St. Lucia has been on my list of 'places to see' for a few years now and I'm so excited to be here. Now, I'm sure some will disagree and I can't say for sure because I haven't been EVERY-where yet but this island has been purported to be the most beautiful in all the Caribbean. And it was truly beautiful to us. This island is hilly and tropical and lush and green and vibrant. There are mountains and rain-forest, trails, and streams. First stop on our day-long tour is at a little shopping centre up the hill a piece. We shop for island-made jewelry, bowls hand-made from palm fronds, and delicious banana ketchup. The people are friendly and joyous. This new friend of mine agreed to have his picture posted.
Hubby and I are in the last rows on a short bus, sitting atop the rear right wheel. The twists and turns on this island are hairpin-crazy and every turn feels like Space Mountain at Disneyland. Yee-ikes. Thank goodness for Bonine (meclazine) my favorite anti-nausea pill. Our driver was a young student at home on her break from university. We learned all about the educational system in the Caribbean and the choices they can make as far as learning goes. Students attend school until the age of 17 or 18, subsidized by the government, most strictly wearing uniforms. There are no gangs here, but there is poverty and fights over clothing and shoes. Students are allowed to decide if college is right for them or not and choose from many places of learning throughout the Caribbean; even a good number of quality medical schools.
The St. Lucian Pitons were a huge draw for us and they were gorgeous. Take a peek...
The sights on this island vary from the richest to the poorest of the poor and everything in between.
We made a quiet stop at the Maranatha Prayer Garden after driving through the La Soufriere Volcano. There are hundreds and hundreds of people happily living in the crater of this volcano as the steam continues to pour forth from the earth.
The prayer garden was so peaceful - like a sanctuary away from everything else. If you have ever been to the Buchart Gardens in Victoria, this place was similar on a much much smaller scale. The birds were chirping and humming and the place smelled like a tropical heaven. Reminded me of how badly I want to get back to Hawaii... 97 days till that trip!
Our last stop dropped us off for some delicious island cuisine - fry bread, plantains, and jerk chicken. Oh, and St. Lucia's finest Piton beer.
You may be thinking that all we did on this trip was drink... ha!ha! You're almost exactly right.... we did eat too :)
Next stop on this Caribbean adventure ~ the lovely island country of Antigua.
Happy Travels,
Deb :)
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