St Lucia in the Caribbean

Our tour of St. Lucia was divided into 2 halves. The morning by coach and an afternoon on a catamaran with a stop for swimming and snorkeling ; rum punches available for the asking. The coach tour thru the rainforest gives you an idea of the lush expansion. Loads of bamboo with branches inches deep competing for space with climbing plants interspersed with spice trees.

An fascinating side of this tour was the stop at a previous planter's house on the Balembouche estate. While as much as 5 hundred employees had once worked the plantation, now there are not many ; in part thanks to the change in social climate and the trend to a rather more democratic society.

We received a cooling drink of guava juice, which we sipped while rambling round the house or slipping thru the shadow of the grounds.

We considered trying the bamboo ladder for collecting coconuts, but instead checked the still; once utilized for distilling rum from the sugar cane.

Large brilliant red flowers of the flamingo tree competed with the bougainvillea in 5 different colors; and a Banyan tree displayed its multiple roots above the ground.

Botanical gardens are a feature of plenty of the islands. On this occasion we saw a humming bird of light and dark turquoise. For a total contrast our guide took us to the Soufriere volcano with effervescent mud pools and smoke from the sulphur springs.

A half-day bus tour is long enough in a temperate climate. The breaks in the journey were welcome but none so much as the cooling journey back to the ship on a catamaran.

The native wildlife on the island incorporates the boa constrictor - which we were warranted was more fearful of us then we of him - also iguanas and lizards. A deadly snake - the pertinence - expounded to kill a man in seven hours, was brought from S Africa so as to help to control the slaves and stop them escaping. In truth the snake turned on the slave owners themselves and the mongoose was brought in to exterminate them. 2 mongoose are required to kill a snake ; one at the tail and one at the head. Infrequently the snake would kill both. The mongoose have learned from the ordeals and now chickens became their fave food.