St. Eustatius ~ Statia

Music by The Rebels Band

Taking the Winair 19 seat Dehaviland aircraft for the 18 minute flight from St. Martin to Statia

Landing at F.D. Roosevelt Airport in Statia

The immigration office with the Quill in the background

The Old Gin House Hotel

Down the road from The Old Gin House

Ruins can be found everywhere, some dating to the 1830's

The Old Slave Road leads to Upper Town

St. Eustatius Historical Foundation Museum located in the 18th Century House of Simon Doncker, a rich merchant

Johannes de Graaf ordered the 11-gun salute to the Andrew Doria that made this the first official recognition of the new United States of America

Many houses have cisterns to collect water--this one has a 'happy face'

Laneway leading to the Synagogue built in 1739

Honen Dalim means "She who is charitable to the poor"

Upper Town

17th Century Fort Oranje

Goats guarding the Fort

The Tourist Information Office is located in Fort Oranje

Red Headed Lizard

Avocado

The Jewish Cemetery

One of the cemetaries in Upper Town

The 6:18 pm flight approaches the Island at Signal Hill

Island Governor Gerald Berkel opens the 3rd Annual Sustainability Conference-Sept 25, 2014

Maya Leon-Pandt, Product Development and HR Manager, St. Eustatius Tourism Development Foundation coordinated the Conference with her staff

Steve Gillick getting ready to talk about niche marketing

Walter Hellebrand (Heritage), Lisa Sorenson (Caribbean Birding Trail Project), Steve Gillick (Niche Markets)

Preventing Diseases in Communities: Andre Brisset, Sylvia Stirk, Teresa Leslie Diane McIntyre-Pike: Community

Tourism

Dr. Sherma Roberts: Community Tourism

Denise Rekwest: Green Opportunities

Nicole Vaugeois: Sustainable Island Tourism

Jem Winston, Community Homestay Programs

We were treated to a musical interlude by Victor Sams

...with audience involvement from Nicole Vaugeois, Lisa

Sorenson and Jem Winston

The Old Gin House Restaurant and Bar

Children's signs found around the island

A few delegates climbed the Quill on the last day of the Conference

The Quill is a dormant volcano with a summit elevation of 601 metres above sea-level.

Lots of Hermit Crabs on the trails leading to the summit

Great Views from the "panoramic summit "of the Quill L to R: Emmery Cenatus, Steve Gillick, Lisa Sorenson

and our Guide Charlie Lopes

Growing through the cracked rock A tree carrying a rock with it, as it grows

Grey King Bird

Community craft fair

Charles Lindo, Director of Tourism, greets delegates at the Awards Dinner; Teena Lopes, Public Relations Officer served as moderator

Victor Sams livened things up with some participatory musical entertainment

Read all about my impressions of St.

Eustatius "Finding Statia: St. Eustatius beckons with a

smile", in the December 1st, 2014 issue of Travel Industry Today

steve@talkingtravel.ca