… my strongest guess is that it was the pirates and their depiction in popular culture that made me admire their buccaneering life whilst sailing through turquoise waters, drinking rum, hunting for treasures and being constantly aware that there shall be no ‘r’ spoken without at least two additional ‘r’s in pursue – as in Arrr. Over time, my eternal admiration of these plundering alcoholics decreased somewhat, but my fascination and interest in the region that gave birth to those very stories stays unbroken. The Caribbean, its cultural heritage, geographic location and history are truly rich and colorful – except the part where colonial overlords destroyed the civilizations and enslaved its people.

I am already looking forward to the next time my journeys take me far West again. Too many places still unseen, too many islands I probably haven’t even heard of, too many people I haven’t met… I certainly desire to continue exploring this intriguing region to document its beauty, a memory for this diary. The Caribbean is, aside of the obstacles that its societies face, a magical region of this world well worth preserving.

It might very well be that I do not manage to see every corner of the Caribbean or hear every story told about it. However, the charm of this region leaves me no choice but to dedicate a lifelong rum diary to it. This long-term project is exclusively shot on film – 35mm and 6x6 medium format.