Tues, Jan 2 – Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos

I had never heard of these islands before coming on this ship. But as it turns out, it should be in the history books for a few reasons: Christopher Columbus and John Glenn.

The country of Turks & Caicos is a chain of small islands just south of the Bahamas, 600 miles southeast of Florida. Grand Turk, the island we ported at today is truly one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to yet in the Caribbean. Only about 10 square miles, and inhabited by only 3500 locals, mostly rastafaron, it is completely laid-back and rarely visited, so that all of it’s beaches are still very clean and beautiful, very natural and untouched. The cruise pier itself is the newest in the Caribbean (built in February 06), and they have only a few of the major chain stores, including Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville with the largest pool in the Caribbean.

I went into downtown and walked around a bit, getting some history stuff in. The cab dropped me off at a gas station, and the first thing I noticed was the price of gas. Ok, America, check it out: $4.80 US for a gallon of gas! This is why other countries look at us as spoiled!

Grand Turk is commemorated as being the site where Christopher Columbus made his first landfall in the “New World” on 12 October 1492. The western beach of the island is named for him, and everywhere there are plaques and memorials laying claim to being the very spot where he first set foot. Apparently he called this island La Isla de San Salvador, and the natives whom he called Indios, gladly shared their food and drink with him for 2 days. On 14 October, he continued with the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria towards the Caicos Islands, which he named La Isla de Santa Maria de la Concepcion.

I came across this cathedral which was originally known as the “chapel of ease.” St. Mary’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral Church was the second church established in Grand Turk, because the main church was across the island from downtown, and too far to get to for evening services. Ecclesiastically, this church is the designated pro-cathedral for a diocese which includes churches in T&C and the Bahamas.

Not a Catholic, but deeply missing my own church, I decide to venture inside. The reprieve from the afternoon sun encouraged me to sit a while and just drink in the organ hymns floating through the fan-blown breezes. But then I started to look around, and I was mystified by these stained-glass portraits above each of the long windows. Going around the church from right to back to left, to above the altar, were scenes depicting the various stages of Christ’s life. They were so amazingly beautiful to look at, and these pictures just don’t do them justice.


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The more recent event that makes this island memorable is displayed at a major intersection as you enter and exit downtown. There is a black space capsule there, marked USA with a checkered line running down the side. When John Glenn returned from his historic flight in 1960, this little space capsule landed off the waters of Grand Turk, and the aircraft carrier that picked him up out of the water brought him here first.

But downtown itself was very laid-back. No bright lights, or noisy music playing. Throughout the whole island, people just kick back in their hammocks and let the days roll by, occasionally trying to sell something off their display tables to the tourists who are passing through. They say they have 350 sunshine days every year! Wow! This truly is paradise…