WILD DONKEYS AND IGLOOS, GRAND TURK ISLAND
Written: Mar 17 '03 (Updated Mar 17 '03)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Laid back atmosphere, fantastic beach.
Cons: Not enough time spent there.
The Bottom Line: A nice place to laze the day away and they intend to keep it so.
|
|
|
| JAMES23's Full Review: Grand Turk |
"Last season there were no cruise ships here. This year one, and maybe next year we'll get two a week. That's it however, no more. We don't want them."
The bartender spoke with more than a bit of conviction as she handed me my beer. Looking around at the quaint little bar in the back of the gift shop in Cockburn Town on the small island of Grand Turk, I understood what she meant. Why ruin a good thing.
The Turks and Caicos are a tiny collection of islands located to the east of the Bahamas. Some 15,000 people call this place home, 4,000 of them on Grand Turk the island that contains the capital Cockburn Town which of the islands. This British Crown Colony consists of over forty islands with a total area of 430 square kilometres. It should be noted that this includes some 368 kilometres of pristine beaches.
There is evidence to suggest the first inhabitants the Lucayan Indians arrived on the islands around 700 AD. Locals claim that Columbus discovered the islands in 1492. A plaque in Cockburn Town even commemorates this. There is however no evidence to support this and the official "discovery" is accorded to Juan Ponce de Leon in 1515. British settlers from Bermuda arrived in 1778 to harvest salt from the ocean.
The British through the Bahamas governed the islands until 1848. At that time a local government was establish. The British then ruled the islands again through surrogates in Jamaica from 1873 until 1962. In 1974 locals dissatisfied with being represented through a third party, started a movement to have the islands join Canada as either a new Province or Territory or as part of an existing Canadian Province. The Canadian Government sadly rejected the plan. Finally in 1975 the island achieved its present status as a crown colony.
The islands name supposedly comes from the local Turk Cactus flower that resembles a red Fez, the traditional Turkish hat. Caicos appears to come from the Lucayan word Caico for string of islands.
In 1860 the island submitted its design to London for the coat of arms and colonial flag. A local artist designed a schooner flanked by two small salt boats on top of two heaps of salt in recognition of the islands industry. Someone in London mistook the salt heaps for igloos and added the missing doors. For the next 100 years the Turks and Caicos had the misfortune of having two igloos on their coat of arms. In 1967 a new national flag with the local lobster, conch shells and the Turk Cactus was adopted.
While salt is still produced on the islands, international banking, and tourism have joined it as a major source of revenue. Another source of foreign currency and one of the islands major exports are its stamps. The Turks and Caicos produce a variety of special edition stamps that are sought after by collectors around the world.
Most of the tourists in Cockburn Town, cruise ship passengers aside, are there for the diving. The islands are world famous for their scuba and snorkel sites. Just 300 yards offshore in Grand Turk is the famous wall drop. Here the ocean floor drops from thirty feet to a dizzying 7,000.
There are several small dive shop operators in and around the Cockburn town who can assist in arranging a dive here or something more sedate such as a snorkelling expedition to play with the stingrays. Note the local government take preservation very seriously and that includes the unauthorized removal of shells and coral for souvenirs.
There are several direct flights a week from Canada and the United States into Grand Turk. There are a couple off small but comfortable hotels in and around Cockburn Town. They include the Turks Head Inn on a tree-shaded lot on Front Street, as well as and several smaller inns and hotels in town itself. For those wanting more, the nearby island of Providenciales or “Provo” has a wider selection of hotels.
Cockburn Town is a rather laid back place. Every now and then a car may actually cruise down the main street and across one of the two "bridges." Despite their grandiose names, "White Cliffs of Dover", and "Brooklyn Bridge", they are little more than culverts crossing over drainage channels stretching from the ocean to the saltpans.
In fact the last bit of excitement in the town happened a few years ago. Years back donkeys were imported to the island to help with the local industry. Many roamed free on the island, and the last one, a lively three-year-old black donkey named Buster gained a certain notoriety.
Buster had a habit of trying to bite passing cyclists and pedestrians. One evening he bit a tourist, who of course demanded that the animal be apprehended. The police mounted on motorcycles took off after Buster down the main street. The local newspaper's headline that evening was "Police Chase Black @ss in Grand Turk." It should also be noted that they failed to catch Buster.
Not to be missed while wandering around in Cockburn Town are the tiny 200-year-old St. Mary’s Anglican Church made of white washed limestone On Front Street. Nearby is the Turks and Caicos National Museum use located in a 160-year-old house and the Victoria Public Library next door.
For those looking for a meal try the Water’s Edge at the far end of town on the beach. Don't bother looking at the menu though as it's a waste of time. They're always out of what's printed on it. Just ask what's available that day.
Be warned the prices may seem surprisingly steep. Almost everything on the island has to be imported from the United States or elsewhere, and that can drive the prices up. Don't worry the local bank has an ATM that takes most card systems. The official currency of the Turks and Caicos is the US dollar.
In the need for a souvenir, stop in at Xaviers, on Front Street next door to the Turks Head Inn. Xavier or "Mr. X" is a long time resident originally from France. Among the standard fare of souvenirs on display are his specialty, beautiful hand drawn maps of the Caribbean. Take a break from shopping and relax with a cold drink at the small patio bar in the rear of his shop. It’s a nice way to end the day in this little slice of paradise.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Friends
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
JAMES23
|
 - Top 200 |
|
Member: James Smith
Location: Toronto Ontario CANADA
Reviews written: 450
Trusted by: 222 members
About Me:
I'm back
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.