Visit our virtual open house
In the last entry, I explained why we have decided to sell. Now I want to elaborate on why we chose the online auction route.
Our house has been listed with Montserrat real-estate agents. Traffic has been pretty good considering that it’s Montserrat – so off the beaten track that we’re not even on most maps or listed as a Caribbean island. This means that Montserrat is known by and attractive to only those people who have friends or family here or people who have done enough research to realize that Montserrat is a hidden jewel.
What does all this mean for a potential sale?
People look for mega bargains because of everything they have heard about our volcano. These bargains existed some years ago, but there are very few of them now, even though our prices are way below those of other islands. With the opening of the new airport in 2005 and the beginnings of a lot of large projects, there is a huge revival in Montserrat. It is not quick and it is not easy, but it is happening, and the real-estate prices reflect this change.
Selling the traditional way means waiting for the visitor to talk to a real-estate agent who may (or may not) bring them to your property, following which you may (or may not) receive an acceptable offer.
An alternative with a much better potential is the online auction.
Auctions have been around forever and so have real-estate auctions. The traditional real-estate auction takes place at the property to be sold and last a few hours. An interested party usually visits the property at an open house before the auction and then returns for the auction – that they may (or may not) win. Some auctions are fast and furious and a scary experience for the newcomer.
Bill and I decided to use an online auction because it makes our property more visible and accessible; it’s like holding an open house for the world and we like having a lot of visitors come by and see our house. We also like the auction process because it’s transparent and we don’t have to set an asking price. We can watch the bidding and know that we got the best price. Because of health reasons we want to sell fast at the highest price and we don’t want to wait for the traditional viewer to come and make an offer. We like that there is nothing to negotiate, no haggling over price, and no contingencies to later kill a sale.
Of course we researched the whole idea first and we looked at some precedents. For example a US$ 2.2 million Malibu beach, California property was sold on EBay. Also CNN had a special segment on a private real-estate auction on March 12th. Also,
the first town ever auctioned on eBay soon will be back up for sale on the online auction site. Nearly two years after he bought the tiny town of Bridgeville, Orange County financial adviser Bruce Krall said Friday he plans to re-auction the Humboldt County hamlet on eBay next month.
Most buyers of real estate also like the online auction. It is easily accessible to the public, and convenient for buyers to bid from home or work. More importantly, unlike live auctions that lasted for a short time, the online auction can run for days or weeks letting more buyers bid. They are not afraid to bid. Buyers say seeing the bids of other buyers makes them less afraid of overpaying. They think the open bidding process is a fairer and safer way to buy a home.
The value of negotiating skill is small relative to the value of an auction’s additional competition. - Auctions vs. Negotiations – Stanford Economist, Professor Jeremy Bulow
In the next blog entry, I will tell you why we picked RBuy.com
Friday, March 24, 2006
Thursday, March 23, 2006
It's always sad to sell your home;
Help us find someone to enjoy it as much as we do.
Come to our
online open house.
This is a huge jump from the previous blog entries about choosing Montserrat and finding our dream piece of land to ….selling our property. We started in 1987 and now we are nearly twenty years later and we are that much older.
When we first came to Montserrat we wondered why, as some people reached a certain age they seemed to abandon their life here and head back “home.” For us this was our one and only home and we didn’t anticipate our feelings to change.
Then life happened. In addition to the cardiac condition Bill had when we came to Montserrat, he had a stroke in 1993. He recovered as much as possible – still in Montserrat. We stayed on after our volcano burped to life in 1995. We finally left – temporarily – on July 4th, 1997 and roamed around the USA until our return in October 2000. We were back home.
Over the past six years we realized why so many of the older people went back “home.” We dealt with a cardioversion for Bill (in Canada) as well as with the inevitability of aging that increasingly limits our physical activities. There is something to be said for being near family --- just in case. There is something to be said for being near excellent medical facilities --- just in case.
This sense of “just in case” doesn’t happen to everyone – many older expats live a full, contented life and have no intention of leaving. Many older snowbirds keep coming down for the winter months year after year.
We have had a chance to live our dream for many years. Every day, as I wake up and watch, still half asleep, the light come up and the Caribbean turn that magnificent blue, I feel blessed. But now, for us, it’s time to move on and that is why we are selling.
Not only are we selling, we are using the online real-estate auction to sell our home. It’s our way of holding a grand open house where people from all over the world can visit our home through an online photo gallery, a slide show and a video at http://www.montserrat-caribbean-villas.com/
Of course we welcome people who want to come and visit in person.
The Online Auction will run for 3 weeks from 9:00 am (Montserrat time) on Monday, April 3rd, 2006 to 5:00 pm, (Montserrat time) on Monday, April 24th, 2006. This gives interested bidders the time to be registered to bid.
We only hope that our home finds a loving owner who will enjoy it and Montserrat as much as we did.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Our Life in Montserrat -- Part 2 -- Arriving in Montserrat
Visit our home in Montserrat.
April 1, 1987 – April Fool’s but we sure didn’t feel like fools. We made a huge decision, fired our jobs and made the move. Bill was still deciding between Montserrat and Nevis, but I had my mind made up.
I had fallen in love with Montserrat on our first visit and all my positive feelings kept being reinforced.
We rented a lovely old wood house in Old Town, the same one in which we vacationed about six months earlier. Then we started searching for a permanent place. First we looked at some of the villas on the market: they were too big, too small, had no view, were way too touristy with all white tiles and white leather sectionals, or way too expensive. Ok, I confess: as an architect I get very picky and specific about what I like; particularly since this was to be our dream place, where we were going to live forever after.
It didn’t take too long to decide that we were going to build our own place; I was sure I could bring it in on our budget with some careful designing. The next step was to find the right piece of land. As I mentioned in my previous blog, in Montserrat non-Nationals can only purchase in the development areas (unless they receive an exemption) that are large, beautifully located large tracts of land along the West coast, subdivided into serviced lots. Today only the adjacent areas named Isles Bay, Old Town, Olveston and Woodlands are available (click here for a map).
Our real estate agent, Jacquie Ryan (yes, she is the same one working with us now for the online auction of this same home) told us to find the lot we wanted and then she would try to get it for us. This seemed a much better solution than being limited by what was for sale. Armed with a map of Montserrat with five foot contour lines (this gave us the elevation for any location) and a compass, we started our search. Bill gave me some impossible critera: a view both sunrise and sunset all year’round and a lot of privacy.
We loved Isles Bay. It was Montserrat’s platinum coast, the most desirable location. It is a steep hill south of Belham Valley (where the golf course was located at that time) with some spectacular views, particularly from the top. We could see most of Montserrat: the Soufriere Hills, Windy Hill, Old Town, and all the way North to St. Peters. To our disappointment most of the land has already been sold and whatever remained was expensive, difficult to build on, and nowhere near as desirable as the properties at the very top.
Going North, the next development area (the oldest one) was Old Town, home of the Vue Point Hotel (THE hotel in this area and a great place for buffet dinners and Sunday brunches), and Old Road Bay beach. This was a lovely, dark sand beach used by visitors and locals alike, a great place to meet people, have a drink or lunch at the beach bar and generally just enjoy being in Montserrat. Because it was in the hub of expat and tourist activities, Old Town was fairly well built up and expensive. We decided quickly that this was not for us.
The next development North of Old Town was Olveston. It is relatively flat and as I located the properties on our map, it was obvious that a privacy issue may crop up as people would eventually build next to us or in front of us, blocking our views. The properties that would have been interesting were already taken.
We finally came to the development furthest North: Woodlands. We were now in the “country.” We thought it was a beautiful area where many properties were located in the mountains running along the center of Montserrat. We climbed through a lot of “bush” looking for that perfect piece of land. And, with the help of our map and a lot of work drawing site lines, we found it.
Our perfect lot was on Mango Drive. I had a first inkling of its potential from the map. It was not cleared. When we drove to it, all we saw was bush. Bill, with a cutlass he didn’t know how to use was going to make a path for us. That didn’t happen. We crawled over broken branches, up and up, until we reached what appeared to be the top. Each time I stopped and looked in the direction of the Caribbean, I thought I saw bits of blue. I also thought that I could detect the top of Isles Bay Hill. The potential was awesome.
Did we find our dream property or were we going to make a huge mistake?
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Our life in Montserrat - Part 1
Please visit our website athttp://www.montserrat-caribbean-villas.com
Why Montserrat?
It was in the fall of 1986 that we decided to fire our jobs and move to ?….. that was the question. Since both Bill and I are compulsive planners, we made two lists: one of what we were looking for in our ideal place, another for what we didn’t want.
I will save you the months of list making and research and get to the basics: what was on our “ideal place” list, how did Montserrat fit in 1986 and how (in my opinion) does it fit now.
What did we want?
Ease of access to North-East USA and Canada – in 1986 (and for quite a while after) there was a non-stop flight from Baltimore (where we lived) and Antigua. There were (and still are) non-stop flights from Toronto to Antigua on both BWIA (http://www.bwee.com/) and Air Canada (http://www.aircanada.com/ ) . BWIA is not well known to most travelers – check out their routes because their fares are extremely competitive, and you are in the Caribbean as soon as you step aboard. Also check out their first class fares; we have found that at times they cost less than the unrestricted economy fares – quite amazing.
If you can find a quick and easy way to get from your home town to Antigua, St.Martin, Guadeloupe, or St.Kitts and then use a charter flight (see my earlier BLOG entry), your whole trip will be totally painless and you will be on vacation from the minute you check in at your home airport.
Getting here the easy way was and remains for us a major attraction.
Great tele-communication – In 1986 that meant easy long distance calls. Montserrat was wonderful: although there was no direct dialing, the operator offered to place calls for us, retry if the line was busy, all with great friendliness. We tried the same thing in Nevis and found a lot of hassle – and the long-distance operator in St.Kitts decided to use our credit card for her own calls.
Today, tele-communication has a whole different meaning. We have direct-dial (but no USA 800 numbers) and we have Internet (dial-up and broadband – some much-needed improvements are in the works). The main problems are with the limited number of circuits (“all circuits are busy, please place your call again”) that can affect both incoming and outgoing calls, and the relatively frequent “downs” of the Internet server located in Antigua. The major difficulty is the regional nature of the tele-communication service and the monopoly established by Cable & Wireless. A little competition would do Montserrat a whole lot of good.
Affordability – We were on fixed income, we wanted to build a home and be able to go back North to see family and do our medicals. This automatically meant that we couldn’t go to any of the well-known resort islands. As an architect, I was also looking at everything that would affect our cost of construction. We ended up comparing Montserrat to Nevis.
In Montserrat, although limited to buying property in the specified development areas, these are very large areas, subdivided into lots of 1/3 acre, with a good infrastructure of roads, electricity and fresh spring water piped to the lot. The cost of the lot depends on its location. In Nevis we could buy anywhere …if we found someone willing to sell. The one property we found had no view, no infrastructure at all, and the lack of water would have required adding a cistern to the house. This would have added about 25% to the construction cost.
The cost of construction has gone up – most materials are imported from the USA or Puerto Rico and the increase in mainland prices is multiplied by the time we buy them locally. Duty is charged on the total of the original cost of the item plus the cost of shipping. There are also port fees, etc. However, the cost of labor has not increased significantly – a lot depends on how you would choose to contract out the construction of a house. Actually, I would suggest that a newcomer to Montserrat does not build until they have become familiar with the active contractors (I think that is a safe recommendation for anywhere in the world.)
The price of everything else has also gone up in keeping with general increases and the cost of shipping. For people on fixed income it makes living here more difficult. Although the Montserrat currency (Eastern Caribbean dollar) is tied to the US$ (1 US$ = 2.7 EC$) affordability goes out the window when your income stays stable but the costs increase. For retirees who come from a strong currency country (such as Canada in recent years), Montserrat can be an economic gift.
Adequate medical services – Bill wanted to make sure that in an emergency we could access medical services. Although Montserrat didn’t have the most modern facilities, it had a stable and well-trained group of physicians. A new, modern hospital had just been completed in Plymouth when the volcano came back to life.
Today, our hospital is in the North, in what used to be a secondary school. There are emergency services and surgery, and a hospital ward. Physicians come and go, mostly on short term contracts (1-2 years). Most Montserratians choose to go abroad if they have any serious medical problems.
Economic and political stability – We wanted a stable island. After all, we were investing what was for us a significant amount, and we needed to know that our property would be secure. We didn’t count on Mother’s Nature’s wicked sense of humor.
To all intents and purposes, Montserrat is a colony of England with an appointed Governor. It is called a British Overseas Territory….same thing. This leads to a stability that cannot be easily disrupted. For example, in the late 1980’s when we had a bank crisis (a large number of off-shore pseudo-banks were registered in Montserrat), the Scotland Yard was sent in to clean up.
This stability is reflected in the economy. Because of the volcano, about two-thirds of the population has chosen to leave Montserrat and live in England. At the same time, partly because of the way Montserrat’s volcano was covered in the international press (“volcano erupts on tropical island, all residents are evacuated”) the tourism industry took a beating and real-estate prices dropped. Although the volcano is still in the background, and the population is at 5,000 people, the economy is improving and the tourism industry is being regenerated. Real-estate prices (particularly in the non-Montserratian development areas) have significantly increased although nowhere near to the pre-volcano levels or to the value of similar properties on comparable islands (such as Anguilla or the Caymans).
Low crime -- We saw many islands where drug trafficking has taken over or where there was such abject poverty that personal safety was a real issue. We were attracted to Montserrat because although there was a level of poverty, everyone had enough to eat. There were breadfruit trees, mango trees, bananas and kitchen gardens.
This has not changed too much. Old people have the hardest time; in a culture where traditionally people looked after each other, many of the old people did not go with their children to other countries. Now, nearly ten years later, many are incapacitated yet unwilling to move into Montserrat’s senior facilities.
The crime is still relatively low. It is certainly not necessary to put steel bars on doors and windows or to sleep with everything closed shut. I don’t think there is a single alarm system on island. All in all, we feel very safe.
Personal reaction – The previous six items were fairly easy to assess. Personal reaction is a whole other thing. When we first came to Montserrat, I simply fell in love with the island. The place is beautiful, the people were friendly and I felt comfortable walking around town on my own. Yes, that was a consideration. Again, comparing to Nevis, when I walked about by myself, a young man intentionally walked into me and pushed me off the sidewalk – in 1986. Nothing like would ever happen in Montserrat – not then, not now.
Montserrat is still a beautiful island, lush and mountainous, with empty black sand beaches and a lot of adventure-type activities. Our home is at the foot of a rain forest, adjacent to the National Park that runs along Runaway Ghaut and up into the mountains. We are not very activity oriented, quietly satisfied with the life of retired “scholars:” reading and writing, gardening and as we did once upon a time, growing hydroponic tomatoes and other vegetables.
There is much to do for people who choose to be more social, or more spiritual, or more active. But that’s for another blog entry.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
The Way to Go!
The following is from http://www.islandhoppingexperts.com/ – I just want to add that for the number of years we have been coming to Montserrat from Antigua, we have chartered with Carib Aviation to Montserrat whenever possible. Why? Because we just wanted to get “home” to our private paradise, because we had lots of luggage, and with a charter that was “no problem, mon,” because of the wonderful feeling of being pampered and special, and because it made getting there just so very easy.
=====================================================================
Nothing beats the great feeling of seeing your private pilot waiting to greet you as you get off your jet in Antigua, or St. Maarten, or Guadeloupe, or on some other jet-serviced island. You know that last little hop will be landing you in paradise in minutes. No long Immigration lines, customs’ hassles or frustrating airport scenarios….. Just a sigh of relief. You’re there!
Cost-wise shared charters are only a few dollars more than the old scheduled air. The big difference is that they are reliable. They are not going to go out of business with little or no notice because they are profitable. And users vow that the convenience is well worth it. Shared charters fly with 6 to 9 passengers depending on the luggage. All island-to-island planes are weight restricted, as are scheduled flights in the USA. The nice thing is, if you’re traveling with a lot of luggage and even pets, you probably can afford to charter the whole plane for yourself, at least one time.
As with all airlines, cost depends on your final island destination (basically how far away it is from your arrival airport) and the government taxes and fees (which are charged all aircraft, scheduled or charter.) So it’s best to contact us for a current quote if you have special needs.
From Antigua to Montserrat the fare is only $105 pp (based on 6 passengers) with a $35 pp surcharge to fly with only 4 passengers.
As with all flights these days, you should have a certain amount of flight protection. Hurricanes, blizzards, floods all play havoc with air schedules in the USA. Your connecting Charters and shared-charter seats are non-refundable. Should your jet be delayed, come in after dark, flight protection can pay for your overnight and flight out the next morning. The cost can be as little as $16 pp. Remember, if you miss a scheduled air flight from the USA you are liable for a change fee, the difference in fares and possibly your overnight. Your Flight Protection can cover your jet air into the Caribbean as well.
Here at Caribbean Connection we take the mystery out of chartering island to island and make it convenient, fun and reliable. With your special bag tags and documents you will receive our What If? Pamphlet. It answers all your what if questions about unexpected situations. Remember our goal is to get you safely and quickly to your island destination.
For those small groups of friends or family who want their own plane PRIVATE CHARTERS are available. And with a Private Charter from/to St. Maaretn comes the opportunity for Platinum Ground Service. This wonderful service is available only in St. Maarten, and is especially appreciated on the return flight connecting with your jet home.
Upon landing in St. Maarten, you will be whisked off to an air-conditioned lounge with open bar, beverages and snacks. Your luggage will be taken through High Security and checked in for you. No airport lines. No counter hassles. You just relax and party. Then when the boarding call comes…..you will be escorted out to your major carrier. Totally seamless and a great way to end or start your holiday! Better than traveling First Class! The cost? Minimal when divided up among a plane-load of people. $175 per plane.
=====================================================================
Nothing beats the great feeling of seeing your private pilot waiting to greet you as you get off your jet in Antigua, or St. Maarten, or Guadeloupe, or on some other jet-serviced island. You know that last little hop will be landing you in paradise in minutes. No long Immigration lines, customs’ hassles or frustrating airport scenarios….. Just a sigh of relief. You’re there!
Cost-wise shared charters are only a few dollars more than the old scheduled air. The big difference is that they are reliable. They are not going to go out of business with little or no notice because they are profitable. And users vow that the convenience is well worth it. Shared charters fly with 6 to 9 passengers depending on the luggage. All island-to-island planes are weight restricted, as are scheduled flights in the USA. The nice thing is, if you’re traveling with a lot of luggage and even pets, you probably can afford to charter the whole plane for yourself, at least one time.
As with all airlines, cost depends on your final island destination (basically how far away it is from your arrival airport) and the government taxes and fees (which are charged all aircraft, scheduled or charter.) So it’s best to contact us for a current quote if you have special needs.
From Antigua to Montserrat the fare is only $105 pp (based on 6 passengers) with a $35 pp surcharge to fly with only 4 passengers.
As with all flights these days, you should have a certain amount of flight protection. Hurricanes, blizzards, floods all play havoc with air schedules in the USA. Your connecting Charters and shared-charter seats are non-refundable. Should your jet be delayed, come in after dark, flight protection can pay for your overnight and flight out the next morning. The cost can be as little as $16 pp. Remember, if you miss a scheduled air flight from the USA you are liable for a change fee, the difference in fares and possibly your overnight. Your Flight Protection can cover your jet air into the Caribbean as well.
Here at Caribbean Connection we take the mystery out of chartering island to island and make it convenient, fun and reliable. With your special bag tags and documents you will receive our What If? Pamphlet. It answers all your what if questions about unexpected situations. Remember our goal is to get you safely and quickly to your island destination.
For those small groups of friends or family who want their own plane PRIVATE CHARTERS are available. And with a Private Charter from/to St. Maaretn comes the opportunity for Platinum Ground Service. This wonderful service is available only in St. Maarten, and is especially appreciated on the return flight connecting with your jet home.
Upon landing in St. Maarten, you will be whisked off to an air-conditioned lounge with open bar, beverages and snacks. Your luggage will be taken through High Security and checked in for you. No airport lines. No counter hassles. You just relax and party. Then when the boarding call comes…..you will be escorted out to your major carrier. Totally seamless and a great way to end or start your holiday! Better than traveling First Class! The cost? Minimal when divided up among a plane-load of people. $175 per plane.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Toasting the Shamrock in Montserrat
The 17th March will see the cities and towns of Ireland decked out in honour of its patron saint. While many bemoan the secularisation of St Patrick’s feast day, others delight in the goodwill this day generates for the Irish around the world.Popularly known as the ‘Emerald Isle of the Caribbean’, Montserrat is the only place in the world outside Ireland where St Patrick’s Day is a public holiday. The 17th March sees the launch of a week of festivities there celebrating not only the island's Irish heritage but commemorating the ill-fated slave uprising of St Patrick’s Day 1768, when Afro-Montserratians attempted to wrest freedom from the island’s plantation owners, many of whom were English or Irish. Local Arawak and Carib Indians may or may not have been startled to see Christopher Columbus and his entourage sail past in 1493. For Columbus, the island registered sufficiently to merit an appellation after the Spanish monastery close to Barcelona.
The first European settlers were English. When they arrived in 1632, they brought Irish Catholics with them as indentured servants (slaves). Indeed Montserrat became a sort of refuge for persecuted Irish Catholics, some of whom were dispatched there after Cromwell’s infamous pillage and destruction of Drogheda in 1649. According to a 1678 census, more than half of the island’s inhabitants were Irish, and the rest of the settlers were English and Scottish. But Africans were soon to make up the majority of Montserratians as the plantation owners cashed in on the flourishing slave trade.
Montserrat’s celebration of St Patrick’s Day is usually accompanied by the national dish, ‘goat water’, reputedly based on the traditional Irish stew. Sadly, festivities in recent years have been overshadowed by the destruction wrought by the eruption of Soufriere Hills Volcano in July 1995. Two-thirds of the populace of 12,000 fled the island in the aftermath of this and another massive eruption in 1997.
“My first two years on Montserrat were pre-volcano. The community and the island were just recovering after hurricane Hugo (1989) which had devastated over 80 precent of all buildings. New homes, new government buildings and community centres were being built and tourists were coming again. There was a buzz – Montserrat was back on the map again. As an Irishman I was amazed by the history of Montserrat. What threw me most was that such a large proportion of the population in previous centuries had been Irish-born. Most were indentured servants (slaves) brought by the few Irish landlords to work the sugar cane and cotton plantations. This helped explain why most Montserratians have Irish names. Over 60 percent of the names in the phonebook are Irish! A very common surname is ‘Irish’ such as John Irish, Bernadette Irish etc.
I remember smiling the first time I went to the bank in downtown Plymouth and saw the teller’s name – ‘Mareen Dublin’.....sure it would have to make a Dubliner happy! Place names indicate Irish links too, Cork Hill, St Patrick's Village, Kinsale, Gallaways. The official stamp on your passport at the airport is a shamrock – ‘Welcome to the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean.’
The present population is mainly Afro-Caribbean. After the Irish slaves (indentured servants) disappeared from history, the African slaves came. In my first year the emphasis on St Patrick’s Day was on attracting Irish-American tourists. Later I became aware of a confusion of ideas behind the celebrations. The Irish part of their history was celebrated, but more of the reality of Montserratians’ African heritage needed to be at the forefront of these celebrations. Generally the first day of the celebrations includes a lecture on the historical background of Montserrat and its people. (Michael D Higgins, TD was a guest lecturer one year that I was there.) Then there is a special day at St Patrick's Village, where local foods are prepared against the backdrop of local music. Other events take place on other days during the week, such as the Catholic Church dinner and a road race.
My memory of Montserrat is of course of the volcano and the tremendous strength, courage and faith of the people as they lived with, struggled with and fought back against all that the volcano hurled on them. That is why I describe it as a privilege to have been among them during this struggle. Two-thirds of the people left the island mainly for England, and two-thirds of its land mass is still off limits. Yet Montserrat stands tall in its recovery and St Patrick’s Week will be celebrated in its own Montserratian style this year. I hope to be there to celebrate with them.
Irishman, Fr Larry Finnegan, SVD, spent seven “wonderful” years on Montserrat and remained with the people during the island's volcanic crisis.
The first European settlers were English. When they arrived in 1632, they brought Irish Catholics with them as indentured servants (slaves). Indeed Montserrat became a sort of refuge for persecuted Irish Catholics, some of whom were dispatched there after Cromwell’s infamous pillage and destruction of Drogheda in 1649. According to a 1678 census, more than half of the island’s inhabitants were Irish, and the rest of the settlers were English and Scottish. But Africans were soon to make up the majority of Montserratians as the plantation owners cashed in on the flourishing slave trade.
Montserrat’s celebration of St Patrick’s Day is usually accompanied by the national dish, ‘goat water’, reputedly based on the traditional Irish stew. Sadly, festivities in recent years have been overshadowed by the destruction wrought by the eruption of Soufriere Hills Volcano in July 1995. Two-thirds of the populace of 12,000 fled the island in the aftermath of this and another massive eruption in 1997.
“My first two years on Montserrat were pre-volcano. The community and the island were just recovering after hurricane Hugo (1989) which had devastated over 80 precent of all buildings. New homes, new government buildings and community centres were being built and tourists were coming again. There was a buzz – Montserrat was back on the map again. As an Irishman I was amazed by the history of Montserrat. What threw me most was that such a large proportion of the population in previous centuries had been Irish-born. Most were indentured servants (slaves) brought by the few Irish landlords to work the sugar cane and cotton plantations. This helped explain why most Montserratians have Irish names. Over 60 percent of the names in the phonebook are Irish! A very common surname is ‘Irish’ such as John Irish, Bernadette Irish etc.
I remember smiling the first time I went to the bank in downtown Plymouth and saw the teller’s name – ‘Mareen Dublin’.....sure it would have to make a Dubliner happy! Place names indicate Irish links too, Cork Hill, St Patrick's Village, Kinsale, Gallaways. The official stamp on your passport at the airport is a shamrock – ‘Welcome to the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean.’
The present population is mainly Afro-Caribbean. After the Irish slaves (indentured servants) disappeared from history, the African slaves came. In my first year the emphasis on St Patrick’s Day was on attracting Irish-American tourists. Later I became aware of a confusion of ideas behind the celebrations. The Irish part of their history was celebrated, but more of the reality of Montserratians’ African heritage needed to be at the forefront of these celebrations. Generally the first day of the celebrations includes a lecture on the historical background of Montserrat and its people. (Michael D Higgins, TD was a guest lecturer one year that I was there.) Then there is a special day at St Patrick's Village, where local foods are prepared against the backdrop of local music. Other events take place on other days during the week, such as the Catholic Church dinner and a road race.
My memory of Montserrat is of course of the volcano and the tremendous strength, courage and faith of the people as they lived with, struggled with and fought back against all that the volcano hurled on them. That is why I describe it as a privilege to have been among them during this struggle. Two-thirds of the people left the island mainly for England, and two-thirds of its land mass is still off limits. Yet Montserrat stands tall in its recovery and St Patrick’s Week will be celebrated in its own Montserratian style this year. I hope to be there to celebrate with them.
Irishman, Fr Larry Finnegan, SVD, spent seven “wonderful” years on Montserrat and remained with the people during the island's volcanic crisis.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
A volcano story
Thanks to Shirley Spycalla for the following:
[In] March 2000 when new guests arrived at our guesthouse to stay for a few days. The husband, John, was a full-blooded Native-American. Actually he looked as if he had just walked off a wild-wild-west movie set with his shiny long braid, high cheekbones, slightly hooked nose and honey-brown skin. All that was needed to complete the picture was a feathered headdress, moccasins and a tomahawk!!
As John and his wife sat at breakfast on their first morning at Erindell, John said to me that he sensed an angry spirit on the island. To this I replied that that must be the volcano, and explained about the tragedy of the deaths in 1997. He said, no, that he knew about the volcano, but that it was more than that. He asked me if I’d noticed an increase in crime, serious accidents and deaths involving young people on Montserrat. To this I replied that Lou and I had indeed noticed this, especially deaths of people in their 30s, 40s and 50s. I added that there were also a number of island residents who were simply disappearing – never to be found (about 10 within the last few years)! In a small society such as ours, it had become noticeable, and the police had so far not been able to solve the problem.
Seeing a mystery unfolding and a possible link, I told him about the archaeological dig at Trant’s Estate in the east of the island early in 1995, led by Dr David Watters, a curator at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in the United States. I also told him that two of the Amerindian remains had been shipped off to the museum for further research, along with several cases of pottery shards, stone tools and arrowheads. At this point, John became very agitated. He said that it was a big mistake to have removed the remains from their resting place, and that as long as they were off the island, the volcano would never go back to sleep!
Before John and his wife left the island, he asked me to lend him a red ballpoint pen, which I did. On the last morning of their stay, he presented Lou and me with a watercolour painting he had done using blue, black and red ballpoint pens. Staring at the figure in the drawing for a moment, I said that it looked like an Anasazi (pronounced “Anasahzi”) medicine man doing a ceremonial dance. Anasazis are an extinct tribe, so John was astonished that I knew, but he agreed that it was indeed so. He then said that as long as we kept the painting in our house, we would be free from the troubles of the island, and that we would always have peace and love in our home.
Immediately upon returning home, John reported the matter of the disturbed burial ground to the Native-American Association. In no time, two Indian Chiefs came down to Montserrat and visited with the Chief Minister of the day, David Brandt, and the Governor, Anthony Abbott. The Chiefs then returned home, satisfied that every effort would be made to return the Amerindian remains to Montserrat for re-interment.
Up until today, the remains are still at the Carnegie Museum and the volcano is still erupting, now in its 11th year, more than twice as long as the average length of the eruption periods of andesite volcanoes (3 – 5 years). I have followed up constantly with the National Trust and have been assured that as soon as a new museum is built, the entire shipment, including the remains, would be brought back home to Montserrat.
* * *
Meanwhile, strange things continue to happen. On the morning following the huge dome collapse in July 2003, when the island was covered by 12” or more of thick, concrete-like ash, four young men came up our road with shovels. They bypassed every house along the way, came straight to our house and asked if they could help us clean. I had never seen them before in my life. Earlier, Lou and I had started to clear away the ash, which was about 6 - 8 inches thick on the patio and walkway, and it had taken us one hour just to clear away an area about 3’ in diameter. Needless to say, we were happy for the help. The young men worked all day, and I truly believe that our house was the first to be cleaned on the island that day!
We have also seen huge ash clouds drop ash on houses to our immediate right and left, but no ash at all would fall on our house! Our neighbours also remarked on this phenomenon.
In September 2005, I was interviewed as part of the radio programme, “Volcano Stories”, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the start of the eruption. During the interview, the interviewer asked me if I would allow him to make a photocopy of the Indian painting and I agreed to it.
When the hour-long programme ended, there was a telephone call waiting for me in the outer office. A man whom I did not know (he wouldn’t give his name) begged me not to give anyone a copy of the painting or it would lose its protective power. He kept repeating this for at least 40 minutes, so that the interviewer grew impatient and left the compound without getting a copy. Over the years, two other guests at our guesthouse asked if they could take a digital photograph of the painting. I agreed, but something always came up to intervene, including a camera that simply wouldn’t work. The guests got distracted and the photographs were never taken. Weird!
I do wish those Indian remains would come back home!
Contact Shirley at Erindell Villa Guesthouse, Gros Michel Drive, Woodlands, MONTSERRAT West Indies Tel: (664) 491-3655 Email: erindell04@yahoo.com
[In] March 2000 when new guests arrived at our guesthouse to stay for a few days. The husband, John, was a full-blooded Native-American. Actually he looked as if he had just walked off a wild-wild-west movie set with his shiny long braid, high cheekbones, slightly hooked nose and honey-brown skin. All that was needed to complete the picture was a feathered headdress, moccasins and a tomahawk!!
As John and his wife sat at breakfast on their first morning at Erindell, John said to me that he sensed an angry spirit on the island. To this I replied that that must be the volcano, and explained about the tragedy of the deaths in 1997. He said, no, that he knew about the volcano, but that it was more than that. He asked me if I’d noticed an increase in crime, serious accidents and deaths involving young people on Montserrat. To this I replied that Lou and I had indeed noticed this, especially deaths of people in their 30s, 40s and 50s. I added that there were also a number of island residents who were simply disappearing – never to be found (about 10 within the last few years)! In a small society such as ours, it had become noticeable, and the police had so far not been able to solve the problem.
Seeing a mystery unfolding and a possible link, I told him about the archaeological dig at Trant’s Estate in the east of the island early in 1995, led by Dr David Watters, a curator at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in the United States. I also told him that two of the Amerindian remains had been shipped off to the museum for further research, along with several cases of pottery shards, stone tools and arrowheads. At this point, John became very agitated. He said that it was a big mistake to have removed the remains from their resting place, and that as long as they were off the island, the volcano would never go back to sleep!
Before John and his wife left the island, he asked me to lend him a red ballpoint pen, which I did. On the last morning of their stay, he presented Lou and me with a watercolour painting he had done using blue, black and red ballpoint pens. Staring at the figure in the drawing for a moment, I said that it looked like an Anasazi (pronounced “Anasahzi”) medicine man doing a ceremonial dance. Anasazis are an extinct tribe, so John was astonished that I knew, but he agreed that it was indeed so. He then said that as long as we kept the painting in our house, we would be free from the troubles of the island, and that we would always have peace and love in our home.
Immediately upon returning home, John reported the matter of the disturbed burial ground to the Native-American Association. In no time, two Indian Chiefs came down to Montserrat and visited with the Chief Minister of the day, David Brandt, and the Governor, Anthony Abbott. The Chiefs then returned home, satisfied that every effort would be made to return the Amerindian remains to Montserrat for re-interment.
Up until today, the remains are still at the Carnegie Museum and the volcano is still erupting, now in its 11th year, more than twice as long as the average length of the eruption periods of andesite volcanoes (3 – 5 years). I have followed up constantly with the National Trust and have been assured that as soon as a new museum is built, the entire shipment, including the remains, would be brought back home to Montserrat.
* * *
Meanwhile, strange things continue to happen. On the morning following the huge dome collapse in July 2003, when the island was covered by 12” or more of thick, concrete-like ash, four young men came up our road with shovels. They bypassed every house along the way, came straight to our house and asked if they could help us clean. I had never seen them before in my life. Earlier, Lou and I had started to clear away the ash, which was about 6 - 8 inches thick on the patio and walkway, and it had taken us one hour just to clear away an area about 3’ in diameter. Needless to say, we were happy for the help. The young men worked all day, and I truly believe that our house was the first to be cleaned on the island that day!
We have also seen huge ash clouds drop ash on houses to our immediate right and left, but no ash at all would fall on our house! Our neighbours also remarked on this phenomenon.
In September 2005, I was interviewed as part of the radio programme, “Volcano Stories”, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the start of the eruption. During the interview, the interviewer asked me if I would allow him to make a photocopy of the Indian painting and I agreed to it.
When the hour-long programme ended, there was a telephone call waiting for me in the outer office. A man whom I did not know (he wouldn’t give his name) begged me not to give anyone a copy of the painting or it would lose its protective power. He kept repeating this for at least 40 minutes, so that the interviewer grew impatient and left the compound without getting a copy. Over the years, two other guests at our guesthouse asked if they could take a digital photograph of the painting. I agreed, but something always came up to intervene, including a camera that simply wouldn’t work. The guests got distracted and the photographs were never taken. Weird!
I do wish those Indian remains would come back home!
Contact Shirley at Erindell Villa Guesthouse, Gros Michel Drive, Woodlands, MONTSERRAT West Indies Tel: (664) 491-3655 Email: erindell04@yahoo.com
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