Caribbean Property

2007-06-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

Caribbean Property

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Last weekend one of Panama City's busiest streets was transformed into a cultural and historical stomping ground when the 1000 Polleras Festival came through. It was a day characterized by vibrant energy, rich culture, and sweltering heat, and one in which the entire history of the isthmus could be seen on one stretch of asphalt.
The annual 1000 Polleras festival was organized by Panama's tourism institute IPAT. It was a celebration of folkloric tradition in Panama that saw natives from across the country flock to Calle like the seasonal migration of the Serengeti. The heat in the city was not unlike that of a desert as well, highs reaching around 95 degrees.
All of the provinces were represented in the parade, some more animated than others. The Bocas del Toro presentation for example consisted of this deep and pulsating drum line complimented by mischievous spirit-looking costumes dancing like Sean Paul and the Wu Tang Clan. The Nobe Bugle lineup though, more resembled a memorial service with their dark face paint and somber expressions as though someone's cat had just been run over.
Tourists and locals gathered alike to take photos of the picturesque parade-goers. Smoked meats and fresh watermelons and mangos were available beside the road for just nickels. And as the parade neared its end at Via Porras, its spectators began to look forward to next year.
Coral reefs often appear to divers as independent communities — symbiotic villages where fish, corals, crustaceans and shellfish seem to exist apart from the vast surrounding ocean, content to live within their own world of blazing color and darting movement.
But reef systems are complex and fragile ecosystems, greatly dependent on what surrounds them. In Bocas del Toro, an archipelago on the northwest Caribbean coastline of Panama, coral reefs are particularly reliant on the hundreds of neighboring mangrove islands that are now being overrun by rapid development.
Conservancy staff are working with local community groups to create sustainable fishing practices throughout the region that will balance the needs of people and nature.
The development on Bocas del Toro and particularly around Bastimentos National Park (which dominates the archipelago) is largely driven by residential tourism — which includes the construction of large second-home communities and the infrastructure that accompanies them.
The residential tourism market has also encouraged overfishing around the archipelago, particularly among the lobster and conch population. These species' inability to range over moderate distances make them particularly vulnerable to overharvesting. As their numbers dwindle, lobster and conch are forced to travel long distances across the sea floor to mate.
The Conservancy is working with local partners in the archipelago to address these problems. Lasa is working closely with Bocas del Toro Mayor Eligio Binns and the city council to draft a land-use plan for the entire archipelago — a plan that will preserve undeveloped land and concentrate future development in areas with existing infrastructure.
The current objective is to sail the Carib Canoe, “Gli Gli,” with a crew of 12 Dominican Caribs from Antigua to the Virgin Islands, via Nevis and St Kitts, St Eustatia, St Barths, St Martin and Anguilla then across the Anegada passage to Tortola.
The voyage is being undertaken to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Gli Gli’s creation and to continue the mission of her 1997 expedition from Dominica to Guyana, by symbolically reuniting the Carib descendants of the Leeward Islands.
The expedition intends to draw attention to the role the Caribs have played in the region's history and culture. Throughout the expedition the crew will be presenting slide and video shows about the Gli Gli Carib canoe project and presenting traditional musical performances for schools and heritage groups.
Following in the spirit of the 1997 Gli Gli expedition , which was documented in the BBC film “The Quest of the Carib Canoe”, the Leeward Island Expedition will be recorded to produce a short documentary film for regional and global TV markets.
The focus will be on the adventures of Gli Gli and her crew as she sails up the island chain and an introduction to the history of the canoes and journeys of the Carib tribe। The film will be produced under the guidance of David Fanning of PBS and filmed by Mick Kollins from the Caribbean Design group and independent film maker Travis Rummel.

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