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Our Pitch Lake in La Brea is the largest natural deposit of asphalt in the world and is one of only three natural asphalt lakes in the world (the other two are in Venezuela and California). It is the result of a fault in the sandstone 250 feet down, through which crude oil or bitumen seeps, the pitch has been exported for decades, for use on roofs and road surfaces. Though you can walk on its surface, objects have been swallowed up, sometimes reappearing years later as the pitch slowly swirls. The Amerindians are said to have believed that the Pitch Lake was created by the Good Spirit to drown a village whose people had sinned by killing too many hummingbirds. When Sir Walter Raleigh discovered the Pitch Lake in 1595, it was already known as the Tierra de Brea, it's Spanish name, by the Amerindians guides who introduced Sir Walter to the 100-acre lake of black gold. Sir Walter Raleigh immediately recognized the potential and began caulking his ships with the tar. On his second voyage to Trinidad, Sir Walter Raleigh took some of the asphalt home with him, where it was used to pave Westminster Bridge for the opening of Parliament. Unfortunately the raw pitch melted in the sun, as it has a tendency to do, covering horses hooves and gumming up carriage wheels.
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 T&T's beloved historian and author, Angelo Bissessarsingh passed away this week at his home in Brook Gardens, Siparia from pancreatic cancer. A Hummingbird Gold Medalist in 2016, Mr. Bissessarsingh will be remembered for his contributions to preserving the country's heritage, though his books Walking with the Ancestors—The Historic Cemeteries of Trinidad, Snapshots of the History of Trinidad and Tobago, Virtual Glimpses into the Past; and Pancho’s Dilemma. He also founded the Virtual Museum of T&T. A release from the Prime Minister' s Office , stated "Angelo will be remembered as a man driven by his passion to explore and share the rich history of Trinidad and Tobago and for his national service he was awarded the Hummingbird Medal Gold in 2016. His work as a cultural archivist and author shows us that the task of preserving our country’s history is not the work of academics and formal institutions”
“He has proven that people with curious minds and a love for knowledge can be some of our most shining examples of citizenship.” Source: Trinidad Guardian
Congratulations to Nicholas Elliott who won a gold medal in Taekwondo at the USA open.  |
T&T news blogThe intent of this blog is to bring some news from home and other fun items. If you enjoy what you read, please leave us a comment.. Archives
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