I have this feeling that you were inviting a response. So here goes.

While you were giving your rosy tourist 'poetic' idea of paradise in the Caribbean, I can remember someone was trying to give you another version of life here that takes into consideration the reality of indigenous populations being decimated, Slavery, and then being under the U.S. manipulative politics. You had your rosy picture and were not interested in reality from any other view than that of a tourist.

Freespirit said: "However, sitting in a tropical breeze on a hot day watching the palm trees and hearing them rustle and feel the wind in your hair and hear the musical and rhythmic lilt of a Caribbean voice, well for me it is paradise. And guess what?!! You can't buy it and you can't learn it, you just feel it!! Paradise - from where I am sitting!"
http://www.rastafarispeaks.com/cgi-bin/forum/archive1/config.pl?read=40431

For most poor Blacks, the Caribbean includes poor housing, inadequate warnings for hurricanes in poor communities, environmental degradation caused by the over consumption of the rich/tourists, sex crimes and diseases, low wages, other forms of crime especially those by elites who steal the bulk of the people's money, political corruption, and the list goes on and on.

To the tourists who get their kicks from poor people acting the part of colonial servants with smiles on their faces, they can fantasize about this paradise. But it is not so for most ordinary people. Our view of paradise does not exclude, but is not limited to, the things you fancy most.

What the Caribbean really deserves like all other places where indigenous people were 'wiped out', where Slavery existed and where ordinary people continually suffer the effects of British, Spanish, French and then U.S. crimes, is Reparations and not charity.

Think of that while you do your 'every bit counts' charity thing.