1:11 AM      No comments
By George Richardson


Think Caribbean islands and you think about lazing on sunny, sandy beaches, sipping on exotic beverages with umbrellas and munching on fresh pineapple slices. The last things you want to think about are noses and grindstones. How do the locals get any work done? And yet, they do. On the island of St Christopher, the primary language is English and the literacy rate is 98 percent. The island is also home to a veterinary school and two schools of Medicine. Although the island is only 18 miles long and five miles across, one of the best ways to learn your way around is by taking advantage of welcome tours St Kitts (the informal, affectionate name of the island).

What other features distinguish St Kitts, nicknamed the Sugar City, from other tropical paradises in the Caribbean Sea. It is the only place where the local residents can legitimately refer to themselves as Kittians. It has most magnificent fortress in the eastern Caribbean, Brimstone Hill, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. The Kittians also hosted the Cricket World Cup in 2007, held at the Warner Park Cricket Stadium.

If you are into dormant volcanoes, this is the place for you. There are three separate groups of volcanic mountains. These are the Olivees, Verhilds, and Mount Misery ranges. The Mount Misery range contains the highest peak, which is conveniently named Mount Misery.

Since the government closed down the sugar industry in 2005, tourism has been the major driver of the Kittian economy. There are, however, fewer resorts and a lower density of tourist population than you would find on other islands. Other industries that help bolster the economy are agriculture (with the exception of sugar), transportation, manufacturing, and construction.

One of the annual events that draws the crowds is the St Kitts Music Festival. In 1996, it was called the Shak Shak Festival. Today, crowds rock to the tunes of Arrow, Crazy and the Lejah Band, and King Konris and Queen Anastasia. The tickets may be purchased with US or East Caribbean dollars.

Visitors to the island normally arrive at Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport. Two flights weekly, lasting roughly 12 hours, arrive from London. Daily flights serve the island from New York (6 or 7 hours) and Miami (3-5 hours). The tarmac can accommodate as many as six commercial jumbo jets. It handles regular non-stop flights from Europe and North America and also serves commuters from other islands in the area.

Closer to the ground, there is a ferry service between the island and its neighbor, Nevis. A narrow-gauge railway encircles the island and caters to tourists more than it does the island residents. Built in 1912 to carry sugar cane from the farms to the factory, it now runs tours on specially converted open-air, double-decker carriages.

St Kitts is good at producing football players and sprint runners. Among the famously agile names to emerge from the island have been Desai Williams, Virgil Hodge, Kim Collins, and Tiandra Ponteen. International football/soccer player Keith Gumbs, plays in the Liga Indonesia. Atiba Harris plays soccer for the Vancouver Whitecaps. The island produces non-athletes, too. Among the more notable are John Armatrading, singer/songwriter, bodybuilder-cum-murderer Bertil Fox, and actor/writer/comedian Felix Dexter.




About the Author:



0 commentaires:

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Recent Posts


Unordered List

Text Widget

Blog Archive