The western Caribbean, Jamming

Bob Marley, co-founder of the Rastafari movement, was born in 1945 in Nine Miles, Jamaica.

His mother, a Jamaican and singer, was 18 years old, and his father, an Englishman and captain in the British Army, was 60. In Kingston, he recorded his first track in a recording studio, went to America, founded the band The Wailers, and achieved breakthrough success with Catch a Fire, No Woman No Cry, Buffalo Soldiers, and much more.

He died of skin cancer at just 36 years old in Miami.

The Rastafarians were a Black liberation movement in the 1930s. It began in the impoverished areas of Jamaica, was free from laws, strongly oriented towards Christianity, and taught a lifestyle against materialism and also Western worldviews, which included conventional medicine. The Rastafarians are knowledgeable about healing plants and are associated with dreadlocks, reggae music, and marijuana.

“Ackee' is Jamaica's national fruit and is eaten with salted cod. It must be cooked as it is toxic when raw.

Mexico Yucatán means “I don’t understand, listen to how they speak,” which the Spaniards erroneously interpreted as the name of the region during their conquest in the 15th century.

The origins of the Maya ancestors can be traced to Asia. They migrated over the frozen Bering Strait. They have characteristic physical features: almond-shaped eyes, little facial hair, and straight black hair. There are still about 6 million people today who speak Maya.

Chichén Itzá (Americans often say Chicken Pizza) is a Maya pyramid that stands 24m tall. The pyramid has 365 steps corresponding to the number of days in a year.

The Mayas were excellent astronomers and developed the solar and lunar calendar.

The Pelota playground is special because the walls face each other, and the acoustics heat up the spectators.

The Panama Canal is 82km long. The USA took over the canal project from the French in 1902 (who had failed with 40 million dollars due to underestimating the hard basalt, malaria, and yellow fever).

This was an economic, political, and military maneuver for the Americans. The canal was officially handed over to Panama in 1999.

Vessels travel at about 15km/h or approximately 8 knots, and there are up to 100 towing tracks available for large ships at the three locks.

About 14,000 ships pass through the canal each year, which means 30-40 transits daily. The transit of a tourist ship with, for example, 2,000 passengers costs around 400,000 US dollars.

The expansion of the canal for Neopanamax ships began in 2007 and was completed in 2016.

The Century Bridge was inaugurated in 1962 and renewed by the company Bilfinger (Mannheim) in 2004. It is 80m high above the shipping lane and has six lanes.

In 1533, Cartagena was founded by the Spaniards as the most important port and trading place for gold and precious stones.

Today’s Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama, and Colombia were still part of Greater Colombia until the 18th century.

In 1585, the English crown became aware and sent Sir Francis Drake to attack and plunder Cartagena. The Spaniards then responded with a massive military fortification, the San Felipe de Barajas Fort. It was considered unassailable for two centuries and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.

La Popa, founded in 1606, is a convent of mendicant monks and stands at the highest point, 148m, of Cartagena. The two-story arcade is a testament to a Spanish Andalusian style.

The Cartagena Cathedral from 1577 is rather massive, stable, and short due to earthquakes. It looks like a fortress.

Muchas Gracias y hasta pronto :-))