BAMBOO RAFT JAMAICA

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aukepalmhof
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BAMBOO RAFT JAMAICA

Post by aukepalmhof » Sun Jul 01, 2018 9:23 pm

Jamaica issued in 1972 one stamp of 50c with a bamboo river raft.

The raft made of bamboo is used on fording rivers in the northeaster parish of Portland, where the rafts have transported goods and people down or across the Rio Grande, Jamaica largest river.

Today rafting down this scenic river has become a favourite sports for Jamaicans and tourists alike. A similar kind of recreational rafting has also developed on the Martha Brae River in the north-western parish of Trelawny.

The rafts are made usually from 11 to 14 culms approximately 18 m in length are bound together to form a raft. It has a bamboo seat for 2 or 3 persons at the rear, and the rafter stands at the front of the raft and guided it downstream with a bamboo pole.

The rafts does not last longer than 4 – 5 months. The continuous pounding of the culms against the gravel-bed of the river causes them to split and become water-logged.

It takes 5 days to 4 weeks to make a raft and one of the greatest difficulties is obtaining bamboo of the right size and quality. The bamboo is common along the banks of the Rio Grande River but the culms are too small for rafts. The builders have to go in the bush to get good bamboo which takes a lot of work and time.

Today the rafts are mainly made for the tourist, but during floods which frequently appear in Jamaica are also used by the local population to ferry goods and people.

Source: http://sociology.cofc.edu/documents/Ras ... amaica.pdf
Jamaica 1972 50c sg 356, scott 355.
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