I started this blog back in 2017, in an attempt to unleash my short stories on the world. What I soon discovered is that my short stories were not quite short enough for my blog, so I carefully assumed this was why my viewership was low. While I didn’t sign up for this WordPress account for popularity or to have every one of my posts “liked” and praised by everyone who came across them, I felt like I was pissing in the wind trying to empty the contents of my mind on to this platform. So, last year I decided to change my blog from Hello Victoria to Mauby Tales & Travel. The idea around Hello Victoria was based on my short stories alone, but after I committed myself to posting at least one blog per month. My short stories could not support such an ambitious goal, especially trying to balance work, school, and my doldrum of a life. In an attempt to find my niche, I found myself writing about my favorite YouTube channel or the musician I was obsessed with at the time. I honestly found it hard to create content between the time it took me to write, edit, and publish the short stories. Then one day, I hit a nerve with a post called “How I got a Job that (kinda) Helped me to Travel.”  I published it in June of 2019 and noticed that while it didn’t receive many “likes,” it got more traffic than anything I had at the time. People seem to like it, so I decided perhaps sharing my travel experience along with my opinion or tales as I would like to call them, on a variety of topics, could be an area worth exploring.  

Why Mauby?

Mauby is a drink that I grew up drinking in the Caribbean. It’s a beverage that has been around for decades existing in several variations on islands like Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Saba, Cayman Island, St. Kitts, Barbados, Aruba, Trinidad, St. Martin, St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Thomas, Guyana, and the list goes on. It is made from mauby tree bark with sugar, spices, fruits, and sometimes it can be fermented or non-fermented.

Its conception was due to the readily available materials that flourish in tropical climates, which turned this drink into a famous delight that honestly is an acquired taste. Depending on who makes it or which country it comes from, it could be absurdly sweet or have an aftertaste that’s along the lines of bitterness. Since this is mainly made of tree bark, some might say that it takes on similar characteristics to homemade root-beer but with a much more exotic different twist. 

For me, Mauby means a lot as its presences a past I sometimes long for, and something that in the worst of times became a source of nourishment for many. Choosing the name Mauby wasn’t random for just like with other Caribbean people, it provided a pathway to some financial stability for many families and vendors who peddled it in markets, on villages streets, or during festive times. For me, it represents familiarity and a common link to my cultural identity. For those who see the name Mauby and immediately know what it is, they too know the secret. As it’s become a way for me to proudly announce my heritage without directly saying where I am from.  It is a way to bond over the unusual, exotic, traditional, and a culture that many Caribbean people long for and try to create wherever they end up in this world. 

Welcome to Mauby Tales & Travel, a blog that allows me to explore the three things I love the most; Caribbean culture, travel, and offering my account of the many tales in my life.

Before I end this blog check out how Mauby is made by one of my favorate Carribean foodies, YouTuber, blogger, and Caribbean culinary expert Chris. He has his own YouTube channel where he recreated the best Caribbean dishes. Check out his Carribean Pot YouTube channel and CaribbeanPot.com, he has some very good recipe and detailed explanations of how to cook Caribbean dishes and even precure certain ingredients.