IslandScene Magazine

IslandsceneA Publication for The Islands of The Bahamas

Baha Mar Mega ResortAn Idea Whose Time Has Come.

2 IslandScene / 2011/1

contents

4. About This Issue

6. Welcome Aboard

9. Uniquely Bahamian: Junkanoo...A Celebration of Life

15. Bahamas Beat: Ronnie Butler, Bahamian Music Icon.

17. News Lines

23. Sustaining Nature’s Treasures

28. Bahama Islanders: My Uncle Bertie. By Cordell Thompson

32. A Good Read: China In The Bahamas. How Zhou Wen BeatColumbus to The Isles of June. By Charles Huggins

40. The Islands of The Bahamas: Abaco, The Sea Beyond Compare

48. Doing Business in The Bahamas: Baha Mar Resort,An Idea Whose Time Has Come. By Inderia Saunders

Islandscene / 2011/1

IslandsceneIslandscene magazine is published quar-terly by Benchmark Publishing Co. Ltd.P.O. Box CB-12957, Nassau, Bahamas.Tel: 242.323.3398 - Fax: 242-326-2020. www.islandscenemagazine.com. andEmail: [email protected]

Publisher & Editor-In-ChiefAaron H. Knowles, Jr.

Features EditorStephanie Toote

Business EditorBerencia Isaacs

Art DirectorAaron H. Knowles, Jr.

Picture EditorAntoine Ferrier

ResearchIrwin McSweeneyAshley Knowles

ContributorsCordell ThompsonInderia SaundersMelissa KnowlesCharles Huggins

CirculationKevin A. Knowles

All rights reserved. Contents copyrighted,2010 by Benchmark Publishing Co. Ltd.Nothing may be reproduced in whole orin part without written permission from thePublisher. Unless mutually specified allletters addressed to Islandscene, its Pub-lishers and Editors, are assumed intendedfor publication. Every effort is made toensure the accuracy of information and thePublisher is not responsible for errors oromissions that may occur. No responsibil-ity accepted for unsolicited material.

IslandScene / 2001/1 / 3

We’re lookingfor peoplewho loveto write.

You’re invited by the Editors to submit your manuscripts forpossible publication and to accept occasional writing assignments ontopics listed in our writers’ guidelines below:

Writers’ Guidelines:

Interesting and provocative articles on: Domestic and ForeignTravel, Business, Banking, Financial Services, Real Estate, Culture,The Arts, Music, Theatre, Entertainment, Film, Food, Dance,Festivals, Sports, General Human Interest Stories, Fiction, BookReviews, Personalities, History, Government, Current Affairs,Politics, Law, Religion, Family Life, Health, Fashion.

Articles, should be lively to a degree of sophistication andshould air for literary excellence. Domestic travel and businessfeatures must have a specific story angle. First person approach isgenerally unacceptable. We are not opposed to controversial articles.We seek stories on relevant contemporary themes, but wish toexplore all angles in controversies.

For additional information and rates please contact us through:

Islandsceneis seeking contributing writers

The EditorIslandscene Magazine

P.O. Box CB 12957, Nassau, Bahamas - Tel: 242.323.3398 - Fax: 242.326-2020Email:[email protected] / www.islandscenemagazine.com

I


about thisISSUE

n this issue, Islandscene’s contributing writer, Charles Huggins’ piece: “China In TheBahamas, How Zhou Wen Beat Columbus to The Bahamas,” introduces Gavin Menziescontroversial book: “1421, The Year China Discovered America,” to Island Scene’sreaders (Good Read pg. 32) for further discussion.

Menzies contends that Chinese Explorer, Zhou Wen, having lost some of his ships ina hurricane off Puerto Rico (Antilia) which would have been charted before the birth ofColumbus, sailing before the prevailing winds, would have gone toward Hispaniola andCuba then through the Grand Bahama Bank to the east of Andros Island and inside theBerry Islands.

According to Menzies, in 1421 the banks and reefs of the Great Bahama Bank, which

stretches from Andros towards Cuba, would have been abovewater, and that Zhou Wen, sailing through, at night, may havespotted the land but not the submerged reefs which wouldhave damaged some of his ships. To minimize the loss of hisfleet, he had to find safe haven in shallow water where repairscould be carried out and ships which were too badly damagedcould be salvaged before being abandoned.

Menzies believes this is exactly what happened on the firstChinese voyage through the Bahama Islands. Beyond theBerry Islands on the doorstep of the Gulf, sits the BiminiIsland chain, and according to Menzies it was the only logicalplace for Zhou Wen to find shelter for his damaged fleet.

The most compelling evidence of this, Menzies says is the

Bimini Road, first discovered in 1968 by Zoologist and underwater archaeologist,Dr. J. Manson Valentine. The Bimini Road is made up of flat rocks, eight to ten feetsquare, laid out in two parallel lines running southwest towards the deep ocean.Menzies believes this “road” formation was constructed with these flat rocks whichwere used as ballast for the huge Chinese Junks Zhou Wen sailed during his explora-tions.

What Menzies has discovered awaits confirmation if and when the Government ofThe Bahamas lifts the moratorium on salvaging in Bahamian waters.

It’s a good read. Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Aaron H. Knowles, Jr.Publisher / Editor-In-Chief


welcomeABOARD

Every year, millions of individuals find it necessary to travel to The Bahamas or within

the country to visit friends or relatives, conduct business transactions or take that

dream vacation.

For many of these travelers, this experience begins with Bahamasair, our national

airline, where customer care is personal. From reservations to baggage collection, we

are driven by a personal desire to do everything to make

Bahamasair your preferred airline.

Bahamasair places steadfast focus on employee develop-

ment and customer care. In this regard, we are committed to

ensuring as far as possible that we consistently deliver an

enjoyable travel experience at a competitive rate from Florida

in the southern USA to Inagua in the southern Bahamas. If

however, at any time you feel that as a customer, we have

fallen short of our goal, we encourage you to take advantage of

our customer feedback programme. We also invite your spe-

cific ideas for product improvement or commendation when a

Bahamasair representative goes beyond the call of duty.

We thank you for choosing Bahamasair, and we look forward to serving you today

and in the future. Welcome aboard!

Sincerely,

The. Hon. Neko C. Grant I, J.P., M.P.Minister of Public Works & Transport

We know there are those who would like to keep these secludedislands all to themselves. Sorry, we have to get the word out.

The Islands of The BahamasOutv

Escape the crowds and discover our, virtually untouched, Out Islands.

www.islandscenemagazine.com

uniquelyBAHAMIAN

IslandScene / 2011/1 9

ust at the turn of midnight on New Year’s Eve, while the downtownstreets of Nassau are relatively quiet, activity is frenetic in the campsor “shacks” of Junkanoo groups in the surrounding neighbourhoods,bannermen, paraders, dancers and musicians receive the final touchesto their elaborate Junkanoo costumes.

Under streaming shafts of light, faces are painted with glitter;colourful beads are flung around necks. Dance steps are rehearsed onceagain. Trumpeters test their notes and the performers sometimes numb-ering as many as five hundred, per group; start shifting into paradeformation to the hypnotic, rhythmic beat of goats’ skin drums.

By 1:00 a.m. New Year’s morning the mood of downtown shifts.Spectators pour into dark streets strung with Christmas lights, weavingbetween food vendors and scrambling up bleachers and spots that offerthe best views. People spill onto balconies and the verandahs of stores,

JunkanooA Celebration of Life

What we call Junkanoo is not especially Bahamian.

Cultures throughout history have celebrated it. What is uniquely

Bahamian is the way we express it. We bring the ancient spirit of

Junkanoo alive through the magic of the drum, cowbells,

whistle, costumes and the dance.” R. Brent Malone


uniquelyBAHAMIAN

hotels and houses. Voices rise, and then hush, in a

night electric with anticipation.

That is the dawn of Junkanoo, a centuries-old

celebration in which a nation remembers and reveres its

history. Drawing its spirit from an ancestry with origins

in West Africa, Junkanoo lifts up again that one joyous

day of the year when these enslaved people were released

from their labour. It is “Junkanoo time,” and in contrast to

“normal” time.

At a few minutes before the hour of 2a.m., the first

cowbells are heard in the distance. Then, from all corners

of the island they come, a moving, dancing mass of

glorious sound and colour. Group after group after group

swells into streets, stunning the crowds with their spec-

tacle and dancing, wining and jumping to their musician’s

throbbing Junkanoo beat.

From the sidelines the crowds gasp in awe at sights

that defy even the most fantastic imagination. Individual

themes of freedom, thanksgiving and friendship, drawn

from all cultures of the world, charge every aspect of each

group’s presentation, the gigantic, beautifully designed,

thematic banners, the magnificent costumes, the

synchronized whirls of the dancers, the intoxicating,

pulsating music.

Colours Junkanoo Group was the first place winner in the B division during the Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade on Monday, December 27.The group’s theme for the parade was “Charity Balls.” (BIS Photo/Patrick Hanna)


uniquelyBAHAMIAN

Huge costumes, some 10 feet tall, sway above the

crowd celebrating the themes: “Majestic Africa”, “Let’s

Get Married” and another “Legends of the Wild, Wild

West.”

Beneath sky-scraping, enchanting pieces, dancers with

shoulder ornaments spread like winds reel and dip in

jubilant unison while their leaders in smaller, but highly

decorative and very beautiful costumes whirl freely

between them. The musicians festooned with colour

cheerfully bring up the rear, brass horns playing familiar

melodies above the quick, Junkanoo rhythms of Goombay

and goat skin drums, bellowing conch shells and the shrill

staccato blasts of whistles and cowbells.

Each year the themes vary, but always they are themes

of vitality, beauty and power; themes that celebrate their

ancestor’s inner strength to rise above adversity. The most

wondrous thing of all, however, is the collaborative spirit

of Junkanoo itself; the coming together of neighbours,

relatives, family and friends who through their long days

and months of preparation nurture and preserve this

unique legacy.

In every Junkanoo group each participant has his or

her part. Designers research and develop the chosen

theme. Builders form and shape the huge cardboard pieces

The Shell Saxons Superstars finished first overall in the Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade, Monday, December 27, under the theme “The GreatAztec Empire.” The group also won Best Music, Best Costume, and Best Choreograph Dancers. (BIS Photos: By Patrick Hanna)


uniquelyBAHAMIAN

into sculpture. Artists draw on the intricate designs.

Posters lay in the endless ribbons of gaily coloured crepe

paper. Decorators drape the glittering beads and jewelry.

Chorographers chart the steps and drill their dancers.

Composers finalize their scores and rehearse their music-

ians. And then there are the participants themselves,

including those assigned to carry the magnificent central

pieces that can weigh up to 300 lbs. or more.

To honour these devoted artists and as a place for

others to study the craft, a permanent museum was

established by the Ministry of Youth & Culture in 1992.

Located on the Prince George Dock in Nassau, the

Junkanoo Expo displays and preserves these spectacular

costumes which, until its establishment, lay discarded on

the streets after the parade. The enthralling exhibit also

houses works by renowned Junkanoo artists, a dramatic

audio-visual presentation of Junkanoo parades and a

museum shop well worth a visit.

As the Bahamas’ most vibrant expression of cultural

identity, Junkanoo is recognized around the world as the

nation’s creative signature. In all its varied and inter-

estingly sophisticated form – literature, music, theatre,

dance, design, fashion and architecture – Junkanoo artistry

today is enjoying a huge surge in popularity.

Many Junkanoo inspired works are now represented in

the Smithsonian Institute, The Brooklyn Museum of Art,

the Royal Ontario Museum and other conservatories.

Several Junkanoo music groups have hit the world music

charts. Even participants from the Junkanoo parade itself

have appeared in festivals throughout the Caribbean,

Canada and the U.S.A., including the Smithsonian’s

“Festival of American Folklife.”

Rich in its heritage, exuberant in its execution, the

pageantry and splendour of Junkanoo is something only

The Islands of The Bahamas can offer to the world. Its

spirit springs from a unique amalgamation of cultures that

have survived some of the cruelest times in history and by

its very nature, celebrates the idea that anything is

possible.

bahamasBEAT


If f you didn’t know Ronnie Butlerand you saw him in one of hisfavourite restaurants sipping

coffee or dining on a sumptuousbowl of boiled fish you’d imaginehim to be a retiree out with friendswhose sole mission was to whileaway the time by engaging in smalltalk and exchanging pleasantries.Then you would hear him say

something like: “Every day when Iwake up (and look in the mirror) Itell myself - Lord, my ma and pacould’ve done better than all thisugly.” That’s vintage RonnieButler…always turning a phrasewhich would probably end up aslyrics in one of his songs.

Ronnie Butler is perhaps one of his generation’sfinest and enduring songwriters and performers…still working and in sync with the times.

“I sorta glided into the business,” says Butler, whorecalls having done masonry and other odd jobs whilefinding his place as a musician. At about age sixteenRonnie was introduced to the Hawaiian guitar by aneighbour who intrigued him by placing the guitar acrosshis knees while teaching him to play. They were later

Ronnie ButlerBahamian Music Icon

bahamasBEAT


joined by a “bongo” drummer who played alongside theguitarist while Ronnie provided the vocals.

After months of practicing and honing their skills,these, now confident, musicians formed the

Alexander Trio and began the search for work. It wasn’tlong before the fledgling trio secured its first engagementat the Carlton House Hotel, located on East Street, north,a short distance from Bay Street and Nassau’s Harbour.

At the end of its three-month engagement, the triomoved on to the Buena Vista Restaurant & Guest House atthe invitation of its proprietor who was impressed by theirperformances at the Carlton. The Alexander Trio wasflourishing and Ronnie was still working as a stone masonby day which was beginning to take its toll and, in turn,gave rise to Ronnie’s life changing decision to put downhis masonry tools, hang up his hard hat and become a full-time musician.

The Alexander Trio was short lived, however, as Ronniesoon left the trio to join King Eric Gibson’s band, as aConga drummer, at Captain Kid’s, a night club located justoff St. Albans’ Drive, west of Ft. Charlotte. Ronnie says

the time spent with King Eric was invaluable as he credits‘The King” with providing the foundation, training andencouragement that led to his success. “I’ll always giveKing Eric credit,” Ronnie said, “because he enabled meto become the songwriter / musician I am today…the sixyears I spent with him were invaluable.”

While King Eric’s influence on Ronnie’s developmentwas by far the most impactful, he was also influenced byRoy Hamilton, Lou Rawls and Ray Charles. Butler sayseven though he was afforded the opportunity to meet andwork with Hamilton and Rawls and admired their work, itwas Ray Charles who impressed him most. “The soul ofthe man was in his voice,” Ronnie said of Ray.

With over 50 years in the business and having thelargest number of popular songs in the Bahamian

market, Ronnie has become a local icon but the absence ofa large national market has negatively impacted the salesvolume of Ronnie’s recordings. Unlike Marley and otherswho could rely on a home market of millions of people,The Bahamas on the other hand has a domestic market ofjust over three hundred and twenty thousand (320,000)people with an adult population forming some 60% of thatnumber. Marley and others could, at the least, rely on theirdomestic base markets for the sale of their recordings.

The Bahamas’ recent recording successes have all beenlaunched from an international market base. Both theBeginning of the End and Baha Men were launched fromthe U.S. with the full weight of prominent U.S productionhouses, studios and savvy management teams supportingthem.

Notwithstanding the above realities Ronnie is a domesticsuccess story ostensibly because he targets the local Bah-amian market, producing recordings replete with socialcommentary, at once entertaining and insightful.

Ronnie is at present in studio producing an album ofreligious music the title of which he says he’ll release justbefore its launch. Until such time, to Ronnie Butler wesay: Keep looking pretty and smiling!


newsLINES

LPIA’s NewUS Departure Terminal

The Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD)hosted the grand opening of the US Departure

Terminal at the Lynden Pindling International Airport(LPIA) on Friday 25 February.

The new 247,000 sq.ft. terminal is stage one of the$490.5 million airport redevelopment projects whichoffers 19 retail and food and beverage options includinga native sit-down restaurant capable of seating up to 1700patrons. The new terminal also includes a $10 millionstate-of-the-art baggage system, eco-friendly buildingdesign features and stunning Bahamian artwork by artistsJohn Beadle, Nicole Sweeting, Susan Katz-Lightbourneand John Cox.

Photos by Yontalay Bowe.


In delivering the keynote address The Rt. Honourable,Hubert A. Ingraham, Prime Minister and Minister of

Finance said his Government is delighted by the succ-essful conclusion of this first phase of the redevelopmentof the Lynden Pindling International Airport.

In addition to congratulating the Airport Authority andits Chairman, Hon. Frank Watson and all Board members;the Nassau Airport Development Company, its formerPresident and CEO, Craig Richmond, and it’s currentPresident and CEO Stewart Steeves, their executive andsupport staff; and Vancouver Airport Services, the projectmanager for the redevelopment, Mr. Ingraham said he wasalso happy to recognize all companies and contractorsassociated with this spectacular building, “all aredeserving of thanks and recognition for a job well done.

“Enormous pride can be taken in the role which somany Bahamians played in the planning, design and exe-cution of the project, now we are definitely on our way torealizing a long deferred national aspiration for an attrac-tive, modern and efficient principal air gateway to TheBahamas.

“This is befitting of our status as the premier desti-nation in our region. We are home to Atlantis, a veritableparadise with unparalleled amenities including world-class

accommodation, cuisine, gaming, upscale retail, and a fullspectrum of sporting facilities and entertainment.”

The terminal is unique in the region, being of a size,scale and scope, and having amenities and features unlikeothers in the region and incorporating state-of-the-artbaggage systems, environmentally-friendly coolingsystems and al fresco dining facilities not typically avail-able in airports.

Mr. Ingraham said his government is transforming andbuilding at LPIA a new airport with an enhanced pass-enger and visitor experience for Bahamians and visitorsalike, and for all those who live and work here and that,for those who travel to and from Nassau for business orpleasure, today is a happy day.

Special attention was paid to ensuring that the newfacilities are appropriate to Bahamian culture and climate,and that the construction was done in an environmentallysustainable way, facilitating the airport’s efficient oper-ation and maintenance.

Mr. Ingraham said he is pleased with the success ofNAD in its oversight of the construction of this first phaseof the redevelopment of the LPIA and is particularly satis-fied by the large number of contracts awarded to qualifiedBahamian consultants, sub-consultants, contractors and

newsLINES

Pictured above: Check-in counters and Junkanoo Sculptures.Photos by Yontalay Bowe.

newsLINES


sub-contractors and that the new facility will offer world-class customer service and will meet all internationalsafety standards.

Mr. Ingraham used the occasion to thank all thosepersons who contributed by serving on the Government’s1999 advisory committee; the Hon. Brent Symonette,Deputy Prime Minister, the first Chairman of the AirportAuthority; succeeding Chairmen A. Bismarck Coakley;Anthony Kikivarakis; members of the Board; managersof the Airport Authority and all the persons who dailymake LPIA work.

Mr. Ingraham acknowledged the contribution offormer Prime Minister Christie and his Government incontinuing the planning and redevelopment of LPIA; theMinistries of Finance and Public Works, and all the othergovernment agencies concerned were commended for theirrole in bringing the project to fruition.

The Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham, Prime Minister and Minister ofFinance delivering the keynote address. Photo by Sharon Turner

He also acknowledge the advice and assistance of theinstitutions that served as financial advisors, arran-

gers and ultimately as bankers to the project: Citigroup,First Caribbean, Royal Bank of Canada, Scotia Bank;Export Bank of Canada, the National Insurance Board andAF Holdings (Colina Group).

“I welcomed the encouragement, campaign andagitation by Sir Sol Kerzner of Kerzner International insupport of the redevelopment of the airport - the first andlast impression for The Bahamas’ all important stop-overvisitors.

“The importance of the new facility to The Bahamas’national economy and specifically to tourism - the engineof our economy - cannot be overstated. Airports andseaports are critical to island nations’ economic growthand development. When coupled with good connectionsand communications the power of creative entrepreneurialtalent can be unleashed. Joined by sound public policiesand a government grounded in a belief in its people andsystems, human potential can achieve its zenith.”

According to Mr. Ingraham, that is why the Gover-nment consciously and deliberately set about, during themidst of the worst recession the world has seen in 80years, to rebuild the country’s physical plant and prepare

the Bahamian people for better days ahead.“Indeed we have launched the most comprehensive and

ambitious infrastructural investment programme in Baha-mian history, which will enhance the quality of life forBahamians and residents and the visitor experience ofguests to our country,” Mr. Ingraham continued.

Funding of the airport project, primarily from userfees, has permitted the Government to proceed with otherimportant capital works on New Providence, the nations’capital and home to more than 60% of the population,which required funding from the Government, including:the dredging of Nassau Harbour to accommodate thelargest cruise ships in the world, the reconstruction of thehistoric Nassau Straw Market, destroyed by fire in 2001,and the removal of cargo shipping from downtown Nassauto a new port currently under construction at Arawak Cay.

In addition, the Government is creating a whole newworld of opportunities and amenities. From a new housingdevelopment, in southern New Providence, to a trans-formed Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre that will be one ofthe best athletic and sporting complexes in the Caribbean.Phase I of that Centre, the new Thomas A. RobinsonStadium, will be completed this year.

“We are transforming New Providence and the

newsLINES


Pictured left to right: Chairman Hon. Frank Watson, President and CEO Stewart Steeves, Mrs. Deloris Ingraham, Prime Minister, HubertIngraham, Lady Pindling. Photo right: Sir Arthur and Lady Foulkes and The Hon. Tommy Turnquest. Photos by Antoine Ferrier & YontalayBowe.

historic City of Nassau into more than a world-classdestination. We are seeking to make our capital island anurban centre that works in terms of basic infrastructure,and that is safe and a creative home for the arts and culturewith an extensive network of parks, heritage sites andwindows to the sea.

“We will do all of this and much more,” Mr. Ingrahamsaid, “as we make New Providence greener, more beauti-ful, cleaner, and more environmentally sustainable. Evenas we appreciate the enjoyments and advantages that cityliving offers, we must respond to the challenges of urban-ization, inclusive of human services and well-being, infra-

structure, livability and aesthetics. Simple things make anenormous difference in how we feel and function on ourisland-home.”

Mr. Ingraham said, “the things we build are not endsin themselves. They are the indispensable means to

improve the quality of life of the Bahamian people andresidents. Towards this end, I look forward in the monthsahead to the continued progress of the New ProvidenceInfra-structure Improvement Project as additional seg-ments are completed, and to the immediate commence-ment of the second stage – the International Terminal atLPIA.”

The LPIA will be linked to the new four-lane GatewayHighway, the ground breaking for which took place on

March 3rd, will provide an impressive entrance to thetraditional old charm of New Providence that the Govern-ment is conserving and the new, cosmopolitan New Provi-dence that’s being created.

Phase one of the Gateway Highway will lead from theLPIA to the six (6) way roundabout (or oval) near Farr-ington Road and extend on to Wulff Road and Blue HillRoad, and from JFK Drive along Harrold Road to the MiloButler Highway.

Added to all of this will be even more technologicallyadvanced and competitive telecommunications serviceswith enhanced broadband and Wi-Fi capacity over net-

works with more speed, efficiency and reliability.It is the Government’s intention to provide citizens,

residents and visitors with infrastructure and servicesbefitting a 21st century Bahamas with a world-classtourism product and international business centre.

The new terminal is an excellent demonstration ofwhat the Government is doing and how its being done,utilizing a consortium of talents to build a commondream.

“This is why I have taken the time to recognize themany individuals, agencies and businesses who havecontributed to this new Bahamian gateway which willconnect the world to the Islands of The Bahamas in anew global age,” Mr. Ingraham said in conclusion.

F ifty miles across the Gulf Stream from Florida, lay the 700 island archipelago which is The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. TheIslands of The Bahamas are sprawled over 100,000 square miles of

ocean and shallow sea. Boarded on the north and east by the Atlantic Oceanand on the south and west by the Gulf Stream, the multi-island nation is aregion of spectacular natural beauty and extraordinary bio-diversity, part-icularly in its marine ecology.

With its year-round balmy climate, its mix of destination options,extensive range of accommodations and easy accessibility to the UnitedStates, The Bahamas has long been the major tourist destination in theCaribbean.

Our many islands offer an eclectic mix of activities and leisureopportunities unmatched in the region. In the resort areas of Nassau,Paradise Island and Freeport, the accent is on action, twenty-four hours aday. But for the Out Islands, it is an entirely different story.

Nassau, the nation’s capital, located on New Providence Island, is anhistoric city, distinctive in character, and offering every modern amenity andluxury in an ambiance of Old World charm.

Connected by bridge to Nassau, the 825 acre island resort of ParadiseIsland, with its choice of luxury hotels, is an ideal base from which to enjoynature-oriented pursuits such as bird watching, a round of golf on a teeoverlooking the ocean, deep-sea fishing and scuba diving expeditions orsunning on a secluded beach. Freeport on Grand Bahama Island is thenation’s second city. This island is a Mecca for aficionados of all types ofsports.

SustainingNature’s Treasures

Our many islands offer an eclectic mix of activitiesand leisure opportunities unmatched in the region.

IslandScene / 2011/1 - 23

The Out Islands maintain a pace of their own.Undisturbed by modern development, they provide anoasis to those who seek their tranquility and natural beauty.As has been said of the Out Islands, “those islands are theway God meant it.” Abaco, Andros, Bimini, Eleuthera,Exuma, Long Island, Cat Island, San Salvador, Acklins,Crooked Island, Mayaguana, Inagua are all islands whichhave remained pristine, clean, green and serene.

The Bahamas is marked by a remarkably diverseenvironment which remains unspoiled, and to a largedegree, unknown, even to our own people. Ecosystemsrange from the pine forests of Abaco and Grand Bahama,in the north, to the wetlands and barrier reef of Andros,the jewel-like chain of the Exuma Cays in the centre, anddown to semi-arid conditions of Inagua’s salt pans andflamingo sanctuary in the far south.

Our surrounding seas create a perfect playground forevery water-sport imaginable: sailing, deep-sea fishing,water skiing, kayaking, parasailing, windsurfing, snorkeling,swimming, and scuba-diving. Activities range from sportfishing safaris to relaxing catamaran cruises and guidednature tours of deserted islands. Landlubbers can stay dryand still enjoy breathtaking views of our spectacular coralodyssey 80 feet below sea level from the state of the artAtlantis submarine, which operates in the waters off NewProvidence. And there is the bird’s eye view fromhundreds of feet above, from a seaplane on tour of ourcapital.

Our islands are endowed with ideal conditions fordiving and sports fishing. Serious divers will find 2,500miles of spectacular ocean wall drop-offs, blue holes,underwater caverns and centuries-old wrecks.

Bonefish Pond National Park. Established: 2002. Size: 1,280 acres. Bonefish Pond lies on the south central coast of New Providence. It is animportant marine nursery area for the island, providing a protective, nutrient rich habitat for juvenile stocks of fish, crawfish, and conch. This areasupports a wide variety of waterfowl and an important variety of Bahamian flora. The wetland itself provides critical protection from storm surgesto communities along New Providence’s southern shore. The educational and ecotourism potential of this wetland area is significant. The Trust hasrecently added a 600 foot boardwalk and viewing platform which provides access for teachers and students studying mangroves.


Divers have the option of varied combinations of divesorganized by operators located throughout the islands.

Bimini, where fishing greats Ernest Hemingway andMichael Lerner pioneered bill fishing, is today the site ofmany annual popular fishing tournaments. San Salvador,historically significant as the site of Columbus’ landfall inthe New World in 1492, is fast becoming known for itsrecord-breaking Wahoo catches. Forests, lakes, expansesof sea, creeks, cliffs, countless miles of beaches andplentiful birdlife present the naturalist with variety andcountless opportunities. Surrounded by these abundantnatural treasures, we are careful not to take them forgranted. We remain keenly sensitive to our role asguardians of the globally important treasure that is ourimmediate environment.

The Bahamas works in close cooperation with

worldwide conservation initiatives. Our country issignatory to most of the major conventions andinternational treaties on environmental protection. Toensure that we bequeath to future generations a healthyenvironmental heritage, we have designated vast areas ofland and sea as national parks.

Thirty miles southeast of Nassau, the Exuma Cays Landand Sea Park, a 175-square mile sanctuary established in1959, is the first of its kind in the world, and one of thefinest showcases of our natural beauty. Its waters aboundwith prehistoric life-forms, coral heads, tropical marinefish, turtles, lobsters, and more. The Exuma Cays arehome to the endangered rock iguana and our only indige-nous land mammal-the hutia, thought to be extinct untilrediscovered in 1966.

Union Creek Reserve: Established: 1965; Size: 4,940 acres. The Union Creek National Reserve is seven square miles of enclosed tidal creekson Great Inagua’s northwest shore. This shallow creek serves as a prime habitat for young Green Turtles. Union Creek National Reserve is acritically important research site for sea turtles, with special emphasis on the Green turtles which has been studied there since 1974. Some of themost important scientific data on this endangered turtle has been provided through studies conducted jointly by the Bahamas National Trust and theArchie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research at the University of Florida.


The world’s second or third largest barrier reef, depen-ding on your definition, is located off the eastern shores ofour largest island and encompasses some 33,235 acresreceived its national park status in 2002. Abaco, in the sub-tropical north, boasts not one, but two national parks.

The 2,100-acre reef-lined Pelican Cays Land and SeaPark is sanctuary to a wide variety of marine life.

The 20,500-acre Abaco National Park, established in1994, encompasses the breeding and essential foragingground of the rare and endangered Bahama Parrot. Thesebirds have inhabited The Bahamas for centuries. When

place to see local bird life. At the southern tip of ourarchipelago, the island of Inagua is sanctuary to over60,000 West Indian flamingos, our national bird. Backfrom the threshold of extinction, the flamingo flourishesin a national park that is home to the world’s largestconcentration of these birds. This thriving population istestimony to the conservation efforts of The BahamasNational Trust.

The Bahamas National Trust, established in 1959,administers the network of national parks in The Bahamas.The National Trust serves as a prototype for the develop-

Lucayan National Park: Established 1977. Size: 40 acres. The park (located between Freeport and Freetown at Gold Rock Creek) features anunderwater cave system that has been charted for up to six miles. Other attractions include elevated walkways through the mangrove wetland, amagnificent unspoiled beach, one of the highest coastal dunes on the island, and a diverse range of fish and waterfowl. Lucayan skeletons werediscovered in one of the caverns and other pre-Columbian artifacts have been found. Only certified cave divers are permitted to explore the cavernsystem.

Columbus made his first landfall on our island of SanSalvador in 1492, he recorded in his log that “flocks ofparrots darkened the sun.”

Another eco-jewel, the Lucayan National Park, islocated on Grand Bahama. This park is the site of a sixmile underground fresh water cave and cavern system,the longest charted system in the world.

Also located on Grand Bahama, in the centre ofdowntown Freeport is the Rand Nature Centre, a 100-acre forest reserve with a captive West Indian flamingoflock, curly tail lizards, beautiful butterflies and native boaconstrictors. The Rand Nature Centre is also an ideal

ment of National Trusts in the Caribbean and the Pacific.Some of the celebrated accomplishments of the Trust

include the preservation of the West Indian Flamingo,important turtle conservation work, white crowned pigeonmanagement, rediscovery and reseeding of the hutia, andan ongoing public education campaign.

Our preservation efforts extend beyond naturalresources, to the historical, architectural and culturalaspects of our past. The eco-sensitive visitors may pauseto see the best preserved historic public buildings in theEnglish speaking Caribbean - in Nassau. Or they mayenjoy Bahamian music, dance folklore and traditional


customs and gain insight into a way of life that hassustained self-reliant communities over several centuries.

During the summer of 1994, The Bahamas showcasedits culture and traditions in a well received presentation atThe Smithsonian Institute’s Festival of American Folklore.We take this opportunity to invite you to our country todiscover the delights of Nature that we have described inso few words.

The Bahamas National Trust

A primary function of the Bahamas NationalTrust is to build and manage the nationalparks and protected areas of The Bahamas.

This responsibility, mandated by the BahamasNational Trust Act, 1959, makes the Trust unique asthe only self-funded, non-governmental organizationto manage a country’s entire national park system.

Within these parks and protected areas are manyunique features: the world’s largest breeding colonyof West Indian Flamingos, one of the world’s mostextensive underwater cave systems, the world’s firstpark to encompass land and sea areas that is also oneof the first marine fishery reserves, one of the world’smost successful marine turtle research facilities, oneof the world’s largest privately owned collection ofrare palms, the largest uninhabited island in the WiderCaribbean existing in a natural, undisturbed state,and 250 acre wetland in south central New Provi-dence that is home to more than 100 bird species andis the largest roosting area for Herons and Egrets onNew Providence.

Currently the Trust manages 26 parks and

protected areas throughout the 700 islands of TheBahamas comprising a total of more than 700,000acres. Collectively, our national parks and reservesare an impressive representation of tropical islandecosystems and resources. As such they are a sourceof tremendous pride and enjoyment for the Bahamianpeople and of paramount importance to visitors andconservationists. (For a complete list of our National

parks go to: http://www.bnt.bs).


The Retreat, BNT National Headquarters. New Providence.

bahamaIslanders


My Uncle BertieHome From The Contract

By Cordell Thompson

I was entering my teens when I first noticed the effect of the Contract on the littlecommunity where I lived. I had several uncles who had made trips on The Con-tract. They were special people, because for one, they had the experience. They

had in fact travelled.My favorite relative was Uncle Bertie. I remember one day, shortly after he came

off The Contract, I gave him some sass and he looked at me rather sternly and said, “Ibet you believe you think you different cause your ma got you in high school but thatain’t nothing boy.” He said “I travelled boy, you ain’t been nowhere, I been to Amer-ica, the land of the free and the home of the brave, the only country God blessed.”

I was totally humbled, because even at that age I felt that this statement trulysummed up the enormity of the experiences of most of those men and women whowere sometimes catapulted, from small family island villages, direct to the heart ofAmerica. Mind you, very few of them even saw a large city or town, but the fact isthey were able to see the country, America. I later came to admire and respect myUncle Bertie and the many others like him for their experience, even though he stillmade me laugh.

Uncle Bertie couldn’t read and write and for several months after he returned I usedto have to write letters for him back to his girlfriend in the States. I also had to read thereplies too. What he lacked in education he more than made up for in emotions anddescriptions. One time I had to write a letter about his taking care of the horses at therace track where he worked as a groom. Thus, he said: “boy put pen to paper.” He wenton, “my dear, when my eyes first lighted upon you, my heart fluttered like a butterflyunder a fruit jar, and I was sore afraid that I would not contain myself. Since I have

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returned home I have been helping my father who has ahorse and dray. All day long I am going (uncle Bertiemade a sound for the word he could not pronounce) afterthose animals.” I said, Uncle Bertie, I can’t spell thatsound you just made. He says, “that’s a word, what youmean you can’t spell that and your ma sending you toGovernment High? You can spell..” (he made anothersound). I said, Uncle Bertie they ain’t words. He said“they is so words and I want you to learn how to spellthem cause I want her to understand what I doing now.These womens does want to know everything you doing,otherwise they leave you for someone else.”

the first director of Agriculture in a pre independentBahamas.

When the Contact started, nearly every Bahamian ofevery class, color and educational status signed up to go, itwas real money they were after and the Bahamas was in asevere depression following the end of prohibition and thecollapse of the sponge industry.

By anyone’s estimates or boasts, there must be at least20,000 Bahamian Americans in the Southern United Statesas a result of the exploits of the Bahamians who went onthe Contract.

Mamma told me later that she used to beat UncleBertie every day and he just wouldn’t go to school. Shewas from Mastic Point Andros and had Seminole Indianin her blood. She met and had five children for my grand-father, Frederick Smith, a white Bahamian of Loyaliststock who migrated to Andros from Exuma, during theboom days of the sponge industry.

Papa was a well educated well rounded gentleman ofthe day, a seaman, carpenter, and farmer who later became

If you visited places today like West Palm Beach,Riviera Beach, Boynton Beach, Homestead, Delray,you only have to turn on your radio to the local black

station and wait for the gospel hour and the name andaccent of the preacher, would tell you he has a Bahamianconnection. Now some of the preachers and other upstan-ding citizens of the communities mentioned could also beBahamians who did not come back or who “jumped” theContract and sort of went underground. It wasn’t hard forBahamians to do this especially as they moved to centralor northern Florida into Georgia, South Carolina andVirginia, where they could pass of as “Gullahs” or“Geechies.”

The term Geechies refer to communities of Blacks wholive on Islands off the coast of Southeastern Georgia andtheir culture, speech pattern and even their food is verysimilar to that of certain islands of The Bahamas. Itwasn’t hard for many Bahamians to pick up the Gullah/Geechie speech patterns if they wanted to jump thecontract. Many of the returning Contract workers are stilltalking like Geechie in their late 70’s. They still got the“Merican” slang on the tongue. Naturally if you jumpedthe Contract you ran the risk of getting caught and theAmerican authorities had their own way of tracking downBahamians.

If they walked up to a group of Black men, all speak-ing Geechie, they would give each one in turn a metalbucket to go to the spigot and get water. The Bahamianwould invariably be the one to turn the bucket upside

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down and beat it. That comes from our Junkanoo trad-ition. Bahamians can’t help beating drums or anycontainer with their flat palms.

Uncle Bertie was typical of the many thousand ofsemi-literate and illiterate young men who left theBahamas for the chance to make some real money. Theconstruction of the Air Force Base at Windsor Field andOakes Field was providing employment for severalhundred unskilled Bahamian workers, but no other activityin the Bahamas at that time held the same kind ofeconomic promise for young Bahamians. First of all onlythe strongest and the fittest got to go. The Contract wasinterested in strong backs and able hands. The physicalexam was most exhaustive; they were not taking anyweaklings. Also, consider that for 15 years out of the lifeof a country, The Bahamas was absent the energy of apopulation who could have been contributing to theagricultural effort of the Country.

The immediate effect of the Contract was economic,real money. When you signed up to go if you weresingle, you could assign some of your earnings to

a family member, but it was compulsory to assign anamount to your mother. If married, then naturally assign-ments were made to wives, but the system ensured thatsome of your earnings were remitted to the Bahamas.

That’s not to say that it ran smoothly. Many menreturned home to find girlfriends, wives and money gone,and themselves only richer for the experience. But by andlarge, good sums of money flowed to The Bahamas intosmall communities and villages that heretofore had norelationship to a wage scale or regular earnings.

In Nassau, relatives had to collect the money from theLabour Office in Oakes Field or the Post Office SavingsBank. Those days when your name was called out was abig day in the communities and on Bay Street because themoney allowed households to purchase the necessities oflife in quantities, like a case of lard, sack of flour, sack ofgrits, a side of salt pork and a case of corned beef. Alsoaround Easter or Christmas time if a son or husband wastruly attentive you would go and pick up something that

was ordered through the Sears Catalogue. In the familyislands you collected the money from the commissioner’soffice.

Life for the Contract workers in the United Statesprobably was no better or worse than that of the Haitianswho migrated to the Bahamas in the late 60’s and 70’slooking for work.

Their labour was contracted to large and small farmersand their living and working conditions were determinedby the size of the operation and the attitude and disposit-ion of the overseers or owners. There is no doubt thatthere were confrontations where race was involved, but ifyou believe their stories the Bahamian always came out on

top. Nearly every person who went on the Contract toldyou:

1. He never travelled without a razor or gun

2. He back talked cracker

3. Or worse, he slapped a cracker.

You could believe all the above if you wanted to.The majority of Bahamians worked in citrus and fruit

groves and vegetable farms in Florida, Georgia, Virginiaand Minnesota to pick beans and corn, and undoubtedlysaw the worst of a kind of segregation but also acts ofkindness and understanding.

On their return home many of them symbolically


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noted their favorite or longest place of work by writing iton the chain guard of a three speed or “tick tick bike.”

The tick tick bike in the 50’s and 60’s was like theBMW or Mercedes in The Bahamas today. To own oneyou had to be a person of substance. To the returnee itwas a visual display of them having travelled and especi-ally after they dressed up the bike, which also had to be aRaleigh on BSA.

I got my first real lesson in Geography from thosebikes, when I started noticing for example, “Pahokee,Fla.,” or “Belle Glade, Fla”., “Twin Lakes, Minn.,” or“Cedar Rapids, Iowa.” They also couldn’t leave the bike

The bikes were more than transportation, they were statussymbols and more than one lady’s heart was won by a manwho had the best dressed bike or who could pedal straightup Farm Road Hill with her on the bike, crinoline slipblowing, and without getting off to push. These were realmen.

Men who had been on the Contract were also markedby a distinct dress code in two styles; Zoot Suits andCoveralls. The Zoot Suit was usually reserved for whenthey came home off the plane, for the Joe Billy dance onSaturday nights or the dances at the Silver Slipper. Forthose of us who don’t know what the Zoot Suit was, it wasa style influenced by Jazz and Rhythm and Blues artists inAmerica.

the way it was made; it had to be dressed up with chromeclips, like “hood wrenching” a car fender. Normally thebikes came from the shop with one or two clips to hold thewire from the small generator to the headlight, but aftersome of these bikes were dressed, you couldn’t see theframe at all.

These dressed town bikes became personal statementsabout the owner who could stand a block away and pickout his bike from a row of 20. The economic benefitssurrounding the care and attention of bikes also filtereddown to my friends and I who used to be engaged to“watch” bikes for owners while they attended the moviesat the Capitol or Paul Meeres Theatre. They paid us aboutthree pence (truppence) to watch the bikes and make sureno clips were removed by other bike owners or other bikewatchers.

It was basically a double breasted suit with pleats, fullin the knees but tapering down to pegs at the ankleswith cuffs. It was usually adorned with a gold chain

that hung from the vest of the suit travelling past the kneeand back up to the side pocket. It was worn with two-toneshoes, and topped off with the widest hat that the wearercan find, either felt or Panama straw.

The Zoot Suit was almost like a uniform and the outfitwas worn especially if the wearer could Boogie-Woogie orJitterbug. It was like you only wore the suit to do theBoogie-Woogie or Jitterbug. The two were inseparable.

The casual attire for the contract returnees were a pairof overalls and Brogans. Brogans were a big thick U.S.army issued boots, and with the coveralls, was also astandard uniform for agriculture workers in NorthAmerica.

On their return home the men wore well-kept versionsof the two. Both outfits were usually topped off withsome kind of head gear and the Bepop Glasses. Someof these glasses were clear and some were tinted, butyou had to have a pair. They were called Bepop Glassesas the period of the Contract coincided with the Bepopera in American culture when Jazz was changing from thesyncopated New Orleans style of music to the moreimprovised sounds of Charlie Parker, Dizzie Gillespie,Max Roach and others. (Continued on page 39)

1421Copyrighted 2002 by Gavin Menzes


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A question often ignored in the telling, is where did the

Europeans get their maps and charts by which they

supposedly circumnavigated the world (Magellan) and

discovered other lands (Columbus, da Gama and Cook)?

On a maiden voyage, one cannot have a chart or map of a

place yet to be discovered. We know Columbus believed that he

could sail west and end up in the east, and that this was based

on the charts and maps extant at the time. Who created these

maps?

Gavin Menzies did not set out to prove anything. He is a

retired Royal Navy submarine captain, trained in cartography,

seamanship and astro-navigation, whose passion is medieval

maps and charts.

In his book “1421: The Year China Discovered The

World” (1421) he writes of his passion: “I love to examine

these old charts, tracing contours, coastlines, the shifting

shape of shoals and sandbars, the menace of rocks and

reefs. I followed the ebb and flow of tides, the pull of un-

seen currents and the Track of prevailing winds, peeling

back the layers of meaning within the charts.”(p.29)

In pursuit of his “consuming passion” Menzies came across

a chart, dated 1424, showing both Europe and Africa and which

was signed by a Venetian cartographer, Pizzigano. Two things

caught his eye, the chart’s accuracy - Europe’s coastlines were

accurate; but on the same map in the western Atlantic were a

CHINA IN THE BAHAMASHow Zhou Wen Beat Columbus To The Isles of June

History being the victor’s story can and often dismisses or ignores the vanq-uished. Less than a decade after the Quincentennial of Columbus’s arrival in TheBahamas, there is now irrefutable evidence that European explorers were not the

first to chart their way to the “new world”.

By Charles Huggins


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invented paper and moveable type, had been mass publish-ing for over a thousand years, invented the stern postrudder, had been building ships with watertight compart-ments, had created calipers with an accuracy of onethousandth of an inch, had standardized weights andmeasures as well as weapons with replaceable parts.

group of four islands, all highlighted by the cartographer.

The islands were Satanzes, Antilia, Saya and Ymana.

What bothered Menzies was the juxtaposition of fact

and fiction appearing on an authentic chart of unimpeach-able provenance. It made no sense. Why would a mapfrom 1424 show two continents accurately and yet have agroup of unknown islands in the western Atlantic? He put itdown either to the cartographer’s fancy or more likely, tolack of skill, since the chart was a full three centuriesbefore Europeans would master the “difficult art” ofcalculating longitude.

Being a man whose life had been spent learning theimportance of accuracy in calculations, Menzieshad to find out whether these islands existed. After

months of research, study and consultation with experts,Menzies concluded that Antilia and Satanzes were in factPuerto Rico and Guadeloupe. His conclusion was based onthe irrefutable similarities between the Pizzigano map andthe actual islands. “There were far too many points ofsimilarity between them (the Pizzigano map and currentmaps of the two islands) for it to be coincidence...”(1421: p. 30)

The enormity of what was forming in his mind was notlost on the submariner. If the islands shown on the Pizzi-gano map existed were real, then it meant someone hadseen them and charted them onto a map nearly 70 yearsbefore Columbus had stumbled upon The Bahamas. It alsomeant that “Columbus had not discovered the NewWorld, yet his voyage had always been regarded as anabsolutely defining moment.” (1421: p. 30)

Who created the maps that Europeans used in theirvoyages? Which country had the resources – human andmaterial - to circumnavigate the world, chart their findingsand make them available?

The world at the beginning of the Fifteenth Century wasdominated by a nation which by then had invented and ormastered agriculture, had been accurately predicting thearrival of Haley’s Comet since 240 BC, had sold weaponsas well as harnesses and stirrups to the Roman empire,

The third Ming Emperor, Zhu Di, under whom exploration flour-ished. (Image courtesy “1421 The Year China DiscoveredAmerica” by Gavin Menzies)

By the time of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) China wasthe world’s leading power.

Chinese world view is rooted in its national identity; itsmain qualities are belonging to a superior country and selfesteem which flows from the belief that they are all


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descendants of the mythical Emperor Huang Di, whose 25sons created the 25 clans that became the Chinese nation.

In China: Ancient Empire New Horizons (CAENH)Bolch and Fulling write that “there can be no doubt thatthe Chinese world is aligned differently from our own(western) world, that it follows its own principles, andthat it has virtually nothing in common with our own

adventures or conquest of additional lands.”Zhu was succeeded by his 21-year-old grandson when

the heir apparent, Zhu’s first born died. The youngemperor, threatened by a number of armed uncles inprincely cities of strategic importance, tried to consolidatehis position by stripping his uncles of their power. The newemperor’s reign did not go down well with one of the

world, apart from the laws of nature.” (p. 11).Ming founder Zhu Yuanzhang (1328- 1398), one of only

two peasants in Chinese history to become emperor, hav-ing defeated the Mongol Yuan dynasty, set about consoli-dating his empire. Zhu’s ideal society was one based on a“vast array of self sufficient agrarian villages.”(p.282) China: The World’s Oldest CivilizationRevealed. (CWOCR)

In pursuit of his ideal society, Zhu eschewed com-merce, urban development or foreign trade. Indeed, Zhuexplicitly warned his successors “against military

uncles, Zhu Di, Prince of Yan who, under the guise ofprotecting his nephew from the influence of “evilunderlings,” left his home in the strategic northern city ofBeijing, and rode into Nanjing the imperial capital. Zhusubsequently won the civil war and established himself asEmperor Yongle (Eternal Happiness) (1402-1424).

Once he had wiped out all opposition to his rule, Zhu Diset about strengthening his empire, moving his capital toBeijing, building on his father Zhu’s domestic policies. ZhuDi, however, ignored his father’s inward-looking policiesand ban against “military adventures or conquest of

The influential Cantino world chart of 1502. (Image courtesy “1421 The Year China Discovered America” by Gavin Menzies)


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additional lands.” His primary aim in foreign policy was tobring glory to China not only by attracting many ambass-adors to China but also to enhance his stature among thepeople. Unlike the Europeans, “the Chinese preferred topursue their foreign policy aims by trade, influenceand bribery rather than by open conflict and directcolonization.” (1421: p. 60)

Within three years of assuming the throne, ZhuDi appointed his trusted advisor Zheng He tohead up the expedition. In 1405 the first of six

expeditions left Nanjing for the Indian Ocean. It is esti-

gavinmenzies.net/pages/maps/voyages) there werenavigators, interpreters, medical and religious specialists,craftsmen along with substantial military forces thatincluded both foot soldiers and cavalry, as well as concu-bines. The treasure ships were filled with porcelain, silk,lacquer and other goods to use as gifts, and if necessary,to trade for water and food.

Each voyage took approximately two years to takeadvantage of the two-year monsoon cycle.

The sixth expedition of four fleets under Zheng He’scommand, set off on the 3rd of March, 1421 with over 100ships. The outward journey was packed with envoys of

mated that the 1405 expedition consisted of 62 large ships(a large ship was 440 feet long and 186 feet wide with adisplacement of 25,000 to 30,000 tons.) These were calledthe treasure ships. The remainder of the 255 ships werehorse ships which were 370 feet long, while supply shipswere 280 feet, billet ships 240 feet and battle ships 180feet. (CWOCR: p. 291)

Since the purpose was to impress the leaders of foreignlands, the first expedition of 317 ships carried 27,800 men.Apart from Zheng He and his four Admirals Hong Boa,Zhou Man, Zhou Wen and Yang Qing, (http://www.

states from around the Indian Ocean and the East Africanseaboard, all of whom had travelled to China to celebratethe dedication of the Forbidden City, Emperor Zheng Di’snew palace complex in Beijing.

To give an idea of Zheng Di’s wealth and power, whilehe could put a fleet of 100 ships manned by 30,000 men onthis his sixth voyage, England’s Henry V, one of Europe’smajor kings who went to war with France in June of 1421“...ferried his army across the Channel in four fishingboats carrying a hundred men on each crossing andonly in daylight hours.” (1421: p. 63).

By the sixteenth century European trade with ports such as Calicut, pictured above, was thriving but the level of scientific inquiry didnot reach Chinese proportions until the advent of Captain James Cook and Joseph Banks. (Gavin Menzies’, “1421 The Year ChinaDiscovered America”)


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As the emperor bid his guests goodbye, he commandedhis trusted Zheng Di to “proceed all the way to the endof the earth to collect tribute from the barbariansbeyond the seas...to attract all under heaven to becivilised in Confucian harmony.” (1421: p. 64). Inacknowledging this epic sixth voyage and its accomplish-

port a month earlier remained in the Indian Ocean with hisportion of the fleet plotting longitude, an accomplishmentpredating late fifteen century European exploration andtheir discovery of longitude. Indeed Menzies points out thatthe Cantino map of 1502, based on Chinese expertise,

shows the East African coast with such accuracy that “it

ments, Zheng He erected a stone monument at Liu-Chia-Chang in south China with the following: “the countriesbeyond the horizon and at the ends of the earth haveall become subjects and the most western of the west-ern or the most northern of the northern countries,however far away they may be.” (1421: p. 298-9).

According to Menzies, Zheng He returned home afterthe fleet provisioned at the Indian port of Calicut, arrivingin China in November that year. Yang Qing who had left

appears to have been drawn

with the aid of satellite

navigation.” (1421: p. 375-6).

Unlike the Europeans who

would follow in their wake seven

decades later, Zheng He’s

admirals - Hong Boa, Zhou Man

and Zhou Wen – were fully

equipped and capable of not only

finding but recording accurately,

every land mass or island they

would visit.

Zheng He’s admirals sailed

down Africa’s east coast

rounded the Cape of Good Hope

up Africa’s west coast to Santo

Antao in the Cape Verde islands.

From the Cape Verde islands the

fleet split up. Hang Boa and

Zhou Wen headed south-west

making landfall in what is now

Venezuela. And there is where

we leave them for it is his epic

journey that would establish the

first connection between China and The Islands of TheBahamas.

Zhou Wen, unlike Columbus, was not blindly sailing intothe west. Nearly a century before he began his epic jour-ney through the Caribbean, the Chinese cartographer ChuSsu Pen (1273-1337)“had made an accurate estimate ofthe distance from the Pacific to the Atlantic...” (1421:p. 281). And even earlier than that, the Chinese knew thatthere was land on the other side of the Atlantic.

The Bimini stones. (Image courtesy of Gavin Menzies’ “1421 The Year China DiscoveredAmerica”)

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In 499 AD, the first year of the “Everlasting Origin”Emperor during the period known as the Southern andNorthern Dynasties (386-581 AD), a Buddhist priest,Hoei-Shin, returned from a land eight thousand nauticalmiles east of China. He named the land Fusang after thetrees that grew there. He described the tree as bearingfruit like a red pear and bark which the inhabitants used

the whole world except in Central America. Hoei-Shin’sexploits became part of China’s official history known toall. The existence of Fushang would therefore have beenknown when Emperor Youngle, had issued his command toZheng He and his three admirals.

Sailing in the equatorial current westwards, Zhou Wen’sfleet of at least 20 ships, arrived in the Caribbean. And thus

for clothing and paper. (1421: p. 145). Hoei-Shin alsonoted that the country had no iron. We now know that whathe called the Fusang tree is in fact the maguey tree of theagave family, which grows only in Central and South Amer-ica. It grows red fruit and is used in the ways described byHoei-Shin.

We also now know that iron occurs almost throughout

it was that the four mysterious islands - which Menzies hadseen on Pizzigano’s map first came into the world’sconsciousness.

Having lost some of his ships in a hurricane off PuertoRico (Antilia) which would have been charted beforeColumbus was born (1421: p. 297), Zhou Wen, sailingbefore the prevailing winds would have gone toward

The Piri Reis map 1513, oriented with north to the left, so that SouthAmerican is at the bottom of the map andand Africa and Europe at the top.

38 IslandScene /2011/1

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Hispaniola and Cuba then through the Grand Bahama Bankto the east of Andros Island and inside the Berry Islands.All of these are easily verifiable on the Cantino map (http://www.gavinmenzies.net/pages/maps/cantino.htm.) But asthe Cantino map demonstrates, the topography was diff-erent. Since that time, sea levels have risen between fourand eight feet.

According to Menzies, in 1421 the banks and reefs of

Menzies believes this is exactly what happened on thefirst Chinese voyage through the Bahama Islands.Beyond the Berry Islands on the doorstep of the Gulf,sits the Bimini Island chain. It was the only logical placefor Zhou Wen to find shelter for his damaged fleet.

The most compelling evidence however is the BiminiRoad, first discovered in 1968 by zoologist andunderwater archaeologist, Dr. J. Manson Valentine. The

the Great Bahama Bank which stretches from Androstowards Cuba, would have been above water. Zhou Wensailing through the Grand Bahama Bank at night may havespotted the land but not the submerged reefs which wouldhave damaged some of his ships.

Once Zhou Wen’s fleet had cleared the Grand BahamaBank along Andros’s east coast and the Berry Islands,he would have found himself with several damaged shipsand the ocean ahead. To minimize the loss to his fleet, hehad to find safe haven in shallow water where repairscould be made and ships which were too badly damagedcould be salvaged before being abandoned.

Bimini Road is made up ofhundreds of flat rocks eight to tenfeet square laid out in two parallellines running southwest towards thedeep ocean. The shoreward sectionof the road is 1,200 feet long by 200feet wide, while the curved sectionof the road which runs directly tothe shore is 330 feet long. Theimported stones of which therecould have been as many as 600,weigh 10 tons each. Several ofthem have been used to build theMiami seawall. (1421: p. 315).

What Menzies has discoveredawaits confirmation if and when theGovernment of The Bahamas lifts

the moratorium on salvaging in its

Visitors in small craft meander through Bimini’s shallow crystal-clear waters to view under-water rock formations. (Image courtesy Bahamas Ministry of Tourism).

waters. Menzies believes that at least nine of ZhouWen’s ships were abandoned. When they are finally

salvaged, these centuries-old wrecks will conclusivelyconfirm that, even before Columbus’s birth, the Chinesehad made the journey to the “new world” creating the

very maps that Columbus would need and did use.Despite the evidence will China’s role in discovering

and charting the “new world” change a centuries-old

misconception? Unlikely.

bahamaIslanders

IslandScene / 2011/1/ 39

The men who came from the Contract also broughtthese musical influences with them, and they had theirfavourite artist in the rhythm and blues tradition like RuthBrown, Ivory Joe Hunter and to the lesser extent RayCharles.

In essence, they brought back a profound AfricanAmerican exposure with them during a time period whenAmericans were just preparing themselves for the greatcivil rights confrontation that took place in the 60’s.

Not all the returnees were Bepop artist and Jitterbug(mind you, the Jitterbugs were probably the most artisticand interesting dance to watch and take part in, and has alot in common with the acrobatic style of the break-dancethat we see today), except in Jitterbug you had to have apartner, I use to sit for hours and watch the men flingladies over their shoulders and through their legs.Youhad to be very nimble, quick and strong to do theJitterbug.

Aside from the cultural effect, you could say that thefoundation of true Black Bahamian entrepreneurshipstarted with the first Contract returnees. While some oftheir brothers were Jitterbugging, the story was told thatour Acklins and Crooked Island brothers, mostly Churchof God oriented, did not fool with the song and dance inAmerica, and as a result when they came home, they had anice little piece of change. It wasn’t uncommon for a hardworking person to come home after a four or five yearsexperience with three or four thousand dollars in the PostOffice Bank, and in the early 50’s and 60’s that was a lotof money to have in one place.

Most of the housing for working class Bahamianssouth of Wulff Road in the Englerston and Coconut Grovearea was built by men who had been on the Contract.Many of them got a good head start, and have not lookedback yet. But as noted earlier, many of them, my uncleBertie included, were only richer for the experience.

My Uncle Bertie cont’d.

The Islands of

Island Scene is pleased to present The Islands of The

Bahamas Accommodations & Resources Directory, a

comprehensive listing of places to stay and things to do

in Nassau/Paradise Island, Grand Bahama Island and

the Out Islands.

This directory has been compiled to include island-by-

island listings of accommodations and resources that are

unique to each destination. From resorts to inns, and rest-

aurants to shopping, this section of Island Scene is a con-

venient source of information to assist you with planning

your next vacation. Each island offers visitors excellent

opportunities for snorkeling, diving, fishing, boating,

romance and relaxation.

Whether you prefer to lounge in a hammock, play a

round of golf, spin the roulette wheel or enjoy the warm

Bahamian water, The Islands of the Bahamas have a

little something for everyone.

To learn more about each destination and traveling to

The Bahamas, go online to www.islandscenemagazine.com,

and have a look at our Accommodations & Resources Dirctory.


The Bahamas

IslandScene / 2011/ 41

AbacoAbacoAbacoAbacoAbacoThe Sea Beyond CompareThe Sea Beyond CompareThe Sea Beyond CompareThe Sea Beyond CompareThe Sea Beyond Compare

In a sparkling aquamarine sea just east of Grand Bahama Island lies the crescent

necklace of Great Abaco, two verdant islands surrounded by clusters of tiny,

quiet cays. It’s a place of balmy breezes and unhurried beauty whose naturally

protected waters draw yatchmen from around the globe. So much so that Abaco

is often called the “Sailing Capital of the World.”

With the wind in your sailes, the salty air in your throat, the brilliant sunshine on

your back, sailing the channels of the Abacos is a succession of unforgettable experiences.

From the powder-soft beaches and quaint settlements of Walker’s Cay in the north, past

the busy hub of Marsh Harbour, and on another hundred miles south to the great barrier

reef at Cherokee Sound and the lighthouse at Hole-In-The Wall, each island, cove and cay

offers its own special charms.

Some of these ports-of-calls echo small, sleepy Nerw England fishing villages with

their colourful clapboard houses, cozy cottages and worn, narrow streets, an atmosphere

brought by the British Loyalists who first settled these cays in the late 1700’s. There are

many excellent marinas along the way which offer every amenity imaginable to the boats

docked at their slips.

You’ll see exclusive private clubs on cays by themselves and sail to other cays that

are totally uninhabited. Silent, out-of-the way places where you can drop anchor and linger

undisturbed for a night or a month, however long you can stay.

Your exploration of The Abacos might begin at the northernmost of these islands

where you’ll find the charming harbour of Walker’s Cay, the protected anchorages of the

Grand Cays and their splendid beaches and superb snorkeling, deep-sea diving and fishing

grounds. On Little Abaco, a short sail south, at the tiny picturesque settlements of Crown

Haven and Fox Town.


Reaching the northern tip of Great Abaco (the second

largest island in The Bahamas and one cay dwellers refer

to as the “mainland”), you’ll pass the settlements of Cedar

Harbour and Cooper’s Town, where you can dock for

supplies.

From Cooper’s Town you also have the option of

driving south by road past low, rolling hillocks topped with

stands of feathery, Casuarina pines and grove upon grove

of Valencia orange trees. All settlements on this 80-mile

isle and its many surrounding cays are reachable by road

or ferry and are a joy to explore.

Sailing on you will discover Treasure Cay Beach

Resort and Marina, a luxury development that’s home of

the five most beautiful beaches in the world, an 18-hole,

72-par championship golf course and modern marina. Here

you can visit the post office, shop, arrange for daily snorkel

trips, scuba dives and fishing charters. You may also want

to hike the two miles to Carlton Point, the authentic site

where British Loyalists fleeing the newly independent

United States established Abaco’s first settlement in 1783.

Fifteen minutes away by water-taxi is historic

New Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay. In this buoyant

AbacoAbacoAbacoAbacoAbaco

On Abaco, sailing is only the beginning


fishing village, the old world charm of the Loyalists

is visible everywhere.You'll see it in the tidy rows of

pastel pink, blue and green salt-box houses hemmed

by white picket fences; in the artifacts, paintings and

model ships of the Albert Lowe Museum; in the thirty

Bahamian visages sculpted to represent each differ-

ent island at the Memorial Sculpture Garden; in the

lacy fretwork of the mid-19th century New Plymouth

Inn; and, yes, even in Miss Emilie's happy Blue Bee

Bar, where there's no shortage of friendly smiles and

the best Goombay Smash in all the islands!

Strolling Green Turtle Cay's pathways, you'll

hear children spelling in unison in a one-room school-

house. Spot goats and roosters running through thick

clusters of Croton and Hibiscus.

from strong westerly winds. The marinas are filled

with deep-sea fishing boats, speed boats and all

manner of sailboats, yachts, catamarans and sloops.

At Sunsail you can hire an excellent fishing

guide, take a sailing course, rent bareboats or hire

boats with or without captain and crew.

Beneath swaying palms and an ever-blue sky

you'll shop Marsh Harbour's modern department

stores, hardware stores and fresh-produce groceries.

Sort through souvenir stands jammed with locally

made crafts and keepsakes. Go to the bank, the

beauty shop. Sip a Goombay Smash under a beach

umbrella. Taste your first conch (pronounced "conk")

fritter, Bahamian turtle steak or wild boar. There's

also a good chance one moonlit night will find you


But in June, these gentle rhythms change when

the cay is flushed with the excitement of The Green

Turtle Yacht Club's annual Invitational Fishing Tour-

nament, and in July, its famous Regatta.

Pivotal to everything in The Abacos is Marsh

Harbour, the bustling commercial hub and boating

center on the "mainland.” Marsh Harbour carries

with it the air of a colonial frontier town, but one

stroll around reveals this sun drenched settlement

is very much otherwise.

The harbour is easy to enter and sheltered

savouring the fare of a gourmet chef and, much later,

dancing to the irresistible rhythms of an island band.

Overnight guests may choose to stay in one of

Marsh Harbour's plush hotels or beachfront villas.

These are sure to soothe your senses with their

manicured gardens, health spas, tennis courts, swim-

ming pools and stunning white-sand beaches. And, of

course,there are always Marsh Harbour's

shaded clapboard cottages and town houses for

rent, many with housekeeping services.

The transparent waters surrounding Marsh


Harbour as well as Walker's Cay, Treasure Cay

and other locations in the Abacos are ideal for

dedicated dive vacations, too. Each year hundreds

of visitors sign up for a guided scuba diving experi-

ence or a certification course. These explorations take

you to an underwater world of well-formed, vibrant coral

patches teeming with marine life and etched with exciting

caverns, tunnels and ledges. Many of these reefs are

located within the boundaries of nationally sanctioned

marine preserves and are officially protected against

spearfishing or fish capture.

The modest airport at Marsh Harbour accommodates

incoming and outgoing passengers from Nassau, the capital

of The Bahamas, on regularly scheduled flights via Baha-

mas-air as well as direct flights from South Florida. (An-

other way to reach Abaco, if you have the time and an

adventurous inclination, is by Bahamian mailboat.) Incoming

flights, incidentally, are also a signal to watch for ferries

outbound to settlements on the many surrounding cays.

Great Guana Cay is one excursion to make by ferry

if you're in the mood for a quiet, isolated beach that's

brushed with grassy sand dunes and lapped by electric blue

waters. Its low-key Guana Beach Resort has rooms for

overnight guests and a fine marina. The watersports centre

where scuba divers can arrange to swim with dolphins is

also on Great Guana Cay in an area called Treasure Island.

Tranquil and unspoiled, this is by far one of the nicest

beaches in The Bahamas and a hideaway known to few

outsiders.

Across from Marsh Harbour is Man-O-War Cay,

another settlement that will take you back in time. Famous

for its master ship building for well over 200 years, this

industrious little cay still rings with the sound and feel of

colonial days despite its tall palms and tropical breezes. Life

is so peaceful here that there are no police, no jails. What's

more, if you stay long enough, you can watch craftsmen

hand-build an entire boat without plans in a tradition that has

been passed down for centuries.

Hope Town, in the crook of Elbow Cay, also lies off

Marsh Harbour and is one of the most popular excursions

of all. In this picturesque village of clapboard and salt-box

houses, profusions of purple and orange bougainvillea and

other blossoms tumble over the stone and picket fences.

You can smell the aromas of fresh bread baking, hear the

echoes of old Cockney voices, shop in "shoppes," or follow

narrow, winding streets down to gorgeous stretches of



empty beaches. At Harbour's Edge restaurant on Elbow

Cay, you'll have a perfect view of the boat-packed harbour

and the famous peppermint-striped lighthouse. Looking out

on all this serenity, you'll find it impossible to believe that

people here once made a living by looting wrecked ships.

As the story goes, "wreckers" used to shine a light to boats

drawing them on to these rocks. The boats would wreck,

sink, and they would swim out to steal whatever was

salvageable on the ship. It's true, too, because the proof is

all there in the Wyannie Malone Historical Museum.

Elbow Cay also happens to be one of Abaco's many

superb deep-sea fishing grounds. At Easter, HopeTown and

Walker's Cay host their annual Anglers Fishing Tournament,

a 20-day event in which anglers will reel in everything from

marlin, wahoo, sail fish and dolphin to kingfish, bonefish,

tuna and barracuda.

Back on Great Abaco, there's another whole region to

explore in the deep woodlands further south. Driving by car,

you'll see glimpses of local life; women strolling along quiet

lanes, balancing trays of fruits and vegetables on their

heads, goats grazing by the roadside. You'll pass the settle-

ment of Crossing Rocks and the fork that leads to Casuari-

nas Point, one of Abaco's most sybaritic resorts. Not far


beyond this you'll enter Abaco National Park, a rich forest

preserve that sprawls over 20,500 acres.

Thick with feathery Casuarina pines, flowering plants,

mangrove swamps and tall tropical trees, this quiet ecosys-

tem gives cover to scores of wild animals and exotic birds.

This is the protected habitat of the endangered Bahama

Parrot (a brilliant blue and yellow-winged, ground-nesting

species), the rare reddish egret, pelicans, humming-birds,

spoonbills and blue herons. On a very lucky day, you may

even come upon a wild boar straying in from the remote

game region of the forest.

Reaching the southeast point of Great Abaco you’ll

discover a long, natural perforation of rock known to

seamen as the “Hole- In-The-Wall.” Above it towers a

major navigational lighthouse faithfully keeping its vigil on

ships out in the distant, ever-changing sea.

Through every turn of your sails and travels, you’ll be

charmed and astonished by the warmth of Abaco’s people.

Cheery, helpful and always ready to lift your spirits, these

gentle islanders know the secret of making you feel at

home and welcome in their small corner of paradise. In

fact, for however long you stay, you’ll find yourself en-

chanted by the mesmerizing isles of Abaco.



Thousands of Bahamians, throughout the islands of The Bahamas who wereeagerly awaiting the $2.5 billion Baha Mar mega resort project getting intofull swing, need wait no longer. The luxury development touted to have the

ability to boost the economy to levels that will have profound effects on thedevelopment of countless local industries, was officially launched, at ground-breaking ceremonies, on Monday, 21st. February.

The entire Baha Mar project is expected to contribute a cumulative $11.2 billionover the next 20 years to The Bahamas gross domestic product (GDP). That’s inaddition to the 12,000 new jobs that will stem from the project, set to come on stream inlate 2014. “Baha Mar will create 4,500 jobs during construction and 7,500 jobs postconstruction,” said Robert Sands, senior vice-president of administration and externalrelations. “We’ve always articulated the impact it will have on the Bahamian economy.

It’s a tremendous benefit because once Bahamians are working, the multipliereffect is huge because everyone benefits with more disposable income in the pool to domore things.”

Approximately $1 billion in new spending is to be added to the economy in thefirst year of completion, said resort officials. That money will come from among otherthings - a 30 percent increase in stopover visitors to the country, which adds up to anadditional 430,000 people coming to the resort in the first year.

They are visitors that will all be coming to see the resort projected to further TheBahamas’ image as one of the best tourist locations in the world, placing it alongsidetop tourist’s destinations such as Las Vegas and Orlando. Millions of vacationers andbusiness travelers are expected to flock every year to its six hotels with almost 2,250new rooms and condos, the largest convention center in The Bahamas, the largest casinoin the Caribbean, a world-class golf course, retail village and much more.

Baha Mar ResortAn idea whose time has come.

By Inderia Saunders

doingBUSINESS


doingBUSINESS

Sands said the appeal of the resort will be furtherheightened by the hotel management brands recently

announced. Baha Mar recently signed letters of intentwith Rosewood Hotels and Resorts to operate andmanage its 200-room Luxury Hotel, Morgan’s HotelGroup for the 300-room lifestyle hotel and Hyatt Hotelsand Resorts to operate and manage the planned 700-room Grand Hyatt Convention Hotel. These operatorswill contribute a total of $57 million to the development,in capital investments, with Morgan’s and Rosewoodspending $10 million each and $37 million spent by theHyatt.

There will be more such partnerships on thehorizon, said Sands. “Six months from the signing,” headded, “we will be announcing who our casino partneris.”

Aerial rendering of the project.

In January, Baha Mar announced it had closed on itsfinancing with the Export Import Bank of China. Withconstruction already started and scores of Bahamiansnow working on the rerouting of West Bay Street andCorridor 7 Road, which forms part of the project’s$60 million first phase, Sands said it signals “theofficial start of the project,” and the trickling down inthe economy that will come from the development.

“The project was having an impact from the daywe signed the agreements,” he said, referring to PrimeMinister Hubert Ingraham’s recent statements onstamp duty amounting to $27 million from the closureof the financing agreement. “Work is already in. We’vehired a number of independent contractors as we beginto do the prep work.”

Baha Mar said it will employ approximately 4,000


doingBUSINESS

Casino Hotel.

Bahamians over the life of the construction period,which is set for four years. This number was deter-mined based on information from the Department ofLabour about the number of registered Bahamianswith the specific, expert construction skills needed tobuild Baha Mar.

To supplement the Bahamian labor available tobuild the resort, Baha Mar has made clear its

intentions to partner with the China State Construc-tion Engineering Corporation to assist the develop-ment with short-term labor from China in an effort toget the property’s hotels fully operational as early as

possible. In addition to the Bahamian workers, anestimated 5,000 to 7,000 Chinese workers are neededto construct the project, said resort officials. Theseworkers will be coming and out of the country atdifferent points of the project and will not all beworking on the project at one time. “Baha Mar willimmediately create thousands of job opportunities forBahamians, including the ability to learn new skillsand build meaningful careers as managers andsupervisors,” said a statement from Baha Mar. “Itwill also add millions of dollars in wages and taxreceipts. The Bahamas will be a better place to live

IslandScene /2011/1 51

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Above left: Officials participating in ground-breaking ceremony include: Hon. Brent Symonette, Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, Minister of Tourism & Aviation, His Excellency Ambassador Hu, His Grace, Mr. Li Ruogu, Chairman The Export-Import Bank of China, Mr.Liu Jinzhang, Vice President China State Construction Engineering, and Mr. Chen Guocai, Vice President China State Construction Engineering.Hon. Brent Symonette and Hon. Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace chatting with Chinese officials.

and work, with a stronger economy immediately and over the longterm.”

The resort recently signed a conditional Letter of Intent for worksvalued in excess of $40 million for the road works. Through an

open-bidding process, well-known firms: Bahamas Hot Mix Ltd., andBahamas Marine Construction were chosen for this venture.

Their scope of works is expected to create 100 direct jobs as wellas 100 indirect jobs, within the community, from the constructionwork on a new Commercial Village that forms part of the project’s$60 million first phase. Conditional Letters of Intent have also beensigned for $15 Million in works for this project, with four Bahamiancontractors: John F. Dunn and Associates, Osprey Developers Co.Ltd., Cavalier Construction Co. Ltd. and CGT Construction, respon-sible for building the new center.

Pictured left is Sarkis Izmirlian Chairman and C.E.O.Baha Mar Ltd.Photo by Antoine Ferrier.


doingBUSINESS

“This bodes particularly well for the upgrade ofskills in our work force,” he stated. “In an ever morecompetitive international tourism sector it is increas-ingly important that tourism sector workers are of thehighest caliber.

“In these tough economic times ‘value for money’vacation experiences take on even more than their usualimportance. Hence, my Government has been very keento secure firm commitments from all its private sectorpartners in the hotel and tourism sector for continuoustraining of sector employees.

“Such a redevelopment has been highly desirable forsome time and its long anticipation relates to the trad-

getting approval from the National Development andReform Commission of the government of the People’sRepublic of China, and ending a lengthy search for ajoint venture partner. That happened during the secondhalf of 2010 and replaced a former agreement that wasin place with earlier joint partner Harrahs and itssubsidiary, Caesars Bahamas before the latter bailed.

“We and the ScotiaBank-led syndicate have workedvery hard to reach a settlement that serves the best inte-rests of all parties, and should also benefit theBahamas,” he stated.

“I want to thank the ScotiaBank-led syndicate fortheir continued support of Baha Mar. In reaching this

itional contribution the area has made to the Bahamianeconomy through tourism.

Mr. Izmirlian said there is much to be proud of, andthanked his partners, financiers, Export Import Bankof China, General Contractor and Investor and ChinaState Construction and Engineering, as well as thegovernment and people of The Bahamas, under the ableleadership of Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, fortaking this leap of faith and for placing their trust in himand the project.

“We are committed to delivering the immediate andlong term economic benefits to Bahamians both from itsconstruction and eventually operations, and to giveopportunities to thousands of Bahamians who can nowlook forward to a better future,” he continued.

The comments follow the development overcomingseveral approval obstacles that stood in the way ofgetting the project underway. High in the mix, was

settlement, both sides accommodated each other, withthe ultimate goal of fully repaying the lenders for theiroutstanding loan. The settlement, which includes thesyndicate now becoming an equity participant in TheBaha Mar project, demonstrates ScotiaBank and itsother partners’ confidence in the project, and its eco-nomic potential for the Bahamas.”

Once complete, Baha Mar said it will host one of thelargest casinos in the Caribbean, five acres of convent-ion and meeting facilities, 20 acres of beach and poolexperience, three world-class spas and Jack Nicklaussignature golf course.

Baha Mar will also create a “show lake” surroundedby a retail, dining and entertaiment village, with resid-ential condos. “Baha Mar will be the Caribbean’s largestsingle-phase destination resort,” said Baha Mar’sdeveloper, Mr. Sarkis Izmirlian.

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