St Lucia November 10th - 22nd 2014

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Home to bus station, bus station to London Victoria, London Victoria to Gatwick, Gatwick to hotel and then Gatwick to Vieux Fort on St Lucia, it seemed a long journey. As soon as we stepped out of the aircraft however, we were hit by a wave of hot moist air and we knew that we had arrived. The travelling didn't quite end there though and despite the island of St Lucia being only 27 miles long it took us a further one and a half hours to reach the Bay Gardens Beach Resort hotel at Gros Islets, north of the island capital, Castries. Nice hotel, great food, friendly staff and the beach only 50 yards away from our room.

Nov 11th. We were introduced to our guide for the holiday, Vision, a Rasta, a great guy and a font of all knowledge and we were taken by taxi to a point where we could comfortably potter up onto Pigeon Island. We also met George our backup guide and Sammy our driver, both of whom were with us until the end of the holiday.

The Arawak people, the original inhabitants of Pigeon island, were driven out by the Caribs around 1000 A.D. The Caribs lived in caves along the shore of the island, and hunted for fish, shellfish, small animals and birds. They also foraged for plant food. In the 16th century, a French pirate, Francois le Clerc, used Pigeon Island as his base. He forged an agreement with the Caribs, so that they would not attack his ship. In 1778, Admiral George Rodney took over Pigeon island, expelled the natives, and built a fort on the smaller of the two peaks. This fort is known as Fort Rodney. To establish clear sightlines, Rodney ordered all trees on Pigeon Island to be cut down. From the higher peak, Signal Hill, Rodney was able to observe the French Navel base on Martinique.

Pigeon Island was joined to the mainland by a courseway in 1972.

1. Top row:
2. The beach, looking right with Pigeon Island in the distance
3. Vision, our Rasta guide.
4. Sue
5. Pigeon Island courseway, no longer an island.
6. L-R Mark, Jackie, Hillary, Sue, Me, Chris, Sue2, Bev, Paul.
7. Second Row:
8. View through coconut palm
9. Pigeon Island and Fort Rodney.
10. Fort Rodney, L-R Sue2, Bev, Paul and Sue.

It all seemed rather hot and humid on our first arrival but happy hour in the High Tide bar helped to cool things a little.

1. Sue, happy hour 2 for 1
2. Showers in the morning.
3. Local brew

November 12th. Millet Forest Trail Despite the diminutive size of the island (27miles long) travelling was slow and there was even nose-to-tail driving during the morning and evening rush hours. Our drive to the Millet Bird Sanctuary and Nature Trail in the centre of the island took us one and a half hours. This was a pleasant trail in what is known as the dry rain forest, though it seemed pretty damp to us. Vision pointed out lots of local birds and trees and we sampled termites which were nothing much to write home about.

After lunch we headed back and on the way called in at an amazing nesting site of mainly Cattle Egrets.

1. At the Forest Trail
2. Land Crab
3. Nesting Cattle and other Egrets.

November 13th. A cultural day out round Castries where we visited the lighthouse, the market, the cemetery, dignitaries portrait gallery and the university. Excellent lunch at the rather splendid Pink Plantation with its beautiful gardens.

November 14th. Another long drive too the east side of the island near the small fishing town of Dennery. It was a hot day as we dropped 300m down to the coast, but not as hot as the return trip back up the hill to where Sammy met us in the taxi. The beach was pleasant but being on the Atlantic side of the island the surf was too big to tempt us in for a swim.

1. Vision demonstrates how to extract milk from a coconut
2. Orb Web spider
3. Lunch at Anse Louvet. Mark, Paul and Bev.
4. Anse Louvet

November 15th. We were not totally let off the hook however and later that evening were were introduced to the Friday night Jump Up at Gros Islet.

1. Sue, Happy Hour
2. Chris, Happy Hour
3. Sunset from the High Tide bar.
4. Party Party Party
5. More Party Party Party, Sue and Jackie.
6. More party party.

November the 15th was a rest day and after a late breakfast we lounged on the beach, reading and taking occasional dips in the luke warm Caribbean.

November 16th. An early start with some heavy showers. We headed once again through the rush hour traffic on a one and a half hour drive to Mamiku Gardens near the east coast of the island. Here we were taken around by a guide who explained some of the history of the gardens as well as enlightening us to joys of bananas and green coconut milk.

1. Mamiku Gardens - Papayas
2. Sue tries green coconut milku
3. Coral Flower
4. Local lady.
5. Cookery demonstrations.

November 17th. A short but rather muddy walk to the north coast of St Lucia. The scenery was pleasant but the beach was dirty with rotting seaweed and cloudy with sediments from recent rains so there was little incentive to swim.

1. On the North coast
2. Coconut palm
3. Jackie checks her smartphone

November 18th. Today, a two hour drive to Des Cartier Rain Forest trail. Here, the forest was quite different from previous ones, with different flowers and trees. We were promised a view of the illusive St Lucia parrot but it remained illusive. After a picnic lunch we visited the fishing village of Dennery where a catch had just landed, then a waterfall which was a bit low on water and where Mark slipped and damaged his leg again. In the evening we dined out at the pleasant Stony Hill Villa.

1. Flambeau butterfly
2. Cocoa pod
3. Fishermen at Dennery

November 20th The Gros Piton expedition. We were bussed to Castries where we boarded a ferry to Soufriére in the southwest of the island. From here, we took another bus to the Gros Piton park. A young lady guide led us to the top via a rocky path but without any great difficulties which took us about two hours. The views from the 2600 ft summit were good though a little hazy and it was just possible to make out the airport in the distance at Vieux Fort. On the way up, Sue slipped and bruised her ribs, and on the way down Mark took a header into the jungle and suffered a scalp wound the required stitching.

For our last evening we ate out at the delightful ocean front Coalpot Restaurant at Castries.

1. Top Row:
2. Our ferry to Soufriere
3. The Pitons
4. On the summit.
5. Bottom Row
6. The descent
7. Mark takes a header
8. Petite Piton from the restaurant
9. Farewell Dinner.

Thanks everyone for making it a memorable holiday, and thanks Holiday Fellowship for a well-organized and enjoyable trip.

chris.jackson@zen.co.uk