Wings To The Caribbean, 1968

the Caribbean islands stretch almost 2,000 miles from the Florida keys to the coast of South America so many Pirates and explorers privateers and Admirals pass this way that the islands are like a roll call of the Nations here are America Europe Africa Asia in this the oldest part of the new world today in the fifth century after the voyage of Columbus the the islands are still in the process of discovery [Music] this is the world of the beach comr Legend has it that Robinson cruso once passed this way it is the world of the Explorer too Columbus found no gold on these islands but there were the greater Treasures of blue skies and Trade Winds of sweeping beaches on Tropic aisles [Music] [Applause] a [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] a [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] off [Music] the Spaniards then were the first to set their stamp upon these islands from this house the alcasar in the present-day Dominican Republic Spain ruled over Columbus's discoveries in the New World [Music] here the Spanish version of his name marks the final resting place of Columbus in Santo Domingo the church was a prime forced in setting the Spanish imprint on these islands Espanola Cuba and Puerto [Music] Rico the French came in lesser numbers but their lush tropical islands of Martinique and guadaloop are today integral parts of France herself [Music] even tiny Denmark set her stamp upon the islands the United States bought the Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917 the US Virgin Islands are famous for their shopping they comprise a free Port stocked with duty-free merchandise from every corner of the world in the Dutch West Indies kurasa and Aruba boner and St Martin the architecture Blends Holland with the [Music] Caribbean by an ancient edict the houses are painted in many colors to soften the brightness of the Sun [Music] in Trinidad somewhat in the style of Buckingham Palace The Changing of the Guard evokes the long British tradition of many of these islands Jamaica and Trinidad Tobago Barbados and Antiga Dominica and St Lucia Grenada St Vincent and the Grenadines and the British Virgin Islands [Music] Trinidad's people come from just about everywhere the island is a trip around the world in itself a conclave of the Nations and races of man the Hindu shrines attest to the coming of East Indians [Music] the Muslims too came this way across half a [Music] world sugar brought the early settlers to the Caribbean islands once the predominant export it is today one of many cpra cacao pineapples bananas coffee and spices of all kinds are among the crops of the [Music] islands landmarks of the Caribbean are the ruins of long abandon sugar Mills to many visitors the prime vegetation is to look at not to eat the divvy divy tree bends to the prevailing Trade Winds as here on duut Aruba they are living weather veins that prove the year round favorable winds the Caribbean trees are uniquely varied among them The Cannonball tree [Music] the tall traveler's [Music] tree the giant red basier is but one of thousands of tropical flowering plants that bloom the year round the silk cotton tree gets its name from the obvious [Music] similarities the bird sanctuary on Trinidad is refuge for the white egrd [Music] the rare Scarlet Ibis is another inhabitant of this domain of land and water [Music] great tropical rainforests and jungles and mountains rising from Coastal Plains characterize the islands of Puerto Rico Jamaica Haiti Dominican Republic Dominica martinque and guadaloop [Music] but the essence of the islands everywhere is great shining tropical sea that is the high road from one Island to another never more than 100 Mil away this is English Harbor Antiga when sailed Admiral Horatio Nelson to meet the French at Trafalger and elsewhere his old dockyard attests to the once fearsome presence of England from here and other Harbors visitors can book Schooner voyages to any and all of the Caribbean islands many of them still uninhabited once aboard the lugger you may play the antean version of an ancient African game [Music] la oh [Music] [Music] your journey may take you to Puerto Rico where Columbus stopped to take on water [Music] Charlotte Emily on St Thomas capital of the US Virgin Islands is a port of call on the sea road to St Croy where the Pelicans dive into the deeps [Music] near here at Buck Island an underwater realm of submerged Trails welcomes a new kind of hiker this is America's First underwater National Park [Music] to Ford of France on French martinque birthplace of Napoleon's Josephine and where they began the be to St George's Grenada the aisle of spices [Music] to Scarboro Harbor on Tobago an island that changed hands 31 times and in good time your Schooner brings you to the great floating Market on Dutch kurasa [Music] the world's greatest movable pontoon Bridge the famed Queen Emma moves aside many times every day to give sea traffic entry to the very heart of Willam stud this prudent hotel has ship collision insurance [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] lunchtime the great rice tff or rice table is an Indonesian smorgas Board of dozens of hot spicy dishes the hollanders brought it across half a world to enjoy it at home and in their Caribbean islands [Music] [Music] [Music] the street scenes of the Caribbean islands are easygoing casual punctuated by the flowers that are a part of every day [Music] [Music] and the language itself takes on the special flavor of lighthearted people in an often heavy-handed world [Music] he [Music] sometime during World War II it seems an Islander pounded out Mary Had a Little Lamb on a crushed biscuit tin this tradition has it was the beginning of the steel band [Music] pap [Music] for [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Columbus discovered not only America but the hammock it was an Indian invention thus did Columbus inadvertently stumble on the key to the true Spirit of these islands rest and refuge from the other outer busier world [Music] [Applause] [Music] World buzzing away and busy at their own breakfast are the island hummingbirds [Music] and [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] here where the pirate captains of old buried their Loot on remote beaches and in hidden caves the visitor can still find treasure enough of his own here where the age of Discovery is yet unfinished each traveler can discover his Islands in his way at the pace that pleases [Music] a [Music] oh