Consuming the Caribbean

It looks like we'll be here at the Marathon City Marina until at least next Sunday. Another week in paradise. At least it's considered paradise by vacationers who come to southern Florida as there destination or stay the entire winter as a retired snowbird as they say. We are anxious to head south but the captain wants a window of calmer conditions to cross the Gulfstream. Apparently these months December and January are the times with the most and frequent 'northers'. It's also the beginning of the cruising season for the Caribbean so most boats heading south from Florida are going now. We're not the only boat waiting for calmer conditions to cross and I'm sure some have gone excepting the rougher crossing. As we sit on our mooring this Monday morning the wind is howling and the sky's look likely to rain. I had to wear the windbreaker on the dingy ride this morning.

Anyway about the Post Title 'Consuming the Caribbean'. It's a book I've been reading that was on board from the give and take library at the Marina. It chronicles the consumption of the Caribbean region that began with the arrival of Columbus and continues to this day in the form of tourism destinations in 'paradise' for the wealthy surrounded by the excluded local population with only those employed in the service industry allowed. Sure there are ways to experience the local culture as a tourist, cruising for example, or seeking out other than the all inclusive resorts where the tourist remains isolated and protected from the locals? Speaking of paradise..that was what these islands were for the indigenous people before the arrival of Columbus and the genocide that followed plus the hundreds of years of slave plantations as Europe and later North America couldn't get enough of sugar and cocoa and later tropical fruits. Aw yes the wealth accumulating, exploitive, imperialist years of the Triangle Trade. I'm only about half way through and now reading chapters detailing the more recent 'banana wars'. Were it not for the stifling effects of money, we'd all be rich.