On the Road again...

[MrKiwi]

[Kristof]

...Last Monday there was a strike movement, the impact was mainly on the roads leading to Fort de France, there was also a gathering near the health agency and many police officers Thursday morning to clear the accesses of the offices of this agency...
There is a call for another movement on Monday 22nd, to be followed... We hope that it will not degenerate like in Guadeloupe where police reinforcements arrived from the mainland to try to restore calm.
...

The situation has not improved, on the contrary...
Since Tuesday, there is a roadblock on the road I have to take to go to the construction site. But there is a "small path" passing by the banana plantation...
Until yesterday the violence was concentrated in one area of Fort de France but last night a supermarket nearby was burned. Starting tonight there is a curfew from 7pm to 5am
Some workers can't reach the site and the construction site is slowing down.
Deliveries can't be made, there is a 30€ limit in the gas stations, however the one in Tartane (where I live) is now closed.

On the peninsula (La Caravelle) the situation is calm and in case I "prefer" to be blocked here than in Fort de France...

To be continued...

----------------------------
Local TV: the roadblock on my road


This morning, I tried but I have to go back...

The roadblock is at the "Carrefour Market"


The banana plantation, this morning:



-----------------------------------------

[Kristof]

11/29

On Saturday and Sunday most of the roadblocks were removed, but it was only a short truce and by Monday morning they were back...
Negotiations are to resume this Monday with the Minister in charge of these territories.

Officially our company is in a "force majeure" stoppage, but today two subcontractors were on the site, one left because he cannot have concrete, the cement is not delivered. If there are detour to avoid the roadblocks, it is mostly by small roads and the trucks do not pass...
In the photo the track in the banana plantation, yes there is a wide straight line but after that it is a small concrete road.
The other subcontractor who does drilling (geology) cannot refuel because not only is there a limit of 30€ per car but it is strictly forbidden to fill jerry cans...

To be continued...





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From: https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/martinique/
After 7 days of strike, the stocks of the food shops are suffering in Martinique. Many products are missing from the shelves, which have been emptied by consumers since the beginning of the week, in anticipation of the announced unlimited mobilization.

This shortage of goods is likely to worsen if the access to the port infrastructure remains inaccessible. This is in any case what the traders and the population fear. The latter is already very angry against the racket organized at some roadblocks and the temporary stoppage of public transport.
-------------------------------------------------------------
"Incendiary grenades and intrusion attempts
For several hours, the gendarmes fired detonating grenades to dislodge youths who were occupying barricades where they had set fire to.

Perhaps motivated by the attack on a gendarmerie in Guadeloupe or by the burglary of the municipal police in Fort-de-France, about sixty young people attacked the brigade in Trois-Ilets.

For several hours, hooded people threw incendiary devices and tried to enter the buildings that house the police and their families"

[MrKiwi]

wow, sad to see. Stay safe.

[campfire]

Yes, please stay safe

[Kristof]

wow, sad to see. Stay safe.

Yes, please stay safe

Thank you.

If I had stayed in Fort de France, I would certainly experience the situation from another point of view and with more inconvenience.
Here I don't have the smell of tires and other burnt elements on the dams on the peninsula, I start my day by driving along the sea, even at 6.30am there are some bathers at the small beach, the road to get out is still beautiful.
I could almost "ignore" the reality which is however close, as this morning with a barricade, or attempt of, realized in less than 30mn while I was in the supermarket. There was nothing when I entered the shopping area and a little surprise at the exit.

At La Trinité, in the morning I can't see from far the situation, this morning it was "open", all the cars in my mirror are from those holding this place.
This roundabout is "held" by trade unionists, there is even a small tent with music.







Then the "surprise" at Le Robert:



---------------
My daily road (well when I do not have to use the track to banana plantation when I reach the second roundabout).










On the left we distinguish the small hill which does not allow me to see what is the situation at the roundabout which is held by the trade unionists





This radar is still in place, the second one a little further has been destroyed...


My "shithole"
(the dumping area)

[MrKiwi]

[Kristof]

The situation improved at the end of the week, roadblocks are lifted, there is fuel in the gas stations and containers of fresh produce can leave the port, the mobilization of strikers continues but the population does not want to be blocked, especially in this period of Covid which has already heavily impacted the local tourism economy ...
The attacks of post offices, pharmacies, gas stations are not the work of the demonstrators but of young thugs...

The small company of the brother of one of the excavator operator working with us, was burned, his brother provided training for young people...
Loss of 7 machines, more than 250000€...


Millions of euros of damage after the violence in Martinique
https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/martiniq ... 68681.html
...
The post office of Godissard in Fort-de-France was destroyed with a mechanical shovel in the night of 26 to 27 November 2021. The criminals managed to open the ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) and steal the money it contained. For the inhabitants of the neighborhood, the perpetrators went too far. This place was a bit, an intergenerational social center.


___________________
________________________
From now on I should only post this kind of pictures
La Trinité




Tartane

[MrKiwi]

[Kristof]

Dec. 5th Tartane
Rhum Hardy
https://rhum-hardy.com/





(I searched briefly on https://www.uspto.gov/ but no results..)

Tartane Anse L'étang

[Kristof]

My daughter arrived and Sunday morning, first swim in the Atlantic Ocean before going to the south of the island for a second swim, this time in the Caribbean Sea.

Tartane


Sainte Luce


Plage de l'anse figuier

[Kristof]

I worry for you somewhat on that island, Kristof... there is only a single golf course! The tribulations and sufferings that one must endure...

Looking forward to your island report, and your hispanic trip too

Here he is, "Golf des Trois Ilets":

[Kristof]

Located at Sainte Marie, "Rhum Saint James"
https://rhum-saintjames.com/en/visit/

[Kristof]

"La Savane des esclaves"
The Savane des Esclaves is located in the countryside of Trois-Ilets, district La Ferme in Martinique (972),
Cultural and tourist site created by Gilbert Larose in 2004
In a park of 3 hectares, 400 years of history of Martinique to discover: reconstitution of an Amerindian village,
visit of the Rue Case-Nègres illustrating the way of life of the slaves on the houses,...
https://www.lasavanedesesclaves.fr/

[Kristof]

Plage de l'Anse Noire (black sand)





fortunately you don't have the sound... their sound system invaded the whole beach

the only access, with the sea:

[Kristof]

...
The bike was sold last Friday to a bike shop. I also returned the garage I was renting, next week or the next I should go to Paris and then Spain while waiting for my visa. That's the plan at today's date, but there is a "big project" to be signed soon and it is not impossible that my final destination changes radically...
This project was supposed to be signed last year but because of the Covid crisis it has been postponed...
...

My stay here in Martinique ends in a week, on the 27th I will be in Paris, the visa to go on my new project will be ready at the beginning of January for a departure planned on the 13th

But the "big project" was signed last week (1$Md), so as usual I am not sure to go to the Hispanic country, to be continued...

[Delicate Snowflake]

I worry for you somewhat on that island, Kristof... there is only a single golf course! The tribulations and sufferings that one must endure...

Looking forward to your island report, and your hispanic trip too

Here he is, "Golf des Trois Ilets":

That looks quite lovely, complete with a marina to park one’s yacht whilst one golfs

[Kristof]

That looks quite lovely, complete with a marina to park one’s yacht whilst one golfs

[Kristof]

Small "surprise" today during the visit of the Clement plantation (Rum), not to see this GMC, there is on the island a Willys club and I already saw jeeps of this period.
But I did not expect to see the name of George H.W. Bush!!

https://azmartinique.com/en/all-to-know ... rrand-bush
On March 14, 1991, the Habitation Clément was chosen to welcome Presidents François Mitterrand (President of France 1981-1995) and George Bush senior (President of the United States 1989-1993) during a Franco-American summit following in the Gulf War. On Thursday March 14, 1991, the Air Force One, an American presidential plane landed at Fort de France airport from Canada where the American President had just met Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.

Martinique was chosen because President Bush's busy agenda required him to meet several heads of state in the America-Caribbean zone. Moreover, after Martinique, it was in Bermuda that George Bush went to meet the British Prime Minister John Major before returning to Washington on Sunday, March 17.

In addition, George Bush loved the islands of the Caribbean, which he considered to be resorts and privileged economic partners of the United States. He often chose the different islands of the Caribbean as a place of rest when he was on vacation during his presidency.

----------------------------
"My pictures":

[Kristof]

Rhum Clément
https://www.rhum-clement.com/fr/

Besides the distillery there is also a park with sculptures.