Grand Turk

Christopher  Columbus may have discovered the island group of the Turks and Caicos Islands in 1492, but there is a strong argument that Ponce de Leon got there first.

By first I mean after the Taino Indians, then the Lucayans, before and after and no doubt in between as well!

By the 1700’s settlers had arrived on Grand Turk from Bermuda and they really established the salt trade on the island. The American Revolution then brought about another wave of immigration, mostly loyalists, who considered the island a place that might be amenable to them  for the maintenance  of the plantation owner lifestyle.

The island has been controlled by the  Spanish, the French and the British, then the Bahamas directly,   and then Jamaica  and then back to Bahamas therefore becoming a British overseas territory in 1973.

The thing I found fascinating about the place was the diamonds. Many of them. Expensive but seemingly very good value to due  to some strange tax status.

Near  the jetty there is a small outdoor museum, a celebration of the close relationship between the island and NASA. Several  astronauts including  John Glenn and Scott Carpenter  were brought onshore to the island after splashing down in the Atlantic after their space missions.

Here's a wee flaneur around Grand Turk.

I've seen worse views than this.

A Grand Turk welcome.

 It was quiet!

                                                         

( It's plastic and sticking out the sand!)

Population of Grand Turk about 4000. Guests on this boat who went ashore =3500. Guests on board the cruise ship that parked behind it = 3500.

The diamond shops did a very good trade!

Caro Ramsay 14th Feb 2020