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Jungle Journal ~ Fall 2007 Considering making Dominica your Caribbean Home?ﾠ By Sam Raphael A number of guests have approached me about the possibility of owning and developing property in Dominica. The combination of the island's pristine natural beauty and friendly people makes it an interesting option especially for the "well heeled", eco-conscious ones among us. Though the Caribbean has attracted holiday homes and other offshore real estate investments for a long time Dominica has been left out; its beauty virtually unknown, until now. A growing number of commercial investors are also deciding to take a significant gamble on Dominica's future. There are currently three significant tourism investments (along with several smaller ones) in advance stages of preparation which will provide over 1,000 new jobs for the island's people as well as new markets for the local farmers and small businesses. Fortunately the currently proposed investments are not overly stressful on the ecology in keeping with the island's desire to become the Caribbean's top sustainable destination. Once these investments prove successful, other similar investments will be sure to follow. With controlled growth and proper planning, low impact direct investments can bring significant prosperity to the people of Dominica.
My typical advice to Jungle Bay guests and other visitors who express an interest in acquiring real estate in Dominica is to explore the island inside and out to make sure that it is the right fit for you. Dominica is quaint and charming and even a little magical however if you come from the "impatient" tribe that are accustomed to instant gratification, the Nature Isle might not be the ideal fit for you. If after exploring (maybe your second or third trip to Jungle Bay) you decide that "this is it", Dominica is your "Nirvana" then here are some factors you should consider:
Children of La Plaine help save the critically endangered sea turtles Since 2004, Glenda Raphael of Jungle Bay has been organizing a beach clean-up which draws dozens of children from La Plaine and the surrounding villages. Children learn about turtle biology then clean up bags and bags of potentially hazardous trash from the beach. This is an important activity which helps to protect the turtles from becoming entangled in debris and from choking on things like plastic bags which they often mistake for jelly fish. After the clean-up activity, children played in the black volcanic sand beach and had a contest to built life-like sea turtle sand sculptures.   ﾠﾠﾠﾠ Glenda at the Sand Turtle Competitionﾠﾠ |ﾠﾠ Keeping La
Plaine Beach clean for the turtles Mango Sorbet Recipe ﾖ provided by our very own chef Joanne Ingredients *Sugar Syrup Place sugar and water in a pot and bring to a
boil, until sugar dissolves
Method
Awards & in the Media The September 2007 issue of Cond￩ Nast Traveler Magazine honored Jungle Bay as winner of the World Saver Awards in the small resort category. Click here to read the article
The July issue of Cond￩ Nast Traveler Magazine featured Jungle Bay and two other properties in a 10-page article by Christian Parenti entitled "Feel Good Caribbean". Click here to read the article The July issue of Travelﾠ+ Leisure Magazine featured Jungle Bay in a 4-page article by Bill Donahue Click here to read the article
From left to right: Glenda and Sam Raphael, Joanne Hilaire, Francis "brother' Emanuel, Anthea Robinson, Laura Ell Petra Guglielmetti, staff writer for Martha Stuart's Blueprint Magazine wrote an online article on the Martha Stuart Bluelines Blog about her experience being a guest at Rob & Krupa's unique wedding. Read about it here
Retreats at Jungle Bay Jungle Bay has been host to several activities since our last Jungle Journal which of course added some many more people to the Jungle Bay family. Among them are the following groups: The World Heritage Alliance has partnered with the South East Tourism Development Committee (SETDC) and recently spent 2 weeks in Dominica to strengthen the community tourism product and create awareness of this important region which borders Morne Trois Pitons National Park- a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the many outcomes is a website which highlights the unique cultural heritage and natural features that this regions has to offer:ﾠ http://www.southeastdominica.com The World Heritage Alliance is a collaboration between Expedia, Inc. and the United Nations Foundation in consultation with UNESCO's World Heritage Center. The Initiative aims to raise awareness of World Heritage sites, encourage sustainable travel, and support local economic development. The Nature Conservancy Retreat
Vassar College Field School
A Z Academy
ﾠ"We had a fantastic time
at Jungle Bay!ﾠ I am still trying to hold onto the peace and serenity
experienced there.ﾠ Thank you for putting together such a wonderful and
fun itinerary for us and a special thanks to the staff which really went above
and beyond to accommodate us." ~ Stephanie Hodge Abi Rome Yoga Retreat
Jungle Bay Hosts Corporate Retreats: See more information at: http://www.junglebaydominica.com/meeting.cfm Upcoming Events 11th Annual World Creole Music
Festival in Dominica ~ October 26-28, 2007 Embodying Spirit: A Forrest Yoga
Retreat ~ January
5-12, 2008
Breathe,
Sweat and be Transformed ~ January
19-26, 2008
Relaxation & Adventure! Nia Retreat to the Nature Island of
Dominica ~ May 16th to 23rd, 2008 Second Annual Ansaura Retreat ~ Date to be announced!ﾠﾠﾠ See more Upcoming Events details at: http://www.junglebaydominica.com/calendar1.cfm Calabash Craft ﾖ By Anthea Robinson Hi everyone, its art in and around Dominica once again.ﾠ This time I would like to feature calabash craft. Calabash (Crescentia Cujete) is a gourd which grows on trees in Dominica. The leaves are oval and grow in clusters. The bell-shaped flowers and calabash fruit are borne on old wood.ﾠﾠ In ancient days the custom was to scoop out the inside food or pulp and utilize the outer shell as a container for eating or serving dishes.ﾠ Mostly, the pulp is discarded; often referred to as "kaka kalabas" (patois name) due to the offensive odor of the white starchy pulp. The pulp however is valuable for medicinal purposes; roasted and used after childbirth to remove the placenta or to purge.ﾠ This practice of scooping out the pulp of the gourd to make containers seems to be a feature of many peoples and races all over the world. In Dominica there is no exception to the norm and if you wish to experience a really cool eco dynamite meal try eating your gourmet cuisine out of calabash they make great bowls and eating utensils and best of all they are free! There is a particular process for cleaning out the calabash otherwise it turns black with mildew.ﾠ The curing process and sanitation processes are equally important so the gourds may be used again and again. In days of old after eating and washing the calabash; it would be turned over the remains of the "outside fire" for drying and sanitizing in preparation for its next use. Gourds come in different shapes and sizes; there are those which are almost round, long, elongated or pear shaped gourds and those which fall in between.ﾠ Sizes range from about 2 ﾽ inches to over 10 inches in diameter but you may well imagine that if you favour the latter luxuries then you have to go the extra mile as any good hunter would. Traditionally, calabash has been used as vessels such as water bailers and pots, as well as wall plaques.ﾠ Young branches of the tree were turned into fishing rods. Since calabash is a very versatile material; it is used to make many traditional gift items such as side bags; masks, maracas (shack shack), bowls etc. Calabash may be painted, varnished, wood burned, drawn on in pencil/ crayons; you just name it the possibilities are endless. One may also cut out shapes in the calabash to produce lamp or candle shades, where it glows an amber/red. The uniqueness of Jungle Bay lends itself to the use of calabash for making our staff name badges, lamp shades, flower vases and so on. Lamp shades are available by special order through our Gift Shop.
Artist credit: Hilroy Fingal A Feature Hummingbird of Dominica - By Christine Tinker The Purple Headed Carib, locally known as Colibri Madere or Fou Fou is the most sighted species of hummingbird at Jungle Bay. Their large dark forms are typically seen flitting in and out of the Noni trees surrounding the Pavilion restaurant and near their favorite food, Heliconia. Males and females both share similar coloration, however the female has a much longer and more curved beak. They typically appear black but when caught at the right angle can flash the brilliant purple throat which gives them their name and green wings. These hummingbirds are found entirely in the Lesser Antilles and on Dominica they are found at lower elevations than on other islands.
From the Coconut Barﾅ ﾓJungle PassionﾔPassion fruit Juice ﾖ 1 cup
If herbs are coming from your garden, be sure to wash before brewing. Pour boiling water over fresh or dried herbs and let steep, covered for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy! Healing Plants of Dominica:ﾠ
By Jungle Bay guests, Sue and John
Contact us at Jungle Bay for more details about how you can make a real difference in the life of a
Dominican student: info@junglebaydominica.com
From all of us at in the Jungle Bay Family, we hope your enjoyed
this issue of the Jungle Journal.
To read past issues please click here: Jungle Journal 3 - Winter 2007 Jungle Journal 2 - Fall 2006 Jungle Journal 1 - July 2006  |
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