St. Lucia, West Indies
HAPPY NEW YEAR! What a wonderful place to start the year 2007! We are on the gorgeous sailing ship Sea Cloud II on turquoise seas just off the lush, green and mountainous island of St. Lucia.
This morning the easterly trade winds brought a brisk breeze of 26 knots – 6 on the Beaufort scale. The crew went aloft at 8am to set the Stay sails. As soon as the sails were set, Sea Cloud II heeled slightly, and quieted down as the force of the wind on sails steadied her. She is, after all, a sailing ship.
In late morning, historian Tom Heffernan gave a fascinating presentation about the importance of the crop sugar in these eastern Caribbean islands. It was interesting to learn that Africans who had been enslaved to work the island plantations gained their freedom twenty years sooner than slaves in the USA. As Tom spoke on the Lido deck, we enjoyed fantastic views of the twin Pitons of St. Lucia – dramatic, triangular volcanic cones at the sea’s edge.
Immediately after lunch we went ashore and began our exploration of this corner of beautiful St. Lucia. Our first stop on the tour was ‘The World’s Only Drive-In Volcano.’ This island, like many others in the eastern Caribbean, was formed by volcanoes. There still is volcanic activity here; the smell of sulphur is abundant near the ancient and partially collapsed caldera of this volcano. Yellow rocks (from sulphur), the smell of rotten eggs, steam, and bubbling liquid are evidence of activity in the earth’s crust. As our guide said, "As long as there is steam comin’ out, we don’t fear an eruption." This volcano’s last eruption was in 1766.
Our next stop was a botanical garden nestled in a lush valley, complete with warm mineral baths and a sauna heated by geothermal water. We walked the paths, learning names and traditional uses of the exotic and colorful flora. We had lovely views of a waterfall that appeared to have golden rocks behind it; actually, deposits of minerals from the water gave it that appearance. After a few minutes of driving we were at another waterfall where many of us went for a very refreshing dip. The falling waters had great force, and by standing beneath them, one could have a very strong massage! Finally we drove up winding roads to a restaurant perched high on a hillside above town. Here we enjoyed refreshments and local specialties for snacks as we gazed over the bay to the Pitons. Yes, this is a wonderful way to spend New Year’s Day. Our guides told us how their New Year’s celebrations last six days! They were also proud of the fact that they can party into the wee hours of the morning . . . and then work the next morning, no worse for the wear. Perhaps that would be a good topic for some future research!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! What a wonderful place to start the year 2007! We are on the gorgeous sailing ship Sea Cloud II on turquoise seas just off the lush, green and mountainous island of St. Lucia.
This morning the easterly trade winds brought a brisk breeze of 26 knots – 6 on the Beaufort scale. The crew went aloft at 8am to set the Stay sails. As soon as the sails were set, Sea Cloud II heeled slightly, and quieted down as the force of the wind on sails steadied her. She is, after all, a sailing ship.
In late morning, historian Tom Heffernan gave a fascinating presentation about the importance of the crop sugar in these eastern Caribbean islands. It was interesting to learn that Africans who had been enslaved to work the island plantations gained their freedom twenty years sooner than slaves in the USA. As Tom spoke on the Lido deck, we enjoyed fantastic views of the twin Pitons of St. Lucia – dramatic, triangular volcanic cones at the sea’s edge.
Immediately after lunch we went ashore and began our exploration of this corner of beautiful St. Lucia. Our first stop on the tour was ‘The World’s Only Drive-In Volcano.’ This island, like many others in the eastern Caribbean, was formed by volcanoes. There still is volcanic activity here; the smell of sulphur is abundant near the ancient and partially collapsed caldera of this volcano. Yellow rocks (from sulphur), the smell of rotten eggs, steam, and bubbling liquid are evidence of activity in the earth’s crust. As our guide said, "As long as there is steam comin’ out, we don’t fear an eruption." This volcano’s last eruption was in 1766.
Our next stop was a botanical garden nestled in a lush valley, complete with warm mineral baths and a sauna heated by geothermal water. We walked the paths, learning names and traditional uses of the exotic and colorful flora. We had lovely views of a waterfall that appeared to have golden rocks behind it; actually, deposits of minerals from the water gave it that appearance. After a few minutes of driving we were at another waterfall where many of us went for a very refreshing dip. The falling waters had great force, and by standing beneath them, one could have a very strong massage! Finally we drove up winding roads to a restaurant perched high on a hillside above town. Here we enjoyed refreshments and local specialties for snacks as we gazed over the bay to the Pitons. Yes, this is a wonderful way to spend New Year’s Day. Our guides told us how their New Year’s celebrations last six days! They were also proud of the fact that they can party into the wee hours of the morning . . . and then work the next morning, no worse for the wear. Perhaps that would be a good topic for some future research!
