St Lucia

We arrived early in the morning at St. Lucia. Our ship is enormous and truly filled the channel coming into the dockyard. Behind us were three other cruise line ships, Carnival, A German cruising vessel and Holland America’s Nordam.

Hubby and I went up for breakfast and a young woman came over to clear our table and I looked at her and I knew her! After talking to her for several minutes, we knew where we had met each other. Two years ago when we went through the Panama Canal, she was our waitress! She didn’t remember at first, but then I reminded her that I’d given her my birthday flowers because I could not take them with me. Then all of a sudden her face lit up with a smile and she remembered me! That made me feel wonderful!

Our tour of St. Lucia was scheduled to meet on the docks at 9:30 AM and we hustled down to meet up with the guide. We no sooner got to the docks but the skies opened up and rain came pouring down. Our feet got wet, but we did have our umbrellas so our clothes stayed dry.

Eventually we got on the bus and headed out to see St. Lucia. We drove along steep mountain roads with more hairpin turns than I had ever seen. It felt very much like a roller coaster, with great climbs up to the top of a ridge, and the quickly down the other side! While we were en-route to our first destination, The Pitons, I saw many amazing things.

Bananas were growing all over the island. In the video you will see blue bags hanging from the banana trees. These bags keep the insects off of the bananas. Besides bananas, the grow baby bananas, plantains, and bread fruit.

I saw more Mama Doggies with their babies, and I felt homesick for my four. I saw a Mama duck with her chicks, and cats and kittens. There were a lot of cows (eating beef only, as they import all their milk and dairy products from the USA or Great Britain.

We learned that there is about a 20 percent unemployment rate, but I have to say, many people were just sitting next to the side of the road. Children played, goats grazed and I found that the population seems to be divided into three categories, those that have money, those who work for their money and those that have nothing.

We finally got to Soufraire where we viewed the Piton Mountains that are well over 2300 feet. They really are something to see, so close to the ocean, to perfectly spherical cones.

We were on to Sulfur Springs National Park. There we walked down to visit the sulfur pools before the guide advised us that were actually standing inside a volcano. Of course it has not erupted since 1766, and as long as the volcano sends out this steam, they believe she will not erupt again anytime too soon.

We visited the Diamond Botanical Gardens and the flora and fauna were so breathtakingly beautiful. I hope you will enjoy seeing all the flowers in the video. Once I get home I will put together a better montage, but for now with limited Internet time, this is about all I can do.

People would come and take some of the rocks and the water before in 2004 it was declared a UNESCO site and it was closed and protected. Now you may only enter with a guide from their National Park System.
Lunch was provided and I had a delicious fish and salads as well as my first ever taste of bread fruit. It’s not my favorite thing in the word, but the guide said it is very healthy for you!

The ship left St. Lucia at 6 PM while we were on our way to dinner. I had scallops tonight and Hubby had Lamb. Not sure I have mentioned this or not, but our table mates are a wonderful couple from California and we just delight in meeting them each night for dinner.

Tomorrow we will spend the day in Barbados. I have not been there in many years and I really look forward to seeing it again.

Have a great day everyone!!!