On this video, catch the fever of this spectacular event:

The 2012 Theatre Festival of the Islands will be held from February 8  to February 17, 2012  in Basse-Terre.

The program includes plays that originate from Guadeloupe, Reunion and Corsica. Master classes, workshops, readings of plays for young audiences and meetings with the artists will complete the program.

Official website

FEMI is celebrating its 18th edition with the theme “Focus on African Countries,” from January 27 to February 4, 2012 in 14 municipalities of the island.

You can discover more than sixty short and feature films as well as numerous documentaries. Twenty-one international films are also in competition and will be rewarded at the traditional closing ceremony.

In addition, 45 prominent figures  from international cinema will be present to meet
the public and local professionals. With 28 films from around the world in competition, the FEMI confirms its wish is to make films a major economic asset for Guadeloupe.

Official website 

What are the origins of a non traditional cultivation? In the XVII and XVIII centuries, Marie Galante Island was the scene of numerous fights between British, French and Dutch. The island inhabitants were chased away after a final British attack in 1691. When they came back to their land, they started growing indigo plants, at a time when the price of tobacco dropped.

Marie Galante appeared to be an ideal place for the cultivation of the plant which required less investments, a warm and dry climate, as well as an abundance of space and freshwater.

The sugar cane grows on…

In 1686,  we could count up to 100 indigo factories in Guadeloupe, among which 86 were created in Marie Galante, and more precisely in Galets and Bas areas in the North.

However, little by little, other minor cultivations such as coffee or cotton started competing with the indigo; and it was eventually the sugar cane which became the predominant cultivation.

Therefore, the indigo became forgotten during a long time, but nowadays it has a great opportunity to come out again. Some projects are being under consideration, such as the rehabilitation of an old factory, or introducing some discovery tours…

Rebirth of an ancestral culture

Anne and Ghislain are passionate about the True indigo and they already have made plans to revive its tradition, through the Indigo House which is located in la Désirade. Make a visit and they will teach you how to manufacture the True indigo.

There is also a shop where you can buy some indigo dyed clothes, pigments or vegetable inks.

Originally, cocoa comes from Central and Southern America and more precisely from the Yucatan peninsula or the Orinoco and Amazon rivers in Mexico.

Its Latin name “Theobroma” means “God’s food.” In fact, men discovered cocoa in around 2000 B.C. It was Quetzalcoatl, the God of vegetation and its renewal, symbolized as a feathered serpent and who reigned over the city of Tula, who taught men how to cultivate the “cacahuaquahuilt,” which was the name for the cocoa tree in the pre-Columbian era.

An initiatory rite… to chocolate

At that time, cocoa was associated with major life events. Cocoa beans were used as an offering for main ritual passages, from the embryo to birth and from youth to puberty, when young boys’ body were coated with a mixture of rainwater, flower petals and cocoa powder.
By the way, how do we make chocolate? We make it starting with cocoa sticks. In fact, chocolate springs from the fruits of cocoa trees, from which we extract the beans. Then, the beans are roasted, grinded and mixed for a long time in order to get a fluid fondant.

Find more about the Cocoa House

The Cocoa House, which is located in Pointe Noire in Guadeloupe, offers you the opportunity to walk around a small tropical garden. Surrounded by cocoa trees, the guide will talk to you about the chocolate and its manufacturing process, following an outdoor display that presents the main stages of its production, with driers or fermentation vats. Finally, your day will end with discussions and much-awaited tastings.

The Cocoa house is open 7/7 from December to August, from 10am to 5pm. The annual closure is from September 15 to October 15.

The Cacao House is open until August.

Official website  (in French only)

Bwa Chick Hôtel & Golf in Saint-François: The elegant 54-room hotel, a mere stone’s throw from the golf course and marina, has been completely refurbished in an eco-chic style with natural colours, the finest materials, and designer furniture.

A must-see—Auberge De La Vieille Tour and its new Rhumothèque in Grande-Terre: Built around an 18th-century windmill, the 4-star hotel is hidden away in over 7 acres of tropical gardens overlooking the islet of Gosier. The 103-room hotel also boasts a new Rhumotèque—a rare collection of fine local rums and tasting bar.

Signposts: Large road signs have been set up to guide visitors to the main tourist attractions via national highways. They are designed to promote the area and its natural splendour, and encourage travellers to discover the archipelago’s rich heritage. The road signs are pictographic and comply with current international regulations. Each landmark is represented by one main and two secondary pictographs. For example, the main sign for Pointe-à-Pitre depicts Place de la Victoire with other local landmarks in the background. The secondary pictographs represent the façades of the Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul and the Saint-John Perse Museum.

Palais des Sports du Gosier: With a seating capacity of 5,000, the “palace” is a true architectural gem featuring tropical architecture, gardens, landscaping, and a modular design. The complex hosts major sporting events and world-famous artists.

Jeans Ferry Service launches the HSM Liberty: The new low-cost company, created by l’Express des Îles, offers cheaper tickets and increased service to more destinations!

This week, Guadeloupe is featured in the Montreal cultural weekly VOIR. Don’t miss the in-depth feature, “La Guadeloupe à hauteur d’homme,” for a glimpse of what these thrilling islands have in store for you.

Click here to read the online article at Voir.ca.