Shorebirds are those boring, brown little birds that paddle around in ponds–or that is what I used to think. Now I know better. True, they tend to be little and brown. True, they tend to paddle around in ponds. But boring they are not. Instead, they are the international jet set of the avian world, and many of them perform heroic feats of transcontinental migration each spring and fall.

The expression “shorebird” can be extended to almost any bird that lives on the shore, but here I am going to focus on plovers and sandpipers–oh, and the Oystercatcher, which is the only local representative of its family and something of the odd man out. In the Turks & Caicos Islands, spring is one of the best times to see shorebirds, as many migratory species are passing through the Islands on their way north to breed. Plovers are admittedly a bit dumpy and plain–short-billed and short-legged, they scamper around on beaches and mud-flats. Sandpipers tend to the other extreme, with long legs for wading and long bills for probing for their food in sand and soft mud. Oystercatchers hang about on stony beaches, looking for the odd oyster–or any other bivalve for that matter.

Five species of plover occur regularly in the Turks & Caicos, with two more only turning up rarely when they lose their way. Of the five regulars, three breed here and two just drop in to avoid the winter cold.
The three that breed here are the Killdeer, Wilson’s Plover and the Snowy Plover. The Killdeer is a common bird throughout North America and the Caribbean, and unlike the others, it lives in the Turks & Caicos year round. It can easily be identified by the double band across the breast. Hapless parents, killdeer nest and bring up their young near inland bodies of fresh water, like the pair that adopted a rain puddle on the road to our house. (Admittedly the road is in an appalling state and it was a big puddle, but they looked pretty silly when it dried out.) The other two are breeding summer visitors who nest in gravel at the edge of salinas, where great care must be taken not to step on their eggs.

The visiting plovers are the Black-bellied Plover and the Semipalmated Plover. The Black-bellied is large and, confusingly, entirely gray–indeed in Europe it is called the Gray Plover. It breeds in the far north, and when it does so it looks completely different, as it is black below, and brown above, but by the time it turns up in TCI, all but a few slow-coaches have molted into their gray winter apparel. As to the Semipalmated Plover, I’d always wondered what “semipalmated” meant: half covered in palm leaves, perhaps ? No. It means that its feet are half-webbed, in the sense that they have a small amount of webbing between the toes, unlike, say, a duck’s feet, which are completely webbed. Now you know, and can amaze your friends at dinner parties.

Up to 20 different species of sandpipers occur in TCI, although of those, 6 only occur uncommonly during migration. One species, the Willet (Latin name Catoptrophorus semipalmatus–no prizes for guessing what its feet look like), is a summer visitor and breeds here, but all the others are either winter visitors, or simply pass through in spring and fall. Many of them breed in the tundra of the high Arctic during the short northern summer, migrating up and down the eastern seaboard of the United States to get there. Indeed, the Pectoral Sandpiper is one of the world’s great long-distance migrants, for they breed as far away as the northern coast of Siberia, and winter as far south as the Straits of Magellan at the tip of South America.

The whole point of migration is to enable the birds to capitalize on the ephemeral summer wealth of the north, without having to spend winter there. The birds obviously think it worth the huge effort involved, but they do not hang about. As soon as the young are old enough to look after themselves, the parents head on back to the islands, leaving the youngsters to follow on when school is out. Some of the early return migrants pass the laggards still on their way north, and in the Turks & Caicos, you can see returning adults still in full breeding plumage, but somewhat travel-worn, as early as July. The young do not turn up until September.

Most sandpipers have distinctive and colorful breeding plumage, but their winter wardrobe is rather drab and monochrome. This makes it much more difficult to tell them apart, so you have to observe carefully, and note other distinguishing features, such as size, leg and bill length, and behavior. The names of some of them give you useful pointers–the Solitary Sandpiper, for instance, behaves according to its name; the Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs both have bright yellow legs, and one species is noticeably larger than the other; the Stilt Sandpiper looks as if it is walking on stilts; I do not have to tell you about the Semipalmated Sandpiper (although in real life you never get to see the feet); and the Least Sandpiper is the smallest of the whole group.

However, you can only rely on descriptive names so far: the Short-billed Dowitcher has the longest bill for its size of any of the sandpipers in TCI, measuring over 2.5 inches out of the bird’s total length of 11 inches. Luckily the Long-billed Dowitcher does not occur here, so you do not have to engage in the tricky task of telling them apart (which can usually only be done by song alone). Some birds are also named for their summer plumage, which they rarely if ever show here. Thus the Spotted Sandpiper is perfectly named if you live in Edmonton, but hard to identify with the plain, beige bird that turns up in the Turks & Caicos.

Despite the helpful names, it can be difficult to tell some species of sandpiper apart, and that particularly applies to the members of the genus Calidris. A group of the smallest, comprising the White-rumped, Western, Semipalmated (yes, its feet), and Least Sandpipers, are often lumped together under the collective name, “peeps.” This saves having to try to tell them apart, but it can be done. You can guess what the White-rumped has, and it is also the largest. Not only is the Least Sandpiper the smallest, but it has greenish legs and a finely pointed, slightly droopy bill. All the rest have black legs–and Bob’s your uncle. All right, I confess that the difference between the Western and Semipalmated Sandpipers eludes me, but experts can tell almost 75% of the time.

Despite being called shorebirds, you do not often find sandpipers (or plovers for that matter) on the beach. On the whole they prefer the muddy edges of ponds or tidal lagoons. The exceptions are Ruddy Turnstones (which are ubiquitous) and Sanderlings. The latter, as their name suggests, inhabits sandy beaches. They can be seen chasing, and being chased, by the waves, as they try to snatch morsels of food from the sea’s maw, for all the world like little clock-work toys. Shakespeare must have had them in mind in the Tempest when he had Prospero invoke:
“Ye, that on the sands with printless foot
Do chase the ebbing Neptune and do fly him
When he comes back;”

In winter, Sanderlings are a grayish white, but in summer they undergo a sea change into something rich and strange. They become many-colored, and unless you knew, you would not recognise them as the same birds.

Oystercatchers, on the other hand, do not change much, nor do they go anywhere. They retain their distinctive black-and-white uniform and bright red beak year-round, although the red gets redder when they are in the mood. They breed in TCI, and their plaintive courtship call is one of the distinctive features of springtime. At this time they also engage in elaborate displays, some of which involve combination flying with exaggerated wing-beats, and much calling. Oystercatchers inhabit lonely sea margins, where they fossick about in pairs, looking for exposed shellfish. These they open with their specially adapted beak, which allows them to bring torque to bear to wrench bivalves apart.

So, the next time you see a flock of boring little brown things scuttling around at the edge of a pond, pause and have a closer look. You will not only find an intriguing variety of types and sizes, but a great deal of charm and muted beauty. And that is not all–some of them may just have flown in from Siberia.S

Erosion of privacy has given rise to an outcry from civil rights organizations across the globe. Rapid advances in technology and extensive government monitoring have paved the way for the demise of this once undeniable civil right.

NOTHING TO HIDE?
The majority of people are law-abiding citizens with nothing to hide. Why then does it matter that technology and government have lead to privacy becoming virtually non-existent?

Over a lifetime, hardworking, honest practices often result in the accumulation of a substantial amount of wealth. But wealth is an asset, not a liability, right? Wrong. The more financial success one enjoys, the more of a target one tends to become.

A simple “sandbox analogy” helps explain the concept of how wealth creates a liability: Two children at play in a sandbox, each with a similar toy truck. Happy and content, they play the day away. But then, a new truck is given to one child as a reward for his good behavior. The other looks at his playmate’s shiny new truck, sadly gazes upon his own and what does he do? Cheerily congratulate the other on his success of obtaining the new truck? Possibly, but not likely. With a fistful of sand in the face and a quick snatch, he latches on to his playmate’s prize.

Years down the road, the fistful of sand takes a new form: the lawsuit. The sand of childhood and lawsuit of adulthood are designed to achieve the very same end: the unjust confiscation of wealth from the hardworking by the contemptuous and undeserving.

PRIVACY/LITIGATION CONNECTION
While privacy has decreased over the past decade, there has been a corresponding increase in the rate of litigation. It makes sense intuitively that the more people know, or can find out about one’s personal and financial affairs, the more likely it is that the “sandbox analogy” will come into play.

It is estimated that there are over 100 million lawsuits per year in the United States alone and for business owners and professionals, there is a one in three chance of being named in a lawsuit over the next year. Though the United States is notorious for excessive litigation, the rest of the world is quickly following “suit,” as worldwide litigation rates continue to rise.

THE LAWSUIT LITMUS TEST
One of the first steps undertaken to assess the feasibility of a case is often not an analysis of evidence or precedents (as one might think), but in fact an assessment of a prospective defendant’s financial well-being.

First, an evaluation of the obvious is undertaken: spending habits, residences, vehicles (shiny new trucks), reputation and overall lifestyle. Second, an in-depth analysis of personal background and financial worth is performed.

The type of sensitive information sought in this pre-qualifying stage is surprisingly easy to gather. Type “asset search” into any Internet search engine and one will be amazed at the number of results. Even more frightening is the breadth of information available: bank and investment account details, safety deposit box locations, employment history, current salary, credit card activity and real property ownership, to name a few. Some countries actually do prohibit searches of certain information like bank account records, but this has done little to prevent cunning private investigators from acquiring such information.

If a prospective lawsuit is based on credible and justifiable grounds, the results of an asset search are likely to be less relevant, as there is a matter of principle involved. The plaintiff will feel he or she has been truly wronged, and will likely attempt to obtain justice regardless of the financial health of the defendant.

It is when the basis of a prospective lawsuit is weak and frivolous in nature that an asset search will be a major determining factor. If the search reveals little assets from which to recover compensation for the plaintiff, the potential suit will likely be dropped before it materializes.

RECLAMATION OF PRIVACY: THE OFFSHORE ANTIDOTE
In stark contrast to many onshore countries, offshore financial centers such as the Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI), have enacted legislation designed to maintain the fundamental right of financial privacy.

By structuring financial affairs in a “privacy-friendly” jurisdiction, it removes sensitive, personal information from the radar screen of privacy-infringing acts, such as asset searches, thereby lessening the likelihood of having to defend expensive, unjust lawsuits.

There are a number of privacy protection vehicles available in the TCI to individuals seeking confidentiality in their financial affairs. One of the most popular structures is the Exempt Company (also known as an “IBC” or International Business Company). Exempt Companies are primarily used for holding non-real assets such as equities, bonds and mutual funds. They afford a great deal of confidentiality to investors, as the beneficial owners of the company need not be made a matter of public record. Other benefits include zero local taxation on profits and capital gains, as well as minimal reporting requirements and low maintenance costs.

In terms of estate planning, the Discretionary Trust is a commonly used structure that facilitates privacy and asset protection. Confidentiality is afforded through the non-registration of trust deeds and favorable trust legislation minimizes the potential threat of unreasonable litigation. Trusts established in the TCI also benefit from zero local taxation on income and capital gains, as well as the absence of inheritance and estate tax.

There are a host of other vehicles available in offshore jurisdictions including Hybrid Companies (a corporate entity bearing certain features of a trust) and various insurance-related products, all of which provide varying degrees of privacy and asset protection.

EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT
Everyone has the right to financial privacy. Unfortunately, it has become the responsibility of the individual to preserve this right. Without measures designed to protect financial privacy, the threat of becoming the target of unwarranted litigation that could jeopardize a lifetime of hard work and savings is very real indeed.

Noah C. Houghton is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and co-founder of Paradigm Financial Group, a comprehensive financial services company specializing in offshore company formations and wealth management. He may be contacted at (649) 941 4508 or by e-mail at paradigm@tciway.tc.

Provo Golf & Country Club Community

Nowhere can you see a more accurate reflection of the growth of Providenciales than at one of its most prestigious landmarks, the Provo Golf and Country Club. Less than a dozen years ago, the 200 acre site was nicknamed “Alcatraz,” being little but a tract of coral rock. Today, it is considered the “greenest spot on Provo,” an oasis of tropical vegetation with palm-lined fairways, lush greens and 12 acres of sparkling inland lakes. The course itself has earned a sterling reputation–among the Caribbean’s top 10– and the stately clubhouse stands as an architectural masterpiece.

Buoyed by the golf club’s sustained growth and fresh off the success of their upscale condominium development, The Renaissance on Grace Bay, H.A.B. Group Limited (the country’s largest private landowners) feel the time is right to create a Caribbean golf club community. Development Officer Barrie Cooke explains the logic behind this decision, “Providenciales has reached the level of population and economic growth where it can sustain a first-class golf club community. The club itself is well-established and I think that both residents and vacationers are looking for a place that extends a sense of community and architectural consistency, with a premiere infrastructure and all the necessary amenities. That’s what we plan to provide.”

Joe Zahm, of Connolly Zahm Properties, serves as marketing manager and sales agent for the Provo Golf and Country Club Community. He, too, believes the market is ready for this unique product, “Prices on Grace Bay have reached levels such that a country club development within easy walking distance to Grace Bay Beach makes sense. The combination of location, space, security, landscaping and facilities will be hard to resist with a wonderful variety of condos, townhouses, villas and homes to choose from as the community reaches its potential.” In fact, the two groups of townhomes already built on club grounds were immediately popular with residents, investors and vacationers.

Esteemed local architect Simon Wood designed the community’s master plan to incorporate single family homes, townhouses, villas and condominium suites in carefully selected areas around the site. He says he is pleased by the fact that H.A.B. Group used foresight in developing a planned and cohesive environment for the large site.

The community’s low density ensures that a sense of peace and privacy will prevail. Completed infrastructure includes asphalt-surfaced roads, underground lines for water, electricity, telephone and cable television and a main sewage line. Buyers are serviced with water at a fixed price from nearby Provo Water Company. Besides the 18 hole championship golf course and existing tennis courts (club membership is an ancillary benefit for owners), driving range, clubhouse, pro shop and Fairways Bar & Grill, amenities will include a gated entrance, swimming pool and a fitness center.

Fairway Homes
These single-family luxury homes, discreetly situated right on the course, are attracting Provo’s emerging professional sector, as well as part time residents and select vacationers. There are six models to choose from (including a duplex design), ranging in size from 1,735 sq. ft., all with pool and landscaping. (Purchasers can also customize their home design if it complies with the Club’s design and building codes.)

To date, Ward Construction, among the island’s most established custom builders, have completed four Fairway Homes. A fully furnished model home serves as the on-site sales office.

Club Villas
Overlooking the 10th fairway and boasting expansive views of the golf course, the Club Villas are designed for residents and vacationers seeking an upscale living space within the Club community. With only 15, two bedroom villas among five buildings built around a central pool area, each is a corner unit with vaulted ceilings and large screened balconies. They range in size from 1,568 to 1,618 sq. ft. Construction is anticipated to start in late spring, 2002.

Fairway Townhomes
Now under construction are 18, two and three bedroom luxury townhomes, directly to the south of the existing units. They overlook the 18th fairway and are easily accessible from Grace Bay Road. Features include open living/dining areas, a luxurious master bedroom and guest bedroom, both with ensuite baths, and the choice of a third bedroom/bath on the main floor that can double as an office, lounge or playroom–ideal for growing families or those who don’t want to climb stairs. Buildings encircle a central pool and include screened terraces on the lower levels.

The Colony
Anchoring the Club community will be The Colony Condominiums, located directly at the gated entrance corner, with the beach access road just across the street. Each of 10, two story buildings will house four, one and two bedroom condominium suites, each a corner unit. The buildings will encircle an enchanting water wonderland of tropical islands and bridges, with pools winding throughout.

Designed to attract vacationers and investors looking for a modestly priced, short term rental retreat, the Colony will be supported by resort and property management services and will have a lobby/reception area, offices, boutique and full service bar.

Cooke and Zahm believe that a key attraction of the Provo Golf and Country Club Community will be the “neighborhood” atmosphere it will create, an experience lacking in much of Provo’s current residential development. With a strong local golf club membership and tennis federation, a number of sporting and social events are regularly held at the clubhouse. Zahm believes that this existing network, the Club Community’s combination of long-term residents and vacationers, and the amenities of “real roads,” common pool and proposed clubhouse fitness center, will instill a friendly sense of community among those “living on the greens.”

Intrepid cave diving team John Garvin, Mark Parrish and James Hurley
are exploring the underwater cave systems found scattered throughout the Turks & Caicos Islands. One of the most impressive subterranean waterways found so far has been a Blue Hole in North Caicos known as Cottage Pond.

In October 2001, an attempt was made to reach the bottom of this alluring deep hole thought to be located somewhere underneath the neighbouring hill and in over 200 feet of water.

The team first explored Cottage Pond over two years ago. They immediately realised that this was no ordinary freshwater pond, but an enormous sinkhole that opened up 65 feet underwater into a black abyssal saltwater chamber below. To determine the size and extremities of this hole was going to require some dedicated planning and some serious skill.

Garvin and Parrish went to the freshwater springs of northern Florida in the winter of 1999 to learn the specialised techniques of cave diving. Garvin, an accomplished deep diving instructor, also taught Parrish the use of mixed gas techniques that are required to reach the extreme depths encountered in the pond. The Providenciales-based duo met up with Hurley in North Caicos that year and were delighted to find shared interests in cave diving and the desire to explore the allure of Cottage Pond. Hurley turned out to be a keen underwater cartographer and side mount diver, skills that were to prove invaluable over the coming months.

The team had since been steadily exploring deeper and deeper into the Cottage Pond hole. The top 30 feet of the pond consists of reddish-brown fresh water, which is stained by tannin from the lush plant life that surrounds the area. Between 30 and 50 feet, the freshwater and saltwater layers mix, producing a “halocline” that makes vision look like wearing strong prescription reading glasses. The water also smells and tastes of hydrogen sulphide or “rotten eggs.” It tarnishes dive equipment and plays havoc with ears. Visibility can be drastically reduced at this point, forcing the divers to hold their computers within inches of their masks to read the displays. (Often, over an hour of decompression is required in this zone and communication between the team is by touch alone.)

It is a relief to enter the clear salt water below. At a depth of 65 feet, the sides of the pond contract into an oval opening approximately 10 by 20 feet wide. It is at this point that the pond changes from being an unassuming, conical shaped pond into an enormous deep hole. No light passes through the upper layers and the water, although clear, is blacker than night.

At around 75 feet, three small side tunnels were discovered. They are pushed back on a sediment laden ledge and guarded by stalactites, cave drip formations that prove that the pond was once above water. In January, 2001, Hurley had a narrow escape while trying to determine where these tunnels led. Using steel tanks mounted on his sides and underneath his arms, Hurley tied off his line and ventured in. Squeezing past the stalactites and into an opening no more than two feet high and about the same wide, he was able to pull himself over the fine sediment and almost 100 feet into one of the passages. Upon realising that the tunnel was actually getting smaller, Hurley decided that it would be prudent to turn around. This was easier said than done. The only course of action was to bury himself half into the sediment and ease his tanks and body around inch by inch. The visibility quickly reduced to zero and in the confusion, he lost contact with his line and reel, his only lead out to the main chamber and the anxiously awaiting Garvin.

It is at this point in cave diving that the diver might assess the sanity of where he is. Panic can easily set in and the air supply is finite. The experienced Hurley kept his head. He took slow, deep breaths, relaxed and Mother Nature came to his rescue. Cottage Pond is tidal in that somewhere it links to the sea, and it appears that these side tunnels might just be that link. As Hurley looked up, the water was becoming clear. The tide was washing away the visibility-reducing sediment and he caught sight of his line. Taking a firm hold of it, he wriggled his way out into the main chamber and then ascended to a very welcome gulp of fresh air.

Deeper into the main chamber, the ceiling and sides of the cave peel away and the chamber becomes bigger and bigger. It stretches underneath the adjacent hill and is soon large enough to accommodate a good size house. At a depth of about 120 feet, a very impressive flowstone formation begins on the southern wall. It is 30 feet wide and over 40 feet tall with long finger-like projections hanging over the abyss. It is also white in stark contrast to the brown walls and is another cave formation that proves that this portion of the pond was also once above water. It has been named the “organ pipes.”

It is not until 180 feet underwater that the first signs of the bottom are encountered. It is a cold, smelly silt and continues to slope deeper and deeper into the blackness. Despite the clarity of the water and the large halogen flashlights that the divers carry, it is impossible to make out all the sides of the chamber at one time. In fact, it is difficult to determine whether one is simply in a large hole or has entered a vast underground tunnel. A large tree trunk was found at 200 feet and a branch at 228 feet. This became the point of greatest descent for over a year and the cause of much discussion and wonder. As it turned out, this was tantalisingly close to the bottom.

The problems of diving in such extreme conditions are plentiful. The overhead environment requires the use of cave diving techniques and the depth requires various complex blends of gas for the different portions of the dive. For the deep dive team, is it necessary to have a nitrox travel mix for descent, a set of trimix doubles for the deep portion of the dive and an oxygen-rich mixture to accelerate decompression near the surface. The water is also cold and at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the extended dive times require a dry suit. Lugging all this equipment around in the Turks & Caicos heat requires considerable effort and plenty of rehydration.

After a warm-up dive on October 8, 2001, it was planned to make a deep push the following day. The team met early at Big Blue headquarters in Leeward but things went badly from the outset. It was discovered that due to a leak, one of the sets of double tanks was not at the required pressure. Garvin, master blender, hastily set about recalculating the percentages of gas that were needed to replenish the tanks. It was not the calm, easy morning that he needed. Upon reaching North Caicos it was also discovered that a harness required to attach an Argon bottle for dry suit inflation had broken. A jury rig had to be made. Then at Cottage Pond as the team was readying themselves for the dive, the final straw broke–the emergency oxygen regulator was malfunctioning. Despite the effort, cost and eagerness to make the dive, Safety Officer Garvin called off the dive and it was agreed to put it off for another day. The team was disappointed but a valuable lesson had been learned.

They returned to Cottage Pond on October 11 determined to do it right. Garvin and Hurley rigged up for the deep dive. Parrish, with an injured leg and less experience at depth, was the support diver. The day went well and at 12:45 PM the divers entered the water. At 1:10 PM they slipped beneath the surface in the centre of the pond. Their descent was rapid. At a planned depth of 260 feet, the deep divers had 20 minutes to reach their target and to ascend again to the first decompression stop at 80 feet. This short bottom time still equated to 85 minutes of decompression so it was paramount that they kept to schedule. They stopped briefly to switch to their deep breathing mixes at 100 feet and to trade “OK” signals. They passed the Òorgan pipesÓ at 4 minutes and the 228 foot tie-off point after 7 minutes.

Everything was going according to plan. A minute later, they reached what appeared to be the bottom at 247 feet and they set about exploring their surroundings. Time was of the essence. They found the outside wall and followed the perimeter. After a further 6 minutes and reaching a maximum depth of 255 feet, they stopped to appreciate the enormity and beauty of where they were. Satisfied that they could go no further, they started their slow ascent to the surface and to the long decompression that awaited. Parrish met them eagerly at 100 feet to check that all was okay and to hear the news. He accompanied them through their decompression stops to monitor equipment and gas consumption.

At 255 feet underwater and using over 600 feet of line, they had reached their objective. There followed a great sense of achievement and jubilation at the climax of this two-year goal. What remains is the continued survey and mapping of Cottage Pond, the collection and identification of organisms that have been encountered and the study of life in this strange and wonderful environment. Who knows what exists and what secrets lie in the boundary between the fresh and salt water? Some say that these haloclines hold clues to the origins of life itself. And then of course there are the side tunnels. It is known that Cottage Pond leads to the sea and it seems likely that these tunnels are the link. Perhaps another day . . .

Many thanks to Ian White for his huge support of exploration in October. The team would also like to thank Holton Williams, Hormel Harvey, Big Blue Unlimited, O2 Technical, MediaWorks, the Extended Range Foundation and the offices of Twa, Cochrane and Skatfeld.

For more information on the Caicos Caves Project, visit www.caicoscavesproject.com.

While the Turks and Caicos are famous for their beautiful beaches, pristine seas and wonderful watersports, the Islands are not necessarily known as a cultural mecca.

David Bowen wants to change that.

As the Tourist Board’s cultural officer and a seasoned international entertainer, this enthusiastic Turks Islander is working to retrieve the hidden culture of the Turks & Caicos Islands.

Although not readily apparent, the Islands do have distinct cultural traditions in song, dance, music, arts and crafts, story-telling and farming and fishing techniques. Unfortunately, many of these traditions were left behind as the country skyrocketed into modern times. David explains why he thinks TCI culture simply disappeared, “In the span of a single generation, there was an incredible influx of money, television and North American ideals into the country, especially on Providenciales. Parents always want better for their children, so they embraced this ‘new and improved’ lifestyle and discarded the old ways. And because prosperity came so quickly, our country never ‘suffered’ like other Caribbean nations, where activities such as dancing and story-telling were kept alive as a form of entertainment.”

According to Bowen, TCI culture is rooted and remembered primarily in the islands of North, Middle and South Caicos, Grand Turk and Salt Cay, where survival was the focus of daily life and entertainment, such as “ripsaw” music, was created out of necessity. Yet unfortunately, he says, many of the older folks who now embrace religion, view past traditions such as dancing and singing as decadent and do not want to relive these provocative memories.

The upbeat Bowen is determined to carry out the mission statement of the TCI Government’s cultural office, established primarily by the efforts of Hon. O.O. Skippings and Hon. Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson and whose work takes place under the auspices of the Tourist Board and John Skippings, Director of Tourism. Its goals are “to identify, document, preserve, educate and enhance awareness of the cultural heritage of the Turks & Caicos Islands.”

WHAT IS TCI CULTURE?
The first step is to identify TCI culture . . . what is truly unique to these Islands. This is not as easy as it appears. Bowen says it is not strongly African-rooted, but influenced by the Loyalists, who were cotton planters on the Caicos Islands, and the Bermudians, who established the salt industry on the Turks Islands. In more recent times, there has been blending with the Bahamas, as many Islanders went there in the 1960s and 1970s to find work, and immigrants from Haiti and the Dominican Republic. And as a result, it is hard to separate some of the traditions. The costume and ceremony of the Junkanoo celebration, for instance, was largely a Bahamian addition to TCI’s original “massing” dances.

Bowen began collecting material on song, dance and story-telling traditions several years ago, when travelling in the Caribbean. He is supplementing this by gathering video and audio oral histories around the Islands, armed with a standard list of questions. As the amount of information grows, he plans to more formally document it and encourages others to help by writing and publishing books on poetry, costumes, music, songs and plays.

ENCOURAGING NATIONAL PRIDE
To educate and enhance awareness of TCI culture, Bowen realizes it must be presented as “a celebration of a people who survived.” As a result, the shows presented by his cultural troupe, who regularly tour the Islands and perform at special events, are a rich blend of song, dance, story-telling and music, all designed to present tradition in a positive light. He says, “These shows are one of the best ways we can inspire cultural development. They are wholesome, family-oriented entertainment and have been extremely well received. Our greatest compliment is when the elderly folks say ‘it felt like the old days.’”

Along with promoting cultural activities in local newspapers and radio programs, the Tourist Board produced a cultural calender for 2002. Pen and ink drawings by local teacher and musician Kenton Wyatt highlight traditions such as blowing the conch horn, rake and scrape music, basket weaving and junkanoo. The Board is also planning the first annual Turks & Caicos Ripsaw Festival in early July.

Bowen is especially concerned that schoolchildren be immersed in their culture from an early age. “In the schools,” he says, “there is need for a standardized program in each grade so the kids can be inspired and know who they are.” As he compiles information, Bowen plans to create materials for a cultural curriculum.

Expanding participation in the Turks & Caicos Cultural Group is another goal, Bowen says. “We need more than performers, but people–young and old–who can be involved in the overall production of the shows. If you can sew, speak well or want to work backstage, you can join. All we ask is that you be mature enough to travel and talented enough to learn quickly and adapt.” Bowen is also forming a Heritage Club on each island. Members will be responsible for documenting local history.

As enthusiasm spreads and activities become more formalized and documented, Bowen looks forward to holding workshops on composing music, song writing, goatskin drumming, drum making, ripsaw playing, junkanoo costume making, local dance and choreography and folk songs and plays.

MAKING IT PAY
To encourage older folk to revive traditions, Bowen believes he must show them that it can be not only fulfilling, but profitable. Following the successful footprints of the Middle Caicos Cooperative, where local women create craft items for sale, Bowen envisions expanding the effort. He says, “I’d like to send a group of these ladies to tour the islands and do classes on basket weaving, plating and sewing; men can teach boat building, fish net knitting and basic farming techniques. Each of these activities played a part in the survival of early Islanders; now they can not only highlight our culture, but be profitable as a tourist trade.”

So far, response has been positive from both sides of the table. Bowen reports comments from Islanders such as “It’s about time,” and “You’re on the right track.” People who have seen the cultural shows, whether natives, expatriates, visiting dignitaries or tourists, echo their enjoyment of the lively and entertaining events. Now, it’s just a matter of the energetic cultural officer having enough hours in the day to do all he wants to accomplish.

In the Summer 2002 issue of Times of the Islands, we will debut a new column, “Rediscovering the Hidden Culture.” Tourist Board Cultural Officer David Bowen will examine in-depth a particular aspect of Turks & Caicos culture, starting with music and folk songs.

Ambergris Cay

What are the rarest natural treasures in the world? Gems or precious metals may come to mind, but they are abundant compared to tropical islands–especially those not spoiled by generations of habitation or, more recently, over development. Rarest of all are those in private hands.

One of the very last of such jewels, and surely the most pristine, is Ambergris Cay in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Since the departure of the Lucayan Indians nearly five centuries ago, this island remained uninhabited until 1998. Then its population went from zero to one, when the leader of the partnership that purchased Ambergris Cay took up residence there. Now Henry Mensen is looking for a few good neighbors–with the accent on “few.”

“I’ve walked nearly every inch of Ambergris Cay many times over, and it’s just as magical today as the first time I saw it,” declares Mensen, an international businessman and developer originally from Canada. “My partners and I are committed to bringing Ambergris Cay to full bloom slowly and carefully, so that those who eventually live here experience the same magic, and that means a very low density community.”

Mensen does, indeed, envision an exceptionally small number of owner-members. On an island fully 1,060 acres in size, only 80 estates are planned, ranging from one to ten acres. This allows maximum preservation of the island’s exquisite natural beauty, with a high degree of individual privacy for each owner. The island as a whole is equally as private.

“Ambergris Cay is naturally private for two reasons,” explains Mensen, who discovered the island shortly after moving to the Turks & Caicos in 1989. “It’s 12 miles from the nearest inhabited island, South Caicos, and it is protected by reefs and coral heads that discourage passing boaters from closely approaching the shore.”

In addition to this natural protection, plans call for extensive manned and electronic security, including optional monitoring of individual homes when residents are away. Access to Ambergris Cay will be tightly controlled and limited to a deep water marina and a 5,500 foot airfield. The latter is an advantage of which almost no private island can boast. According to Mensen, the marina will be capable of accommodating even “mega-yachts,” and large corporate jets will be able to use the airfield.

“This will be a world-class community designed to appeal to that limited number of people with the means to create their own environments even when traveling,” continues Mensen. “We want them to be able to come directly to their homes here regardless of the size of their vessel or aircraft.”

For that reason, customs and immigration officials will be stationed on Ambergris Cay. And when owners are in residence, they will not have to leave home to obtain whatever they may wish. One of the island’s most enviable amenities will be comprehensive concierge services.
“Owners need only inform us of when they will arrive and what they want waiting for them, and it will happen,” says Mensen. “From opening and stocking their homes with food and beverages to making appointments at the wellness spa or arranging for charter fishing or excursions to the other islands or planning and catering a party, while they are here their every wish will be provided for.”

The wellness spa alluded to by Mensen will be complemented by a small five-star hotel for visitors. Residents and visitors alike also will be able to enjoy the yacht club associated with the full-service marina. Plans for this complex include a restaurant, intimate nightclub, dive shop and boutiques.

The island’s infrastructure also calls for an independent freshwater system and electrical generating capability, so Ambergris Cay will be almost completely self-sufficient. Of course, no matter how badly someone may want to “get away from it all,” there are always reasons for being able to stay in touch with the world beyond the horizon. A fiber-optic communications network with a broadband link to the Internet is planned to meet this need.

Absolute privacy, extraordinary luxury, every modern necessity and convenience imaginable, all hidden on a tropical island whose natural beauty will be jealously preserved–clearly, this will be an offering for a select group with considerable resources. And what might those fortunate few expect to spend to make their homes on Ambergris Cay?
“Well, as the saying goes,” smiles Mensen, “if you have to ask, you probably can’t afford it.”

For more information about Ambergris Cay, visit www.ambergriscay.com or call 649 941 4392.