Daily Archives: December 26, 2020

The first civilizations that arrived in the tropical islands of the Caribbean Sea did not write, and for this reason, it has been so difficult to describe human history in thearea.

The first surprise archaeologists encountered wasthat 1000 yearsbefore the Spanish arrived in the archipelago, South American peoples could have exterminated the original inhabitants onislands like Puerto Rico or Hispaniola.

Another new estimate would also correct the amount of population the two islands could have hosted, and is much less than was previously thought.

The research has been directed by prestigious geneticist David Reich from Harvard University. His team has managed to analyze the skeletalof 174 individuals found in very diverse places along the Caribbean coast.

The findings were published in the journal, Nature, last Dec.23, but had a precedent in a study published in Science that managed to classify the genomes of 93 remote Caribbeans.

Scientists have identified two human groups that do not seem to have mixed much: one could have arrived in canoes from the northeast of the continent some 2,500 years ago to generate what has been agreed to be called the Age of Ceramics a culture that overlapped with an earlier one that was dedicated to livestock and could have been installed there some 6,000 years ago.

The individuals from theCeramic Eracould be the ancestors of the current Arawak-speaking peoples.

The Arawak have always been especially skilled at pottery. Traditionally, they extended over a large area between Florida, Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, and even areas of Peru and Brazil.

On the Caribbean islands, Arawak-speaking peoples were called Tainos. Christopher Columbus described them as extremely friendly communities.

All this has been possible thanks to new techniques of genetic analysis that allow the extraction of information from bones exhumed in very hot areas, which was not possible until very recently.

Originally posted here:

Who were the first invaders of the Caribbean? - AL DIA News

Music, art, people, history and of course immense natural beauty help define the magic of Jamaica, and the Caribbean islands small boutique resorts allow visitors to connect with it all without having to make any concessions to comfort.

Here are seven of Jamaicas best boutique resorts for immersing in Jamaican culture up close and personal.

Tensing Pen, Negril Its hard to find a literal definition of a tensing pen, but I like the notion that this Negril resort takes your tension, confines it to a little cage, and tosses it off the nearby cliffs into the Caribbean. Often described as rustic due to its construction from blocks of local stone and thatched-roofed buildings, Tensing Pen is hardly a place where guests need to rough it. Inside the walls of the hotels rooms and cottages youll find bamboo and mahogany furniture that blend as well with the garden setting as the hotel walls do with Negrils famous cliffs. Likewise, trails lined with lush foliage wander from the rooms to a freeform pool, open-air restaurant, a spa, and spots where you can test your courage with a cliff dive into the inviting waters below.

Read more from the original source:

7 Small Resorts to Try in Jamaica Caribbean Journal - Caribbean Journal

Luxury all-inclusive properties such as Sandals are a game-changer in the travel industry, where you ... [+] get much much more bang for your buck,

Make sure your passport is up-to-date for 2021!

Sandals Resorts International (SRI), one of the world's leading all-inclusive companies, just announced the signing of an agreement that will bring Sandals Resorts to a brand-new destination, at the Santa Barbara Resort on the island of Curaao. This will mark the ninth island destination for the brand in the Caribbean region. The new Sandals Curaao will initially include 350-luxurious rooms and suites stretched along the Spanish Water Bay and the Caribbean Sea, with a further expansion planned in the coming years. Formerly the Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort, part of a broader 3,000-acre development, the resort will be completely Sandalized, a process set to begin in 2021.

What do I personally love about Sandals?All you need to bring is someone you love.Sandals Resorts offers two people in love romance, romance, and more romance.It is a Luxury Included, all-inclusive vacation experience in the Caribbean, with 16 stunning beachfront settings in Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Lucia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada and now Curaao. Sandals Resorts offers more quality inclusions than any other resort company on the planet.Such as: Signature Love Nest Butler Suites for the ultimate privacy and service; butlers rained by the Guild of Professional English Butlers; Red Lane Spa; 5-Star Global Gourmet dining, including top-shelf liquor, premium wines, and gourmet specialty restaurants, and much, much more. And Ive had the most wonderful experience with Sandals on-site local photographer, making memories on splendid sands.

In other words, you can visit any Sandals, place your wallet and credit cards in the in-room safe and forget about being nickel and dimed, as everything is included. Who doesnt love that? (Im telling you, after going to an all-inclusive resort such as Sandals, it makes it very hard to later on book a traditional, regular hotel room, ever again.)

And probably most important: Sandals Platinum Protocols of Cleanliness, the company's enhanced health and safety measures to fight COVID, is designed to give guests the utmost confidence when vacationing in the Caribbean.

Sandals Curaao will bring the opulent resort innovations to the island, which have become synonymous with the world-renowned Sandals Resorts brand across the region. Conceptual plans for the resort include adding key elements for the signature Sandals experience, including new expansive pools, a variety of 5-Star Global Gourmet dining options and lavish accommodations, including magnificent newly constructed River Suites. Guests will also have access to the neighboring 18-hole Pete Dye championship golf course, two onsite marinas and 38,000-square-feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, the largest on the island.

The luxurious new Sandals Curacao will open in 2021.

World-famous for its vibrant culture, pristine beaches and coves, Curaao also boasts spectacular dive sites and exotic marine ecosystems. With year-round temperatures of 80 degrees, it's touted as the perfect anytime-escape. The resort will have a positive, immediate and long-term impact on the island and the people of Curaao. In year one alone, it is expected to have an over $40 million economic footprint and an impressive track record on the creation of new employment. The resort alone will add over 1,200 local jobs, comprised of 800 new team members, and 400 local tradesmen and craftsmen. This will be followed by a positive economic ripple-effect for the community extending to the local taxi and transportation sectors, wider supply chain, agriculture, increased airlift and increased yearly tourism numbersespecially with the key US tourism market.

Roald Smeets, Director of the Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort, said: "We have a unique opportunity to attract a globally-recognized hotel operator, owner and investor such as Sandals Resorts, which will bring an unprecedented boon to the Curaao tourism industry and the local economy. Its position as both a hotel operator and owner, with the ability to attract regular scheduled airlines from North America, distinctly marks it out from other hotel groups. We found its impressive plans for the site and dedication to building the profile of Curaao as a world-class tourism destination particularly compelling. Its future investment into the community will reinvigorate the tourism market, secure the livelihoods of hundreds of families and benefit every individual on the island through rejuvenating the local economy. Curaao has a tremendous future ahead, due to this exciting new venture, which will put Curaao truly on the global stage."

Adam Stewart, Deputy Chairman of Sandals Resorts International, added, "Each time we expand, we bring with us the full potential of our 40-years in hospitality. The new Sandals Curaao embodies our philosophy of forward-thinking and looking through a new lens. It is a promise not only to our guests but to our team members for continued innovation. Curaao is a place to be discovered, and we are so proud today to become part of this community."

Now, w hen you go, make sure to do as I do in this autonomous country within the Royal Dutch Kingdom: stock up on delicious Dutch chocolate bars from the local supermarket!

For more about my Wanderlust Travels, please Follow me on Instagram at @DebbiKickham and please subscribe to Forbes.com.

Read more:

Dreaming Of The Caribbean In 2021? Set Your Sights On The New Sandals Curacao - Forbes

Regional Highlights

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit Latin America and the Caribbean at a time of low growth, marked inequality and vulnerability, growing poverty, weakening of social cohesion and increasing expressions of social discontent.

Cases of COVID-19 continue to increase in the region and are currently at or near the highest levels observed since the start of the pandemic.

Most countries in the region have weak and fragmented health systems, which do not guarantee the universal access to health care needed to address the COVID-19 crisis.

The impact is high on the frontline health workers, who often lack sufficient PPE.

The crisis is also having a considerable impact on womens access to health care and, in particular, to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services.Lockdown measures enforced in countries have also led to a sharp increase in gender-based violence (GBV).

Contraceptives are expected to suffer shortages or stockouts by the end of this year.

The pandemic is also showing increased incidence among vulnerable populations, particularly indigenous people, afro-descendants, prisoners, migrants, and LGBTI people.

Urgent funding is needed to meet these rising needs.

Here is the original post:

Latin America and the Caribbean Region COVID-19 Situation Report No. 10 (Reporting Period: 1 - 30 November 2020) - Argentina - ReliefWeb

It's the Festive Season, the description the Caribbean gives to the holiday period that officially kicked off on Dec. 15 and runs through early January on many islands.

Despite the fact that Covid-19 that has canceled many celebrations this year, some of the islands and resorts have a sleighful of activities, culinary enticements and visits by masked Santas to entertain locals and guests.

Puerto Rico is home to the longest holiday season, which lasts an epic 45 days from Thanksgiving to mid-January. It's typically filled with religious pageants, parades, music, street fairs, food stalls, art exhibits, lights and decorations throughout the island.

For visitors who may have had to postpone their holiday visits this year, Discover Puerto Rico offers a taste of five of the island's festive cocktails to try at home: coquito, the island's take on eggnog; pina colada; frozen boozy coconut-limeade; mojito; and strawberry champagne.

St. Croix hosts its Carnival Festival between Christmas and New Year's. The Crucian Carnival features events in both Christiansted and Frederiksted, including calypso shows, Latin music venues, food fairs, horse races and parades. Some of the scheduled events available to spectators (masked, of course) are the Crucian Culinary Show on Dec. 29, the Children's Parade and Reggae Night, both on Jan. 1 and Calypso Night on Jan. 3. Three Kings Day celebrations round out the Christmas Carnival season on St. Croix on Jan. 6.

Visitors to Grenada can experience the trimmings of a traditional Grenadian Christmas at hotels and resorts throughout the island; traditions include Parang songs accompanied by drums and string instruments; black cake made with island-distilled rum and flavored with island-grown nutmeg; and spiced ginger beer, sorrel juice and rum punches.

Here are examples of other offerings at specific resorts:

The Fairmont El San Juan Hotel tracks Santa's magical journey around the world on Christmas Eve on a giant monitor on display for guests of all ages. Freshly baked cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer are provided. Guests also can cozy up for a holiday movie under the stars, accompanied by a cocktail for adults and ice cream sundaes for the kids. Screenings are Dec. 24 through 27 at 6:30 p.m.

Holidays at Nickelodeon Hotels and Resorts Punta Cana include themed arts and crafts and interactions with costumed characters in festive outfits. Kids can spend Christmas Day making holiday souvenirs at Club Nick and taking photos with SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer.

Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic is full of Christmas activities for all ages and in keeping with the health protocols of masks, social distancing and use of hand sanitizers. Mariachi nights, sports competitions, drive-in movie nights, a golf cart Christmas decorating contest, bossa nova sunset nights at Minitas beach, a flamenco show at la Marina, Catholic masses at the Altos de Chavon Church and an end-of-the-year fireworks show are on the holiday calendar. Christmas Eve dinner specials are offered at each of the resort's eight restaurants.

Azul Beach Resort Negril offers a traditional Christmas dinner with a Jamaican twist, and fireworks and rooftop entertainment on New Year's Eve.

Seven Stars Resort & Spa in Turks and Caicos launched the holiday season with its annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony and visits by Santa and Mrs. Claus, both of whom wore masks and were tested for Covid before lighting the tree.

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Festive Season, subdued but special, carries on throughout the Caribbean - Travel Weekly

A pair of sister resorts in Belize have officially relaunched, Caribbean Journal has confirmed.

That includes Kaana Resort and the Itzana Resort and Residences, both of which reopened their doors this month to travelers.

The two resorts highlight two dramatically different worlds of Belizes tourism offering: its rugged, adventurous jungle areas and its beachy Caribbean side.

The boutique Kaana resort, set near San Ignacio in the heart of the countrys jungle, recently underwent a series of upgrade projects, including what the property is calling a thoughtful redesign of its villas and suites.

Kaanas villas now include plunge pools and outdoor tubs, among other changes.

Itzana, a residential resort in the increasingly hip coastal town of Placencia, has revealed some changes of its own, headlined by the addition of new two and three-room beachfront villas.

Each of the 5,200-square-foot villas is set right on the sand, perfectly situated for those seeking privacy and respite, according to the property.

Belize has been open for tourism since early October.

For more, visit Kaana and Itzana.

CJ

Read more from the original source:

Two More Belize Resorts Just Reopened Caribbean Journal - Caribbean Journal

What happened

Disheartened by Congress' failure to include support for the beleaguered cruise industry in its $900 billion stimulus bill passed Monday, investors sold off shares of all three major publicly traded cruise line stocks -- Royal Caribbean (NYSE:RCL), Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL)(NYSE:CUK), and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NYSE:NCLH) -- yesterday. But today, investors are having a change of heart.

As of 11:15 a.m. EST, Royal Caribbean shares are back up 3.5% and have recovered all their losses from Tuesday (and even a bit more). Both Carnival and Norwegian Cruise are nearly back to where they were at Monday's close -- and are gaining 6.3% apiece today.

Image source: Getty Images.

Why the sudden change of sentiment? Well to begin with, while investors might have hoped for a bailout from Congress, they really shouldn't have been counting on one. Congress dissed the industry in its first round of coronavirus stimulus back in March. With this week's stimulus bill less than half the size of the earlier bill, there wasn't much chance that the cruise industry would fare any better this time around.

Still, provisions in the second stimulus bill designed to stoke discretionary consumer spending -- $300 weekly in extra federal unemployment benefits, and $600 checks for most Americans -- could potentially put enough cash in enough consumers' pockets to help jump-start a recovery, once cruising is able to resume.

Indeed, as CruiseIndustryNews.com reported earlier this week, even before Congress approved these payments, internet searches for cruises in 2021 were on the rise -- up 30% in the October to November period, as compared to search volumes from April to September. With vaccines starting to roll out, and the CDC at least having a framework set up for cruise lines to resume cruising, online travel company Expedia (NASDAQ:EXPE) predicts "strong interest for cruises sailing in 12 to 18 months' time."

Not all the news is good, of course. A 12- to 18-month timeframe doesn't sound particularly propitious for Carnival's plan to resume cruising from Canada to Alaska in May 2021, for example. That timeline may also be cutting it close for cruise lines that are continuing to burn through a combined nearly $1 billion in cash every month, as they await a return to cruising. Norwegian in particular probably only has enough cash on hand to keep it afloat for 14 months, even after its last capital raise.

In short, the recession isn't over for cruise line stocks just yet.

Originally posted here:

Why Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line Stocks Recovered Today - Motley Fool

LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN: COVID-19Cases are referenced from PAHO/WHO 20 December COVID-19 Report - https://bit.ly/2O25YQw

KEY FIGURES

14.7M CUMULATIVE COVID-19 CASES IN LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN AS OF 20 DECEMBER

7.7% REGIONAL ECONOMIC CONTRACTION IN 2020 DUE TO COVID-19 CRISIS

REGIONAL RECOVERY

The UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) forecasts that the region will end 2020 with a 7.7 per cent economic contraction, its largest in 120 years, before experiencing a 3.7 per cent growth in 2021. Compared to the expected global contraction stemming from the COVID-19 crisis, Latin America and the Caribbean will be the hardest-hit region in the developing world.

The region's socioeconomic consequences have been exacerbated by longstanding structural issues that will likely not allow a full recovery to pre-crisis GDP levels until 2024.

RENEWED TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

Following the announcement of a new COVID-19 strain spreading in the United Kingdom, several countries in the region are suspending travel from the UK. Argentina, Colombia, Chile, El Salvador and Peru announced flight suspensions on 20 December. Ecuador is convening high-level emergency meetings to discuss the new strain and potential measures.

CENTRAL AMERICA: 2020 HURRICANE SEASON

KEY FIGURES

4.5M PEOPLE AFFECTED BY ETA & IOTA IN HONDURAS

204.5K FAMILIES AFFECTED BY ETA & IOTA'S DAMAGE TO CROPS IN GUATEMALA

HONDURAS

The COPECO civil protection agency reports Eta and Iota left 4.5 million people affected and caused 99 deaths, adding that they are still determining the full extent of the impact in certain municipalities that, more than a month on, remain cut off.

With the storms affecting nearly half of Honduras population amid the COVID-19 pandemic, analysts consider that Honduras may not fully regain pre-pandemic conditions for another 10 years. Local economists estimate losses of more than US$10 billion, more than the $5 billion incurred by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, a disaster considered to by the worst in Honduras' history.

GUATEMALA

The CONRED civil protection agency estimates there are 234 communities still cut off after Eta and Iota, as floodwaters have yet to fully recede. The San Carlos University believes that these floodwaters may last another six months in some places.

The Ministry of Agriculture reports that Eta and Iotas damage to agriculture exceeds US$102.6 million, with damage to 136,700 hectares of crops in at least 12 departments, affecting about 204,500 families.

Follow this link:

Latin America & The Caribbean - Weekly Situation Update (14-20 December 2020) As of 21 December 2020 - Honduras - ReliefWeb