Martinique – History
July 21, 2017Political History
Martinique, a small island in the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean, possesses a long and complex history. Columbus visited the island in 1502 on his fourth voyage, but Spain didn’t seem interested. The island remained un-colonized until 1634 when a Frenchman named Pierre Bélain Sieur D’Ensambuc started a colony on the island. He turned over rule to his nephew Jacques-Dyel du Parquet. The French king, Louis XIV, resumed control of the island in 1658.
Martinique became a domain of the French crown in 1674. In 1762 the British captured the island, but returned it in 1763 under the terms of the Treaty of Paris. The British captured the island again in 1794 and maintained control of it until 1802 when the French regained control. The British made one more attempt to regain permanent control of the island in 1809, but Martinique returned to French control in 1814 permanently.
Martinique received the status of Département of France in 1946 and in 1974 the status of Région of France.
Farming Experiences a Revival in Puerto Rico
June 9, 2017Up until the 1940’s, agriculture was a dominant industry on the island with crops such as cocoa, sugarcane, coffee, plantains, bananas, and even rice. Unfortunately, farming has dwindled to almost nothing over the last few decades. Puerto Rico now imports 80% of its food from other countries.
Over the last few years, this trend is beginning to change. More and more Puerto Ricans are turning to farming, from urban gardens to independent small farms. The number of people growing fresh produce is on the rise. There has been more than a 25% increase in farm income in the last five years. Many are growing fresh fruits and vegetables which are being sold in farmers’ markets like the one in Santurce or at road side stands. Others are planting crops that thrived on Puerto Rican plantations 400 years ago.
Puerto Ricans Experience Economic Growth
The Puerto Rican government may be struggling financially, but that is not necessarily true of the Puerto Rican people. The tourism industry is experiencing economic growth as more and more cruise ships pour into Old San Juan every day. The influx of tourists is having a positive impact on restaurants, shops, taxi drivers, tour operators, and artisans.
Be Savvy World Travelers
June 8, 2017SYTA (Student & Youth Travel Association) recently published an article in their Teach & Travel magazine entitled: Don’t Be a Tourist. Be a Traveler. The article shares key stories and recommendations on how to encourage students to experience culture firsthand. Tips such as slowing down, visiting markets, riding public transportation, volunteering and going places off the beaten path are discussed.
Students visiting a school.
Many of these things you will already find in each and every itinerary we create. You will find scavenger hunts in farmers’ markets, visits to rural schools and orphanages, opportunities to volunteer in various capacities, and most importantly time to converse with the locals. We also know the value of down time and include time for groups to spend at the beach relaxing and soaking in the tropical sun. We specialize in creating world travelers!
Do you want to spend less time on the bus and more time traveling with the locals? We can do it! Want to slow down and spend more time in a particular destination? We can make it happen! We are more than happy to customize any itinerary to meet your group’s educational needs. Call us to start planning a trip that will turn your students into explorers of the world!
San Juan Ranked #20 in NTA’s top 21 Student Destinations!
May 10, 2017NTA recently wrote an article highlighting the top 21 student travel destinations and San Juan ranked #20! The organization spotlighted Vamonos Tours and quoted our president, Jorge Pardo. Click the link below to find out why San Juan is one of the top 21 destinations for youth travel.
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New PBS Video On Saving Puerto Rico’s Endangered Species
April 27, 2017PBS has a new video that takes a look at the efforts to preserve Puerto Rico’s endangered species. It focuses on the Puerto Rican Amazon parrots, manatees, and leatherback turtles.
Vámonos Tours has brought groups to the Manatí Conservation Center in Bayamón to for service learning. We have worked directly with the head vet in the video. For more information on adding this amazing service learning opportunity to your group’s tour to Puerto Rico gives us a call. We would love to talk to you about this awesome opportunity!
The video can be viewed at this link and will be available until May 12, 2017.
José Feliciano, José González, and… Nery Toro
April 21, 2017What do all three men have in common? Give up? All three play the acoustic guitar and sing! We may not have Mr. Feliciano or Mr. González, but we do have our own Nery Toro!
Nery is one of our assistant tour directors. If you have been on one of our tours you may have seen him driving his “guagua” behind the coach bus. He works behind the scenes to make sure every tour he is part of runs smoothly. From filling water coolers, to ensuring group safety, to taking an injured traveler to the hospital, He keeps Vámonos groups going.
Old San Juan #1 on the Top 12 Most Beautiful Historic Neighborhoods in America
April 13, 2017The Thrillist recently did a blog on the top 12 most beautiful historic neighborhoods in America. Old San Juan, the second oldest city in the Americas, came out number one on the list! Click on the link below to read the article and scroll all the way down to the bottom to read about Old San Juan. Also note that one of our other destinations, San Antonio, ranked #11 on the list as well!
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Ponce’s Las Casas de Los Bomberos
The Condensed Story of Ponce’s Las Casas de Los Bomberos
On the 25th of January 1899 a fire broke out in a munitions depot located at the present day location of Ponce High School. Firefighters were told not to fight the dangerous fire. Seven firefighters and one civilian disobeyed this order and put the fire out, thus saving the city.
At first the firefighters were arrested and charged with insubordination. This raised such a public outcry that the charges were dropped. The firefighters were released and honored.
Internet Access in Cuba
April 11, 2017Here is a great blog article about internet access in Cuba. Internet is still painfully slow and costly for the average Cuban. For most Cubans to access the internet, they need to purchase an internet card and head to the nearest hot spot. While cards only cost about $2 for an hour of internet access, the average Cuban only makes between $20-$40 a month. This makes it prohibitively expensive to get online. One card is 5-10% of their monthly income. To put this in perspective, imagine paying 5-10% of your monthly salary just to spend one hour on the internet.
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