Evening star., 1937-12-12

dies bordering on the en-
chanting Caribbean Sea offer a diver
sity Of color and interest rare in any
Of the seven seas. There lie balmy
lands colored and perfumed with
oleander, hibiscus, jasmine, bougain-
villaeas and romance.
But each of the countries OF the
Caribbean has its own fascination, in
dividual and different. Havana, the
Pearl Of the Antilles, is the gayest, the
most exciting with her night clubs,
cabarets, Casino Nacional and race
track which are world famous. Ja-
malca is beautiful, Offering climatic
conditions, scenery and tropical ver-
dure unrivaled, while, too, her British
colonial atmosphere is charming, rem
iniscent of Kipling and the "far flung
ortposts of the Empire"
On this years cruise schedules there
are several quaint. unfrequented ports
OF call. One is Pointe-a-Pitre in the
French-owned island of Guadeloupe.
1t is tiny Paris on the eastern rim
OF the Caribbean, colorful and viva
cious port. Here one sees lemon-hued
walls with red and purple bougain-
villaeas hanging on them. And from
these walled gardens come the soft
perfume of jasmine and oleander,
The houses in Pointe-a-Pitre are all
colors Of the rainbow and In the clear
troplc sun they remind one of q CITY
IN fairyland. Through the streets am
Ole yoked zebu oxen pulling two
wheeled drays piled with bananas.
yams and coconuts. Visitors to Pointe-
a-Pitre shouldn't miss the market
Some of the old French families are
stlll In Guadeloupe on their estates
Ihey live in the old tradition and get
their clothes and manners from paris
also their sidewalk cafes.
A MOTHER out-of-the-way place is
Grenada, British-owned and at
the tip end of the West Indies. near
the coast of South America. Although
Britain has ruled the island since 1873
when she took it over from France.
the natives are still French at heart.
ana speak that language. They dress
IKE French peasants and live like
them. Grenada has dramatic beauty
since its towering mountain range
seems to jut abruptly upward from the
jade green sea.
Another quaint old port is La
Guayra, venezuela, with its atmos-
phere OF the dons of old Latin
America still survives. Around the
DOCKS, before and after the siesta
hour. one can see stevedores lounpinp
In the shade twanging guitars-some
OF them will be wearing earrings and
maybe here and there one will have a
mower tucked behind his ear.
Walled gardens surround the houses
OF old families who live in 18th CEN
tury seclusion. Some of them trace
their ancestry almost back to the
days Of Columbus.
THERE'S Curacao, Dutch owned.
and . stop there at Willemstad
reveals a Holland in the tropics.
In the center OF Willemstad there
y q large open plaza but radiatinr
from it are narrow streets with over
= hanging balconies. There the quiet
old Dutchmen sit in their stores and
pun their quaint old pipes. It is an
interesting place because of the SEEM
ing incongruity of Dutch precision,
order and prosperity in the midst of
the romantic Spanish Main.
The authentic medieval city of the
West Indies is San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Its enormous fortifications with their
subterranean passages, dungeons and
walls 10-feet thick is one of the Won
ders OF the West Indies. The cathe-
dral was built shortly after Columbus
discovered America.
Ciudad Trujillo, the capital of the
Dominican Republic, formerly known
as Santo Domingo, is listed as a port
Tor many cruise ships
Port-au-Prince. capital of Haiti,
Is another colorful but more fire.
quented spot; and, of course, cruise
ships always include the smart CAV
spots Of Havana. Nassau, Bermuda.
Kingston and Colon.