Saint Lucia

 “Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”

Anonymous 

Saint Lucia is a gorgeous mountainous island country which is part of the West Indies in the Eastern Caribbean. This island is known for the dramatic pair of tapered mountains on its west coast called the Pitons which have become a symbol of this fine island. This island is a mere 238 square miles and is home to some lovely beaches and some of the best reef diving sites in the crystal clear water.

For years, England and France fought over control of this country. Fourteen times to be exact, until the British finally took full control in 1814. Since the country switched back and fourth so many times between the British and French that at one time the island was known as “Helen of the West”, which was a reference to the Greek mythological character, Helen of Troy.

Another interesting fact about this beautiful island is that both Saint Lucia and Ireland are the only two sovereign countries in the world that have been blessed to be named after a woman. Ireland is named after a Celtic goddess of fertility and Saint Lucia is named after a human – Saint Lucy of Syracuse. She was a Roman Christian martyr and is known as the Saint for the blind.

We book an excursion through Royal Caribbean called the Amazing jeep and Catamaran Combo. This excursion was to take us by boat to The Pitons. We were so excited about this trip as it was a place we had always wanted to see. We got on our boat right at the dock where the cruise ship had docked and we were off for a lovely ride viewing this beautiful, lush, green country. Our guide gave us much information about the island and we really enjoyed the boat ride. We first stopped at a beach known as the Bay of Pigs. At one time, there were loads of wild pigs in this area but our guide let us know that there are no longer any pigs there, as the islanders love the taste of pork so much. This was a good stop for snorkeling and to cool off. We saw many tropical fish in this crystal clear water as we swam near the rocks. The down side of this stop was many locals came and surrounded the boat trying to sell coconuts, mango's, and shells. They were a little overbearing but we knew they were just trying to make a living. Our guide, rang the bell, and we all got back on the boat to continue our trip.

When we got back on the boat, they were playing Caribbean music and many people got up and danced. There was one special lady who worked on the boat, who was great with the kids. She took time to talk with them and got them to dance with her. She was a sweetie and made the trip that much more fun. They opened the bar and served rum punch for the adults and sodas for the children. They also served nice tea sandwiches to snack on as we viewed this side of the island. We were lucky as it was such a beautiful day with bright blue skies.

As we got closer and closer to the majestic Pitons, we got more excited. As they came into view, they were just stunning. These green mountains seem to soar out of the ocean and looked lovely with the waves crashing at their base. It is said to be a tradition that if you touch the Pitons, it brings you luck. So like many others on the boat, we got our pictures taken where we held our hands out where it looks like we were touching the Pitons. The Pitons are two mountainous volcanic plugs that were formed from volcanic activity hundreds of years ago and are now dormant. The last minor eruption was in the 1700’s. The larger mountain, Gros Piton is 2,619 feet high while the smaller one, Petit Piton is 2,461 feet. The Pitons were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 and have become a symbol of this island.

Then were were onward to Marigot Bay which is a beautiful bay area located on the western coast about 3.75 miles from the capital city of Castries. This gorgeous bay area/resort was the setting for the 1967 movie  classic Doctor Doolittle by Hugh Lofting staring Rex Harrison and Anthony Newley. This resort was gorgeous sitting right on the edge of the water. The whole area is surrounded by mountains. We pulled into the picturesque marina and exited the boat after thanking the crew for an amazing experience.

Another guide met up with us and walked our group up a path to where the large jeeps were parked. Our group of eleven filled up one jeep. I believe each jeep could hold 14 people. Our young female guide explained more about the island. She was very sweet. We zoomed up and down and the curvy mountain roads. The kids loved it. We passed many banana fields and were told that is one of their main exports. We then stopped at a small town so we could shop. The town sadden me by the poverty that was there. Many vendors were near begging us to buy something to help them survive. We bought another one of their main exports which is banana ketchup. It was surprisingly good with no real banana flavor and did taste like ketchup. We walked around some in this coastal town and then got back on the jeep.

We continued on our trip back to the ship. We had great overlooks of the city and our ship. Our jeep driver stopped at a Calabash tree, Saint Lucia’s national tree and picked one so we could hold it and see what the fruit is like.  They dry these fruits and make cups, bowls, and basins out of them. The fruit was quite heavy when first picked. Many locals dry them and paint on these bottle gourds to sell to tourists. When we entered the city, the traffic was terrific as it was near rush hour. We passed the Government House which is the official residence of the head of state of Saint Lucia (currently King Charles III).  Our driver did a great job and delivered us safely back to the ship. We had a great tour and were thrilled we got to see so much. Saint Lucia is a gorgeous island with friendly people. We hope to return someday.

Till next time. Bye for now.