#POBPhotocontest: The Rock which Holds Up The World

I am pleased to participate in this week's #POBPhotocontest and for my entry, in accordance with the theme, ROCK, I share with you an image of an outcrop of rock at the peak of the tallest hill in the second city of my country, Trinidad and Tobago, which was once believed by native tribes to be the hill which held up the northern end of world.

The easiest thing to explain here is why I took the picture. For me, this picture captures not only a national landmark in my country, but there is also a bit of nostalgia and a lot of history here.

This rock stands on a hill known as San Fernando Hill today, though it was once known by native tribes as Anaparima, the sacred home of one of the four spirits holding up a corner of the Earth.

There were many Amerindian tribes living here before European settlement. One tribe was the Warao, and they believed that this hill was home to the divine spirit on the northern end of the Earth: the Great Blue Butterfly Kanobo.

They also believed that the hill was the final resting place of their mythical hero, Haburi, believed to be the maker of the first canoe. I'll leave a link here detailing that legend.

Following European settlement on the island, the Warao rejected attempts at conversion to Christianity and left the island en masse, returning to the Orinoco Delta in Venezuela. Nevertheless, the elders continued to make annual pilgrimages between the countries for many years, walking naked through the streets of the city and causing quite a stir, as they followed a trail to this sacred site so that they could conduct smoke ceremonies.

This outcrop is a part of what's been left on the hill after it lost one third of its size due to development and quarrying which continued unabated for many years until it was stopped in 1977.

The area was converted into a national park in 1980 and tourists now travel to the hill for get togethers and picnics and to enjoy the breathtaking views which, from this rock, extend all the way out to sea.

That's it for my submission, guys, I am pleased to bring a piece of my country to you, if only a rock. Hopefully, we can share more in the future. Have a great day!