Standing right inside the entrance looking down the two rows of trees near the road

Every time I tour the Amazon Golf Course I’m impressed by the amount of manual labor it took to build. I’m proud of our hard working crew. Their dedication is marvelous. First I always think, “None of this would be possible without them.”

My favorite measuring stick, measuring the growth of this tree we planted two years ago.

All of us work too hard and don’t have enough time or energy left over to appreciate what we have accomplished here near Iquitos Peru. I hope you can come and appreciate it for us. Then the work will be worth while.

Palm Blossoms and fruit at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

To maintain these 24 acres with only 2 weed eaters and one push mower is literally impossible. But, we do the best we can, and that’s pretty darn good.

Marmelita and Margarita inspect the new cup and flag holder on the 9th green. It's 330 yards, par 4.

The Amazon Golf Course is practically a miracle. We had to over come a lot of obstacles, more than you can imagine. We did overcome them.

The view looking north-west, from the observation deck of the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

This is part of what we are growing here.

The view of the lushness of the Amazon Golf Course from the second floor of the clubhouse.

The soil is not fertile. We make our own organic compost with a hand full of lime to sweeten the soil.

The view looking east from the top floor of the Amazon Golf Course clubhouse

There is a lovely grove of aguaje palms on the east side of the clubhouse where monkeys sometimes come to forage.

The view from the second story of the clubhouse looking west, over the 1st tee, past the driving range shelter to the first green 122 yards, par 3.

We have over 2,700 healthy, strong trees and blooming bushes growing fast, that we planted in the last couple of years, and we are still planting. Our carbon footprint is getting smaller. How about yours? Give us a hand!

View of the Amazon Golf Course from the ground.

I thought 2,000 trees and blooming bushes would be a difficult goal. From our present position, 3,000 looks easy. It’s not too late to help.

Wally Lloyd's oil plams lining the 1st fairway on the Amazon Golf Course.

The oil palms growing so vigorously along the 1st fairway have a special place in my heart. They were donated by Wally Lloyd, the architect of the Amazon Golf Course, and the clubhouse, and a good friend of those of us who knew him best. Wally has passed on, but his Oil Palms (once lost and abandoned), have been found, replanted, and some might say reincarnated. We baby them even more than the other trees and they like the extra attention.

This croton growing along the side of the 1st fairway on the Amazon Golf Course was 1 stem maybe 10 inches tall when we planted it. In two more years it will probably be 5 feet tall and spectacular.

We didn’t just plant these trees and bushes. We loved them with many applications of our own compost and a hand full of lime. We don’t have any equipment fancier than an old wheelbarrow, but the plants growing on the opposite side of the 24 acres from the compost pile get the same loving applications as the ones in front of the clubhouse. Sometimes the grass gets tall where we don’t want it to, but never around our precious plants. We are thinking long term. Be patient with us.

This croton looks like firworks exploding to me. Look in the background to get a better idea of what we are doing on the Amazon Golf Course.

Stay with me. We are going to take a little stroll around the Amazon Golf Course. I hope you like it.

Drainage on the Amazon Golf Course

Most golf courses in the world have to irrigate. Here in the Amazon Rainforest in the district of Loreto Peru, one of our biggest problems at the Amazon Golf Course is drainage. Drainage streams are another opportunity to plant our blooming bushes to attract birds and wildlife.

A water hazard on the Amazon Golf Course

Which means we can channel water and easily have our water hazards where ever we want. Aguaje palms love a water hazard near their roots.

Showing the new directional tee markers pointing to the 6th hole, 269 yards, par 4, on the Amazon Golf Course.

We continue making improvements such as the new tee markers showing the way around the Amazon Golf Course for those that would rather not be accompanied by a caddy.

Tee 3 with water hazard, 259 yards, par 4, Amazon Golf Course.

I hope you are liking what you see here. This has been a real challenge in every way. The amount of work it took to get from fourth growth jungle to fairly refined golf course without many modern labor saving tools is nearly unbelievable. It required an inspiration, a large amount of hard manual labor, a vision, an investment, passion, and a lot of tender loving care.

Hard manual labor is what makes the Amazon Golf Course possible.

When these 3,000 trees and bushes mature, and the birds and wildlife associated with them live on the property, the Amazon Golf Course will be one of the most popular destinations for tourists in Iquitos whether they are golfers or not.

Crotons have an amazing variety of colors and leaf shapes. There is a thriving croton planted in between each coconut palm tree that border the fairways on the Amazon Golf Course.

I love crotons! I raised them as house plants back in the northern hemisphere. They like their conditions much better here in the tropics.

A croton, a coconut palm, a croton, a coconut palm...that's the pattern defining the fairways on the Amazon Golf Course.

These crotons were less than a foot tall when we planted them. Now look…

Margarita beside one of the crotons she planted when it was one stem and a foot tall less than two years ago.

We love and appreciate Margarita and her family. Margarita is our on-site caretaker, in charge of the crew of workers, without whom the Amazon Golf Course would not be nearly as beautiful. I think maybe at first they were humoring the eccentric gringo in charge of the 2,000 tree planting project, but now they are completely on board. Her husband Rodrigo is our horticulturalist, (and Maestro of most everything) I admire him a lot. We are a team. Everyone is completely on board.

Young trees and bushes growing on the backside of the Amazon Golf Course

Ok, use your imagination. What will these 2,700 trees and blooming bushes look like in 5 years. Some people are concerned about the economy, wars, religions, the end of the world, saving the world. I’m a simple man. I like to stand here and watch the plants grow. I want to stand here with you in the shade in 2016 listening to the birds singing, and the frogs croaking, enjoying the humming birds slurping nectar from the blooming bushes while we slurp the coconut milk, fresh from the nut. We will have park benches with thatch roofs in strategic locations. We’ll sit there and talk about the old days. Life is good.

Oil palms growing in the rough near the west border of the Amazon Golf Course

But enough day dreaming. There is a lot of work to be done between now and 2016. The baby crawls before it walks.

Martin Green's bridge on the Amazon Golf Course.

I also have a vision for how this bridge could be designed before 2016, but we have other more pressing problems to solve first. For now, this is a big improvement from when Martin Green made fun of our “Hogan’s Bridge” in his article Augusta in the Amazon.

Green number 3, 259 yards, par 4, at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

I’m also pleased by the improvement in our greens over the last two years. The greens can still be greatly improved by the use of a $7,000 green mower, but for now, we use what we have, a small push mower.

Green number 4, a mesa, surrounded by a moat stocked with piranhas. It's a par 3, a difficult 110 yards.

The award for most improved green in the last two years is green number 4. Two years ago it was unplayable, unless you are Joe Boatright, who solved that problem by getting the only hole-in-one on the Amazon Golf Course on number 4.

This is the best green number 4 has ever played, and we are working to make it better.

Green number 4 is the farthest from the clubhouse and work area. Sand is carried in bags on strong backs or in a wheelbarrow and spread and raked and then rolled and rolled. The grass comes through and the green gets firmer and flatter each time. Because green number 4 was farthest from the sand pile, it got less attention. We have corrected that problem.

This tree has lots of wonderful new growth.

This land is nutrient poor but we are getting around that problem with regular homemade compost mulches, a hand full of lime to sweeten the ph of the soil, foliar feeding the plants, and a hand full of balanced fertilizer per plant once a year.

The tee off to green number 5 on the Amazon Golf Course. It's 243 yards, par 4.

As we walk around the Amazon Golf Course you will notice the peace and quiet. A pleasure after the hustle and bustle of Iquitos.

dangerous green number 6, surrounded by piranha infested water, 269 yards, par 4, on the Amazon Golf Course.

The Amazon Golf Course is beautiful now and will be more beautiful as these plants grow and when we acquire a riding mower and a special greens mower.

Look at the incredible growth on this croton since it was planted at the Amazon Golf Course.

The Amazon Golf Course will become famous. I guarantee it. We will promote Iquitos and increase high end tourism. Golfers, telling the same old stories, playing the same holes, at the same old golf courses in Myrtle Beach, Indianapolis, and around the world will learn about this adventure golf destination. They will come here to play it them selves. They will stay in the best hotels, take the best tours and eat at the best restaurants. This tourism trend is inevitable. Get behind it.

One of the crew working with a weed-eater near green number 8 on the Amazon Golf Course.

The Amazon Golf Course will be positioned to provide that adventure golf tourism. Nearly every golfer that ever played here wanted their picture taken with the machete that is issued with every bag of golf clubs. Every one of those adventure golfers have a new story to tell their friends and family back home.

I am so proud of our crew. They work hard and do the best job possible with what they have to work with. I can not brag enough about them. Our crew works with the goal of making the Amazon Golf Course a beautiful place to play golf.

It would be a mistake to attempt to turn Iquitos into Indianapolis, and it would be a mistake to take the adventure out of adventure golf. There should always be piranhas in the water hazards, caimans sunning in the sand traps, and boas constricting in the rough. There should always be a machete issued with the golf clubs, even in 2015. Lets not lose sight of what makes us unique.

More improvement at the Amazon Golf Course thanks to Martin Greens suggestions.

We keep making improvements. We can’t do everything all at once. First the baby crawls, then it takes it’s first wobbly steps…

My personal favorite, green number 8, 388 yards, par 4, Amazon Golf Course.

Then it runs…

The rough on the east boundary of the Amazon Golf Course.

Then it gets old and creaky like me and starts getting tired right about now in our walk around the Amazon Golf Course. I hope you enjoyed our tour. Only a little farther to go.

We are still planting. Here is a nice little ficus tree with a good start at the Amazon Golf Course.

We are well on our way from 2,700 plants, at last official count, to 3,000 trees and blooming bushes. Our new goal. It’s an undertaking we can all be proud of.

Crotons, the closest to fall colors we can have on the Amazon Golf Course, but we have them all year long:)

The crotons are the closest we can come to New England or Brown County fall colors. We are lucky to have them all year. They don’t lose all their leaves at once. The only green leaves are the new growth.

A croton, a coconut palm, a croton, a coconut palm; the pattern at the Amazon Golf Course.

I love crotons in case you haven’t guessed…

There are lots, more plants to photograph, these are just a few of the ones we walked near enough that they called out to get our attention. You get the picture. The next tour we will walk a different path and photograph other plants and greens.

This scene will be spectacular in a couple of years. It's a pretty scene today.

I wish all of you could be here with with us and watch the trees grow, and the bushes bloom.

Green number 7, 505 yards, par 5, Amazon Golf Course.

This concludes our pictorial tour of the Amazon Golf Course located in Iquitos Peru. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. Come play a round or two, and watch the trees grow with me.

A tour Of The Amazon Golf Course, In Iquitos Peru

Bill Grimes is the manager of the Amazon Golf Course, and is reporting from Iquitos Peru. Stay tuned as the trees grow…

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The Shamans Ball was held at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru.

The Shamans Ball at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

Marmelita and I attended The Shamans Ball, at the Amazon Golf Course, a gathering of Shamans and the ayahuasca faithful that would be considered unusual in most places. Somehow here it didn’t seem so out of the ordinary to have 20 or 30 shamans interacting on a Golf Course. This event could not have taken place anywhere else on earth except in Iquitos Peru.

View from the top floor of the Amazon Golf Course Clubhouse of the preparations for the Shamans Ball

The catalyst for the gathering was that Vanity Fair sent a couple of popular journalists, Ted Mann and Rick Meyerowitz, on assignment to write an article about Shamanism and Ayahuasca in Iquitos Peru. Ted and Rick have highly developed senses of humor, and there was something about the concept of a Shamans Ball that tickled Ted.

The Iquitos String Orchestra playing at the Amazon Golf Course

So he invited 30 shamans and their family and friends, dressed in a tuxedo, and hired the Iquitos String Orchestra to play for the “Shamans Ball”. If that wasn’t strange enough, the Shamans Ball was performed at the Amazon Golf Course.

Rick Meyerowitz, Amarath, Emma, and Ted Mann at the Shamans Ball, Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

It’s probably not a coincidence this sounds like something out of National Lampoon Magazine. Rick and Ted both worked for the Lampoon for several years back in the early 70s. Or maybe it doesn’t sound like National Lampoon. Maybe this is just as normal as a spring rain, reading a book, and eating a piece of chocolate cake. As normal as it gets…Maybe?…Is this how your life is? Does this sound normal to you?

Emma, Rick, shaman, Ted, Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

Marmelita overheard one shaman talking on his cell phone as he walked down the lane to the road. He said, “I don’t know what’s going on here, but it’s something weird and I’m leaving.” It may have been weird but that shaman missed out on some great music, interesting conversation, and a delicious chicken BBQ. Margarita and the crew served 78 meals.

Ted, shaman, Emma, at the Shamans Ball, performed at the Amazon Golf Course in Iquitos Peru

You could enjoy reading more about Vanity Fair, Rick Meyerowitz, Ted Mann, Shamanism, Ayahuasca, and some of my opinions and plans by following this link to my Captains Blog and to this article; Shamanism, Ayahuasca, and Vanity Fair in Iquitos Peru.

This is what the east side of the entrance to the Amazon Golf Course looked like on the day of the Shamans Ball

Our flower gardens, and all of the blooming bushes and trees are growing and looking great at the Amazon Golf Course.

The flower garden on the west side of the entrance to the Amazon Golf Course on the day of the Shamans Ball

We took Brian Wienmeyer, one of our friends, with us. We had a great day. It was extremely interesting. I wish you could have been there to see this with your own eyes. I’m telling you, no where else in the world would this have happened.

One of our friends, Brian Wienmeyer, in the entrance of the Amazon Golf Course

The Shamans Ball was held at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

Bill Grimes is the manager of the Amazon Golf Course, president of Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises, and owns and hosts the Dawn on the Amazon Cafe, among many other projects.

Check out more of Bill Grimes’s writing on his Captain’s Blog. To follow up on this story, click the links below;

How Does Shamanism, Ayahuasca, And Vanity Fair Come Together In Iquitos Peru, And What Will Be The Result?;

Opinions About Ayahuasca From The Shaman’s Apprentice;

New Ayahuasca Diet Menu At The Dawn on the Amazon Cafe;

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The Chica of the Month Photo Shoot at the Amazon Golf Course in Iquitos Peru.

This is a guest post from our friend Royce Reed. The photos are published here with Royce’s permission.

The Chica of the Month, modeling on the top floor of the Amazon Golf Course Clubhouse, Iquitos Peru

We would like to present the beautiful and elegant Ivonne Del Pilar Panduro Perez. Ivonne is 22 years old and her star sign is Virgo.

Chica of the Month modeling at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

She lives in the Puchana district of the city with her parents and 4 younger brothers and sisters. Ivonne was recently crowned Miss Elegance in a beauty pageant in Bella Vista.

Chica of the Month, posing at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

In her spare time Ivonne likes to listen to music and practice her English. Ivonne is currently enrolled in the university and is studying to become a nurse.

The Chica of the Month, posing on the 9th green at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

Ivonne speaks very little English, but her smile says it all, “Welcome to Iquitos!”

The Chica of the Month photo shoot at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru.

A guest post by our friend Royce Reed

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Jeff Sutherland, publisher of Inside Golf Magazine, and www.insidegolf.ca, sent Mike Collis an email saying in part, “…I have taken the liberty of visiting your site and then written a piece about your amazing achievement. Please note we ran this in our 5,000 subscriber newsletter and in the summer issue of our magazine…”

Golfing Amazon Style, From The Fringe

I'm going to dine on this forever. What other golfer can claim to have lost a finger tip to a piranha while playing golf?

In the campy British “Carry On” movies of the 1960s, there was a scene where the explorers emerge from a jungle trail to find themselves in the middle of civilization.

Little did Birmingham, England native and past Vancouver resident Mike Collis realize that he would write his own golfing version when he decided to move to Iquitos, Peru. “Iquitos was then a town without a golf course.” Collis recalls. “Other expats like me missed our golf so much that in January 2004 we decided to found our own.”

Mike Collis, visionary of the Amazon Golf Club

Given that this was the world’s largest city without any road access, this might seem a tough undertaking, but Collis had already proven that he could get things done. In 1999 Mike had come up with the idea of a rafting race down the Amazon River, an annual event that now attracts teams from around the world. So the idea of putting a golf course in a community where virtually no-one had ever held a club might not have been as daunting as first thought.

It started with getting more than 60 “Founder Members” from 14 different countries to buy shares and fund construction. Once they had the financing in place, a site was selected and work started on the Amazon Golf Club. Volunteers and workers carved holes out of second growth jungle taking every precaution possible to limit ecological disturbance and, four long years after breaking ground, the first official golfer, Johan Ohrling of Sweden tee’d it up May 1st, 2008 on 2,500-yard, 9 hole layout that included 4 par-threes, 4 par-fours, and 1 par-five.

Still if you plan to follow in Johan’s foot steps you should remember this is not your mother’s golf course.

At the Amazon Club, it’s not so much about birdies and eagles; it’s more about the boas, ‘gators and piranhas.

Greens here are elevated for a reason

This is likely the only course in the world where golfers are provided with a machete before they tee off and warned about the wildlife.

“We always, always tell golfers not to retrieve balls from the water traps unless they really are intent on feeding the local wildlife,” says Collis.

One visitor who did not heed this advice will have a reminder of his indiscretion for the rest of his life.

In 2008, David Parry from Wales, a 7-handicapper, tried to retrieve a ball from the pond near to the 2nd green. He recalls, “I could see my ball lying in about 6″ of water and decided to lift it out rather than lose a ball. As I put my left hand in to grab the ball, in an instant, a piranha came out of the shadows and bit off the tip of my little finger. It didn’t hurt at first but it did later, and as blood dripped into the water a whole shoal of the blighters appeared.”

Still David Parry was fairly sanguine about his loss, “I’m going to dine on this forever. What other golfer can claim to have lost a finger tip to a piranha while playing golf?”

Collis observed, “Mr. Parry was very lucky. The fish could have easily taken the whole finger…or more.”

American Ron Shores, with 420 lbs. anaconda

This is not the only time that a tourist has had a run-in with a Amazon sized animal. Collis recounts the story of American Ron Shores who, while hiking was attacked by a 420 lbs, 22-foot Anaconda in a small creek. Luckily he was strong enough to remain standing while his companions came to his aid. His experienced guide wanted to shoot the snake but Ron insisted it be released.

One group of people who would not need to be given advice about the dangers of the jungle would be the locals…and getting local Peruvians to play is also a major goal for the course. There are special discounts for Peruvian players age 25 and younger to encourage them to get involved.

There is a mandate to get locals to start golfing

Green fees for guests are $25 for 18 holes and that includes 12 balls, clubs, and machete. Additional balls are $1 each. They ask that if you can, to bring extra balls to leave as they are hard to come by.

View from the recently built clubhouse

If coming to the Peruvian jungle might be a little too far to go just to play golf, they have also put together great 6 to 9 day packages where they arrange everything from flights from Lima to accommodation to golf at the course to a 3-day river tour down the Amazon. Prices start at a very reasonable $900 USD for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. As Mike Collis puts it in an understated English way, “Perhaps one day you might ‘nip’ over for a round of jungle golf.”

The Amazon Golf Club has a very entertaining blog on their website where you keep up with developments at the course. Visit www.amazongolfcourse.com to find out more.

Golfing Amazon Style, From The Fringe

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We Planted 85 Amarillo Palm Trees At the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

Bill Grimes tastes the fruit of the Amarillo Coconut Palm tree, and likes it.

There are at least 3 species of coconut palm trees here in Iquitos Peru, the green, gray and yellow or Amarillo. We have 3 rows of Amarillo Palms lining the fairways, but the rows are incomplete and we want to extend them with the same species. This should have been done in 2004, but it wasn’t, so we are doing it now. I estimated it would take 81 trees.

We found a source of sprouted Amarillo Palm nuts at Recreo Familiar Don Pepe's.

We learned from Don Pepe if we had planned ahead it takes around 4 months for a coconut to dry and sprout. We’ve already waited too long. I wanted instant impact so we paid S/ 2 soles, around $.60 cents per sprouted coconut palm. We bought 85, every sprouted nut on his place.

Gathering the 85 rooted, sprouted coconuts.

We sacked them up, loaded them onto a motocarro, and headed for the Amazon Golf Course.

Marmelita and a motocarro full of Amarillo Palm tree sprouts.

Half of them were planted that afternoon and the other half the next day. It turned out we were short 10 trees of having the perfect number but we will find them in the next few days to finish this part of the project.

Amarillo Palm tree sprouts ready to plant at the Amazon Golf Course.

This is part of my vision for the future of the Amazon Golf Course. It will take a couple of years for you to see in reality what I “see” now, but these 85 Amarillo Palm trees will be the single biggest impact we will make in our landscaping project.

We are in the process of planting 2,000 trees and blooming bushes. Tomorrow I want to get an accurate count of how many trees and blooming bushes we have planted that are alive and doing well, and I will report back here to you with the species, numbers, and some photos.

We Planted 85 Amarillo Palm Trees At the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

Bill Grimes, Amazon Golf Course Manager

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Beware of the Piranhas at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

Mike Collis releasing 105 hungry piranhas to guard the 5th water trap.

The fish had been travelling in a big bucket for over an hour and by the time they were released into their new home over 20 had to be resuscitated by gently holding them upright in the water until they revived and swam off. Fortunately, of the 105 piranhas delivered, only 1 died.
 
2 Irish golfers, Barry Hyland and Sean Feely, were playing a round of golf at the time. They witnessed the release and took the photos. Barry and Sean recommend not retrieving golf balls from the water traps.

Beware of the Piranhas at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos Peru

Mike Collis, Iquitos Times

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Celebrating The Rebellion Against The Crown

Guest Post by Barry Brett

One of a series of short humorous stories of life in Iquitos.

Each article is a portrayal of actual events, written from the perspective of a Californian living in the Jungle City of Iquitos, Peru.

Barry Brett celebrating the rebellion against the crown at the Amazon Golf Course on July 4th, 2009.

Well I was born in England, went to school and college there. Worked my first few jobs there, but always inside I was American! While other children happily read Beano and Dandy comics I was hooked on Mickey Mouse weekly. Those Disney cartoons were everything to me. As I grew-up I slicked back my hair, put on my blue jeans (American Levis) and slid into my Blue Suede Shoes. Yes I was in love with Elvis and American Rock & Roll. So it should come as no surprise that having travelled much of the world by age twenty two I found myself finally in the U.S., sitting on the Florida sand at Coco Beach together with some two million Americans watching the launch to the Moon. I never really left! I’ve lived in the U.S. more than forty years and now I find myself completely Americanized with just a slight trace of that perfect English accent I once had.
   
I think of myself as American, my son was born in California and my wife was Californian. So there I was at the Amazon Golf Course, Iquitos, Peru. Celebrating the Rebellion Against the Crown. It had been raining heavily for quite sometime. (After all it is the rainforest!). When we arrived Bill Curtis was playing flute upstairs entertaining Bill Grimes and other Americans. I wanted to ask Bill if he could play Yankee Doodle Dandy but then I realized I’d forgotten the words. I could have sung God Save the Queen. I still remember those words but somehow it didn’t seem appropriate! Did it ever seem appropriate? Waltzing Matilda sounds even more bizarre. Who was Matilda anyway? I’ve got my own ideas on that one but I wouldn’t want to offend my Aussie friends! But God save the Queen. What was she doing that was so bad that she had to be saved?

Bill Curtis playing the flute for the July 4th celebration at the Amazon Golf Course Clubhouse.

I settled for hot dogs and the Star Spangled Banner. The hot dogs (Brazilian Sausage) together with Beans and Potato Salad were excellent as was all the American cuisine. I chugged-down a couple of Inka Colas and the beer drinkers stuck to their favorites, Pilsen or Iquiteña. It was quite a treat after so many months of fake American food in Arie’s Burger and the other boulevard restaurants. Surrounded by Red, White and Blue balloons, it felt like America even though we were thousands of miles from home.

There was plenty of good music, dancing and golfing in the rain for those so inclined. Dancing is not permitted on the golf course unless totally drunk! Then there’s an additional fee to remove all the empty six-packs or was it beer kegs? It was a mixed bunch.

Celebrating July 4th at the Amazon Golf Course Clubhouse.

There were other Brits celebrating the loss of the Colony; that kick in-the-teeth, chop-off the hand that fed you (and TAXED YOU). Or maybe it was just an excuse to chug-down some more beer. After all there are plenty of Americans who see the Fourth as an excuse to party-down. As for me the Fourth represents much more than that.

Yes, THE FOURTH. Notice that Americans never describe it as the Fourth of July. To us it’s THE FOURTH. It represents a sea-change in political thought. Those TRAITORS, (Oh, I mean THOSE HEROES) who risked a public hanging to give the world a new concept of governance. The notion that the rights of man are god-given and not the property of Kings and Queens, Emperors and Despots. Rights that are god-given and cannot be abridged or taken away without the express consent of the governed. I was celebrating the founding documents, the Constitution, Declaration and the Bill of Rights. The world has never been the same since. There was a time once, when I was a child walking through the ruble of my totally destroyed hometown when the Stars and Stripes meant everything to everyone. Americans were heroes and welcomed as liberators. Oh gosh, the American flag, the Stars and Stripes. Have I been color-blind all these years. Is it, yes it is. RED, WHITE and BLUE. NO it can’t be. But surely it is. Aren’t they the same colors from the British flag, the Union Jack? No they wouldn’t would they? I mean that’s trans-atlantic thievery. Steal the colors after kicking the Brits in the teeth?  OH YES THEY WOULD!

Celebrating The Rebellion Against The Crown

Barry Brett

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