OCTOBER 30, 1959
THE CANADIAN JEWISH BEVIEW
11
&H*ffc f
Small Island Areas In The
Caribbean Are Fascinating Places,
Reached Easily By Air
�Y IIIANM IAILV, IN TMI NIW YOUC TIMIS
Remote islands of the West In* dies are now accessible for the first time to air travelers seeking off-beat destinations. All-weather* hard-surface air strips have been laid on the virtually unknown islands of Anguilla, Barbuda, Beef, Montserrat and St. Eustatius and on the better known, but heretofore remote, islands of Dominica and Nevis.
All these islands now can .be reached by regularly scheduled
flights uf L. I.A. T. (LeevraiJ Is* lands Air Transport), whose three small planes make from two to five flights weekly to six of these islands and one flight a week to the strange little island of Barbuda. The L. I. A. T. fleet, subsidized by British West Indian Airways, an affiliate of British Overseas Airways Corporation, consists of two twin-engine Beech-craft Bonanzas and a twin-engine Piper Apache. The line operates under American licenses and planes are inspected by the American Civil Aeronautics Board. They are piloted by Americans.
Hardly anybody outside the West Indies has ever heard of Barbuda where Christopher Codring-ton, seventeenth century Governor General of the Leeward Islands, bred slaves for his sugar planta-tlotts~ltr AfittguaV aiHl~deer, wild boar and African fowl for his game preserves. The present population of t)}p. islan^ ia about l(000t all of
live sloops making hazardous voyages over coral reefs, and now, planes call weekly. Many ships have been wrecked off the island, and the waters about it are known as "the graveyard of the Caribbean." Dominica, is generally believed to be the most beautiful island of the Lesser Antilles.
Until World War II, vessels of
the Canadian National Steamship
Company put in at Roseau every
fortnight Service was discontinued
�with�the outbreak of hostilities-,
small island with one hotel (eight double rooms), no cabs, no radio, no telephones. Montserrat, rocky but fertile, raises limes, sea island cotton and tomatoes.
St Eustatius (called Statia) is a Dutch island, eleven squan miles in area. The only place to stay is the clean, quiet Government Guesthouse, with four small bedrooms and two baths. Once Statia was the most important transshipping point in the Leeward Islands. In the middle eighteenth century a hundred. ships a day dropped anchor in its deep roadstead.
Now the blue-green harbor is deserted, and only the new air strip gives hope of a brighter future. In 1781, when Holland was at war with England, Admiral Rodney attacked Statia, looted and burned its capital. Today there is little to do but visit the ruins.
and the island, remained for some years virtually without outside trade or tourists.
Dominica (area, 305 square miles) has the highest and greenest mountains in the West Indies steaming tropical jungles and great rain forests. High among its cloud-drenched peaks is a boiling lake, and in the hills on the farthest side of the mountains live the few Carib Indians remaining in the world. Tourist accommodations in the capital city of Roseau are scarce, and by American standards, rather primitive.
None of the islands are alike. In the old days, Nevis, now shabby and drab, was the gayest and most fashionable of West Indies islands. Once the most important^ health resort in the J^*�^' bean, it boasted a magnificent eighteenth century hotel called Bath House. The hotel still stands
Since the Federation of the West Indies came into being, numbers of West Indies islands have begun to dream of tourist business. Their facilities are generally limited, and reservations for transportation and accommodations should be made in advance.
A wide choice of island-hopping air cruises to Puerto Rico and other exotic resorts in the Caribbean Sea is offered by Eastern Air Lines, in cooperation with British West Indian Airways, and United Tours Inc. of Miami.
These air cruises will take ad-vantage of the variety of fares and accommodations ranging from first-class service to the moderate-priced tourist and ultra-economy flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico. San Juan is the 16th century ci> tadel which once dominated the Spanish Main and is today emerging as one of the fastest growing and most progressive cities of the new world.
In San Juan, there are beautiful suburbs of Rio Piedras, Santurce, Isla Grande and the shores of El Condado; the sea fortress of El Morro, and the Casa Blanco (white house) from which Ponce de Leon set forth to seek the "fountain of youth".
Other memorable stops may include nearby St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands; Antigua, with its Fig Tree Drive, a 20-mile loop encircling "the city; tKeHltttractive' sugar plantations, and the dockyards where Lord Nelson fitted out his ships of the line and frigates; Martinique, a bit of Old France in the Western World, where Napoleon's Empress Josephine was born; Barbados, a British colony, and Trinidad, home of the Calypso and strolling steel bands.
Curacao, Dutch outpost in the Caribbean, with its floating markets at de Ruyterkade; Port-of-Spain, where colorful people of all nations � Hindus, Moslems, Eng-
lish, French, Dutch, Chinese fre-' quent the Bazaars; Montego Bay and Kingston, in Jamaica, known for beautiful sandy beaches and gay nightlife; Panama City, Balboa, Ancon, and the shipping crossroads of the world which is the Panama Canal Zone, all await a visit In El Salvador during a one-day stay, places with such musical and memorable names aa Los Planes de Renderos, Puerta del Diablo, El Gran Mirador, Flor Blanca, and Lake Ilopango are on the list of sights to see. In Guatemala, where the native Indians still dress in ancient style and continue t�. Bellow many of the customs of their Mayan ancestors, there are boat rides on Lake Atitlan at the feet of still actively smoking volcanoes, and a chance to observe the fascinating marketplace and Indian ceremonials.
TCA Flies Daily To Vacation Spots In Florida And the Caribbean
Trans-Canadar Air Lines offers a complete Southern service, with wide variety of first class and tourist flights, to Caribbean resort areas, and Florida.
Nassau, Bermuda, Jamaica, Antigua, Barbados and Trinidad, arc all included, some with frequent through service; and some with TCA Skyliner Tourist Service; and in January, there will be luxury service by Super Constellation, to many of these vacation spots. Antigua service was new last year.
To Florida, TCA will fly daily first class Viscount flights to Tampa, via Toronto, effective December- 1, with good connections to Miami; and also, there is Tourist service to Tampa. TCA flies to Trinidad and Bermuda with no change of plane from Montreal, and after January 31, rvill add to this, Super Constellation service.
TCA offers to the traveller, in-cluslve TCA package tours to Florida and holiday islands in the South. Any'TCA agent will ar-range these with ease, including the "fly now � pay later" plan, which can be arranged for any traveller. TCA agents will add extra service'57~such as arranging sight-seeing plans, tours, hotels, and other planning before departure, to make it as easy as possible for every southern-bound traveller. The Caribbean, sunshine, and a_ variety of Island customs and backgrounds are reached conveniently, daily, by Trans-Canada Air Lines.
whom live in Codrington Village, perhaps the smallest village in the world with an air "tHy in its front yard.
There are no white people on -Barbuda and no criminals. Of-
�K nafjpon nro rwpa-
d the batbs have been restored.
slonally brought to trial are fighting and using bad language. The courthouse is so small that witnesses stand outside and give testimony through the open door. There are two tractors on the island and an old motor car, a buggy and a Victorian hearse. There is good bunting and excellent fishing.
Residents raise pigeon peas and peanuts and make charcoal for Antigua, thirty-five miles away. This can be reached by Trans-Canada Air Lines, with comfortable, all-tourist service. Barbuda used to be accessible only by-na-
It is possible to rent rooms in Bath House, hire a cook, and keep house in this rather sad and dilapidated old hostelry. Accommodations may also be had at Golden Rock, a rebuilt sugar estate, on
Which.guest cult*njc.a akiu a Swltbl-
ming pool have been built Beach-lands, a plantation house on the old Nisbet estate, also takes guests. .
At Fig Tree Church, Horatio Nelson married the Widow Nisbet. Visitors go to see. the old marriage register and to visit the ruins of the house in which Alexander Hamilton was born. There is not much else to do on Nevis.
Anguilla is a flat island with good � beaches, no tourist accommodations and no white people; Beef Island, six miles off Tortola in the British-Virgins, is a very
I
fajJjULud
eft
�*!
ONLY TCA
takes you to any of them!
TCA Skyliner Tourist Service, only $179 round trip. Also new luxury service by Super Constellation from Jan. lat
Non-stop from Montreal, Tourist round trip only $141. Also Super Constellation service from Jan. 31st
Frequent Tourist service to Montego Bay and Kingston, only $250 round trip. Also luxury Super Constellation service from Jan. 1st ' .
Daily First Class Viscount flights to Tampa via Toronto (eff��-tive Dec. 1st), with good connections to Miami. Also Tourist service, round trip to Tampa,
Comfortable all-Tourist service, $241 round trip. No change of plane from Dec. 1st
Frequent through service, $306 round trip. Also Sup*r Constellation luxury service from Jan. 31st
T
o
o
mmm.
SEE YOUR TRAVEL AGENT OR TCA OFFTCK
TRANS-CANADA AIR LINES
PHONE UU. 9-3411
No change of plane from Montreal. $325 Tnurut round trip. Also Sup#r Cor.stellation luxury service from Jan. 31st
Ask aL�,ut inclusive TCA package tours to Florida and holiday tslajids in the South.
'Fly now-Pay later" If you wl*n.