Hispanic music

 My little city Tamarac Florida, abuts  the cities of Sunrise and Coral Springs. We are the smallest city though: Tamarac's population is around 75,000, Sunrise 100,000 and Coral Springs 141,000. (Approximates all).

 However, because we have an activist music-loving mayor, Michelle Gomez, we tend to have many fun events which attract persons from those neighboring cities.

 Especially to our regular concerts in the parks.

We took in the Latin concert in Sunrise.

On  the other hand, before last night, I had only found one event in Sunrise which I felt was worth joining in. 

That was a day trip to Key West. 

 (https://joan-myviews.blogspot.com/2025/03/that-key-west-trek.html?m=1).

However, I have never attended an actual event in Coral Springs, although, I do walk at their Three Mountains Park on Saturdays. 

The name is a joke though as Broward County has no hills much less mountains.😅

However in Coral Springs, they did dredge a canal once and dump the dirt nearby to make 3 little hills, which is what was turned  into that small park with the auspicious name 😁.

As my muscles can never improve if I only walk in flat areas, I must not be disparaging, as I have gratefully adopted that area for a weekly trek🙏.

JOAN, MY VIEWS.: A hill at last! 

Yes, I  know I am rambling! It's only because I attended the Hispanic Heritage concert in Sunrise and was just reflecting on what the adjoining cities offer in comparison to mine😊.

You see,  like Tamarac, (JOAN, MY VIEWS.: ICE, culturally disruptive), Sunrise also had a Hispanic Heritage Concert during their celebration of Historic Heritage Month.

 It was held on the 10th October in their fairly new, beautiful amphitheatre.

The attendance was low in the beginning as it had rained all day and I imagine the ICE monster hadn't helped. 

The rain stayed away in the late afternoon though and it was actually a nice night. So the crowd grew slightly later and appeared to almost double.

Everyone was in high spirits throughout.

I love Latin music.

Latin music is so energetic and lively. One reason for this is it's pulsating beat as the rhythms are often built around throbbing African drums.

For the first hour at Sunrise, music was provided by DJ Genesis and the selections were good, as he played popular hits from every Latin American country, identifying them as he went along.

         Venezuelan dancers do their thing.

Then the live band La Nota took over and kept the vibes soaring throughout.

They had a half hour break during which Venezuela dancers, even mere babies  entertained.

It was a beautiful, cool night after the rains and the music, camaraderie and general entertainment was good.

Pity so few people turned out to enjoy what was a really very well planned and executed event.

Lusaka

 We left Livingstone today on Airlink and were in Lusaka just over an hour later. My only regret is we never got last look at the amazing Victoria Falls from the air as we did coming in. But we could see the mist in the distance.

Wendy is the greatest.

She hasn’t changed a bit, looks like the same beautiful young lady I knew when she and my daughter Michele became close friends at UWI.

She picked us up at airport, then surprise of surprises, transported to a brand new apartment. 

This apartment is in a newly built complex called Agora Village. It’s composed of shops on the ground floor, office space upstairs and apartment blocks as well.

I was surprised as I had thought for months that we would be staying with her! 

As she is working from home, she wanted us to have our space, she said. 

A creative way to build a bench. Just a slab held up by stones packed in a wire cage!

And our apartment was  stacked with food and even wine!

I tried to protest that she had gone to too much expense but was put in my place by “ Just sharing the blessing. God don't hold back. I am blessed. So I am sharing”. Now how do I argue with that?😊

Next, we went to her home, picked up her son at school and went back home.

She has a lovely home close to her children’s school.

We spent the afternoon catching up on old times then had the most delicious lunch.

While the curry smelled and tasted like the types we are accustomed to, it had a red color. 

It came from South Africa I was told. My lesson for today😊

Her backyard and the bigger dog

Lusaka definitely reminds me of Kingston in so many ways, except: crime is minimal if not totally non existent, People drive a lot more sanely than we do but many roads have no sidewalks and there are no mountains in sight. (Wendy says the only mountains (hills really) are at the border with the D.R).

It must be at least 100 time larger than Kingston though as from the air it appears to spread out forever!

And I find the people here extremely polite, friendly and helpful. 

Reminds me of how Jamaicans were in the olden days.

Looking forward to a wonderful stay ‘at home’ in Lusaka 😊

A hill at last!

                                             

Atop a landfill in Coral Springs

I owe my Floridian friends a big apology, as for the past few years I have been complaining bitterly that the hiking trails are boring, as the terrain is so flat.

Well, that’s not quite true at all as I hiked the most wonderful trail last week, with hills and valleys that were absolutely invigorating.

No I am not talking about the trails at that park in Coral Springs called “Three Mountain Park,” for those little hills which they call mountains are really landfills 😂.

Well, I shouldn’t be unkind as my Saturday walks up those inclines do prevent the muscles in the backs of my thighs from seizing up.

The only problem with this new trail that I am raving about is that it is six hours away and the only way will be able to hike it regularly is to move Jacksonville.

And that's just on my stars!

We got to visit those undulating trails on a recent camping trip to Camp Chowenwah in Clay County Florida.

Thanks to our local ‘guide’ Stephanie, we were taken to Jennings State Forest, about half hour away from our base.

The great thing about this Forest, is that it has around eight color-coded trails ready-made for your specific fitness level.

These range from easy to extremely difficult.

From our party, three hikers took the easy trail, two the moderate and three the difficult.

The two moderate hikers were Jennifer and I.

We took the Pioneer Trail which was said to be around six miles and there was supposed to a be a waterfall en route.

The trail started out as a normal Florida flat track with lots of shrubs, thatch palms and beautiful wild flowers but no trees. 

Luckily, we started out early and it was cloudy so we did not have to contend with the boiling sun.

Gradually, we started to ascend and as we did, the thickness of the forest increased.

Below us we had the presence of the North Fork Black Creek and its tributaries,  which you could see from every angle. As we hiked, some sections got so steep that the at the operators of the trails had installed wooden rungs and even easy bypasses.

As we enjoyed the trek, I kept listening for the roaring waters as a sign that we were approaching the waterfall. 

However, we continued walking for what seemed like forever without any sign of it.

This was when I started to suspect that it couldn’t be all that spectacular, for if it were, it would have been marked on our hiking map that we got at the Ranger station and there would be markers on the trail directing us to it.                                                                                                                                                                              When we almost reached the top, at Harris Overlook to be exact, there was a map and Jennifer noticed that we should have taken a trail on the left, to get to the waterfall.

At that point, to get there we would have had to descend quite a bit and after that difficult but invigorating trek to the top we decided that it was not worth the effort.

It certainly wasn’t, for those who took the easy trail had ended up at the waterfall and what they saw would have made me weep, if I had gone back down there to see it!                               

For when Sonia sent me the pictures of what they found, it was not something I would have called waterfall.

That's the waterfall!😏

Besides the waterfall not being worth the effort had we turned back to look at it, we would have been soaked. For shortly after we passed the marker, it started to rain.

Initially, as there were lots of trees, we did not get too wet and it did cool us off, as the climb had been strenuous. I was a bit worried though that there might have been some lightning, as Florida is famous for its lightening strikes, so it is not wise to be among trees at such times.

Luckily there was none.

After we descended for a mile or two with the rain still falling steadily, we came to a clearing and what did we find? It was the park where Rosie, Beth and Sonia who had taken the easy trail, had their vehicle and they were just about to drive off when we appeared.

So, we happily jumped into their truck. This saved us from a thorough drenching as we had now left the covering of the trees behind and had come into the open.

Rosie and Beth

It was a wonderful day of hiking but my one regret was I saw no animals!

Jennifer did spot an armadillo, but by the time she alerted me, it had gone into hiding. 

No, that's not quite true, as when we were at the Ranger’s station, there was a huge rooster looking quite at home as he voraciously picked insects from the grass. 

The next thing we saw was him hightailing it across the road, to where he had a girlfriend and babies, we were told.

And there had been numerous exotic and ordinary birds accompanying us with their various melodies and screams, and of course the ever-present woodpeckers were having a ball as usual.

This was by far the best hiking expedition we went on in the area and whereas those of us who did the easy and moderate trails had a whale of a time with no repercussions, around the fire later, we learnt that those who had opted for the difficult trail did have some bruises, aches and pains.

But that all part of the process isn’t it?

Links; Joan, my views: No more cruising! (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

Joan, my views: Glamping (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

               Joan, my views: Anti immigrant crap (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

MEMORIES

                                              

 

Currie again?

One of the most beautiful, peaceful, lush and crime-free villages in Jamaica that I have ever visited, is Millbank in Portland, which straddles a section of the John Crow Mountains.

This region which is reputed to have the second highest rainfall in the world, is naturally luxuriant, flourishing, and productive. The rain plus the constant supply of water from the long, flowing Rio Grande River which you can see form every point, irrigates the well-laid-out banana, plantain, dasheen and other fields, making the area a critical agricultural supplier for the rest of Jamaica.

My first visit to that locale was in 2010, shortly after heavy rainfall had washed away part of the road between Comfort Castle and Millbank cutting off a number of small districts from Port Antonio. 

Luckily this was a cycling outing, so we dismounted and pushed our bikes gingerly along a narrow ledge with a deep precipice below. That was all that was left of the road. 

Colonel Sterling

That visit was memorable, as it was my introduction to the Moore Town Maroons, their Colonel, Wallace Sterling and tasty, unusual, exotic Maroon dishes including busso soup.

That was such an enlightening and enjoyable day that I pledged to return quickly.

And I did visit that area many other times. Once to enjoy a hike in the beautiful valley, followed by cool refreshing water massage at Nanny Falls, (named in honor of Queen Nanny). Another, to hike along the Cuna Cuna trail and a few other times to Alligator Church Bridge, where we would swim, eat locally prepared food and relax after an invigorating ride from Kingston.

The Cuna Cuna trail which is over five hundred years old, lies hidden between the Blue and John Crow Mountain ranges. Because it is replete with caves in which the guerillas could hide and it has a number of springs supplying live-giving water, it was a primary escape route for Nanny and her warriors as they battled the British who wanted to re-enslave them after they overthrew the Spanish in 1655.

The trail runs from St. Thomas to Portland and is today very well maintained by the Moore Town Maroons, who have built guard rails and rest areas for use by hikers. They also provide the guides who take outdoor lovers on the trail through the mountains.

Hospitality is nothing new to the Moore Town Maroons though, as for decades they have been building bamboo rafts and steering visitors carefully down the long, beautiful Rio Grande River. 

Rafting down the Rio Grande River through the spectacular Rio Grande Valley, is one of Jamaica's most popular attractions.

But I stray. 

It was on that first trip in 2010 that I gained a lot of information about how the Maroons operate. My informant was Colonel Sterling who heads the Maroon Council, the body responsible for the enforcement of the laws (the state deals with murder) and maintaining order.

Colonel Sterling had at that time, been in the position for some twenty years!

When I enquired how he had retained his position for such a long time, (that was twelve years ago!), he explained that the Maroons do not have set elections but whenever the residents want a change of leadership, they have their means of asking for a change or letting their dissatisfaction with the current leadership known.

So, is it that the residents of Moore Town want a change of leadership now or is it that dissention there is being instigated by outsiders? 

It was the article in the Jamaica Observer of May 9th 2022, entitled "Stalemate in Moore Town, but Maroon teen seeking leadership claims support....." which caught my interest.

The article begun; "The attempt to unseat Colonel Wallace Sterling as leader of the Moore Town Maroons failed on Sunday as no election was held in the community ......."

According to the report, the person trying to unseat Colonel was an 18-year-old young lady Lomorra Dillion who the article revealed, had the support of the Chief of the Accompong Maroons, Richard Currie, who was seen in the area.

It continued to report Colonel Sterling as saying;  "For one colonel to leave from his community to come into another to decide who should be colonel, this is wrong, downright rude, out of order, impertinent and that nonsense we will not stand...” "Currie don’t run Moore Town so he and the persons in Moore Town who are setting date for an election, we are not having an election. They have proposed the eighth of May, but we not having any, the council don’t call an election.”

It was when I read that paragraph that I had the "aha moment".

As a background, Richard Currie is the 43-year-old bombastic and 'revolutionary' Maroon Chief who was elected in Accompong in February 2021. He immediately started out by not only making demands for the Sovereignty for the Maroons but also claiming (falsely) that Maroons are the indigenous people of Jamaica!

That stance by Currie spurred me to ask in an article in January 2022, if  he had the support of the other Maroon leaders, for as you know, there are three other Maroon settlements in Jamaica and each has its own Chief.

After stirring up much public controversy, it was clearly revealed that he didn't!

This was implied by the statements coming out of a meeting (on sovereignty?) held between Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Friday 21st January 2022 and the other Maroon leaders. Currie who was not invited.

The latest developments in Moore Town have  therefore led me to conclude that having been snubbed by the other Maroon Colonels, Currie is now strategizing to get rid of that older generation of leaders and replace them with his young proxies!

Let's hope that the power-hungry young turk who clearly thinks the older generation of Maroons have been too docile, does not stir up conflict in what have been some of the most peaceful communities in Jamaica. 

He however seems to be blowing the wrong Abeng, if the recent developments in Moore Town are anything to go by.

 UPDATE

It seems Currie himself is now in trouble, for on the 11th September 2022, Accompong News Network, put out the following statement; "Official report from the desk of the Accompong Town Maroon Council of Elders. Telephone: 876 9908015 Email: accompongcouncil@gmail.com Date: Sept, 11, 2022 .

With an astonishing and unanimous vote by the Accompong Town Maroon Council of Elders, all Maroon Council members both in the general Maroon Council and the Grand Maroon Council of Elders voted on September 10th, 2022 to convict Richard Currie on more than 27 IMPEACHMENT charges along with a VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE which automatically deposed him from his position as Chief of Accompong town. The dossier contain charges with high crimes and misdemeanors, including breaking and entering, inciting violence resulting in physical body harm, murder investigation, illegal possession of firearms, kidnapping, death threats to various individuals, intimidation, harbouring criminals in Accompong Town, malicious propaganda, deceptive advertising, promoting nefarious persons into Maroon administration, fraudulent intent with precious stone, destruction of private properties, impersonation of royal Title, financial scam, criminal intent to defraud Maroon citizens, etc. 

Never in the history of the Accompong Maroon Nation has there ever been such an overwhelming majority in any Maroon Council, the general Maroon Council was decisive and swift in its action on kicking out Mr. Richard Currie from the position of the Colonel’s chair. Many concerned citizens are already aware that the deposed and humiliated Richard Currie will not disappear quietly into the night without a fight, citizens are bracing themselves knowing that Richard Currie will try to fight the Maroon Council of Elders. The fact is, the Accompong Town Maroon Council is the supreme law of the land, not the Chief. The sheer number of members on the Council is remarkably unbelievable, for the first time in Accompong Town Maroon history has there been such a large Council, there is even a grand council within the general council, plus there is also a security council. The Grand council members are in no rush to take up office right away, they are willing to give Richard Currie a few days to vent, run to different media houses for public support and try to fight very hard with the Accompong Town Maroon Council of Elders, one Grand Council member said he doesn’t expect Richard to go without a fight, he understands and he feels sorry for Mr. Currie, but all Mr. Currie has done is destroy the great heritage and culture while bringing shame and disgrace to our community, all he does is braid his hair and go on all the social media and news platforms, he has brought not one single development to Accompong.

Over ninety percent of Accompong Maroon Citizens voiced their opinions that never in the existence of Accompong town have they ever experienced such anarchy in their community, all because of this new Chief. One maroon citizen cried with joy, bending on her knees praying to the sky thanking God for getting rid of the most embarrassing experience and situation they have ever seen or endured in their community. 

The Chairman of the Accompong Town Maroon Council of Elders is asking the public to please pray for Accompong and its citizens, for in times like now they need prayers."

Currie has been on Inatagram and radio deniying the report, but all is not well in Accompang or with his leadrship.

Seattle is so beautiful

Living in blah Florida, visiting states with lush green mountains and valleys and attractive topography is like a deep breath of fresh air, even when you are exposed to only a tiny taste.

Posing with my friends Marcia and Millie

Before my brief visit to Seattle, Washington, all I knew about the area was that it had great bicycle paths and it rains a lot. 

Well from the lushness of the place, I am sure it does rain a lot, but thank heavens it didn't when I was there. In fact, if it rained at all during my week's stay, it was before I surfaced, so once or twice I did notice only a little water on the grass, so it was pure joy and warm, weather, without the stifling humidity. 

As to bicycles, they are parked everywhere as riders need only a credit card to get access to one and once done, they can park them

anywhere, and they do.

Once done, these bikes are left anywhere which means everywhere!

I was a bit curious though,  about how come in a city where it is mandatory to use a helmet when riding, where these rental cycles are concerned, that rule did to seem to apply! 

But I stray.

I had hopped over to Seattle by train in what was a very scenic ride, after the end of a cruise which terminated in nearby Vancouver, Canada. So I couldn't avoid going there after being so close!

The trip was to visit a very close friend Millie, who lives there as well as cousins who I had recently met who live in the Emerald City. (So called as it is lush and green year-round).

Incidentally, Millie lives a few doors from the woman recently arrested for hacking into Amazon and stealing information on over 100 million accounts. Worse, when they raided her house, they found a man there who had an arsenal of guns, ammunition and even grenades so thankfully, took him into custody too!

The spectacular view of Lake Washington from my hosts home

My initial very pleasant surprise was that my friend Millie had arranged for me to stay in a very lavish suite in the home of a close relative. This location gave me a wonderful view of  the beautiful

Washington Lake and Mercer island in King County.

The walkway circles the lake

This venue also gave me quick access to the well equipped, pedestrian-friendly Seaward Park, located on.

300 acres of beautiful forest land, with a well marked  2.4 mile bike and walking path, plus miles of hiking trails, shoreline, beaches and more. I was quite intrigued by the number of persons I saw bathing in the lake with its under 50% temperature in summer, but I guess they don't know better!

With only limited time to see as much as I could of Seattle, I resorted to my favorite Hop on Hop- Off tour bus, which you find in every major city of the world.

 I consider  this means of sightseeing the best value for money, since it usually gives you an extensive guided tour of the host city plus a guided waterfront tour by boat, for your money. Really good value and the operator in Seattle did not disappoint.

Of course, the tour started at the well known "space needle" which boasts a revolving restaurant on top. This monument was built for the Worlds Fair in 1962, and was the tallest building at that time, but has been dwarfed many times since then.

It has, what I hear is a great revolving restaurant on top, but  being allergic to heights I passed up on a visit there,

Beside it is the museum of pop culture called MoPop and while some people find the design unattractive, I found it quite beautiful. I only passed up visiting it as I heard it was an all day affair.

That area is really full of tourists  though, bumping against each other all day. 

MoPop

A favorite stop of mine was at Pikes Market, which sits on  eleven acres of land in the midst of town.

 It has on display just about everything, from the literal pin to anchor, but my favorite and that of a horde of visitors to the area, is their very delicious clam chowder.  

I  however found the smell of fish and other sea foods a bit overwhelming. 

I guess I should have  expected that such a market in Seattle with its numerous lakes, the Sound and ocean would be a fishy!

According to our tour guide, Washington has the highest, per capita, number of boat owners and whereas I had always felt Florida would hold that distinction, considering how many commercial fishermen there are in Washington plus the fun lovers, he could very well be right.

Lovers were all over Pikes market though,  selecting from the picturesque array of fresh flowers on display there, for sale.

We also visited Freeman Hill where Kerry Park was constructed on property that once housed a polluting coal plant. and from there, you really get a comprehensive view of the city below. (Washington is a very ecologically friendly state)

Their waterfront and pier is extremely busy with thousands of shore visitors who had arrived on one of the many cruise ships  and even naval vessels that dock there. 

From the boat touring the waterfront, you got not only a really great view of the well-designed city, but also some of the huge sculptors adorning the sculpture park. 

The one that stood out for me was this below!

 had been told about the numerous outlying islands, a few of which are densely populated accessible by ferry and I did make an attempt to visit Bainbridge island, but just my luck, the engine of the ferry gave out on that trip!

However, the day before I had to leave, Millie and her daughter Christine, did take Marcia who was visiting from Jamaica and I, on a driving tour of that island, then circling over to Tacoma.

From Brainbridge, you get a wonderful view of a section of the Olympic Mountain Range where global warming is stark, as huge sections of mountains which are normally covered with snow, were clearly melting. 

A view of the waterfront from the sea

I was a bit disappointed that I did not have the opportunity to see mount St. Helens up close. This is an eight thousand foot high active volcano, which last erupted in 2008, but it is some 96 miles south of the Seattle. I have to visit it one day as I am fascinated with volcanoes, since visiting  four in Costa Rica.

What I got in early August 2019 was definitely just a small taste of the beautiful state of Washington, which only inspires me to place another visit high on my bucket list.

OTHER SCENES FROM SEATTLE

A section of the University of Washington where some 54,000 study, most from out of state or country

These three are sculptors and murals at Pikes Market

The tallest Ferris wheel on the west coast