Moved from our offshore position where we held-to last night, into the bay in Soufriere (sue-frair) around sunrise. Very sheltered and very calm waters. St Lucia is a very small island nation at the eastern end of the Caribbean chain, officially in the Lesser Antilles to differentiate them from the Netherlands Antilles. The island is only around 30 km long, with only two towns of any size – the capital Castries and Soufriere.
Soufriere is dominated on all sides by very steep mountains, with two peaked mountains called the Pitons dominating the skyline. Think of the Glass House Mountains in Queensland. Basically, if you want to get out of the town, which is built in a small cove next to the bay, you need crampons to climb up one of the two roads out.
The French arrived on the island in 1650, and by 1746 had introduced sugar plantations and a thriving agriculture industry with the use of (you guessed it) African slave labour. When slavery was abolished in 1833, over 90% of the island’s population were of African decent.
St Lucia became a major prize in the British-French rivalry for control of the Caribbean and its lucrative sugar trade. During the 17th and 18th century England and France went to war fourteen times, during which control of the island changed hands seven times. At one stage St Lucia was considered so valuable that the British were willing to trade all its territory in Canada for the island. Todays Canada could have been so different!
In 1814 the British finally took permanent control of the island, keeping Canada, and Castries became their major naval port in the region for the next three decades. The island only gained independence from Great Britain in 1979. Hence, the locals play cricket, use British power plugs and 240v, and drive on the left hand side of the road.
We noticed the large contrast to the central Caribbean and the Dutch influence. Here, suddenly, it feels like Jamaica – lazy and scruffy, people just idly sitting around, rubbish thrown over the back fence into the river, Bob Marley on the speakers. However, they were far more likely to smile and greet you.
We took the tender over to the pier after breakfast and walked around what there was of the town. Couldn’t find a coffee shop of any description. Several bars were open. Vendors were selling fish out of an esky, and fruit off a table. Banks open for a couple of hours in the morning, and there are only two ATMs in the town (though there is nothing much to buy anyway). Pretty much ma and pa small shops selling whatever they had. Couldn’t help but think that one decent coffee shop/cafe/ice cream shop with wifi would make a killing with all the tourists disgorging onto the pier.
Walked through the town and up one of the two steep roads out of town to a lookout situated high up the hill. Had a lovely view of the town, the harbour and the ship, and a cool breeze to go with it.
Back on board for lunch, then we hopped into the tender again, made it to shore, and walked halfway up the mountain on the other road out of town to see the opposite view.
Somehow we accidentally missed the Captain’s pop-up ‘Group Renewal of Vows’ on deck 7 (being Valentines Day and all). Woops. Must have been too distracted by the ‘Secrets to a Flatter Stomach’ by our fitness instructor. It was listed as ‘Space is limited’! Gotta laugh when you look around the dining room.
St Lucia
Soufriere, St Lucia
Petit Piton, St Lucia
Petit Piton and Gros Piton, St Lucia