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The caribbean is home to some of the most beautiful birds in the world. I tend to forget about that until I go on vacation, and each time I find myself just amazed by the colours and beauty of these creatures of God. There are about 500 species in the region, about 172 are endemic to the region found no where else in the world. The caribbean is also the seasonal home of another 150 species who winter there. If, like me, you are interested in birds of the caribbean, you can click on this link The link will take you to the relevant page. Scroll down to download the Ebook.  Antillean Euphonia, endemic to the Caribbean islands (photo by Dax Roman)
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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.  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.  Fun facts about Tobago
 It is not yet final, but T&T's Men’s relay team are in line to be awarded the gold medal for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing for their 4 x 100 meter relay. The Jamaican team have been stripped of their gold medal because one runner, Nesta Carter, was found guilty of a doping violation, the International Olympic Committee said today.
Carter initially tested negative after the race in 2008. But his sample was one of many retested by the I.O.C. last year. It was found to contain a prohibited stimulant, methylhexaneamine. The downside of this is that Usain Bolt has lost a gold medal...but he said he will return the gold medal when asked to do so. Trinidad and Tobago team had placed 2nd in the event and the team members were: Keston Bledman, Marc Burns, Emmanuel Callender and Richards Thompson. Japan will now receive the silver and Brazil the bronze. It should be noted that the TTOC has not yet received any formal notifications from the International Olympic Committee on how their decision will affect the T&T Relay team. Stay tuned. |
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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