Long Bay Beach. An ideal spot
for building your luxury beachfront vacation villa.
US$1,600,000
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cell ~ 649 231 4029 | tel ~ 649 941 3361
Bernadette@TurksAndCaicosProperty.com
Bernadette relocated from Ireland to the Turks
and Caicos Islands in 1996 and worked as an
Attorney for more than 10 years. After retiring
from the practice she focused exclusively
on what was already a successful real estate
business that she co-founded in 2000.
Ocean Club West 2 Bed
Located at Ocean Club West this beachfront condo
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Barefoot Beach House is a classic island style 3
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Situated on 2.059 acres with 162’ of beach frontage the
property is a perfect private retreat on one of the few
purely residential beaches left on Provo.
US$3,200,000
Based on independent MLS figures she has
active sales exceeding US$200M and her
gross transaction numbers are unrivaled. This
proven level of efficiency, experience and up
to the minute information provides a platform
for quality service that you can count on.
Turks and Caicos Property is now the leading
independent real estate brokerage in the Turks
and Caicos Islands with offices located at 103
Ocean Club West Plaza and Ocean Club West
Resort. Bernadette’s reputation and success has
been earned over time through the dedication,
enthusiasm and consistent performance of her
and her team.
Her personal experience with owning a number
of properties on island and having renovated
some of them, means she is well placed to
advise her customers and developers on what
to anticipate in the construction process.
Bernadette delights in working in the real estate
industry and her humor and energy make her a
pleasure to work with.
West Bay Club
West Bay Club on Grace Bay Beach is one of the leading
boutique beach front resorts in the Turks and Caicos
Islands. This spacious beach level 1 bedroom, 1.5 bath
condominium has over 1,490 sq.ft of living space. It
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The Pinnacle on Grace Bay
The Pinnacle on Grace Bay is considered Provo’s
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Call Bernadette if you would like to find out a
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even for the kids. Superb dining at 20 gourmet restaurants. Authentic island entertainment
for everyone. A free* wedding that everyone can enjoy, 14 bars serving unlimited premium
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And beautifully-appointed rooms and suites in five unique villages, some even with butler
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For more information, visit BEACHES.COM or call 1-888-BEACHES
*Visit www.beaches.com/disclaimers/timesoftheislandsfall2017 or call 1-800-BEACHES for important terms and conditions.

PG advert_Layout 1 5/10/17 9:10 AM Page 1
TIMES
MANAGING EDITOR
Kathy Borsuk
OF THE
ISLANDS
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Claire Parrish
“Escape to the extraordinary.”
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Kathy Borsuk, Séamus Day, Jeffrey Dodge, Sarah Fleming,
Ethan Griesbach, Dr. Heidi Hertler, Dr. Donald H. Keith,
B Naqqi Manco, Claire Parrish, Jody Rathgeb,
Dr. Eric F. Salamanca, Don Stark, Ben Stubenberg,
Candianne Williams, Kathleen Wood.
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Chel Beeson, Séamus Day, Jeffrey Dodge, Tom Giraldi,
iStock, Dr. Donald H. Keith, Agile LeVin, B Naqqi Manco,
Marta Morton, Jon Nickson–eyeSpice Photography,
Claire Parrish, Tom Rathgeb, Mario Rigby,
Dr. Eric F. Salamanca, Pat Saxton, Olivia Savouré,
Camilla Smith, Candianne Williams.
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
Wavey Line Publishing
PRINTING
southeastern, Hialeah, FL
Times of the Islands ISSN 1017-6853 is
published quarterly by Times Publications Ltd.
Copyright © 2017 by Times Publications Ltd. All rights reserved
under Universal and Pan American Copyright Conventions.
No part of this publication may be
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Submissions We welcome submission of articles or photography, but
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Return postage must accompany material if it is to be returned. In no
event shall any writer or photographer subject this magazine to any
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While every care has been taken in the compilation and reproduction of
information contained herein to ensure correctness, such information is
subject to change without notice. The publisher accepts no
responsibility for such alterations or for typographical or other errors.
WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS 2015 - CARIBBEAN’S LEADING BOUTIQUE HOTEL
TCHTA STAR AWARDS 2016 - HOTEL OF THE YEAR
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12 www.timespub.tc

getting to know
North Caicos residents (from left) Howie Bartels, Scooter and Patti DesLauriers stand by
a statue of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals in the Roman Catholic faith.
Fancy Flyers
Rescued birds find a home on North Caicos.
By Jody Rathgeb ~ Photos By Tom Rathgeb
Calling someone a birdbrain usually isn’t very nice, but if you take the words literally—as in, someone
who thinks about birds a lot—you have a pretty good description of Patti DesLauriers and Howie Bartels
of North Caicos.
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 13

When they moved to the Turks & Caicos Islands from
Texas in 2013, the couple arrived with nine birds among
their pets. Then they started helping others who’d discovered
that big, beautiful birds can be a big, beautiful
hassle. Today, their Major Hill home is an accidental
aviary and bird sanctuary, with three macaws, two cockatiels,
a Quaker parrot, one sun conure, a parakeet and
some chickens, one of which seems to think it’s a parrot,
as it roosts like them. All of the larger birds are rescues,
and the couple are encouraging natural flight among the
macaws.
Permits and certificates
The process of bringing birds into the TCI is complicated,
requiring much paperwork and tricky timing. There are
import permits, health certificates and inspections on
both ends of the trip, plus specific rules for shipping live
animals. It took both of them to do it, Patti says, with her
handling the U.S. process and Howie available to receive
the birds when they arrived. Sometimes, it seemed next
to impossible, she relates. “You need a USDA (Department
of Agriculture) accredited vet to take blood for testing.
Then there’s only one lab in Iowa that does the test,” she
says by example. Because other tests must be done close
to the TCI travel date, she also had to find an avian vet in
Miami once when she drove the birds there from Texas.
“I did have a meltdown. I cried,” she admits. Ultimately,
though, they were successful.
Above: Oro, a Blue and Gold Macaw, shows off his brilliant golden
feathers.
Below: Papi comes to the aviary when Patti calls him. He gets a treat
of a chicken leg.
14 www.timespub.tc

Macaws were not among their original birds, but not
long after Patti and Howard got their “flock” settled, they
began hearing from people who needed help in caring for
macaws that had been brought to the Islands long before.
Howie added on to their first backyard aviary, and they
began adopting the big birds.
Like noisy toddlers
“Macaws are very noisy, and they demand a lot of attention,”
says Howie. Patti adds, “Having a macaw is like
having a spoiled two-year-old your entire life.” The birds
are long-lived, and can be quite unhappy in cages, which
is why many owners have the flight wings clipped. But the
birds are happiest when they can fly and be themselves
instead of exotic live ornaments.
The three macaw rescues at Howie and Patti’s home
are Papi, Oro and Scooter. They are, respectively, a Green
Wing Macaw, Blue-and-Gold Macaw and Catalina Macaw.
Their stories highlight the many needs of the birds and
the work Patti and Howie are doing to meet those needs.
Papi
Papi, originally named Lollipop, was brought from New
Jersey to TCI when Provo was beginning to develop. His
former owner let the bird fly freely until he was asked to
cage it because it was frightening people, so Papi was
confined with another bird. “They were angry and hated
each other,” Patti relates. “Papi started plucking himself.”
When he came to the couple two years ago, his chest was
nearly featherless. The Provo owner gave him up with the
condition that the bird eventually be allowed to fly again.
Today, Papi has stopped plucking and does indeed fly
freely in the Major Hill area, returning home for food or
when he is called. He favors guineps from one neighbor’s
tree, has “conversations” with another neighbor, and is
generally known in the area because he likes people. Patti
says that according to the sightings she hears about, he
doesn’t stray far from Major Hill. He is now 67 years old
and will likely stay a free bird the rest of his life.
Oro
Oro, named because of his brilliant gold breast feathers,
was brought to Provo by a treasure hunter and lived on
a boat, then went to a couple and received good care.
Unfortunately, the bird and the husband did not get
along, so he came to Patti and Howie in 2016. “He’s very
sweet, and he talks a lot,” says Patti. His favorite phrases
are “Love you!,” “Wassup!,” and “Shark!” (name of the couple’s
dog), and he also sings lullabies to himself. Howie
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 15

When Ferry his Fall companion 17_Layout died, 1 8/22/17 Scooter 12:52 became PM lonely Page and 1 depressed. His attitude has improved considerably since he bonded with Howie, but he
still uses the bad language he previously picked up, and often tells Patti to go away in a crude way.
has been trying to teach him to say, “It’s five o’clock
somewhere,” but so far Oro just says, “Five o’clock.”
* *
Temporary suspension PROVO NORTH 12.30pm & 1.30pm Sept 1st to Oct 31st
*
Resumes Nov 1st
Scooter
And then there is Scooter. “Scooter is an angry bird,”
says Howie. He was originally owned by Robert Luker
(“Scooter Bob”) of Provo and was one of a pair. After the
other bird died, Howie continues, “Scooter became lonely
and depressed, then mean.” He was sent to North for a
better life, and Howie and Patti took on his care in 2014.
While the bird has bonded with Howie, it does not like
Patti, telling her to go away (in much saltier language)
every time she comes near. Even as he jealously favors
Howie, he’s also particular about him, not allowing Howie
to wear glasses when he enters the aviary. He was not too
happy about a camera, either.
Scooter is, however, responding to the couple’s care,
most notably in a bit less profanity and a willingness to
try out his flight abilities. Patti and Howie, believing that
birds should be free, have let the clipped wings of Oro
and Scooter grow out, and Howie’s aviary includes an
area big enough that they can practice flying. Both have
flown outside the aviary in escapes, but, says Patti, “It
scares them. Howie has had to rescue them,” one time
16 www.timespub.tc

Who’s what?
from a neighbor’s roof. But the goal is for all the macaws
to be as free-flying as Papi.
Is that a parrot on that pirate’s shoulder? Aren’t Jimmy
Buffett fans known as parrotheads? Well, yes, sort of,
although both the buccaneer bird and the concert
costume are more properly macaws. Nevertheless,
it turns out that popular culture, which freely uses
the word “parrot” for a wide range of birds including
macaws, cockatiels, lories and cockatoos, has it
right. Without getting into all the scientific names
and niceties, here’s the rundown.
Parrots are a very large and diverse group
of birds. Think of “parrot” as your umbrella bird,
covering more than 370 species and found in tropical,
subtropical and temperate regions. Under that
umbrella are macaws, parakeets (those small, pretty
birds in gilded cages), lovebirds, cockatiels, cockatoos
and lories (birds, not English trucks, which are
spelled with two r’s).
Macaws are a group of parrots with large bodies
and heavy bills that live in the Americas, mainly
the tropical and subtropical regions. But just to confuse
matters, there are some small, parakeet-sized
macaws!
Beyond flying
Flight rehabilitation is only one part of the care that
Patti and Howard provide for the macaws and their other
birds: Buddy the parakeet; Gemma the Sun Conure; Bob
the Quaker Parrot; and cockatiels Tilly and Tango (plus
Chicklet, the parrot-perch chicken). The couple regularly
orders seed in bulk from an outfit in Oregon, and their
grocery list is larger than it might be because of sharing
their fruits and vegetables with the birds. “They will
eat most of what we eat,” says Patti, noting that they eat
even meat and particularly like ramen noodles (without
the seasoning) and beets. They are not supposed to have
shellfish, though, and any treats of peanuts must be sparing,
as they can have a moldy toxin.
Tilly, a gray-and-white cockatiel that Patti and
Howie brought with them from Texas, has had a
baby, which they named Tango.
Cockatoos are the relatives from Australia and
nearby islands, and cockatiels are smaller members
of the cockatoo family. Both are identified by their
showy, expressive crests.
Lories and lorikeets are colourful, small-to
medium-sized parrots, also from the Australasian
region.
Our best advice? If it’s big and colourful, go ahead
and call it either a macaw or a parrot. For everything
else, you can’t go wrong with “pretty bird.” a
Jody Rathgeb
Gemma is a sun conure, a type of parrot.
Caring for so many birds is difficult, but it is obvious that
Patti and Howie love it and would like to expand their
efforts. “My dream would be for this to be a sanctuary,”
Patti says. “If anyone has birds they can’t take care of,
18 www.timespub.tc

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Times of the Islands Fall 2017 19

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Call Blue Loos 231 7448 to
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Bob, a Quaker Parrot, is actually a female. She arrived from Texas with
the couple, who had rescued her there.
we will take them.” Indeed, days after our interview Patti
and Howie took on the care of a rescued gull sent over
from the Turks & Caicos SPCA. The bird would not eat on
its own, so they began the process of trying to restart its
natural feeding.
Patti adds, “We want people to know they are welcome
here, too, if they want to just see the birds.” a
For rescues and/or visits, email Patti at pdtx58@yahoo.
com or phone Howie at (649) 243-9649.
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renewable energy solutions
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20 www.timespub.tc

green pages
newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
head office: church folly, grand turk, tel 649 946 2801 • fax 649 946 1895
• astwood street, south caicos, tel 649 946 3306 • fax 946 3710
• national environmental centre, lower bight road, providenciales
parks division, tel 649 941 5122 • fax 649 946 4793
fisheries division, tel 649 946 4017 • fax 649 946 4793
email environment@gov.tc or dema.tci@gmail.com • web www.environment.tc
The leaves, flowers and pod-like fruits of the Moringa tree have many nutritive and medicinal uses.
The Wonder Tree
Moringa abounds in the Turks & Caicos Islands.
By Eric F. Salamanca, Ph.D., Assistant Director for Research & Development;
Ethan Griesbach, MSc., Acting Director/Deputy Director; and Bryan Manco, Environmental Officer,
Department of Environment & Coastal Resources
Photos By Dr. Eric F. Salamanca
The Moringa tree can be found in the farms, residential backyards and landscaping of resorts and hotels
in many tropical and subtropical regions, including the Turks & Caicos Islands. It is known to be native
to India and introduced in the West Indies by the French in the mid-1780s. This tree may have been
introduced in the TCI as an ornamental tree by the landscaping industry. Until recently, not many people
were aware of its multifarious uses.
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 21

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
Most parts of the Moringa tree have medicinal value.
The leaves have been used as part of traditional medicine
for centuries, and the Ayurvedic system of medicine associates
it with the cure or prevention of approximately 300
diseases. (Ayurvedic medicine is believed to be one of the
world’s oldest holistic healing systems, developed more
than 3,000 years ago in India. It is anchored on the belief
that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance
between the mind, body, and spirit.)
Moringa is used for “tired blood” (anemia); arthritis
and other joint pain (rheumatism); asthma; cancer;
constipation; diabetes; diarrhea; epilepsy; stomach pain;
stomach and intestinal ulcers; intestinal spasms; headache;
heart problems; high blood pressure; kidney stones;
fluid retention; thyroid disorder; and bacterial, fungal,
viral, and parasitic infections. Moringa is also used to
reduce swelling, increase sex drive, prevent pregnancy,
boost the immune system, and increase breast milk production.
Some people use it as a nutritional supplement
or tonic. No wonder it is considered a “wonder tree!”
Description
Moringa is scientifically known as Moringa oleifera
(Family: Moringaceae). It is a small tree that is a native
of Asia and noted to thrive in the Turks & Caicos Islands.
The leaves are tri-pinnate with obovate leaflets (with the
side pinnae themselves branched), alternate, with opposite
pinnae. The inflorescence has white, showy 5-merous
flowers. Fruits are 20–30 cm long, three sided, opening
on the tree along three edges when maturely dry. Seeds
are 1 cm diameter with three thin wings about 3 cm long.
Under favourable conditions the tree may reach 9 meters
in height.
Moringa is described as a “miracle tree,” “drumstick
tree,” or “horseradish tree” because the small rounded
leaves are packed with an incredible amount of nutrition:
protein, calcium, beta-carotene, vitamin C and potassium,
to name a few. Moringa has a green, earthy taste similar
to spinach or matcha green tea. It is delicious mixed into
food or drinks for a nutrient boost.
This photo shows the distinctive leaf arrangement of the Moringa
tree. The leaves are packed with nutrition!
The leaves of the Moringa are generally considered
to be safe and edible, however, there is some controversy
regarding the roots and stems which may potentially have
harmful effects, especially in women. They may act as a
contraceptive (temporary or permanent) and could potentially
lead to miscarriage.
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Moringa leaves
Moringa leaves contain vitamins, minerals, essential
amino acids and more. One hundred grams of dry
Moringa leaf contains: 9 times the protein of yogurt; 10
times the vitamin A of carrots; 15 times the potassium
of bananas; 17 times the calcium of milk; 12 times the
vitamin C of oranges and 25 times the iron of spinach.
Moringa powder (such as Aduna) is a rich source of
protein, fibre, iron and vitamins A and K and a source of
vitamin E, calcium and magnesium. The European Food
Standards Authority (EFSA) stated that to qualify as a
source of a vitamin or mineral, a food must contain 15%
of the Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) per serving. The
NRV is a daily recommended amount of the nutrient. To
qualify as a rich source, it must contain at least 30% of
NRV. This is a useful way of measuring nutrient density.
Moringa leaves are rich in antioxidants, including
vitamin C, beta-carotene, quercetin and chlorogenic acid.
Chlorogenic acid is known to slow cells’ absorption of
sugar and animal studies have found it to lower blood
sugar levels. The leaves are also reported to demonstrate
antioxidant properties due to their high amount
of polyphenols, and anti-diabetic effects, thanks to their
beneficial plant compounds, including isothiocyanates.
The isothiocyanates, flavonoids and phenolic acids
in Moringa leaves, pods and seeds also have anti-inflammatory
properties. Moringa has cholesterol-lowering
properties, and one animal study found its effects were
comparable to those of the cholesterol-lowering drug
Simvastatin. Moringa oleifera is used in Thai traditional
medicine as a cardiotonic. The leaves and seeds of
Moringa may protect against some of the effects of arsenic
toxicity, which is especially important in light of news
that staple foods, such as rice, may be contaminated in
some parts of Asia. Drink boiled Moringa leaves before
bed to help you sleep soundly, which in turn will leave
you energized the following day. Moringa is high in fiber
and helps in moving food along your digestive system.
Fiber is also a key component in maintaining a healthy
cardiovascular system.
Moringa flowers
Moringa flowers and leaves are used in the treatment of
malnutrition. An infusion made from flowers can cure
colds. Moringa flowers and root contain antibioticpterygospermin,
which is highly effective on cholera and at
From top: The bark of the Moringa tree can be used to treat skin infections.
These full grown Moringa fruits will open to release seeds .
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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
Moringa powder (made from leaves) is a popular “superfood”, and the pods (at back) and seeds (at right) have a variety of uses as well.
high concentration functions as a fungicide. Moringa
flowers are traditionally used as a tonic, diuretic and
abortifacient (inducing miscarriage), and are considered
to be anthelmintic (able to expel parasites from the
body). Moringa flowers are used to treat inflammations,
muscle diseases, tumors and enlargement of the spleen.
Juice pressed from Moringa flowers is said to alleviate
sore throat and catarrh. An infusion of the flowers is used
as eyewash and a decoction from the flowers has been
used to treat hysteria.
Moringa seeds and pods
Moringa seeds are an incredible find, with antioxidant,
anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-lowering effects.
Moringa seeds also offer many nutritional benefits, as
they contain seven times more vitamin C than oranges;
four times the amount of vitamin A found in carrots; four
times more calcium than milk; three times more potassium
than bananas; and two times more protein than
yogurt.
There are studies that show Moringa seed can lower
blood pressure. (Consult your doctor before stopping any
prescribed medications for high blood pressure.) The oil
extracted from the seeds contains almost 30 antioxidants.
Skin absorbs the oil well and can receive these
nourishing antioxidants easily. The oil can be used as a
moisturizer and antiseptic.
Moringa seed pods are used in the Ayurvedic medical
tradition as a specific cure for worms and parasites.
The seed pods can be crushed and applied topically to
treat minor skin inflammations, warts and infections. The
oil contained in the seed pods can be used to reduce
inflammation caused by arthritis, rheumatism and gout.
Moringa seed pods contain complex chemical compounds
with antibiotic and antioxidant properties that
can boost the body’s natural immune system. The seed
pods are often recommended by Ayurvedic practitioners
for patients with digestive upsets and abdominal tumors.
Moringa seed pod husks are a bountiful, low-cost
source of activated carbon, an important medical tool in
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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
the treatment of ingested poisons. Unlike other sources
of activated carbon that require extensive processing,
Moringa seed husks can be processed using single-step
steam pyrolysis, a simple method that can be performed
without advanced technological tools.
Moringa seed pods are used to purify water in remote
places where technologically advanced methods of water
purification are not practical. The oil contained in Moringa
seed pods contains a natural coagulant that interacts with
impurities in the water and allows them to settle safely to
the bottom, providing fresh drinking water in areas where
dirt and other contaminants typically render water supplies
unsafe for human consumption. Because Moringa
seed pods are completely nontoxic and safe for consumption
themselves, the resulting water is safer for drinking
and other personal uses. Additionally, crushed Moringa
seed pods can often be acquired at little or no cost from
industrial sources that produce this seed pod presscake
as a byproduct of oil extraction, making this water treatment
method a cost-effective and efficient use of limited
resources in less developed parts of the world.
Moringa helps with male dysfunction and erection
problems. Because this plant is highly nutritious, it is
capable of supplying the body with everything it needs for
superior sexual performance. The seeds of Moringa have
been found to enhance the sex hormone level in men due
to the high vitamin C and D they contain. Specifically,
the seeds contain saponin, a chemical compound that
enhances libido and improves levels of the sex hormone
testosterone.
DECR participates in
BirdsCaribbean Conference
By B Naqqi Manco ~ Photos By Dr. Eric F. Salamanca
BirdsCaribbean, formerly the Society for Conservation
and Study of Caribbean Birds, is the foremost scientific
and conservation NGO focused on birds and
their habitats in the Caribbean. The organization
holds biennial meetings with conference sessions,
presentations, workshops and other events celebrating
scientific research and conservation work on the
bird life of the Caribbean.
Propogation
Moringa can be propagated by seeds or by cuttings. A
mature seed can easily germinate, while a cutting of
mature stem can produce sprouts in about two weeks.
In storm-prone areas, it is better to propagate this plant
by seeds because of the better root systems produced.
Besides the exciting nutritional benefits that can be
derived from Moringa, planting the tree can also play an
important role in mitigating the effects of climate change
because of its potential to sequester carbon. a
The Cuban pygmy owl, one of over 20 bird species found only in
Cuba, was seen on the La Batata Trail in Codina Park.
DECR’s Dr. Eric Salamanca and B Naqqi Manco participated
in the 21st BirdsCaribbean International
Conference themed, “Celebrating Caribbean
Diversity,” in Topes de Collantes, Cuba on July 13–17,
2017. The conference was attended by over 240 delegates
from around the Caribbean, who gave over
140 presentations and presented over 30 scientific
research posters on Caribbean birds.
DECR presented the poster entitled “Endangered
Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) and Other
(Continued on following page)
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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
AGILE LEVINE
This overlook of East Caicos shows the variety of ecosystem mosaics it contains.
Safeguarding TCI’s Future
Understanding East Caicos’ corals and coast.
By Don Stark, Turks & Caicos Reef Fund, Kathleen Wood, SWA Environmental and Marsha Pardee
At 47 square kilometres, East Caicos is one of the largest uninhabited islands in the Caribbean and probably
represents the best example of landscape-level, un-fragmented ecosystem mosaics in the region.
The conservation of biodiversity, health and resilience of adjacent marine ecosystems, including coral
reefs, is highly dependent upon adequate management of ocean and land-based activities.
East Caicos’ remoteness and inaccessibility have thus far protected it from major development
schemes, but as development pressures increase inversely proportionate to availability of land in Turks
& Caicos Islands (TCI), the island is at risk from inappropriate development.
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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
TCI currently has no sustainable national physical
development plan; however, proposals to develop East
Caicos as a trans-shipping and cruise port have been
suggested. Currently, use of the island of East Caicos is
limited to artisanal and commercial fisheries and infrequent
tourism. A lack of viable sustainable use options
also places the island at risk from development. Social
and economic benefits are currently limited, and ecological
assets and their use are currently not monitored and
are only minimally managed.
The near shore waters off the coast of East Caicos
contain some of the best remaining unspoiled coral reef
ecosystems in the Caribbean region. These resources
have provided the people of TCI, and particularly those
on South, North and Middle Caicos, with fishing livelihoods
for generations. Unsustainable development and
climate change are having a devastating effect on coral
reefs worldwide. By working with local stakeholders,
such as fisherfolk and the Department of Environment &
Coastal Resources (DECR), strategies to protect the coral
reef ecosystems of East Caicos can be developed, while
ensuring that the people who depend on these resources
can continue to benefit from them.
In late 2016, the Turks & Caicos Reef Fund (TCRF), the
only active environmental advocacy non-governmental
organization in the TCI, and the grant’s co-applicant, SWA
Environmental, received notice that they were awarded a
grant from the European Union’s BEST 2.0 Programme.
The BEST 2.0 Programme promotes conservation and
sustainable use of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
in Overseas Territories. The one year grant will improve
long-term conservation and sustainable use of the East
Caicos coral reef ecosystems through identification of
potentially important areas that should be considered
for some form of protection while maintaining traditional
uses of the coastal areas.
The project consists of six steps. The first, completed
early in 2017, involved identifying potentially interesting
and important marine ecosystem areas via a review of
satellite and other imagery. The next step was to conduct
preliminary qualitative surveys on East Caicos of the areas
identified in the desktop review. That work was completed
in May 2017 over four days. This effort included
underwater camera tows and manta tows (essentially,
dragging a snorkeler behind a boat to conduct a quick
survey of species present and bottom composition).
Shorebirds Find Winter Refuge in the Turks & Caicos
Islands,” which showcased new-found data from
field research on the importance of TCI’s beaches
to boreal-region breeding birds during their winter
migrations.
The conference featured new discoveries
pertinent to TCI, including regional research into flamingos
and their declining numbers; first looks at the
wintering regions of our summer Antillean nighthawk
visitors; and networks focused on the monitoring and
conservation of some of our rarest but most charismatic
birds, like West Indian whistling ducks.
The diminutive but charismatic Cuban tody, found only in Cuba,
is a popular target for birdwatchers.
The conference always arranges mid-week field trips
for the participants, and the location within the pristine
Topes de Collantes parks in the mountains of
central Cuba was ideal. DECR participants joined
the seven km La Batata & La Alfombra Magica trails,
which traversed four mountains through tropical forest
where several of Cuba’s endemic birds, including
the Cuban trogon, Cuban tody, Cuban pygmy owl,
Cuban screech owl and Cuban great lizard cuckoo
could be seen amidst mountain pine forests full of
orchids, bromeliads and tree ferns. Most importantly,
the fellowship and partnerships generated at
this conference lead to international collaborations
through BirdsCaribbean, and DECR was recognized
for its continuous involvement in the Caribbean
Waterbird Census since the programme’s inception.
(Continued on following page)
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 27

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
A map of East Caicos highlights many of its distinct areas.
The third step, completed in late July 2017, was a
workshop with East Caicos stakeholders consisting of
South Caicos fisherfolk, TCI Government officials, DECR
environmental officers and senior staff, eco-tourism operators
and local educators. Here, project staff presented
an overview of the project, the preliminary data gathered
via the surveys and reviewed the TCI’s existing designations
for protected areas.
Workshop attendees were asked to address some
questions prepared by the project team. The first question
was: “What things are happening on East Caicos
today?” The most common activities listed by the group
were various types of fishing—lobster, conch, finfish and
sport fishing. Scientific research was another frequent
activity on East Caicos and consists of tropical bird surveys,
turtle nesting surveys and tagging, historical site
research (Lucayan and Colonial ruins), cave research and
shipwreck research (East Caicos is the reported site of
the wreck of the Trouvadore, a slave ship which brought
many current TCI residents’ ancestors to the Islands) and
a small amount of tourism. All of these activities bring
benefits to the Islands, especially South Caicos, in the
form of economic support for locals who either conduct
or assist in the conduct of the activities and provide sustainable
livelihoods for those involved. Scientific research
on East Caicos brings international attention and provides
a better understanding of the environmental baseline to
help inform policy decisions. The historical and cultural
assets on East Caicos provide marketing and educational
opportunities and probably many more yet to be realized
benefits.
The coastal ecosystems of East Caicos are diverse.
There are seagrass beds where TCI fisherfolk fish for
bonefish and conch. There are extensive and very healthy
coral reefs, which are ideal for fishing, scuba diving and
snorkeling. There is also a deep water ecosystem for sport
fishing. The wetland areas are ideal areas for birdwatching
and the rocky coast on the east side of the island
provides nesting habitat for several species of birds,
including the White-Tailed Tropic Bird. And, East Caicos
contains the highest peak in the TCI, Flamingo Hill, standing
tall at 156 feet above sea level. These ecosystems
and their activities were all identified by the workshop
participants.
The workshop participants were next asked to suggest
sites around the coastal areas of East Caicos that
they believe should have some form of conservation
management. They identified eight distinct areas based
on activities and natural assets. An area on the southeast
boundary of East Caicos including Goat (sometimes
called Goose) Hill and the creek below it are excellent
areas for kayaking, birdwatching, fishing and provides
ERIC F. SALAMANCA
The rocky east coast of East Caicos provides nesting habitat for the White-Tailed Tropic Bird.
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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
an important nursery area for many juvenile species. The
eastern shoreline was mentioned because its beaches
are an important turtle nesting area and the cliffs above
the beach are where White-Tailed Tropic Birds nest.
The marine areas around Drum Point were selected as
important traditional fishing grounds for South Caicos
fisherfolk, the location of exceptional coral reefs for snorkeling
and scuba diving and as a nesting area for turtles
and Audubon Shearwaters.
The north-central coast marine area was the fourth
identified, noted for its intact and diverse coast to
reef habitats including sea grass beds, back reef, reef
crest, fore reef and wall. The marine area surrounding
Jacksonville was mentioned next as it is noted for fishing
(conch, lobster and finfish) and recreational value. The
sandbars on the north coast were discussed as the site of
turtle nesting, flamingo foraging, and contain good sea
grass habitat for conch. The sandbars are also the site of
several shipwrecks, including the slave ship Trouvadore.
The Windward Going Through channel on the northwest
edge of East Caicos is important as a nursery area for
lobster and other species, as well as a common area for
turtle foraging and recreational activities. Finally, on the
south side of East Caicos, the shallow marine areas surrounding
Nuisance Point were included in the list as an
important area for bonefishing, turtle foraging and the
habitat of many different species of birds.
As a result of this workshop, important areas of traditional
use have been identified to help guide the next
step—a quantitative survey of the marine resources in
these key areas. This work will be conducted in September
2017 by a group of scientists and citizen scientists who
have been trained to conduct coral reef surveys. The data
from these detailed surveys of coral species, fish species
and other benthic features will be used to identify areas
with RTE (rare, threatened or endangered) species and
to provide a detailed map of the key biodiversity areas
around the coast of East Caicos.
Another workshop will be held later in 2017 to share
these findings again with a group of stakeholders and to
further discuss what they believe are appropriate and reasonable
conservation management plans to protect the
Dr. Eric Salamanca (far right) and the DECR are recognised for
continuous participation in the Caribbean Waterbird Census
since the programme’s inception.
Carrying out regular bird monitoring at important
sites, reporting sightings of rare species and participating
in international events like Migratory Bird Day
and Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival are all components
of TCI’s collaborations through BirdsCaribbean.
Encouraging bird conservation through the increasing
hobby and market in birdwatching (which
generates over $1 billion annually in North America
alone) is an important focus of DECR’s work, and its
link to TCI’s tourism sector. The international collaborations
through the BirdsCaribbean International
Conferences help develop and propagate ideas that
benefit birds, the environment and people. a
To find out more about BirdsCaribbean, visit
www.birdscaribbean.org.
natural assets while preserving traditional uses. A final
report will be issued on the project in January 2018 and
TCRF along with SWA Environmental will use that report
to continue a dialog with DECR and local stakeholders on
conservation management plans for East Caicos shoreline
and reefs. a
NOTE: This document has been produced with the financial
assistance of the European Union. The contents of
this document are the sole responsibility of the Turks &
Caicos Reef Fund and SWA Environmental and can under
no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position
of the European Union.
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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
HEIDI HERTLER
The beautiful coral reefs off the island of South Caicos are home to a variety of marine life, including this majestic Southern Stingray.
Coral Health, Global Wealth
Research on South Caicos helps to protect the island’s marine ecosystems.
By Sarah Fleming and Heidi Hertler, Ph.D.
While swimming above a coral reef, it is difficult to deny its intrinsic beauty, but once you dive in deeper,
it becomes impossible to refute the complexity, biodiversity and importance of the world’s coral reefs.
Coral reefs are some of the most biologically diverse and highly productive ecosystems on our planet.
Covering only 1% of the Earth’s surface, coral reefs harbor 25% of all marine life and support more species
per area than any other marine environment. Not only do these structures provide habitat to over
2 million marine organisms, but they also offer protection and production for 1 billion people. A small
portion of this population can be found at the southern end of the Bahamian archipelago on the Turks
& Caicos Islands, where the reefs are undoubtedly “Beautiful by Nature.”
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HEIDI HERTLER
The Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI) benefit directly and
indirectly from coral reefs. The vast structures provide
protection from potentially damaging waves, erosion
and property damage. In addition, queen conch (Lobatus
gigas) and the Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus)
thrive in this environment, which helps to support healthy
and sustainable fisheries as well as a thriving tourism
industry. Understanding the critical importance of coastal
marine ecosystems, the TCI established an all-encompassing
network of 34 protected areas, including reef,
mangrove, seagrass and sand bank habitats.
Despite the high value we place on coral reefs and
our protection efforts, they are currently at risk. There are
a number of driving forces that exacerbate one another,
impacting our world’s reefs. Global climate change combined
with localized human impacts is causing corals to
bleach and contract diseases, leading to dramatic phase
shifts. Coral reefs that were once teeming with healthy
corals, colorful fish, unique invertebrates and charismatic
megafauna are now underwater ghost towns dominated
by macroalgae, coral rubble and a lack of three-dimensional
structure. Overfishing of exploitable reef species,
sedimentation, water pollution from on-shore development
and population growth also attribute to stress
placed on our reefs. It is imperative that communities
everywhere take steps towards mitigating and preventing
the destruction of these crucial, irreplaceable, habitats.
Fortunately, the TCI’s extensive protected areas have
helped to preserve the reefs’ natural beauty and biodiversity.
On South Caicos, a unique opportunity to study and
monitor long-term environmental changes was seized
upon by The School for Field Studies’ Center for Marine
Resource Studies (SFS CMRS). The School for Field Studies
(SFS) is a US-based academic institution that provides
multidisciplinary, field-based environmental study abroad
opportunities to undergraduate university students. Each
SFS program (eight in total) focuses on a different region
of the world and its distinct cultural and ecological characteristics
and unique environmental challenges.
Faculty and students at SFS CMRS on South Caicos
work in collaboration with a wide variety of local stakeholders
including: the Department of Environment &
Coastal Resources (DECR), the TCReef Fund, local fishermen,
processing plants and even tourists to protect
and help manage the conservation of the island’s many
marine ecosystems.
Healthy coral reefs sustain a thriving tourism industry in the TCI, as
divers flock to see these irreplaceable habitats.
At SFS CMRS there is a strong focus and importance
placed on studying and better understanding the impacts
of climate change on the local ecosystems. Current longterm
monitoring and data collection has already yielded
several observations related to temperature change on
organism metabolism, water chemistry altering the carbonate
cycle, precipitation change on water balance, and
wind and water circulation pattern changes. This is crucial
to understanding the impacts of climate change and
is beneficial to stakeholders, policymakers and community
members alike.
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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
CAMILLA SMITH HEIDI HERTLER
From top: The SFS research teams use Coral Watch surveys over a
permanent transect.
A member of the South Caicos Marine Research Club is enjoying the
reef survey!
Society’s growing industrial and agricultural practices
have led to increased amounts of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in
the atmosphere. The ocean absorbs one quarter of that
CO 2 each year, consequently decreasing the ocean’s pH
levels, a phenomenon known as ocean acidification. This
altered environment makes it difficult for hard corals to
grow and leaves them susceptible to coral diseases.
Coral bleaching is a major driving force seen across
all coral reefs. Rising sea surface temperatures over the
past century has caused corals to become stressed. When
corals are stressed they expel their internal photosynthetic
alga, called zooxanthellae. These zooxanthellae
are responsible for the corals’ notorious coloring, but
when the organisms are released the corals appear
white, a process commonly referred to as coral bleaching.
Fortunately, corals do have the ability to reabsorb
zooxanthellae, so bleaching itself is not entirely fatal, yet
it does leave corals more susceptible and vulnerable to
contracting fatal diseases.
On South Caicos, SFS CMRS faculty, staff and students
are working hard to better understand the rate and
severity of coral bleaching on the reef. Throughout the
Admiral Cockburn Land & Sea National Park there are
four study sites with permanently marked areas at three
depths. The research team revisits these permanent areas
to collect baseline data on the health of the coral reef. To
collect the data and assess the ecosystem, a wide variety
of tools and methods are used including: the Atlantic and
Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment protocol, recording the fish
species abundance (including the invasive lionfish), and
photographing the benthic assemblage for composition
analysis using specialized software. These methods provide
a thorough picture of overall reef health.
With the increasing pressure to save the world’s coral
reefs, citizen science practices are becoming more and
more valuable. SFS CMRS also utilizes a widely accepted
and understood method known as Coral Watch, which
allows researchers of all education levels to record quantitative
bleaching data for analysis.
The data collected for the benthic reef assessment
are beginning to exhibit patterns across the study sites.
The benthic environment is composed of approximately
15% live coral cover, with the majority being sea rods
(Pseudoplexaura spp.), star corals (Montastraea spp.),
and sheet corals (Agaricia spp.). Overall, the sites with
greater coral cover also appear to have greater fish abun-
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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
dance. In addition, sites closer to the main shipping
channel have a lower percentage of live corals, suggesting
a potential anthropogenic stressor. SFS CMRS is the
only organization currently carrying out research and collecting
data on the reefs in this area, so it is crucial that
this work is continued to better understand regional and
global coral health.
This past year, SFS CMRS launched a new youth
research program. With the help of TCReef Fund, the
South Caicos Marine Research Club was created to get
young community members involved in assessing the
shallower reefs around South Caicos. Once children have
successfully completed snorkel lessons and have shown
an interest in learning more about the marine environment,
they have the opportunity to become junior
researchers.
The junior researchers participate in reef fish, conch,
and Coral Watch surveys to help monitor the health of
nearby snorkel sites. The Research Club began by teaching
local children simple field identification of common
fish, corals and seagrasses. Once comfortable with the
identifications, they enter the field where they conduct
20-minute surveys on snorkel at up to four permanent
study sites. SFS students assist by serving as leaders and
mentors. Following each field exercise, junior researchers
and SFS mentors return to the classroom to discuss
observations from the day. The South Caicos Marine
Research Club is a great way for staff, students and local
community members to come together and work towards
conserving the coral reefs.
The prospect of at least one junior researcher developing
a strong interest or lifelong passion for marine
biology is promising, and it is efforts like these that will
help coral reefs in the future. No matter what they decide
to do later on in life, it is likely that students will carry
the lessons and experiences with them to help better the
Earth’s marine environments.
Flourishing reefs are crucial support systems of a
healthy planet and wealthy economy. Without them,
global fish stocks will continue to decline, tourism industries
will suffer and other ecosystems will be irreparably
altered. We must continue studying, protecting and conserving
the environment to ensure its intrinsic beauty,
high levels of biodiversity and productivity for future generations.
a
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 33

ISTOCK

feature
Opposite page: Accounts of where Columbus first stepped ashore in the Americas have ignited fierce academic battles.
Above: On August 3, 1492, Columbus departed Spain with the small, nimble caravels La Niña and La Pinta, and the larger, slower “carrack”
flagship Santa Maria.
ISTOCK
The First Columbus Landfall
Making the case for Grand Turk.
By Ben Stubenberg
Just where did Christopher Columbus make first landfall during his epic voyage across the Atlantic in
1492 to what we now call the Americas? As many as ten islands vie for that distinction in the Lucayan
Archipelago that encompasses the Bahamas and Turks & Caicos Islands.
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 35

The competing theories drawn from shards of evidence
more than 500 years old are worthy of a who-done-it
detective novel. Indeed, the varying accounts of where
Columbus really stepped ashore have ignited academic
battles as fierce as any. The stakes are high because the
first voyage of Columbus connected the continents and
their peoples separated for thousands of years, arguably
the most consequential event in human history.
Columbus, of course, was not the first visitor from
across the Atlantic. The Viking Norsemen sailing to
Greenland and Newfoundland in the year 1000 can claim
that credit. And other visitors—African, Basque and
Breton sailors—likely made voyages across the Atlantic
before Columbus that went unrecorded.
But the expedition that Columbus launched profoundly
changed the world forever in a way that the
others did not. His happenstance landing on that low,
flat, “bean shaped” island surrounded by reefs, beaches
and “the most beautiful waters” in the pre-dawn hours of
October 12 decidedly ushered in a new age.
The discovery triggered a tidal wave of immigrant
conquerors seeking quick riches, and set in motion the
enslavement, murder and near extermination of the
native peoples. Expanding colonies fostered the emergence
of powerful new empires and the fall of others. A
new order took hold that sharpened divisions between
overlords and the subjugated, culminating in the massive
and monstrous slave trade from Africa that underpinned
the creation of vast new fortunes. Indeed, the wealth
generated from Caribbean plantations worked by slaves
provided a critical concentration of capital in Europe that
financed the Industrial Revolution and made possible
modern society.
Pinpointing where Columbus landed matters
because it goes to the heart of historical inquiry: How
did it happen? Not asking this question would deny the
inquisitiveness that defines our humanity. After all, the
landfall unleashed forces that made us who we are today,
particularly so for those of us living in the West Indies—
named, of course, for the woefully wrong assumption by
Columbus that he arrived in the Orient, then referred to
as “The Indies.”
Original error
Two centuries earlier, Marco Polo pioneered an eastward
overland route from Turkey to the fabled kingdoms of
Cathay and Cipango (now known as China and Japan)
that generated substantial wealth for traders in silk and
spice. But in 1453, the gateway city of Constantinople
(now Istanbul) fell to the Ottomans, making such treks far
more dangerous and near impossible. Maritime explorers
had considerable incentive to find a sea route to the
Orient to resume the lucrative trade. While the Portuguese
made good progress going south, hugging the coast of
Africa before heading east, Columbus proposed heading
west—not knowing, of course, that another hemisphere
lay in between.
He and other educated people of his day understood
the spherical form of the planet based largely on
theories developed by the ancient Greek philosopher/
geographers. Many of them got surprisingly close to the
actual size we know today. But some of the ancients,
notably Ptolemy building on the works of Marinus of Tyre,
believed the earth to be about 3/4 of its true size.
Columbus bought into the smaller, inaccurate model,
but compounded the error by applying the shorter
“Italian” mile, instead of the longer “Arab” mile, to the
maps ancient geographers used for measuring the size
of the earth. The Italian mile equated to .74 mile (1.24
km) in today’s measurement standards. An Arab mile
equaled about 1.1 miles (1.9 km), representing a significant
35% difference. Based on this mistake, Columbus
estimated the distance to the Orient from the Canary
Islands (the westernmost islands in the Atlantic and
logical jumping-off point) to be only 3,000 Italian miles
(2,300 miles/3,700 km). At an average speed of six knots
with favorable winds, an Atlantic crossing to the Indies
looked to be a reasonable, if still risky, proposition. Had
Columbus used the longer Arab mile and applied it to a
larger sphere, he would have calculated a much longer
distance for the voyage—and a far more daunting challenge.
Setting sail
Portuguese and Spanish mariners, along with others
including Columbus (originally from the Republic of
Genoa, now part of modern Italy), had already sailed well
into the Atlantic. In the course of exploration, the Iberian
sailors discovered and settled the Azores, Madeira, and
Canary Islands and developed a significant body of
knowledge and confidence in their maritime capabilities.
Improved ship construction, particularly the development
of triangular “lateen” sailing rigs for caravels that greatly
improved handling in headwinds, also bolstered the prospect
of longer voyages.
Armed with the gifts of persistence, charm and persuasion,
Columbus over time managed to convince Queen
Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain to finance most of
36 www.timespub.tc

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the expedition’s cost. Having driven the Moors out of
Spain earlier in 1492 and consolidated their kingdoms,
the monarchs had their own incentive to gain an advan-
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tage over their more advanced Portuguese neighbors and
other rivals. (Ironically, the Portuguese king turned down
Columbus when he approached him earlier.) Columbus
quickly brought in other investors and secured and outfitted
three ships: The small, nimble caravels La Niña and
La Pinta and the older, larger, slower “carrack” or “nao”
flagship Santa Maria.
On August 3, 1492 the ships departed from the
Spanish port city of Palos to the Canary Islands. After a
stop in Gomera Island to repair the Pinta’s rudder and
take on provisions, Columbus set sail on September 6.
His course took him within sight of the western-most
Canary Island of El Hierro, at which point he caught the
prevailing westerly winds and steered due west into the
vast blue unknown using compass dead reckoning.
After 36 days of sailing, Rodrigo de Triana, a sailor
aboard La Pinta, shouted out in the early morning hours,
“¡Tierra! ¡Tierra!,” (Land! Land!). La Pinta set off a canon
charge, a pre-arranged signal when land was sighted. To
hold their positions until daylight and avoid hitting rocks
or reef, the ships steered their bows into the wind and
replaced the main sails with smaller fore and aft “treo”
sails. The rising sun behind them a few hours later confirmed
a long island lying on a north–south axis with
high bluffs clearly visible with many other small islands
around. But where?
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Chief proponent
Scholars most often cite San Salvador (until 1926 known
as Watling Island) in the eastern middle section of the
Bahamas as the most likely location for the Columbus
landfall. National Geographic magazine, also a player,
has long promoted nearby Samana Cay, which lies 72
miles (120 km) south–southeast. However, many uncertainties
remain and evidence for the first landings in
those islands is far from conclusive.
Enter historian Josiah Marvel, longtime visitor to
Provo and part-time resident of Salt Cay. He has become
the most ardent and leading advocate for Grand Turk as
the most likely landing. (See Times of the Islands, Fall
1992.) A septuagenarian originally from New York, Mr.
Marvel suffers no fools. With his professorial bearing,
he looks and acts like a man on a mission to correct a
momentous historical mistake.
Mr. Marvel has poured the better part of his adult
life into making the case for Grand Turk as the true first
38 www.timespub.tc

Tim Ainley (at left) and historian Josiah Marvel, who is the leading advocate for Grand Turk as Columbus’s most likely landing, put the theory
to the test in November 2014 aboard sailing vessel Destiny.
TWATIMES_Layout 1 2/16/17 7:49 AM Page 1
JON NICKSON–EYESPICE PHOTOGRAPHY
landfall. He has done his homework with uncommon
verve, spending years locating and translating original
documents from the time of Columbus in the libraries of
Seville and other parts of Spain. And he has stood fast in
defending his theory in the face of unmerciful academic
onslaught. His efforts yielded a comprehensive, fascinating
and convincing assessment of the 1492 voyage titled,
Columbus’s Grand Turk Landing.
Leaving no stone unturned, Mr. Marvel meticulously
lays out a mountain of evidence with forceful, logical
arguments that draw on Columbus’s logbook, Diario*,
the recordings of his contemporaries, and academic work
through the centuries. He compares descriptions of landfall
features of Grand Turk and other islands, discusses
observations made of native peoples encountered, and
delves into cartographic depictions and medieval systems
of measurement. But the impact of magnetic variation on
the westerly heading forms the strongest and most compelling
argument supporting the Grand Turk landfall.
Magnetic variation
The earth’s magnetic field causes a compass needle to
point to a location called the magnetic north pole (in
the northern hemisphere), thus enabling mariners to
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Times of the Islands Fall 2017 39

COURTESY BEN STUBENBERG
This painting by Haitian artist Burnes supports archeological surveys that indicate there was a sizable Indian presence on many islands of
the Turks & Caicos very close to 1492.
navigate and hold a course in an ocean when there are
no landmarks. However, magnetic north and true geographical
north differ. The angle between the true north
and magnetic north is known as magnetic variation (or
declination) that must be accounted for, especially when
traveling great distances, to ensure accurate navigation.
Only in one instance do magnetic north and true
north line up. We call this today the agonic line (literally
“line of no angle”). The agonic line migrates slowly and
erratically over centuries to different locations depending
in large part on the movement of electrically charged convection
currents within the earth’s molten metallic core.
Mariners in Columbus’s time had some awareness
of variation between true north, located using the polar
North Star, and where the compass pointed. But that variation
was small when sailing through the Mediterranean
Sea and off the coast of West Africa and consistently
to the east. Compass makers calibrated accordingly. In
other words, little to worry about.
After Columbus set sail from Spain to the Canary
Islands, he noted that the compass and true north aligned
when cross-checked with the polar North Star. Unknown
to him, he was crossing the agonic line in the middle
of the North Atlantic. Therefore, when Columbus set a
course of due west at El Hierro island, the compass needle
continued to point close to true north in near alignment
with the agonic line. This meant an initially close to accurate
westerly course.
As Columbus sailed further west—away from the
agonic line— he and the pilots noticed that the compass
north began to vary from the polar North Star. In
particular, they observed a westerly variation not seen
before because all of their sailing experience had been
east of the agonic line. This strange inconsistency created
considerable distress among the crew, as it called into
question the accuracy of their navigation.
Columbus managed to calm the fears temporarily
by asserting that the polar North Star had “moved,” and
therefore the westerly compass heading was accurate.
An uncorroborated story alleges that Columbus secretly
turned the compass card so the needle would not appear
to deviate as much from the North Star when the pilots
cross-checked.
The reassurance did not last as the sailors became
increasingly skeptical that land would be found before
supplies of food and water ran out. Around day 33 of the
voyage, the captain of La Pinta, Martín Alonzo Pinzón,
and other officers gave Columbus an ultimatum: If they
did not find land in three days, they would turn around
and return to Spain. Two days later at 2 AM on October
40 www.timespub.tc

12, just before the deadline, de Triana saw “a white head
of sand” in the sea ahead and raised his eyes to see land.
Mr. Marvel submits that de Triana saw the sandy bottom
in the moonlight that uniquely fits the waters 7 miles
(11 km) off Grand Turk, the approximate location of the
ships. The island sighting restored confidence and forestalled
the threatened mutiny. (Incidentally, Columbus
disputed de Triana’s sighting as being the first because
he claimed to have sighted a “light,” indicating land,
four hours earlier, thus denying de Triana a substantial
reward).
Although something was clearly amiss in the navigation
of that first voyage, just how much magnetic
variation played took five centuries to begin to resolve.
Past locations (as well as future positions) of the agonic
line arbitrarily shift and are not easily determined, as the
movement leaves no record in the same way that, say,
geological formations or fossils do. So, until recently,
no basis existed to infer the role of magnetic variation
beyond speculation.
An 1899 study by Dutch geophysicist William van
Bemmelen, drawing from several previous studies,
concluded that magnetic variation had little impact on
Columbus’s westerly course. Using that analysis, a dead
reckoning westerly course from El Hierro would in fact
be a straight shot to San Salvador (or Samana Cay), thus
initially giving credence to one of those islands being the
first landfall. Columbus too recorded the same latitude
from El Hierro to the landfall island, even though variation
was clearly detected.
The 1899 study that downplayed the role of magnetic
variation during the voyage went unchallenged for almost
a century, as Mr. Marvel points out. Not until 1989—and
the advent of more powerful computers—did a study
by Dr. Phillip L. Richardson and Roger A. Goldsmith at
the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution re-examine
the impact of magnetic variation on the Columbus voyage.
Published in 1992—the 500th anniversary of the
Columbus landing—the study ran a numerical computer
simulation from data supplied by Mr. Marvel showing a
significant variation of 1 compass point or 11.25 degrees
West. This variation, according to Dr. Richardson and Mr.
Goldsmith, as well as Mr. Marvel, indicates that while they
were sailing west, they were veering imperceptibly southward.
The authors corroborated their finding with six previously
unconsidered accounts by mariners who arrived
in the Americas shortly after Columbus and reported
noticeable variation between compass and true north.
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When we apply the shorter Italian mile used by Columbus
(also expressed as “leagues” equaling 4 Italian miles or
2.67 nautical miles) and correlate that with the influence
of magnetic variation, the terminus for the voyage fits
closely with Grand Turk—not the more northerly and
westerly locations of San Salvador/Watling or Samana
Cay. As the Woods Hole study summarizes, “The evidence
to date implies that Grand Turk is a reasonable choice for
the first landfall based on the transatlantic voyage.”
The landing
We can only imagine the excitement of the sailors as they
awaited the daylight that October morning that would
fully reveal the dark silhouette of an island. Descriptions
from the Diario and other accounts of what they saw offer
more valuable clues that strengthen the case for Grand
Turk.
In Historia General, an extensive account of the
first voyage in 1547, Columbus contemporary Gonzalo
Fernandez de Oviedo wrote that on the morning of
October 12, several cays were seen with the landfall
island (called by its Lucayan** Indian name Guanahani)
laying to the north. This comports with the many cays
south of Grand Turk that would have been easily visible:
Salt Cay, Cotton Cay, Pinzón Cay, Pear Cay, Long Cay,
Round Cay and Gibbs Cay. More revealing, Mr. Marvel
points out, Oviedo goes on to state, “And he (Columbus)
arrived at them (the islets), especially that of Guanahani,
and stayed between it and another which is called Caicos.”
The unique reference to “Caicos” in proximity to the landfall
island strongly suggests the island of South Caicos,
which is only 21 miles (35 km) from Grand Turk.
Sailing north and circling around the landfall island,
Columbus records that he found a cut in the reef on
the protected northwest side and a sandy bottom for
anchorage. This conforms to Grand Turk topography and
anchoring requirements at the time. Specifically, ships
used rope (not chain) anchor lines, so sailors avoided
sharp rocks and coral that could sever the lines.
Columbus promptly went ashore, took “possession”
of the island in the name of the Spanish king and queen,
and named it San Salvador (Holy Saviour). At about the
same time, he encountered Indians, most likely Lucayan,
a branch of the larger Taino Indian peoples who lived
in what is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic. He
described the natives as peaceful, athletic, handsome,
without religion (but convertible to Christianity) and
naked as the day they were born.
The following day on October 13, Columbus described
a laguna, which can be interpreted as a large pond, in the
middle of the island. North Creek in the northern half of
Grand Turk matches that observation nicely. Such a pond,
Mr. Marvel states, would be visible from the deck of a ship
like the Santa Maria anchored off the northwest shore of
Grand Turk. Also on the second day, Columbus set out in
a rowing boat to explore the coast. On the southeastern
part of the island, he came upon an excellent anchorage
protected by a long reef, which he described with
flourish in the Diario, “And in between it (the reef and
the shore) remains deep and a port for as many ships as
there are in all of Christiandom.” The Hawks Nest area on
the southeast end of Grand Turk bears a remarkable sim-
42 www.timespub.tc

ilarity. Indeed, 300 years later, the British Navy in 1799
also noted that this same reef-protected bay would make
a fine anchorage for ships.
While some of the descriptions apply to the island of
San Salvador and Samana Cay, all of them apply to Grand
Turk, thus strengthening the case for Grand Turk.
Convinced that the islands were not far from his real
destinations of Cipango and Cathay, Columbus tried hard
to glean information from the Lucayans. They, of course,
spoke a language incomprehensible to him and had no
clue what he was talking about. Columbus did see that
the natives had some small pieces of gold that suggested
there had to be more not far away. To gain their cooperation,
Columbus showered them with trinket gifts of
beads and tiny bells. The natives indicated to Columbus
that a large land lay to the south where much gold could
be found. After all, Columbus launched the voyage in a
quest for riches and power, not exploration for its own
sake.
Although some scholars had long floated Grand Turk
as a possible landfall island candidate, most rejected it.
First, because of the absence of magnetic variation as a
significant factor, which has now been established. And
second, because no evidence of an Indian settlement on
Grand Turk could be found, an essential factor since no
one disputes the encounter with Indians on the landfall
island. In 1989, archeologist Dr. Bill Keegan did find
evidence of Indian settlements on Grand Turk, but concluded
the Indians had abandoned them well before the
Columbus arrival, thus once again seeming to eliminate
Grand Turk as a landfall candidate.
However, further subsequent archeological surveys
indicate a sizable Indian presence on many other islands
of the Turk & Caicos very close to 1492 (Times of the
Islands, Winter 2005). In particular, an archeological survey
in 2015 on Cotton Cay, just 6 miles (10 km) south of
Grand Turk, found artifacts that were radiocarbon dated
to between the years 1405 and 1445. Radiocarbon dates
that close to 1492 makes it reasonable to infer that a
larger island like Grand Turk also had a population of
Indians who could have greeted Columbus at the time of
his arrival, even if specific evidence for that has yet to be
found. Archeological work is ongoing.
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Following Columbus
In 2014, longtime Providenciales mariner Captain Tim
Ainley organized a sailing expedition with Sy Marvel,
Captain Dave Calvert, photographer/videographer
Jon Nickson and others to retrace the second leg and
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 43

JON NICKSON–EYESPICE PHOTOGRAPHY
Members of the “Following Columbus” 2014 expedition explore the rocky ridge on the western end of Grand Turk.
third leg of the Columbus voyage. Named “Following
Columbus” (Times of the Islands, Winter 2014), the expedition
departed from Grand Turk and followed the reefs
from South Caicos north along East Caicos and Middle
Caicos before rounding North Caicos to Pine Cay. In Pine
Cay, the modern-day mariners noted a wide cut in the
reef and confirmed a sandy bottom good for anchoring
late 15th century ships, all of which corresponds closely
to Columbus’s descriptions. From Pine Cay, Mr. Marvel
points out, Columbus said he saw hills to the west, which
comports with Blue Hills on Providenciales.
As Columbus sailed from what is likely Pine Cay, he
and his crew spied a lone native in a dugout canoe and
brought him on board the ship. Columbus noted that the
native had with him trinkets he had given the Indians on
the landfall island. This meant that the Indian had been
in Grand Turk when they landed there and, remarkably,
paddled some 70 miles (112 km). The canoeist indicated
where he was headed, which Columbus followed, with the
Indian on board, on an east-to-west course.
The “Following Columbus” expedition sailed that
same route that led to Mayaguana island (now part of the
Bahamas). Called Fernadina by Columbus, it lies 39 miles
(62 km) west–northwest of Providenciales. Again, the
narrative given by Columbus matches. While sailing the
southern coast of this island, Columbus reported anchoring
off a large harbour too shallow for his ships to enter,
though deep enough for his row boats. The “Following
Columbus” captains identified this as Abraham’s Bay,
thus providing yet another indicator that Columbus’s
journey took him here rather than the more northerly
Bahamian islands.
“Following Columbus” launched two more expeditions,
including one that retraced Columbus’s purported
route from San Salvador/Watling to see if it accorded
from a mariner’s perspective. It did not. The islands
west of San Salvador/Watling and Samana Cay lack good
anchorages and bear little resemblance to the Columbus
account in the Diario.
Off the coast of Haiti
We know that Columbus reached the eastern end of Cuba,
thanks in part to Lucayan Indians he had lured on to the
ship as guides. From Cuba, he turned around and headed
east again, where he came across the lush, mountainous
coast of what is now northern Haiti on the island he
named Hispañola. Here, Columbus encountered well populated
Taino Indian settlements and befriended a major
chief of the region, Cacique Guancanagari. During the
early morning hours of December 25, while the Santa
Maria sailed slowly along the coast in calm waters, the
pilot on watch apparently grew tired and gave the tiller
44 www.timespub.tc

ERA Katherine AdTimesSum17_Layout 1 5/2/17 2:14 PM Page 1
to a 14 year-old boy so he could take a nap. A short time
later, a sudden shudder awakened the crew. The Santa
Maria had run smack into a reef or sandbar.
At daybreak, Taino Indians arrived in canoes to help
get the ship loose, but to no avail. Luckily, La Niña was
sailing within sight and approached, but did not have
enough room onboard to take everyone from the now
shipwrecked Santa Maria. So, Columbus asked for volunteers
to stay behind. Forty men quickly agreed, and
Columbus promised to return to pick them up the following
year. He ordered planks torn from the ship to build a
crude fort called La Navidad (Christmas) for the stay-behinds
to live in. Archeologists have since located the site
not far from what is now the city of Cap-Haitien. (Note:
Columbus did return the following year in 1493 to pick
up the men, but the Tainos had apparently killed them.
We do not know the circumstances, but once-good relations
that Columbus had with the natives soured severely
after that.)
The Haiti visit provides strong support for the Grand
Turk landfall theory. Before departing the coast of Haiti
for the journey back to Spain in January 1493, Columbus
estimated the latitude position to be 26 degrees north
(using the latitude designations of his time). Three
months earlier, he had recorded the landfall island’s
latitude to the north at 27 1/2 degrees, a 1.5 degree
difference. That difference equated to 90 nautical miles
(103 miles/165 km), almost the same distance between
Grand Turk and the closest point to northern Hispañola
near the Haiti/Dominican Republic border. By contrast,
San Salvador/Watling Island lies three times farther north
based on the 1.5 degree latitude difference. Samana Cay
lies only slightly closer, but still 2.5 times farther north,
thus making those islands unlikely landfalls.
Final thoughts
De Triana’s cry, “¡Tierra! ¡Tierra!,” echoes through the
centuries as it did on that early moonlit morning 525
years ago. Debate continues on where the three small
ships “hove to” into the wind to await daylight for the
landfall that promised the crew’s survival and accolades
for discovering a westerly route to the Orient.
The weight of evidence, thanks to dedicated scholarship
and voyage re-creations, surely now leans heavily
toward Grand Turk/Guanahani. More probable than anywhere,
two vastly different worlds first met here in this
string of island reefs the Tainos/Lucayans called “Caicu,”
and dramatically changed our collective destinies forever.
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Times of the Islands Fall 2017 45

OLIVIA SAVOURE
Historian Josiah Marvel, longtime visitor to Providenciales and part-time resident of Salt Cay, has poured the better part of his adult life into
making the case for Grand Turk as the true first landfall.
Mudjin Harbour, or the Columbus Passage, and imagine
seeing two small caravels trailed by a slower ship sailing
across with big red crosses on billowing sails and pennants
fluttering in the wind.
After Columbus returned from his epic voyage, unimpressed
noblemen at a dinner party claimed anyone could
have done it by just sailing west. Columbus supposedly
threw out his own challenge. He took an egg and asked
the sneering noblemen to stand the egg upright on its tip
without any external support. They tried over and over
but could not do it. Columbus then grabbed the egg and
cracked the large end into the table so that it stood on its
own shell. “There!” he is alleged to have said. “Any one of
you could have done it, but I did it.”
No one doubts Columbus’s courage, vision and
extraordinary talent as a mariner whose actions dramatically
altered the course of history. Nonetheless, in my
opinion, we cannot allow him to escape complicity in the
enslavement and near extermination of Indian peoples.
The first voyage was peaceful enough—if you exclude
the kidnapping of the Indians through trickery and taking
them back to Spain where most of them died. But the second
voyage in 1493 commenced with vengeance against
the Indians, in part because he found dead the 40 crew
46 www.timespub.tc

members left behind at La Navidad in Northern Haiti.
Some contend that Columbus’s involvement in the
ever-expanding gruesome exploitation and killing of
Indians conformed with the violent and brutal “tenor
of the times.” After all, the Spanish Inquisition had
just gotten started and went on for almost 350 years.
Slavery among the well-to-do in the Mediterranean was
not unusual in the circles Columbus ran in. But that lets
Columbus and those who came later off the hook too easily
because the “tenor of the times” was more complicated
and hardly uniform.
In fact, contemporaries of Columbus did object.
Spanish friar and social reformer Bartolomé de las Casas,
in particular, documented the atrocities perpetrated
against Indians and made the case for intervention to
stop it. Even after the first voyage when Columbus proposed
to Queen Isabella that Indians be made slaves,
the queen asked that the Indies be slave-free, though
she later changed her mind. Thus, well-placed people of
conscience, a minority to be sure, called attention to the
burgeoning cruelty being inflicted on native peoples and
condemned it. Columbus did not, though most certainly
aware of the countervailing viewpoints. Indians too practiced
a form of enslavement and perpetrated their own
atrocities against one another. But even if “both sides
did it,” one still has to be accountable, especially when
Columbus and those who followed arrived as an invading
force with the power to prevail.
In the end, Columbus must be given his due as one
of the world’s greatest maritime explorers—but his
achievements cannot be divorced from his crimes against
humanity and therefore should not be celebrated. a
* Columbus’s original Diario has been lost to time, but
transcribed copies still exist. While detailed, they will
always leave open the question of accuracy.
** The term Lucayan is the Anglicization of the Spanish
version Lucayos, that in turn was derived from the original
Taino word Lukku-Cairi, meaning “people of the islands.”
Ben Stubenberg is a contributing writer to Times of the
Islands with a passion for Turks & Caicos Islands history.
An avid ocean man, he is the co-founder of the sports and
adventure tour company Caicu Naniki and the annual
Turks & Caicos “Race for the Conch” Eco-SeaSwim. Ben
can be reached at ben@caicunaniki.com.
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 47

astrolabe
newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
front street, p.o. box 188, grand turk, turks & caicos islands, bwi
tel 649 946 2160 • fax 649 946 2160 • email info@tcmuseum.org • web www.tcmuseum.org
TCNM COLLECTION
Clockwise from top left: The Grant Building and Woodville collapsed during Hurricane Ike in 2008. The Bascombe House was destroyed by
arson in the 1980s.
Opposite page: The lovely Old Iron Building on Front Street in Grand Turk also burnt down in the 1980s. Six metal pillars, shipped in from
England in 1870 and salvaged from the ruins, are now displayed in the Museum Garden.
The National Lost & Found
Department
By Dr. Donald H. Keith, President, Turks & Caicos National Museum Foundation
In March 2017, Grand Turk lost yet another grand old 19th-century building and landmark to arson.
Tragically, an even greater loss than the Victoria Public Library building itself was the original documents
and records stored inside.
While pondering this senseless destruction it occurred to me that the National Museum is a kind of
“Lost and Found” department in its own right, a place where lost things are found, and kept safe for their
rightful owners, the people of the Turks & Caicos Islands.
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
Based on the surviving masonry elements, the Library
can be reproduced to resemble the original, but it will
not be the same. The original documents recording how,
why and by whom the Library was created were destroyed
along with the building, so it cannot be replicated precisely.
Fortunately, in 1976 Museum Founder Grethe
Seim, while volunteering at the Library, found the original
1887 and subsequent documents pertaining to its
creation, copied them and added them to the Museum’s
holdings. After the fire, these records were found by
Museum Director Pat Saxton and made available to the
architectural firm charged with rebuilding the Library.
Not everything from the past can be saved for the
future, and perhaps that is just as well. Nothing lasts forever,
and the old inevitably must make way for the new.
But perhaps the most important thing found in the TCI
since the creation of the Museum is the realization that
now is the time to selectively collect and preserve certain
things before they are lost forever. Here we are not just
talking about buildings but also photographs, historic
and prehistoric artifacts, windmills, salinas, folk music,
stories, riddles, bush medicine, natural history, national
and international relations—you name it.
In that regard, the Museum has been remarkably
successful. Yes, there have been many losses on Grand
Turk since the Museum opened its doors: the Bascombe
House, the Wrought Iron Building and the old Cable &
Wireless buildings lost to arson; Woodville and the Grant
Building lost to Hurricane Ike; graves on the island, windmills
in the salinas, and even the Government archive lost
to neglect.
But think of the successes! The things that have
been found, excavated, conserved, recorded, researched
and reported: shipwrecks such as the Molasses Reef
Wreck; the U.S. Brig of War Chippewa, and the slave ship
Trouvadore; Lucayan Indian sites on Cotton Cay, West
Caicos and Grand Turk; the discovery of the RMS Rhone
bell on South Caicos, the larger-than-life accomplishments
of “hard hat” diver Jeremiah Denis Murphy; and the
tracking down of historic and prehistoric artifacts from
the TCI sold to foreign museums such as the Smithsonian
and the American Museum of Natural History long ago—
just to name a few.
The National Museum is like a library, but more comprehensive.
One not limited to books and other forms
of literature but expanded to include photographs, artworks,
folktales, stories and artifacts from the prehistoric
and historic periods to the Space Age. That is well and
good, but the fate of the Victoria Public Library brings
into sharp focus the vulnerability of such an institution
to loss. The Museum’s Directors have taken notice and
begun the costly, but necessary process of upgrading its
defenses against the destructive elements of both nature
and society. a
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TCNM COLLECTION
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 49

astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
This sad photo shows the state of Grand Turk’s
beloved Victoria Public Library after the fire in
March 2017.
SEAMUS DAY
Library Tales
There is nothing like a library for making memories.
By Pat Saxton, Director, Turks & Caicos National Museum
My earliest memory of the neighborhood library was from grade school. Founded in 1875, Bayne Park
Library was one of the oldest, scariest buildings in the borough of Belleview, Pennsylvania. Getting a
library card was a rite of passage and I was proud to be issued one. I loved reading about ancient Egypt
and the discoveries of the tombs of the pharaohs. The library was also a meeting place. In the winter, they
would freeze part of the four-acre site into an ice skating rink. In the hot summer evenings we would sit
around the park, doing things we didn’t want our parents to know about. As I got older I was able to go to
the big library in downtown Pittsburgh, but it was not the same. The Andrew Carnegie Library was huge
and rather daunting. There was no time to goof off if I wanted to catch the bus back home.
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
I think everyone has a library tale of their own. After
the Victoria Public Library in Grand Turk burned down in
March 2017, everyone I spoke to—from the police officer
at the scene in the early morning hours to the Museum’s
own staff—had stories. I could see in their eyes and hear
in their voices that this place meant something to them.
More than I expected. Everyone mentioned how it was a
meeting place where parents could send their kids and
know they were safe. Where you did your homework,
looking up answers to questions about faraway places—
no instant gratification like Google in the “old days”!
Students had to hope their classmates hadn’t run to the
Library before them and were already looking things up in
the reference books or Gazette. Reverend Clair Robinson
said, “It opened a whole wide world to me.”
Although I visited the Library only a few times in the
20 years I have lived on Grand Turk, I always appreciate
what it represented: respect for the ability to read,
knowledge, learning and a physical embodiment of an
important period in the history of these Islands. At a
more visceral level, it was a keystone anchoring and preserving
the 19th century character of Front Street, even
as so many of our majestic old buildings were being lost.
Now it, too, is gone.
TCNM staff member Fred Glinton recalls, “My memory
of the Victoria Public Library as a youth growing up
in Grand Turk is having to spend a few hours on the
weekends researching the many books for my school
homework, or just going there for the pleasure of reading
and meeting up with my island friends, having discussions
about what we intended on doing after leaving high
school. We could check out the latest news in the local
Gazette (newspaper) or read our favorite comic books and
view local artifacts. It was a pleasant spot to re-group and
have conversations in a most friendly atmosphere. It is a
tragic loss that this historic spot is not with us anymore
but I am optimistic that it will be rebuilt.”
TCNM staff member Ivy Basden says, “During my
Primary and High School days my schoolmates and I used
to go to the Library to do our homework. The subjects
that we had to find answers for mostly were History,
Geography and general knowledge. I also borrowed
books from the Library to read on a weekly basis. There
was also a showcase there with a glass top that displayed
artifacts that were found around Grand Turk and the family
Islands.
As the most comprehensive repository of the history
and culture of the Turks & Caicos Islands, the Museum
was bombarded with inquiries regarding the Library after
the fire. We immediately looked through our files to see
what, if anything, we had pertaining to its founding, purpose,
design and construction. That is when I opened
an archival envelope marked “Victoria Library—building
costs” and found a set of remarkable documents.
On top of a stack of yellowed, typed legal sheets lay a
note written by the Museum’s founder, Mrs. Grethe Seim,
dated May 9, 1994 :
The originals, all handwritten, of these documents
were at the Victoria Public Library in 1976.
So many items housed in the Library have disappeared.
I was concerned that these documents would
disappear also. In those days there were no copy
machines on Grand Turk, so I had the original documents
transcribed on a typewriter.
P.S.: I left the documents in an envelope marked
HISTORICAL DOCUMENT–MUST BE SAVED
The first of these 60 pages were the minutes of a
meeting held for the Public Library on March 15, 1889.
Since the Library had not yet been built, these meetings
were held using church premises. Familiar names
like Hutchings, Murphy, Bascombe, Durham, Gibbs,
Lightbourne and Harriott are prominent throughout the
documents.
There was also a box of documents in the Donald
H. Keith Science Building. I carefully opened it to find
an original document from March 2, 1896. It appears to
be a peppercorn lease granting the land that the Library
sits on to the “Victoria Trustees,” perhaps marking the
completion of the project. The ink had bled through both
sides of the pages and could be read only with difficulty.
Together, the documents revealed the impetus for
establishing the Victoria Public Library, its design, and
how its exorbitant construction cost of 312£(!) was funded
by public subscription. The process started almost ten
years earlier, in 1887, the year of Queen Victoria’s Golden
Jubilee.
On the 8th of July 1887 it was resolved to erect a
Free Library and Reading Room in Commemoration of the
Queen’s Jubilee and a committee was thereat appointed
to raise the necessary funds and carry such resolution
into effect . . . .
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
PAT SAXTON
This is the first page of the 1896 “Indenture” made between the
Commissioner of the TCI and the Victoria Trustees.
Moved by Hon J.D. Murphy and seconded by Hon
A.N. Harriott that a Public meeting be called through the
medium of the Royal Standard newspaper with the view
of obtaining an expression of opinion for the community
at large as to the best mode of celebrating for the Jubilee
year of Her Majesty’s accession to the Throne . . . .
On the 8th of July 1887 it was resolved to erect a
Free Library and Reading Room in Commemoration of the
Queen’s Jubilee and a committee was thereat appointed
to raise the necessary funds and carry such resolution
into effect.
Whereas the said Henry R. Been hath offered to furnish
all necessary materials and to build the walls and
perform the entire masonry of such Library and Meeting
Room for the sum of three hundred and twelve pounds
sterling. The said work to be finished and completed
within the term of nine months to be computed from the
date hereof. The said sum of £312 will be paid at the
times and in manner the following that is to say—the
first payment of £30 to be made at the execution of these
presents. The second payment of £50 to be made on the
completion of the foundation (fifth course of masonry).
The third payment to be made of £50 on the building
being erected to the height of seven feet above foundation.
The fourth payment of £50 on the building being
erected to the height of the wall plate/15 feet above the
surface at the Western elevation. The fifth payment of
£60 to be made when the gable ends are erected and the
walls plastered on the outside and the last payment of
£72 to be made when the inside walls are plastered and
the entire work contracted for is completed. The work
at each of the before mentioned stages to be approved
by the said Building Committee before the respective
payments are made. Provided nevertheless and these
presents are upon this condition that if the said Building
Committee shall thereafter determine to dispense with
the Clock Turret shown in the plan and specification there
shall be an abatement of £6 in the said sum of £312 paid
such abatement to be deducted from the last payment
of £72 hereinbefore stipulated on the competition of the
contract.
It seems everyone was in favor of a Library, and folks
donated what they could. Some donated money, some
donated salt, and some donated bananas, eggs and
bacon. It came from all of the islands, not just Grand Turk.
Originally, the building was supposed to be 50 x 30 x 15
ft but the Committee came to the unanimous conclusion
that the amount the subscribers could contribute would
not cover the cost of such a building, consequently a plan
of 40 x 25 x 15 ft was agreed upon and the “Clock Turret”
was deleted from the design. The specifications of work
required were also found in these important documents.
All of the documents in the Museum’s archives were
copied and given to architect Ron Shaw who will be doing
the drawings to reconstruct the Library. We also gave copies
to Mr. Cecile Graham, Chief Librarian, and Ms. Janet
Williams, Grand Turk Librarian. While accompanying Mr.
Shaw during his inspection of the Library’s ruins, Museum
Chairman Seamus Day was able to retrieve original iron
fasteners and hardware such as window sash weights,
ornate hinges, shutter brackets, tie rods and some very
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
large nails and spikes—“architectural DNA” which could
be incorporated into the Library’s reconstruction. These
small details will also be helpful in piecing together a plan
to rebuild the Library, since we did not find any original
architectural drawings or photographs of its interior.
Buildings are just masonry and mortar and can be
replaced—but at what cost? The collective memories preserved
at the Library were priceless. The Museum staff
was extremely pleased that Founder Grethe Seim had the
foresight to copy these documents and leave them in our
archives. If not for her, the history of how and why the
Victoria Library was conceived, designed and built would
have been lost forever.
The destruction of the Library once again brings into
question the security of other important documents held
in the Turks & Caicos Government Office—and the need
for a National Archive.
At the Turks & Caicos National Museum Foundation
we take our job of being custodians of TCI history very
seriously. We hope that the TCI Government will also see
the importance of securing the history of these wonderful
Islands and partner with the Museum to build and staff a
National Archive. a
From top: In this postcard circa 1901, “Holiday Grand Turk,” the crowd
is congregating in front of the Victoria Public Library.
This original document shows the location of the property on which
the Victoria Library was built. Queen Street is now called Front Street.
TCNM COLLECTION PAT SAXTON
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
JEFFREY DODGE
Postcard (4). Note the Turks & Caicos stamp in the upper right corner. This is the fourth in the series of five postcards Lillian Harriott of Grand
Turk sent to Thorkild Hansen in Denmark in April 1906.
Postcard Mania!
Harriott sisters participated in the 1900s “craze.”
By Jeffrey Dodge
Old picture postcards from the dawn of the postcard-collecting “craze” are often under-appreciated but
valuable historical documents. Those that bear personal messages in addition to period photos are doubly
important.
The following story by deltiologist (one who collects and studies postcards) Jeffrey Dodge is a case in
point. The scenes on the postcard examples below can now be securely dated from the hand-written text.
The Harriotts were a prominent and prosperous family in the Turks Islands with strong ties to Bermuda.
One can only wonder what was the relationship between Lillian Harriott of Grand Turk and Thorkild
Hansen of Copenhagen, Denmark.
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
In postcard (2), Lillian’s message states: “These I am sending this time belong to our new set of postcards, hope you will like them. Gertrude
is sending 2 also. Lillian A. S. Harriott.”
In 1870, unadorned (without images) postcards were
introduced in Great Britain by the post office. They were
not a big success. Although postcards with images on
them were first introduced in France in 1870, it was not
until the late 1880s or early 1890s that Great Britain
began producing picture postcards. Early images were of
city or countryside views and apparently these were not
initially very popular, but that was soon to change.
In 1902, the British Post Office permitted both the
message and address to be written on the divided back
or reverse side of the postcard for the first time. Prior
to that, only the address could be written on the back
and any message had to be written below or beside the
image on the front. It was not until 1907 that the United
States authorized the divided back postcard where both
the address and message could be written.
With the advent of these changes and the presence of
more images or pictures that interested the general public,
the postcard collecting craze began. In the U.S., the
so-called Golden Era of postcard collecting was between
1907 and 1913. For example, in the U.S. alone, over one
billion cards were mailed in 1913! Keep in mind that not
This 1906 postcard (1) titled, “Govt. Wharf & Warehouse–Turks Island
W.I.” includes Lillian Harriott’s message to Thorkild Hansen.
all postcards purchased were mailed—many were bought
as a keepsake or souvenir of a vacation, place visited or
just an interesting subject.
The postcard mania was not limited to Great Britain,
the Continent or the U.S.A. Postcard collecting was
also popular on Grand Turk Island. There are a series
of 1905 and 1906 picture postcards that were traded
between two young sisters on Grand Turk and a young
man in Denmark. Lillian Alice Susan Harriott and her sis-
TOM GIRALDI
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
on the front of these postcards even though they have a
divided back designed so that a message and the address
could be written there. It is possible she did this because
these postcards went via New York and the divided back
postcard was not permitted by the U.S. postal system
until 1907.
Notice the number (1) at the top of the card. This is
apparently the first in a group of five postcards Lillian
mailed to Mr. Hansen on this day in April 1906. Lillian’s
message to Mr. Hansen states:
“Received your last 5 cards and am now sending you
five in return. Thanks very much for them. They were all
very pretty & interesting. Lillian A. S. Harriott”
JEFFREY DODGE
On the back of postcard (4) Lillian writes: “If you care for any cards
from Nova Scotia, I can send a few when I first go but expect I shall be
going to boarding school the first of next year and do not know if I will
be able to exchange from there. Yours Sincerely Lillian A. S. Harriott”
ter Gertrude collected and traded postcards during the
period 1905–1906. There are seven known examples of
postcards that Lillian mailed to or traded with Thorkild
Hansen of Denmark. Unfortunately, the copies of six of
the seven known postcards traded between Lillian and
Mr. Hansen are poor quality photocopies. However, the
messages Lillian wrote on these seven postcards are most
insightful.
There are 15 different examples in this group of postcards
that were published by the same entity and printed
by the same company. The three postcards pictured here
are from this group. All 15 postcards in this group show
a border at the bottom, the same title format on the front
and the same layout of the back.
Interestingly, Lillian chooses to write her message
The postcard numbered (2) was likely the second in
the group of five postcards Lillian mentions in the Govt.
Wharf & Warehouse card. Of interest is the statement that
they “belong to our new set of postcards.” This might
suggest that the Harriott family had something to do with
producing them.
It would be fascinating to know more about the
life and times of the Harriotts. In 1906 Lillian was 14
years old and her sister Gertrude was 10. Their parents
were Edmund Cowles Harriott and Anne Gertrude (Ryan)
Harriott. Although Edmund was born on Salt Cay, he had
moved to Grand Turk by 1888. He was appointed Clerk of
the Commissioner that year. At this time it is not known
what other employment Edmund may have had while
living on Grand Turk. Lillian’s mother, Anne or Annie,
was born in Bermuda. Anne and Edmund were married in
1889 in Nova Scotia.
Lillian and Gertrude moved to Jamaica about 1920.
Their parents also moved to Jamaica—most likely at or
about the same time. Very little is known about their life
in Jamaica other than both girls married and spent the
rest of their lives there. Lillian is thought to have died in
Saint Andrew, Jamaica in 1976, but some sources say she
died much earlier in 1924.
If anyone has additional information on this branch
of the Harriott family, or knows who produced or published
this series of postcards, please contact the author
at tinqua@aol.com. a
The author would like to thank Tom Giraldi for providing
some of the images of the postcards on which this story
is based.
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
Back in the day
Story & Photos By Candianne Williams
The Turks & Caicos National Museum celebrated
International Museum Day at its location in the Village
in Grace Bay with “Back in the Day,” an event celebrating
the Islands’ heritage and culture. Museum management,
staff and volunteers guided attendees through
a tour of the TCI’s historical timeline.
Many commented that the traditional pasttime
activities brought back memories and they enjoyed
reminiscing. Bennett Williams assisted parents, children
and the young-at-heart as they played games
like hopscotch, skipped rope and rolled wheels in the
yard. Attendees were encouraged to tour the Caicos
Heritage House and share memories of growing up in
the Islands, but for many others seeing the way of life
in the mid-1900s, as demonstrated by Daphne Forbes,
was a learning experience.
During the construction of a traditional Caicos
Sloop, Pastor Gold Williams and J.J. Parker shared
their traditional knowledge and historically important
marine heritage. David Bowen told stories of Anansi
the spider, bringing them to life with the help of the
children. He also entertained the engaged audience
with the Ripsaw Band, as Angela Freites delighted all
with her ripsaw renditions and stories of this traditional
pastime. Semone Been and Oneika Wilson read stories
penned in their early childhood. These and other short
stories and poems are preserved in their 1980s book
Something to Crow About.
Euillit Pinnock, Mario Smith and the team from the
Agriculture Department, supported by Bryan Naqqi
Manco from the Department of Environment & Coastal
Resources did a great job of advising people on how to
get started in their backyard farming with seedlings.
Museum Director Pat Saxton thanked everyone
who came together to make the event possible. We
were particularly pleased to have the opportunity to
share our cultural heritage with so many young people
and organized groups. a
From top: Daphne Forbes gives a tour of the Caicos Heritage House
to Governor Dr. Freeman and Mrs. Freeman. Pastor Gold Williams
and J.J. Parker demonstrate traditional boat-building design and
construction concepts. An attendee plays “rolling the hoop” under
the guidance of Bennett Williams.
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
GDT Fisherman’s Tournament
By Séamus Day ~ Photos By Chel Beeson
The National Museum was chosen as 2017 beneficiary
for the Grand Turk Fisherman’s Tournament, an annual
non-profit charity fundraiser set up five years ago to
raise funds for local good causes. The event takes
place over a three-day period, usually in June when no
cruise ships are in port.
Its mandate is to support “legacy projects” that
benefit education and the young, elderly and vulnerable
within the TCI. The Museum was selected because
its exhibits building, the 200 year-old Guinep House, is
in urgent need of structural repairs.
The event started on June 16 at the historic Salt
Raker Inn with the live and silent auctioning of donated
prizes. Then there was the famous “Calcutta” auction
where each captain tries to convince the bidding public
to bet on his vessel by extolling his skill and experience.
The funds raised are pooled with the winning
boat sharing the spoils with the supported cause.
Both days of the tournament began with the
13-strong fishing fleet leaving at 5 AM. Strong offshore
winds made for challenging conditions. Naturally, all
captains are keen to get in as much fishing as possible,
while at the same time ensuring they are visible to the
weighmaster by 3 PM sharp for the official “weigh in”
on Governor’s Beach. This year’s catch consisted predominately
of yellow fin and black fin tuna, mahi mahi,
mackerel and wahoo.
All funds raised during the popular fish auctions at
the end of each day benefitted the cause. Local auctioneer
William Cole whipped the crowd into a frenzy and
got them digging deep into their pockets, breaking all
previous records.
A full bar, DJ, local food vendors, a beach volleyball
match, and demonstrations by local runners added to
the carnival atmosphere. H. E. Governor Dr. Freeman
presented trophies to the winners at the prize-giving
ceremony.
This annual fishing tournament is a true community
event, with sponsors from across the TCI
community and beyond. Without their support and
a very hard-working volunteer committee, this event
would never take place. The tournament raised a total
From top: Boats line up on Governor’s Beach for the daily weigh-in
at 3 PM sharp! The crew of Screaming Reels, captained by Damian
Noyes, receives an award for the third-heaviest fish on both days.
H.E. Governor Dr. Freeman presents awards to tournament champions,
Catchin Caicos, captained by Roy Forrester.
of $22,729. for much-needed structural repairs on the
west side of historic Guinep House to stabilize the front
balcony and install new hurricane resistant windows
and doors. These will help to protect the unique artefacts
spanning over 1,000 years of TCI history secured
within this unique landmark property. a
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astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
Museum matters
Methodist church records
On July 25, 2017 Rev. Clair Robinson of the Wesleyan
Methodist Church and Hon. Derek Taylor came to the
Museum to see the digitized Methodist marriage, birth,
and death files. Last year, as part of a British Library
Grant, the Museum, working with the ZEMI Foundation,
digitized the records temporarily loaned to us by the
Grand Turk Wesleyan Methodist Church. All of these
records will be available on the British Library website
in 2018, but for now Rev. Robinson has them in digital
form on a USB drive.
The O’Malley family—Front row left to right: Sarah Gladden (greatgranddaughter),
John Gregory Gladden (great-grandson), T.J.
O’Malley (great-grandson), Jake O’Malley (great-grandson). Back
row left to right: Shannon O’Malley Gladden (granddaughter), John
Gladden (Shannon’s husband), Kathleen O’Malley (daughter), Eileen
O’Malley (Kevin’s wife), and J. Kevin O’Malley (grandson).
CHEL BEESON
PAT SAXTON
Rev. Clair Robinson and Hon. Derek Taylor marvel at the fragility
of the Methodist Church’s original paper records.
Museum Director Pat Saxton used the overhead projector
to show just how easily the records can be located,
enlarged and read. Prior to this, the fragile original
paper records would have disintegrated with use and
exposure to environmental degradation. It was imperative
that they be digitized by qualified archivists so that
no one has to go through the original records again.
We are pleased to have the records on permanent
loan in our climate-controlled storage room. The digitized
records are mostly from the 1800s, although
some marriage records extend to 1930. a
Race to space, family-style
Recently the family of Thomas J. O’Malley came to
the Museum to see our exhibit on the Race to Space.
The family’s interest stemmed from the fact that Mr.
O’Malley, now deceased, was a legendary space industry
test engineer and the person who launched the
Mercury space capsules from Cape Canaveral by pushing
the “go” button! His daughter Kathleen O’Malley
and granddaughter Shannon O’Malley told stories of
their life growing up during the space program.
Grace Bay campus news
Story & Photos By Candianne Williams
Summer camp
Twenty-three boys and girls ranging in age from 7 to
11 had a week of memorable fun from July 17–22 at the
Museum’s first annual summer camp at its Grace Bay
location. The children participated in a number of activities,
many of which were outdoors. (Ironically, the first
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 59

astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
Museum matters
Campers experience a field trip to Providenciales’ Cheshire Hall plantation, thought to date to about 1810.
summer camps started in the late 1880s were expressly
for children to escape the urban lifestyle. Even without
all the electronic distractions today’s children have, it
was widely felt that they were spending too much time
indoors!)
“Campers” learnt about the Lucayan Indians who
lived in these Islands for hundreds of years before disappearing
after the arrival of Europeans in the 1500s.
They even built their version of what a Native American
house would look like.
The Caicos Heritage House is set within the mid-
1900s period. The children participated in activities
associated with “back in the day.” They learnt about
gardening, the many uses of plants and the traditional
crafts of plaiting straw and making rag rugs. On a field
trip to Cheshire Hall Plantation they uncovered more
uses of native plants, and the history of the plantation.
One highlight was the much anticipated cricket
match on the final day. Cricket is the TCI National
Sport and some of the campers practiced daily under
the direction of Coach Daryl Pierre Louis of the National
Cricket Association.
Special thanks to Camp Sponsor Turks & Caicos
Banking Company, Camp Coordinator Cindy Flanigan,
Heritage Craft Teacher Daphne Forbes and volunteers
Rachel Harvey, Ron Ohliger and Zaneta Burton for making
this one of the “best camps ever,” as unanimously
stated by the campers. a
Second place treat
Second place winners of the 2017 Turks & Caicos
National Museum History & Cultural Heritage Quiz
won a historical tour of Providenciales on June 23,
2017. The team from Grand Turk’s H.J. Robinson High
School—Noel Benjamin, Michael Archibold and Amanda
Ingham—were accompanied by parent Mandy Archibold
and hosted by museum volunteer Emily Malcolm and
museum representative Candianne Williams.
The group toured the Caicos Heritage Homestead
exhibit, Cheshire Hall Plantation and Little Water Cay,
the “Iguana Island.” They also explored Provo’s maritime
heritage with traditional boat builder Pastor
Gold Williams, and enjoyed a tour of the traditional
Caicos Sloop that he is building. Thank you to sponsors
TCI Reef Fund and InterCaribbean Airways; along
with Caribbean Cruisin’, the TCI National Trust, Pastor
Williams and Emily Malcom. a
Pastor Gold Williams, Noel Benjamin, Michael Archibold, Amanda
Ingham and Emily Malcolm are beside a traditional Caicos Sloop.
60 www.timespub.tc

crossing africa
Clockwise from top: TCI native Mario Rigby with a member of the Hamer Tribe. Mario thought the Simien Mountains National Park was among
the most beautiful land he had ever seen. Views included goats, local people walking 15 km to church and the spectacular Jinbar Waterfalls.
Crossing Africa Update
The journey from Ethiopia to Sudan.
Compiled by Claire Parrish ~ Photos By Mario Rigby
At the time of my writing (late August) we join Mario Rigby, the TCI son who is crossing Africa by foot,
hoping he has no more than three months left of his journey from Cape to Cairo. That final running jump
into the Red Sea on his November birthday —the third spent crossing Africa—is not so far away. For the
first time, psychological walls have appeared. The upside is the reality that only Ethiopia, North Sudan
and Egypt are left in the journey. See details at www.mariorigby.com.
Since his completion of Kenya detailed in our last issue, Mario took three weeks out in Adis Ababa,
Ethiopia, for the purpose of raising ongoing journey funds. You can help him out at www.gofundme.
com/crossingafrica.
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 61

Those few weeks in Adis Ababa not walking but
planning brought joys of great coffee, delicious foods
and days to explore the centre of a vibrant country. The
African tribes living along the Great Rift Valley are diverse,
something beyond Mario’s imagination. Of 80 tribes, the
Borana Oromo people, Amhara, Somali, Tigraway, Sidama,
Gurage and Wolayta make up the majority. They differ in
skin complexions, style, ideologies, religion (or non-religion)
and distinctive behaviors. A few are extremely
traditional, a lot sprawled through urban areas. To Mario,
the example they presented was that different groups can
merge and get along together.
Mario posted a video of Hamer Tribe, Arbore Tribe
and Karo Tribe coming together harmoniously in a village
market—Mario the stranger towering above them. He
spent a few days with the Hamer Tribe from Omo Valley,
who could not have been friendlier.
Over some shisha in a tucked away village home,
Mario listened to their thoughts and shared his. He learnt
their perspectives on how cultures are losing their way
in an ever-evolving world facing modernization. Shisha
had been banned recently in Ethiopia but some people
still used it freely, and just three years ago, phones had
not existed in their villages. Mario will return some day
to these friendly people and had regrets he couldn’t stay
longer.
A noteworthy high in Adis Ababa was seeing the Lucy
skeleton in the National Museum, a 1974 Ethiopian discovery
that pushed the human line back by 400,000 years
or so, taking it very close to its likely (pre-human) ancestor.
Archeological finds write human history, including
how humans travelled across Africa, Asia, Europe and the
rest of the world 70,000 years ago. People walked across
continents entirely by foot like Mario, amidst even greater
natural and political challenges.
Mario had an interview in Bole, Addis Ababa, for
“Safari Junkie” with Nina Zara, who in the last five years
has travelled in Morocco, Sudan, Zambia, Tanzania and
South Africa. Writing and travelling Africa is Nina’s fulltime
occupation, a nomadic lifestyle. For Nina, people are
the essence of travel, she is sure to make local friends
everywhere she goes. Mario understands. Every kind gesture
helps, whether it is kind Ethiopians and worldwide
friends helping fund a replacement phone or a great
place to stay like Mr. Martin’s Cozy Place. “There are so
many good people here in Africa, and of course there are
the few bad apples too, but that doesn’t make you stop
eating apples.” says Mario.
The “good apples” would be needed. By mid-June
Mario was back on the road, walking from the Kenyan
Ethiopian border-town Moyale. Over the course of Mario’s
journey the overriding commentary had been, “An incredible
experience despite behemoth challenges.” Mario hit
“The Wall” at Dilla, leaving him emotionally and psychologically
unnerved about continuing. Mario quitting? He
says, “There was no drive—nothing seemed spectacular
or thrilling anymore. In my mind the surroundings and
people were a movie reel that I was watching from afar.”
Mario was tired, and there was no time to take a break.
Yet he thought of his mother in Turks & Caicos who had
given countless motivational talks through the journey,
and his walking partner Charlotte, who had travelled with
him for five months from Tanzania to Ethiopia. Even with
their support at the forefront of his mind, his psyche was
in battle.
Mario posted, “Quitting is the one thing I’ve promised
myself never to do. Like the athlete I once was, competing
in the 400m sprint, I just had to hang on and try my
best no matter how much pain I endured”. He encouraged
his friends to keep wishing him “safe travels,” as hearing
such support really helps.
So what were the added elements that messed with
Mario’s psyche? There were issues with authorities,
constant interrogation, massive rolling hills, bigger mountains
and humid temperatures. It was a time of conflicts
over land ownership, scarce resources of water, immigrants
flooding in from Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia and
terrorist organizations trying to take a foothold. Mario
was under suspicion, due to his dark skin and large bag
62 www.timespub.tc

iding his back. AK-47s were carried by soldiers patrolling
the country. Being faced with Kalashnikovs was starting
to feel rough.
Just as there were downs, there were ups, although
exhaustion and stress aren’t easy to shake off. On the
plus side were friendly military camps, happy, energetic
kids, great restaurants, beautiful views and tons
of encouragement from friends. There was the Borana
tribe who befriended him despite their initial concerns
that Mario was from a rebel Kenyan tribe out to hunt
them down. “A few minutes explanation in sign language
was all it took,” Mario remarked in good humor. And the
weather was kind, “not too hot, not too cold and not too
wet (for rainy season).”
At a time his self-defeating spirit was hurting bad, a
stranger brought a much-needed “Aha moment.” Their
conversation led them to start laughing together despite
language barriers. Just as Mario thought he was crying
more than laughing, the stranger said, “You have been
my best friend today, I am thanking you.” Moved at how
real Africans are—open hearted and vulnerable to strangers—Mario
tells himself, “I can only move forward this
way in life, it is like seeing light for the first time. Be free!”
Sadly, in Shashemene there were tensions between
Jamaicans and Ethiopians. Mario left hoping peace
would reign. He had not felt threatened and enjoyed
the area. Inland water spots marked the ongoing route:
Lake Langano through Adis Ababa, the Blue Nile to the
beautiful monastery city of Bahir Dar and Lake Tana.
Approaching the River Nile (Blue Nile) for the first time hit
Mario emotionally, as it will later guide him to the finish
line from Northern Sudan to the Red Sea.
Mario took in Northern Ethiopia’s Amhara region
with its rapidly growing economy where no resources are
wasted—sheep and goats had purpose during and after
life. Next was the Simien Mountains National Park where
Mario witnessed some of the most beautiful land he’d
ever seen. People and animals lived amongst each other
in harmony. Men and women walked 15 km to church,
Gelada baboons (a species of Old World monkey found
only in the Ethiopian Highlands) foraged in grassland and
Africans don’t worry about what they have to lose by truly
exposing themselves to others, they don’t concern themselves
with being judged. It was a moment to keep.
About 1/3 of the way across Ethiopia in Shashemene,
Mario got to celebrate Canada day with his very well-worn
Canadian hat. The same day a young rasta raised Mario’s
spirits with curiosity and appreciation. The Rastafari
movement in the area gave rise to a restaurant called Bolt
House, not just a must-visit spot for foods from home like
oxtails, but for memories of Usain Bolt. In Mario’s early
teens, he ran 400m against him at the Bahamas CARIFTA
Games.
the Jinbar Waterfalls rose 500m above sea level where
eagles soared. The law did require that he bring along a
security scout, and Mario or the scout had to carry a rifle
at all times, but it was a beautiful trip leading him to the
border with Sudan. a
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 63

feature
Opposite page: Acrobatic and spectacular, Qwan Ki Do is a synthesis of Chinese and Vietnamese Kung Fu.
Above: Qwan Ki Do teaches children self-respect, diligence, leadership and peace-keeping skills. Instructor Paul Ciurar is at center.
Winning Without Fighting
Qwan Ki Do training goes beyond self-defense.
By Kathy Borsuk ~ Photos Courtesy Graceway Sports Centre
Blame it on my age, but I usually associate martial arts with finely honed Asians using remarkable fighting
skills to decimate dozens of enemies, making high-pitched keening sounds in the process. I think it was
all those Bruce Lee movies.
In the Turks & Caicos, we have instead a burly Romanian with a heart of gold who is transforming the
lives of children and adults by teaching them the ancient art of Qwan Ki Do. Paul Ciurar is the Graceway
Sports Centre’s martial arts instructor, where he offers Qwan Ki Do classes on a weekly basis.
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 65

By definition, Qwan Ki Do is the “art of winning without
fighting and persuading without speaking.” The
Am-Duong Club at Graceway Sports Centre offers students
of all experience levels the opportunity to learn this
mixture of traditional Chinese and Vietnamese Kung Fu.
The program uses the martial art as a vehicle for teaching
concepts such as respect for self and others, diligence,
concentration, leadership and peacekeeping skills. Within
several years, it has expanded to 30—40 students of
many nationalities, one of whom, Rigal Auguste, has
earned the first Black Belt, and now serves as an instructor
when teacher Paul Ciurar is away.
What is Qwan Ki Do?
Qwan Ki Do has origins in the Chinese martial art schools
of Shao Lin, Wo Mei and Tang Lang, along with the
Vietnamese Martial Arts or VO. Qwan Ki Do was founded
in 1981 in France by one of the most prestigious experts
of martial arts, the Great Master Pham Xuan Tong. Qwan
Ki Do combines a large variety of movements, including
hand techniques, blocks and grappling, sweeps,
self-defense, throwing techniques, arm locks, falling and
breaking techniques, street fighting and psychocorporal
gymnastics (Tham The, similar to Tai Chi). Qwan Ki Do
is practiced in over 30 countries by tens of thousands of
practitioners.
Paul Ciurar was introduced to the art in his homeland
as a young man of 15. He recalls, “Qwan Ki Do is very
popular in Romania. Life there was very difficult and I
could have easily gone the way of being a thug in a gang.
Instead, Qwan Ki Do became like a religion for me. We
used to spend 8 to 10 hours at a time training and on
weekends, my friends and I would travel 250 miles by
train to compete in Bucharest. I was training under Master
Pham Xuan Tong and within four years, I had my Black
Belt. I was then able to become president of our local club
and lead it for seven years; we eventually had over 1,800
students.”
Paul realizes that “Human nature is violent, and your
early influences—family, culture, religion—determine
your aggressiveness. Qwan Ki Do helps focus anger and
rage in a constructive way. When you learn to fight, you
don’t want to fight anymore. The movements we learn
are very natural and help you find yourself.” Paul’s path
to the Turks & Caicos started when he met his (now) wife
Adina at a fitness conference in Romania. She was friends
with Anca Vasile, who had opened a healthy bakery in
Providenciales. One thing led to another and Adina and
Paul moved to the Islands in 2008. Adina became manager
of the Graceway Sports Centre in 2011, with Paul at
her side maintaining the equipment and teaching classes.
Together, through much hard work and dedication, the
pair have built the site’s reputation as a wholesome,
clean, well-run facility, increasing membership over tenfold!
Qwan Ki Do combines a large variety of movements, as demonstrated
here by Rigal Auguste and Ishan Bowen.
How can I learn?
Qwan Ki Do classes are currently offered on Tuesday and
Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons. The class
environment is cooperative and spirited, with instruction
not only dynamic, but detailed and patient, emphasizing
a pragmatic approach to studying the martial arts curriculum.
Training includes toning, physical fitness, stretching
and meditation, and is designed to be a complete workout
for body and mind. Paul explains, “Everyone needs a
place to disconnect from the struggles of the world. I ask
students to leave their problems at the door. When class
is over, you’ll feel more aware, confident, coordinated
and able to concentrate.”
Paul is especially excited about the children’s program,
because, he says, “Qwan Ki Do opens the door to
a lifetime of benefits, such as leadership skills, a winning
attitude and the inner strength to overcome adverse
peer pressure. Physically, kids build strength, improve
flexibility, develop sharp reflexes, build cardiovascular
66 www.timespub.tc

Rigal Auguste has earned the program’s first Black Belt, and serves as an instructor when Paul Ciurar is away.
fitness, develop coordination, gain self-confidence and
build self-esteem. They develop the ‘Yes I can’ attitude
that will be of benefit for many years to come.”
Children’s classes progress in stages. The Little
Tigers class is for students ages 6 to 9 and focuses on
development of motor skills, concentration, poise and
coordination while learning fundamental martial arts
skills. The Young Dragons class is designed for older
children between 10 to 13 years old. Training is more
challenging and diverse. More focus is placed on developing
agility, strength and endurance, but with careful
attention to building a sound martial arts foundation. In
each case, programs are individualized based on each
student’s unique natural abilities, size and strength.
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 67

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68 www.timespub.tc

Brew ad May 2017_Layout 1 5/11/17 10:51 AM Page 1
Classes typically run from September to June. (You
can try your first class for free!) Uniforms include white
belts with red straps for children and blue straps for
adults. Exams are held every three to four months,
encouraging students to stay motivated by striving for a
series of blue caps (sub-levels), each requiring a different
set of skills. From there, over time, the various colored
belts are awarded. Testimonials from parents state that
kids who were previously out of control have improved
focus at school and discipline at home after participating
in Qwan Ki Do classes. Paul notes that the children want
to be in class, and respect him and the knowledge he is
teaching them. “I tell them, ‘There are no limits to what
you can do in life. But nobody owes you anything. You
have to earn your way.’”
Turk’s Head Brewery
Brewery Tours Monday-Friday
11AM, 1PM, 3PM
$15/pp
Enjoy a complimentary selection of local craft beer
after your tour!
A passion for fitness
I admire the obvious passion that both Paul and Adina
have for physical fitness, the sports centre and the children
who come there. It shines in everything they do.
Classes are offered at a reasonable price, and Paul admits
to being lenient if funds are tight. He says, “I see us all
as a family when we’re working together to learn Qwan
Ki Do. We develop friendships and have get-togethers for
the kids during the year, a chance to socialize and have
fun.”
This fall, the Ciurars hope to secure a van to pick
up children who may not have a ride to get to the Sports
Centre after school. The Am-Duong Club is now recognized
internationally, with the possibility of future
competitions. Paul says, “The kids here are very skilled and
learn fast. They would be very competitive. Unfortunately,
a lot of them move out of the country before they get the
chance to be in a tournament.”
Besides continually amassing certifications to keep
on top of the latest knowledge in fitness and martial arts,
Paul teaches self-defense classes/workshops for local
security companies, corporations and anyone who is
interested. He employs techniques learned on the job at
one of Eastern Europe’s largest security companies, once
training military special forces in Romania. Paul is also
a ISSA certified personal trainer, and in 2015 earned his
certifications in TRX group and functional training and
NASM Youth Fitness Coaching. a
For more information, visit www.gracewaysports.com or
call Paul at 649 442 0099.
Email tours@turksheadbeer.com
Call 649.941.3637 x 1005 to book
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Providenciales, TCI
TOUR TASTE SHOP
All Natural &
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Made with family recipes that date back
centuries, Islander, the original Turks and
Caicos alcoholic ginger beer, is available on
Providenciales at the Graceway Gourmet and
the IGA, as well as local bars and restaurants.
www.islandergingerbeer.com
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 69

faces and places
Caribbean House Evolution Festival
The annual Caribbean House Evolution (CHE) Festival held a DJ workshop for children of the Edward Gartland Youth
Centre in Providenciales. The workshop was part of the VIBRATION Caribbean House Evolution Sponsor Cocktail Party
on July 20, 2017. Youths mixed, scratched and DJed with Pro DJ Munro (www.djmunro.com) at The Shore Club, Long
Bay Beach. CHE celebrates friends, vacations and house music. It has evolved from a small series of parties to what
is now attracting international DJs and providing visitors and the local community with house music from around the
world.
Story & Photos By Claire Parrish
70 www.timespub.tc

In the house (from left, above): Karen Whitt, representative
of host venue The Shore Club with John Tsavalas,
Johnny Legend Productions, producer of Caribbean House
Evolution Festival.
Hon. Goldray Ewing, TCI Minister for Works/Blue Hills
Representative with Roxann Wake-Forbes, Director,
Edward Gartland Youth Centre.
Tess Charles, singer with Hon. Ralph Higgs, TCI Minister
of Tourism/North & Middle Caicos Representative.
Right: The top three youth DJs from the workshop: Amare
Clerveaux, Mekhi Missick and Kymani Selver with John
Tsavalas, Pro DJ Munro and MaryLou Vanderheide, CHE
Executive.
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 71

about the Islands
Map provided courtesy Wavey Line Publishing. Their navigation charts and decorative and historic maps of the Turks & Caicos Islands, the
Bahamas, and Hispaniola are available in shops throughout the Islands. Visit www.waveylinepublishing.com.
Where we are
The Turks & Caicos Islands lie some 575 miles southeast
of Miami — approximately 1 1/2 hours flying time —
with the Bahamas about 30 miles to the northwest and
the Dominican Republic some 100 miles to the southeast.
The country consists of two island groups separated
by the 22-mile wide Columbus Passage. To the west are
the Caicos Islands: West Caicos, Providenciales, North
Caicos, Middle Caicos, East Caicos, and South Caicos. To
the east are the Turks Islands: Grand Turk and Salt Cay.
The Turks & Caicos total 166 square miles of land
area on eight islands and 40 small cays. The country’s
population is approximately 32,000.
Getting here
There are international airports on Grand Turk, North
Caicos, Providenciales, and South Caicos, with domestic
airports on all of the islands except East Caicos.
At this time, all of the major international carriers
arrive and depart from Providenciales International
Airport. American Airlines flies three times daily from
Miami, daily from Charlotte, and from Boston, Dallas,
New York/JFK on Saturday and from Philadelphia on
Saturday and Sunday. JetBlue Airways offers daily service
from Fort Lauderdale, daily flights from New York/JFK
and flights from Boston on Saturday and Sunday. Delta
Airlines flies from Atlanta and New York/JFK daily. United
Airlines flies from Newark daily, from Washington DC on
Saturday, and from Chicago Saturday and Sunday. West
Jet travels from Toronto on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
72 www.timespub.tc

and Saturday. Air Canada offer daily flights from Toronto
(except Tuesday) and flies from Montreal on Friday and
Sunday. British Airways travels on Thursday and Sunday
from London/Gatwick via Antigua.
Bahamasair flies to Nassau on Thursday and Sunday;
Inter-caribbean Airways travels daily except Thursday.
Inter-caribbean Airways and Caicos Express travel to Haiti
daily, while Inter-caribbean Airways flies to the Dominican
Republic daily (except Wednesday); to Jamaica daily,
and to Puerto Rico on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and
Sunday. Inter-caribbean Airways also travels to Santiago,
Cuba on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. (Schedules are
current as of May 2017 and subject to change.)
Inter-island service is provided by Inter-caribbean
Airways, Caicos Express Airways, and Global Airways. Sea
and air freight services operate from Florida.
Language
English.
Time zone
Atlantic Standard Time (AST) observed year-round.
Currency
The United States dollar. The Treasury also issues a Turks
& Caicos crown and quarter. Travellers cheques in U.S.
dollars are widely accepted and other currency can be
changed at local banks. American Express, VISA, and
MasterCard are welcomed at many locations.
Climate
The average year-round temperature is 83ºF (28ºC). The
hottest months are September and October, when the
temperature can reach 90 to 95ºF (33 to 35ºC). However,
the consistent easterly trade winds temper the heat and
keep life comfortable.
Casual resort and leisure wear is accepted attire for
daytime; light sweaters or jackets may be necessary on
some breezy evenings. It’s wise to wear protective clothing
and a sunhat and use waterproof sunscreen when out
in the tropical sun.
Entry requirements
Passport. A valid onward or return ticket is also required.
Customs formalities
Visitors may bring in duty free for their own use one carton
of cigarettes or cigars, one bottle of liquor or wine,
and some perfume. The importation of all firearms includ-
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 73

ing those charged with compressed air without prior
approval in writing from the Commissioner of Police is
strictly forbidden. Spear guns, Hawaiian slings, controlled
drugs, and pornography are also illegal.
Returning residents may bring in $400 worth of
merchandise per person duty free. A duty of 10% to
60% is charged on most imported goods along with a
7% customs processing fee and forms a major source of
government revenue.
Transportation
A valid driver’s license from home is suitable when renting
vehicles. A government tax of 12% is levied on all
rental contracts. (Insurance is extra.) Driving is on the
left-hand side of the road, with traffic flow controlled by
round-abouts at major junctions. Please don’t drink and
drive! Taxis are abundant throughout the Islands and
many resorts offer shuttle service between popular visitor
areas. Scooter, motorcycle, and bicycle rentals are
also available.
Telecommunications
FLOW Ltd. provides land lines and superfast broadband
Internet service. Mobile service is on a LTE 4G network,
including pre and post-paid cellular phones. Most resorts
and some stores and restaurants offer wireless Internet
connection. Digicel operates mobile networks, with
a full suite of LTE 4G service. FLOW is the local carrier
for CDMA roaming on US networks such as Verizon and
Sprint. North American visitors with GSM cellular handsets
and wireless accounts with AT&T or Cingular can
arrange international roaming.
Electricity
120/240 volts, 60 Hz, suitable for all U.S. appliances.
Departure tax
US $20 for all persons two years and older, payable in
cash or traveller’s cheques. It is typically built into the
cost of your ticket.
Courier service
Delivery service is provided by FedEx, with offices on
Providenciales and Grand Turk, and DHL. UPS service is
limited to incoming delivery.
Postal service
The Post Office and Philatelic Bureau in Providenciales is
located downtown in Butterfield Square. In Grand Turk,
the Post Office is on Front Street, with the Philatelic
Bureau on Church Folly. The Islands are known for their
varied and colorful stamp issues.
Media
Multi-channel satellite television is received from the U.S.
and Canada and transmitted via cable or over the air.
Local station WIV-TV broadcasts on Channel 4 and Island
EyeTV on Channel 5. People’s Television offers 75 digitally
transmitted television stations, along with local news
and talk shows on Channel 8. There are also a number of
local radio stations, magazines, and newspapers.
Medical services
There are no endemic tropical diseases in TCI. There are
large, modern hospitals on Grand Turk and Providenciales.
Both hospitals offer a full range of services including:
24/7 emergency room, operating theaters, diagnostic
imaging, maternity suites, dialysis suites, blood bank,
physiotherapy, and dentistry.
In addition, several general practitioners operate in
the country, and there is a recompression chamber, along
with a number of private pharmacies.
Immigration
A resident’s permit is required to live in the Islands. A
work permit and business license are also required to
work and/or establish a business. These are generally
granted to those offering skills, experience, and qualifications
not widely available on the Islands. Priority is given
to enterprises that will provide employment and training
for T&C Islanders.
Government/Legal system
TCI is a British Crown colony. There is a Queen-appointed
Governor, HE Dr. John Freeman. He presides over an executive
council formed by the elected local government.
Lady Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson is the country’s first
woman premier, leading a majority People’s Democratic
Movement (PDM) House of Assembly.
The legal system is based upon English Common
Law and administered by a resident Chief Justice, Chief
Magistrate, and Deputy Magistrates. Judges of the Court
of Appeal visit the Islands twice a year and there is a final
Right of Appeal to Her Majesty’s Privy Council in London.
Taxes
There are currently no direct taxes on either income
or capital for individuals or companies. There are no
74 www.timespub.tc

exchange controls. Indirect taxation comprises customs
duties and fees, stamp duty, taxes on accommodations,
restaurants, vehicle rentals, other services and gasoline,
as well as business license fees and departure taxes.
Economy
Historically, TCI’s economy relied on the export of
salt. Currently, tourism, the offshore finance industry,
and fishing generate the most private sector income.
The Islands’ main exports are lobster and conch, with
the world’s first commercial conch farm operating on
Providenciales. Practically all consumer goods and foodstuffs
are imported.
The Turks & Caicos Islands are recognised as an
important offshore financial centre, offering services
such as company formation, offshore insurance, banking,
trusts, limited partnerships, and limited life companies.
The Financial Services Commission regulates the industry
and spearheads the development of offshore legislation.
People
Citizens of the Turks & Caicos Islands are termed
“Belongers” and are primarily descendants of African
slaves who were brought to the Islands to work on the
salt ponds and cotton plantations. The country’s large
expatriate population includes Canadians, Americans,
Brits and Europeans, along with Haitians, Jamaicans,
Dominicans, Bahamians, Indians, and Filipinos.
Churches
Churches are the center of community life and there
are many faiths represented in the Islands, including:
Adventist, Anglican, Assembly of God, Baha’i,
Baptist, Catholic, Church of God of Prophecy, Episcopal,
Faith Tabernacle Church of God, Jehovah’s Witnesses,
Methodist and Pentecostal. Visitors are always welcome.
Pets
Incoming pets must have an import permit, veterinary
health certificate, vaccination certificate, and lab test
results to be submitted at the port of entry to obtain
clearance from the TCI Department of Agriculture, Animal
Health Services.
National symbols
The National Bird is the Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis).
The National Plant is Island heather (Limonium
bahamense) found nowhere else in the world. The
National Tree is the Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea var.
urgent care • family medicine
URGENT CARE
WALK-IN CLINIC
AND WELLNESS CENTRE
• • •
(649) 941-5252
on site pharmacy
located adjacent graceway gourmet
Focused on the patient
The way medicine should be practiced
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Tradewinds Radio
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THE SOUND OF THE TROPICS
Call 431 7527
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 75

ahamensis). The National Costume consists of white cotton
dresses tied at the waist for women and simple shirts
and loose pants for men, with straw hats. Colors representing
the various islands are displayed on the sleeves
and bases. The National Song is “This Land of Ours,” by
the late Rev. E.C. Howell, PhD. Peas and Hominy (Grits)
with Dry Conch is revered as symbolic island fare.
Going green
TCI Waste Disposal Services currently offers recycling services
through weekly collection of recyclable aluminum,
glass, and plastic. The TCI Environmental Club is spearheading
a campaign to eliminate single-use plastic bags.
Do your part by using a cloth bag whenever possible.
Keep TCI “Beautiful by Nature” by not littering!
Recreation
Sporting activities are centered around the water. Visitors
can choose from deep-sea, reef, or bonefishing, sailing,
glass-bottom boat and semi-sub excursions, windsurfing,
waterskiing, parasailing, sea kayaking, snorkelling,
scuba diving, kiteboarding, stand up paddleboarding,
and beachcombing. Pristine reefs, abundant marine life,
and excellent visibility make TCI a world-class diving
destination. Tennis and golf—there is an eighteen hole
championship course on Providenciales—are also popular.
The Islands are an ecotourist’s paradise. Visitors can
enjoy unspoilt wilderness and native flora and fauna in
thirty-three national parks, nature reserves, sanctuaries,
and areas of historical interest. The National Trust
provides trail guides to several hiking trails, as well as
guided tours of major historical sites. There is an excellent
national museum on Grand Turk, with an auxillary
branch on Providenciales. A scheduled ferry and a selection
of tour operators make it easy to take day trips to the
outer islands.
Other land-based activities include bicycling, horseback
riding, and football (soccer). Personal trainers are
available to motivate you, working out of several fitness
centres. You will also find a variety of spa and body treatment
services.
Nightlife includes local bands playing island music
at bars and restaurants and some nightclubs. There is
a casino on Providenciales, along with many electronic
gaming parlours. Stargazing is extraordinary!
Shoppers will find Caribbean paintings, T-shirts,
sports and beachwear, and locally made handicrafts,
including straw work and conch crafts. Duty free outlets
sell liquor, jewellery, watches, perfume, leather goods,
crystal, china, cameras, electronics, brand-name clothing
and accessories, along with Cuban cigars. a
76 www.timespub.tc

where to stay
Grand Turk
range of daily rates
US$ (subject to change)
number of units
major credit cards
restaurant
bar
air conditioning
phone in unit
television in unit
kitchen in unit
laundry service
pool
on the beach
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The Arches of Grand Turk – Tel 649 946 2941 190–210 4 • • • • • • •
Bohio Dive Resort – Tel 649 946 2135 • Web www.bohioresort.com 170–230 16 • • • • • • • •
Crabtree Apartments – Tel 978 270 1698 • Web www.GrandTurkVacationRental.com 210–250 3 • • • • • •
Grand Turk Inn – Tel 649 946 2827 • Web www.grandturkinn.com 250–300 5 • • • • • • •
Island House – Tel 649 946 1519/232 5514 • Web www.islandhouse.tc 110–185 8 • • • • • • •
Manta House – Tel 649 946 1111 • Web www.grandturk-mantahouse.com 110–130 5 • • • • • • •
Osprey Beach Hotel – Tel 649 946 2666 • Web www.ospreybeachhotel.com 90–225 37 • • • • • • • • • •
Pelican House – Tel 649 246 6797 • Web www.pelicanhousegrandturk.com 110-130 3 • • • • •
Salt Raker Inn – Tel 649 946 2260 • Web www.saltrakerinn.com 55–140 13 • • • • • • •
Solomon Porches Guesthouse – Tel 649 946 2776/241 2937 • Fax 649 946 1984 75–100 3 • •
Middle Caicos
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Blue Horizon Resort – Tel 649 946 6141 • Web bhresort.com 265–400 7 • • • • • • • • •
North Caicos
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Bottle Creek Lodge – Tel 649 946 7080 • Web www.bottlecreeklodge.com 155–240 3 • •
Caicos Beach Condominiums – Tel 649 241 4778/786 338 9264 • Web www.caicosbeachcondos.com 159–299 8 • • • • • • • •
Cedar Palms Suites – Tel 649 946 7113/649 244 4186 • Web www.oceanbeach.tc 250–300 3 • • • • • • • • •
Flamingo’s Nest – Tel 649 946 7113/649 244 4186 • Web www.oceanbeach.tc 175–340 2 • • • • • • • •
Hollywood Beach Suites - Tel 800 551 2256/649 231 1020 • Web www.hollywoodbeachsuites.com 200–235 4 • • • • • •
JoAnne’s Bed & Breakfast - Tel 649 946 7301 • Web www.turksandcaicos.tc/joannesbnb 80–120 4 • • • •
Palmetto Villa – Tel 649 946 7113/649 244 4186 • Web www.oceanbeach.tc 225–250 1 • • • • • • • •
Pelican Beach Hotel - Tel 649 946 7112/877 774 5486 • Web www.pelicanbeach.tc 125–165 14 • • • • • • • •
Pine Cay
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The Meridian Club - Tel 649 946 7758/866 286 7993 • Web www.meridianclub.com 800–1300 13 • • • • • • •
Parrot Cay
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COMO Parrot Cay Resort & Spa - Tel 649 946 7788/855 PARROTCAY • Web www.parrotcay.com 550–2850 65 • • • • • • • • • •
Providenciales
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Airport Inn – Tel 649 941 3514 • Web www.airportinntci.com. 140 18 • • • • • • •
The Alexandra Resort & Spa – Tel 800 704 9424/649 946 5807 • Web www.alexandraresort.com 280–420 99 • • • • • • • • •
The Atrium Resort – Tel 888 592 7885/649 333 0101 • Web www.theatriumresorttci.com 159–410 30 • • • • • • • •
Amanyara – Tel 866 941 8133/649 941 8133 • Web www.aman.com 1000–2100 73 • • • • • • • •
Aquamarine Beach Houses – Tel 649 231 4535/905 556 0278 • www.aquamarinebeachhouses.com 200–850 24 • • • • • • • •
Beaches Resort Villages & Spa – Tel 888-BEACHES/649 946 8000 • Web www.beaches.com 325–390AI 758 • • • • • • • • •
Beach House Turks & Caicos – Tel 649 946 5800 • Web www.beachchousetci.com 532–638 21 • • • • • • • • • •
BE Beach Enclave – Tel 888 434 3981 • Web www.beachenclave.com see web 24 • • • • • • • •
Blue Haven Resort & Marina – Tel 855 832 7667/649 946 9900 • Web www.bluehaventci.com 250–650 51 • • • • • • • • • •
Caribbean Paradise Inn – Tel 649 946 5020 • Web www.caribbeanparadiseinn.com 162–225 17 • • • • • • • •
Club Med Turkoise – Tel 800 258 2633/649 946 5500 • Web www.clubmed.com 120–225 290 • • • • • • • • •
Coral Gardens on Grace Bay – Tel 649 941 3713/800 532 8536 • Web www.coralgardens.com 199-449 32 • • • • • • • • • •
Gansevoort Turks + Caicos – Tel 888 844 5986/649 941 7555 • Web www.gansevoorttc.com 315–720 91 • • • • • • • • • •
Grace Bay Club - Tel 800 946 5757/649 946 5050 • Web www.gracebayclub.com 650–1750 75 • • • • • • • • • •
Grace Bay Suites – Tel 649 941 7447 • Web www.GraceBaySuites.com 99–195 24 • • • • • • • •
Harbour Club Villas – Tel 649 941 5748/305 434 8568 • Web www.harbourclubvillas.com 210–240 6 • • • • •
The Inn at Grace Bay – Tel 649 432 8633 • Web www.innatgracebay.com 179–379 48 • • • • • • •
Kokomo Botanical Gardens - Tel 649 941 3121• Web www.aliveandwellresorts.com 169–299 16 • • • • •
Le Vele - Tel 649 941 8800/888 272 4406 • Web www.leveleresort.com 303–630 22 • • • • • • • •
La Vista Azul – Tel 649 946 8522/866 519 9618 • Web www.lvaresort.com 215–375 78 • • • • • • •
The Lodgings – Tel 649 941 8107/242 6722 • Web www.hotelturksandcaicos.com 175–255 15 • • • • • •
Neptune Villas – Tel 649 331 4328 • Web www.neptunevillastci.com 150–400 10 • • • • • • • • •
Northwest Point Resort • Tel 649 941 5133 • Web www.northwestpointresort.com 196–550 49 • • • • • • • • • •
Ocean Club Resorts - Tel 800 457 8787/649 946 5880 • Web www.oceanclubresorts.com 180–690 191 • • • • • • • • • •
The Palms Turks & Caicos – Tel 649 946 8666/866 877 7256 • Web thepalmstc.com 595–1700 72 • • • • • • • • • •
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 77

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where to stay
range of daily rates
US$ (subject to change)
number of units
major credit cards
restaurant
bar
air conditioning
phone in unit
television in unit
kitchen in unit
laundry service
pool
on the beach
Providenciales (continued)
Pelican Nest Villa – Tel 649 342 5731 • Web www.pelicannest.tc 429–857 2 • • • • • •
Point Grace – Tel 649 946 5096/888 209 5582 • Web www.pointgrace.com 424–1515 27 • • • • • • • • • •
Ports of Call Resort – Tel 888 678 3483/649 946 8888 • Web www.portsofcallresort.com 135–210 99 • • • • • • •
Queen Angel Resort – Tel 649 941 8771 • Web www.queenangelresort.com 150–575 56 • • • • • • • • •
Reef Residence at Grace Bay – Tel 800 532 8536 • Web www.reefresidence.com 275-385 24 • • • • • • •
The Regent Grand – Tel 877 288 3206/649 941 7770 • Web www.theregentgrand.com 495–1100 50 • • • • • • • • •
Royal West Indies Resort – Tel 800 332 4203/649 946 5004 • Web www.royalwestindies.com 180–695 92 • • • • • • • • • •
The Sands at Grace Bay – Tel 877 777 2637/649 946 5199 • Web www.thesandsresort.com 175–675 116 • • • • • • • • • •
Seven Stars Resort & Spa – Tel 866 570 7777/649 333 7777 – Web www.sevenstarsgracebay.com 365–2400 165 • • • • • • • • • •
The Shore Club – Tel 649 339 8000 – Web www.theshoreclubtc.com 465–4650 148 • • • • • • • • • •
Sibonné Beach Hotel – Tel 888 570 2861/649 946 5547 • Web www.sibonne.com 110–375 29 • • • • • • • •
The Somerset on Grace Bay – Tel 649 339 5900/888 386 8770 • Web www.thesomerset.com 350–1300 53 • • • • • • • • • •
Turtle Cove Inn – Tel 800 887 0477/649 946 4203 • Web www.turtlecoveinn.com 85–180 30 • • • • • • • •
The Tuscany – Tel 866 359 6466/649 941 4667 • Web www.thetuscanyresort.com 975–1300 30 • • • • • • • •
The Venetian – Tel 877 277 4793/649 941 3512 • Web www.thevenetiangracebay.com 695–1175 27 • • • • • • • •
Villa del Mar – Tel 877 345 4890/649 941 5160 • Web www.yourvilladelmar.com 190–440 42 • • • • • • •
Villa Mani – Tel 649 431 4444 • Web www.villamanitci.com See Web/AE 6 • • • • • • •
Villa Renaissance - Tel 649 941 5300/877 285 8764 • Web www.villarenaissance.com 295–650 36 • • • • • • • • •
The Villas at Blue Mountain – Tel 649 941 4255 • Web www.villasatbluemountain.com 1200–2500 3 • • • • • • • •
West Bay Club – Tel 855 749 5750/649 946 8550 • Web www.thewestbayclub.com 235–1163 46 • • • • • • • • • •
Windsong – Tel 649 333 7700/800 WINDSONG • Web www.windsongresort.com 275–925 50 • • • • • • • • •
The Yacht Club – Tel 649 946 4656 • Web www.yachtclubtci.com 250–350 52 • • • • • • •
Salt Cay
Castaway – Salt Cay – Tel 772 713 9502 • Web www.castawayonsaltcay.com 175–265 4 • • • • •
Genesis Beach House – Tel 561 502 0901 • Web www.Genesisbeachhouse.com 1000–1200W 4 • • • • •
Pirate’s Hideaway B & B – Tel 800 289 5056/649 946 6909 • Web www.saltcay.tc 165–175 4 • • • • • • •
Salt Cay Beach House – Tel 772 713 9502 • Web www.saltcaybeachhouse.blogspot.com 799W 1 • • • • • •
Trade Winds Lodge – Tel 649 232 1009 • Web www.tradewinds.tc 925–1325W 5 • • • • •
Twilight Zone Cottage – Tel 772 713 9502 • Web www.twilightzonecottage.blogspot.com 499W 1 • • • •
The Villas of Salt Cay – Tel 772 713 9502 • Web www.villasofsaltcay.com 150–475 5 • • • • • • • •
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South Caicos
East Bay Resort – Tel 844 260 8328/649 232 6444 • Web eastbayresort.com 198–1775 86 • • • • • • • • • •
Sailrock South Caicos – Tel 800 929 7197 • Web sailrockresortcom 600–800 6 • • • • • • • • •
South Caicos Ocean & Beach Resort – Tel 877 774 5486/649 946 3219
Web southcaicos.oceanandbeachresort.com 120–275 24 • • • • •
Hotel & Tourism Association Member
Green Globe Certified
Rates (listed for doubles) do not include Government Accommodation Tax and Service Charge
78 www.timespub.tc

dining out – providenciales
Amanyara — Amanyara Resort. Tel: 941-8133. Light gourmet
cuisine with menu changing daily. Open 6 to 10 PM.
Angela’s Top O’ The Cove Deli — Suzie Turn, by NAPA.
Tel: 946-4694. New York-style delicatessen. Eat-in, carry-out,
catering. Open daily 7 AM to 5 PM; Sunday 7 AM to 2 PM.
Asú on the Beach — Alexandra Resort. Tel: 941-8888. Casual
Caribbean and popular international fare. Open daily for 7:30
AM to 10:30 PM. Service indoors, poolside, and at beach.
Baci Ristorante — Harbour Towne, Turtle Cove. Tel: 941-3044.
Waterfront Italian dining. Brick oven pizza. Popular bar. Open
for lunch Monday to Friday 12 to 2 PM and dinner nightly from
6 to 10 PM. Closed Sunday.
Bay Bistro — Sibonné Beach Hotel. Tel: 946-5396. Oceanfront
dining featuring creative international cuisine. Open daily
7 AM to 10 PM. Weekend brunch. Catering and special events.
Beaches Resort & Spa — The Bight. Tel: 946-8000.
All-inclusive resort. A variety of restaurants and bars on premises.
Non-guests can purchase a pass.
Bella Luna Ristorante — Glass House, Grace Bay Road. Tel:
946-5214. Fine Italian dining. Indoor or terrace seating above
tropical garden. Open daily from 5:30 PM. Closed Sunday. Lunch
and pizza in the garden. Private catering available.
Big Al’s Island Grill — Salt Mills Plaza. Tel: 941-3797. Wide
selection of burgers, steaks, salads, and wraps in a diner-like
setting. Open daily from 11 AM to 10 PM.
Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl — Five Cays. Tel: 941-3863. Fresh
local conch and seafood by the beach. Rum, buckets of beer,
live local bands. Open daily from 11 AM to late.
Cabana Beach Bar & Grill — Ocean Club. Tel: 946-5880.
Casual island fare, burgers, salads, snacks. Open daily from
7 AM to 10 PM. Tropical cocktails with a view of the sea.
Caicos Bakery — Caicos Café Plaza. Authentic French boulangerie.
Fresh-baked breads, rolls, croissants, muffins, quiche,
pastries, cakes. Open 7 AM to 4:30 PM daily except Sunday.
Caicos Café — Caicos Café Plaza. Tel: 946-5278.
Mediterranean specialties, grilled local seafood. Fine wines, dining
on the deck. Open 6 PM to 10 PM Monday to Saturday.
The Caravel Restaurant — Grace Bay Court. Tel: 941-5330.
Cozy restaurant offering island food with flair; famous for fish
tacos. Full bar. Open daily 5 to 10 PM, closed Thursday.
Chicken Chicken — Times Square, downtown Provo. Fast food,
fried chicken, native fare.
Chinson’s Grill Shack — Leeward Highway. Tel: 941-3533.
The Islands’ best jerk and barbecue, Jamaican pastries. Open
daily 8 AM to 10 PM; Friday to Midnight.
Chopsticks — Neptune Court. Tel: 333-4040. Fusion of Asian
cuisines. Take-away, delivery, on-site dining. Open daily 11:30
AM to 3 PM; 5:30 to 10:00 PM.
Club Med — Grace Bay Road. Tel: 946-5500. All-inclusive
resort. Buffet-style dining; live show and disco in the evenings.
Non-guests can purchase a daily pass.
Coco Bistro — Grace Bay Road. Tel: 946-5369. Continental
Caribbean cuisine by Chef Stuart Gray under a canopy of palms.
Serving dinner from 5:30 PM. Closed Monday. Look for the new
Cocovan airstream lounge with garden seating or take-away.
Coconut Grove Restaurant & Lounge — Olympic Plaza,
Downtown. Tel: 247-5610. Casual native fare for residents and
tourists. Cracked conch, conch fritters, fried fish. Pool and game
room. Open daily 11 AM to 10 PM.
Coyaba Restaurant — Caribbean Paradise Inn. Tel: 946-5186.
Contemporary Caribbean gourmet cuisine in a private tropical
garden setting. Extensive wine list. Dinner nightly from 6 to 10
PM. Closed Tuesday. Reservations recommended.
Crackpot Kitchen — Ports of Call. Tel: 2313336. Experience
the best of authentic Turks & Caicos and Caribbean cuisines
with local celebrity Chef Nik. Open daily 5 to 10 PM except
Thursday; Happy Hour 5 to 7 PM.
Crust Bakery & Café — Graceway IGA. Tel: 941-8724.
Breakfast sandwiches, specialty coffees, soups, salads, gourmet
sandwiches and desserts. Open Monday to Saturday, 7 AM to
8:30 PM. Covered patio dining or take-out. Catering available.
Da Conch Shack & RumBar — Blue Hills. Tel: 946-8877.
Island-fresh seafood from the ocean to your plate. Covered
beachfront dining for lunch and dinner daily from 11 AM.
Danny Buoy’s — Grace Bay Road. Tel: 946-5921. Traditional
American pub fare; imported draught beers. Open for lunch and
dinner daily from 11 AM. Happy Hour specials. Large screen TVs
for sporting events. Karaoke.
The Deck — Seven Stars Resort. Tel: 941-7777. All day dining
and cocktails by the water’s edge. Open daily 11 AM to 11 PM.
Live music Friday nights.
Drift — West Bay Club. Tel: 946-8550. Open-air beachfront dining.
Creatively used local ingredients. Full bar. Open daily.
Dune — Windsong Resort. Tel: 333-7700. Private beachfront
dining with limited availability. Fresh fare prepared to perfection.
Open daily.
Element — LeVele Plaza. Tel: 348-6424. Contemporary, creative
cuisine in an elegant setting. Open for dinner Friday to
Wednesday 6:30 to 10:30 PM.
Fairways Bar & Grill — Provo Golf Club. Tel: 946-5833. Dine
overlooking the “greens.” Open for breakfast and lunch from 7
AM to 4 PM daily; Friday, Saturday and Sunday open until 8 PM.
Great Sunday brunch 9 AM to 3 PM.
Fire & Ice — Blue Haven Resort & Marina. Tel: 946-9900.
Drinks at the Ice Bar, dessert by the fire pits. South Americanmeets-Caribbean
flavors and spices. Open daily 5:30 to 9:30
PM. Closed Wednesday.
Fresh Bakery & Bistro — Atrium Resort. Tel: 345-4745.
Healthy European salads, soups, sandwiches, bakery, pies and
cakes. Gelato. Open daily 7 AM to 6 PM, closed Sunday.
Fresh Catch — Salt Mills Plaza. Tel: 243-3167. Authentic native
cuisine, from seafood to souse. All-you-can-eat seafood buffet
on Wednesday. Open daily 8 AM to 10 PM. Closed Sunday.
Carry-out available.
Garam Masala — Regent Village. Tel: 941-3292. Authentic
Indian cuisine, tandoori charcoal-oven specialties. Open daily
11:30 AM to 3 PM, 5:30 to 10 PM. Dine-in, take-out or delivery.
Giggles Ice Cream & Candy Parlour — Ports of Call &
Williams Storage. Tel: 941-7370. Cones, sundaes, shakes,
smoothies, “Gigglers,” ice cream pies and cakes. Pick ‘n’ mix
candies. Open daily 11 AM to 10 PM.
Gilley’s Sky Lounge & Bar — At the airport. Tel: 946-4472.
Burgers, sandwiches, local food. Open daily 6 AM to 9 PM.
Grace’s Cottage — Point Grace Resort. Tel: 946-5096.
Elegant, gourmet Caribbean cuisine showcasing regional foods.
Extensive wine list. Gazebo seating under the stars or indoor
Times of the Islands Fall 2017 79

dining in a romantic gingerbread cottage. Serving dinner from
6 to 10 PM nightly. Reservations required. Native cuisine night
on Tuesday with live music.
Grill Rouge — Grace Bay Club. Tel: 946-5050. Al fresco bistro.
Diverse menu. Fun cocktails. Open daily for lunch Noon to 3 PM,
dinner to 9 PM.
Hemingways on the Beach — The Sands at Grace Bay. Tel:
941-8408. Casual beachfront bar and restaurant. Fresh fish,
pasta, sandwiches, salads and tropical drinks by the pool.
Oceanfront deck for great sunsets! Open 8 AM to 10 PM daily.
Hole in the Wall Restaurant & Bar — Williams Plaza, Old
Airport Road. Tel: 941-4136. Authentic Jamaican/Island cuisine
where the locals go. Full bar. A/C dining or outdoors on the
deck. Open daily 7 AM to 9 PM. Pick-up/delivery available.
Infiniti Restaurant & Raw Bar — Grace Bay Club. Tel: 946-
5050. Elegant beachfront dining for lunch and dinner. Gourmet
Euro/Caribbean cuisine; fine wines. Full bar and lounge.
Reservations required.
Island Boochery — Le Petite Plaza. Tel: 348-7027. Vegan
lifestyle kitchen, offering fresh, organic, raw, vegan, gourmet.
Open daily 10 AM to 6 PM; Saturday 10 AM to 2 PM.
Island Conch Bar & Grill — Bight Cultural Market. Tel: 946-
8389. Caribbean and local cuisine. Open daily 11 AM to 9 PM.
Island Scoop — Grace Bay Plaza. Tel: 242-8511/243-5051.
21 flavors of ice cream made locally. Cones, smoothies, blizzards
and shakes. Open daily, 11 AM to 10 PM.
The Java Bar — Graceway Gourmet. Tel: 941-5000. Gourmet
café serving fresh baked desserts, sandwiches and coffee
delights. Open 7 AM to 8 PM daily.
Jimmy’s Dive Bar — Ports of Call. Tel: 946-5282. The place for
steaks, BBQ, booze and breakfast. Open daily, 7 AM to 11 PM,
(Thursday to Saturday to Midnight); open Sunday at 8 AM.
Kalooki’s Beach Restaurant & Bar — Blue Hills. Tel:
941-8388. Caribbean-infused dishes in an oasis-like setting
overlooking the sea. Open Monday to Saturday, 11 AM to 10 PM;
Sunday 11 AM to 7 PM. Live music every Friday!
KItchen 218 — Beach House, Lower Bight Road. Tel: 946-5800.
Caribbean cuisine with hints of French and Asian fusion and the
chef’s passion for fresh ingredients. Open 8 AM to 10 PM daily.
The Landing Bar & Kitchen — Grace Bay Road across from
Regent Village. Tel: 341-5856. Unique nautical setting for dinner
under the stars. Cocktails, fire pit. Open daily except Tuesday
5:30 PM to . . .
Las Brisas — Neptune Villas, Chalk Sound. Tel: 946-5306.
Mediterranean/Caribbean cuisine with tapas, wine and full bar.
Terrace, gazebo and inside dining overlooking Chalk Sound.
Open daily 8 AM to 10 PM. Take-out available; private parties.
Le Bouchon du Village — Regent Village. Tel: 946-5234. A
taste of Paris. Sidewalk café with sandwiches, salads, tartines,
tapas, dinner specials, wine, cheese, dessert, coffees. Open
daily 11 AM. Closed Sunday.
Le Comptoir Francais — Regent Village. Tel: 946-5234.
French deli, bakery, wine shop. Open daily.
Lemon 2 Go Coffee — Ventura House. Tel: 941-4069.
Gourmet coffeehouse. Sandwiches, muffins, cookies, croissants,
yogurt, salads. Open Monday to Saturday 7:30 AM to 7 PM,
Sunday 9 AM to 1 PM.
The Lounge — Grace Bay Club. Tel: 946-5050. Decidedly hip
lounge. Caribbean-infused tapas, martinis, tropical cocktails,
world music and the finest sunset location in Providenciales.
Lupo — Regent Village. Tel: 431-5876. Authentic Italian
“comfort food.” Regional wine list. Dine in or take out readymade
gourmet meals. Open daily 11 AM to 3 PM; 6 to 10 PM.
Magnolia Restaurant & Wine Bar — Miramar Resort. Tel:
941-5108. International cuisine with island flavors, north shore
views. Open for dinner from 6 to 9:30 PM except Monday. Wine
bar opens at 4 PM.
Mango Reef — Turtle Cove. Tel: 946-8200. Fresh local flavors
and seafood, homemade desserts. Open daily 8 AM to 10 PM.
Set price dinner on weekdays. Waterside deck, indoor or patio
dining. Tie-up to dock at Turtle Cove Marina.
Market Café — Blue Haven Resort. Tel: 946-9900. Gourmet
coffees, teas, frozen drinks; fresh breads and pastries; grab ‘n’
go salads, sandwiches, smoothies. Open daily 7 AM to 8 PM.
Melt Ice Cream Parlour — Regent Village. Tel: 432-1234.
Carefully crafted selection of sumptous and inspired sundaes,
with coffee, champagne and cocktails for the grown-ups! Open
Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 10 PM.
Mis Amigos Cocina Mexicana — Central Square. Tel: 946-
4229. A variety of traditional Mexican fare, including salads and
the best margaritas in town. Open daily.
Mother’s Pizza — Downtown Times Square. Tel: 941-4142.
Best pizza in the Turks & Caicos, available by the slice or the
island’s biggest “large.” Open daily 11 AM to 9 PM; to 10 PM on
Friday and Saturday; Noon to 8 PM on Sunday.
Mr. Groupers — Lower Bight and Sunset Ridge Hotel (near airport).
Tel: 242-6780. Serving fresh local seafood straight from
the sea. Open daily 10 AM to 10:30 PM, Sunday 3 to 11 PM.
Opus Wine • Bar • Grill — Ocean Club Plaza. Tel: 946-
5885. International menu with Caribbean flair. Fresh seafood.
Serving dinner nightly 6 to 10:30 PM. Indoor/outdoor dining.
Conference facility, events, catering.
Parallel23 — The Palms. Tel: 946-8666. Pan-tropical cuisine in
a setting of casual elegance. Boutique wine list. Al fresco or private
dining room available. Open daily 6 to 10:30 PM.
The Patty Place — Behind Shining Stars; Le Petit Place, Blue
Hills. Tel: 246-9000. Authentic Jamaican patties and loaves. 18
flavors of Devon House ice cream. Open daily 9:30 AM to 10 PM.
Pavilion — The Somerset. Tel: 339-5900. Chef Brad offers a
global palate, interpreted locally. Seafood raw bar. Open daily
for breakfast, lunch, dinner; Sunday Prime Rib special.
Pelican Bay Restaurant & Bar — Royal West Indies Resort.
Tel: 941-2365/431-9101. Poolside restaurant and bar with
Caribbean, French and Asian fare. Breakfast, lunch, dinner daily
from 7:30 AM to 10 PM. Special events each week.
Pepper Town Café — Digicel Cinema, #4. Tel: 246-9237.
Native and Caribbean Dishes. Open daily except Sunday 11:30
AM to 7 PM. Island breakfast on Saturday at 7 AM.
Pizza Pizza — Grace Bay Plaza/Cinema Plaza. Tel: 941-
8010/941-3577. New York style specialty pizzas. Open daily
11:30 AM to 9:30 PM, weekends until 10 PM. Free delivery.
Retreat Kitchen Vegetarian Café & Juice Bar — Ports of
Call. Tel: 432-2485. Fresh, organic, vegan fare. Fresh juices,
daily lunch specials. Open for lunch Monday to Saturday.
Rickie’s Flamingo Café — Between Ocean Club and Club Med.
Tel: 244-3231. Local fare and atmosphere right on the beach.
Best grouper sandwich and rum punch! Don’t miss Curry Fridays
and Beach BBQ Saturdays.
Sailing Paradise — Blue Hills. Tel: 344-1914. Casual beachfront
restaurant and bar. Caribbean fare. Open daily 7 AM to 11
PM. Sunday brunch and beach party, daily happy hour.
Salt Bar & Grill — Blue Haven Resort & Marina. Tel: 946-9900.
80 www.timespub.tc

Casual dining with outdoor seating overlooking the marina.
Sandwiches, burgers and salads, classic bar favorites with local
flair. Open daily from 11:30 AM to 9:30 PM.
Seven — Seven Stars Resort. Tel: 339-7777. Elevated contemporary
cuisine fused with TCI tradition. Open Monday to Saturday,
5:30 to 9:30 PM.
72ºWest — The Palms Resort. Tel: 946-8666. Beachside dining
with a family-friendly, Caribbean-inspired menu. Serving lunch
daily; dinner seasonally.
Sharkbite Bar & Grill — Admiral’s Club at Turtle Cove. Tel:
941-5090. Varied menu; casual dining. Sports bar/slots. Open
daily from 11 AM to 2 AM.
Shay Café — Le Vele Plaza. Tel: 331-6349. Offering organic
coffees, teas, sandwiches, salads, soup, pastries, gelato, sorbetto,
smoothies, beer and wine. Open daily 7 AM to 7 PM.
Simone’s Bar & Grill — La Vista Azul. Tel: 331-3031. Serving
fresh seafood and local cuisine. Open daily 11 AM to 11 PM;
weekends 7 AM to 11 PM. Popular bar!
Solana! Restaurant — Ocean Club West. Tel: 946-5254.
Oceanfront dining from sushi to burgers. Teppanyaki and Sushi
Bar, engage with the chefs. Open daily 7:30 AM to 10 PM.
Somewhere Café & Lounge — Coral Gardens Resort. Tel:
941-8260. Casual dining with Tex-Mex flair right on the beach.
Cocktails, beers, specialty drinks. Open early to late daily.
Stelle — Gansevoort Turks + Caicos. Tel: 232-4444. Modern
Mediterranean cuisine featuring fresh fish and seafood. Open 6
to 10 PM daily, until 2 AM on Friday with DJ.
Sui-Ren — The Shore Club. Tel: 339-8000. Inspired flavors of
Peruvian-Japanese fusion cuisine with fresh seafood and organic
produce in a unique setting. Open daily.
Thai Orchid — The Regent Village. Tel: 946-4491. Authentic
Thai cuisine; over 60 choices! Dine in or carry out. Open for
lunch and dinner daily.
Three Brothers Restaurant — Town Center Mall, Downtown.
Tel: 232-4736. Seafood and native cuisine. Tuesday night buffet
dinner. Catering services. Open daily, 7 AM to 10 PM.
Three Queens Bar & Restaurant — Wheeland. Tel: 243-
5343. Oldest bar on Provo, serving Jamaican and Native dishes.
Serving lunch and dinner from Monday to Saturday.
Tiki Hut Island Eatery — Dockside at Turtle Cove Inn. Tel:
941-5341. Imaginative sandwiches, salads, seafood, Black
Angus beef, pasta, pizzas, fresh fish. Open daily 11 AM to 10
PM. Breakfast on weekends.
Turkberry Frozen Yogurt — The Saltmills. Tel: 431-2233.
Frozen yogurt in a variety of flavors, with a large selection of
toppings. Open 11 AM to 11 PM daily.
Turks Kebab — At Craft Market on Sand Castle Drive. Tel: 431-
9964. Turkish and Mediterranean fare. Salads, falafel, gyros,
kebabs, hummus. Open for lunch and dinner.
Via Veneto — Ports of Call. Tel: 941-2372. Authentic Italian
dining in a stylish indoor/outdoor venue. Open from 5:30 PM to
late. Closed Thursday. Saturday is Pizza Night!
The Vix Bar & Grill — Regent Village. Tel: 941-4144. Highend,
island-inspired world cuisine, fine wines. Open daily for
breakfast, lunch and dinner. Available for meetings.
Yoshi’s Sushi & Grill — The Saltmills. Tel: 941-3374/431-
0012. Sushi bar menu plus Japanese cuisine. Open daily Noon
to 3 PM; 6 to 10 PM. Closed Sunday. Dine indoors or out. Carry
out available.
Zest! — Gansevoort Turks + Caicos. Tel: 232-4444. Lunch and
dinner beachfront. Taste of the Caribbean and Americas. Open
daily Noon to 5 PM; 6 to 9 PM. Fisherman’s night Wednesday. a
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82 www.timespub.tc

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