After an exhausting time visiting our first 3 islands, we woke up the next morning just as the ship was docking at St Lucia, We had deliberately planned no activities for that morning; instead we lazed in the beautifully relaxing "Explorer's Lounge"; this features a wealth of fascinating old literature, scientific equipment, and models of Viking ships, as well as having very comfortable seats and a good view over the bow of the ship.
That afternoon we simply went on a minibus tour of the island, which included a visit to a local nunnery where there was a demonstration by some local dancers, together with a serving of yet more rum punch in their beautiful garden. At one point on this tour we stood on a hilltop in lovely sunshine, looking down over the harbour where a shower of rain was creating a beautiful rainbow.
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That evening, as we sailed, the chef presented a surf-and-turf buffet on the rear deck, which was just delicious. Following that there was an excellent evening of song in the theatre by Lily (our Birmingham-born Assistant Cruise Director) so we were perfectly relaxed by bedtime.
The most southerly of the islands is not actually in the Caribbean Sea despite what most people, and the 1975 song 'Barbados', all say. Thankfully, after a relaxing day yesterday, we awoke with plenty of energy for what promised to be another busy day. Debbie and I would be taking separate journeys this morning, then re-uniting at lunchtime for a really exciting afternoon.
While Debbie went on a minibus tour of the island, including a very interesting visit to the island's museum, I joined a small group of people who toured the island with a professional photographer. We visited many locations that were scenic, or interesting, or sold rum (or all 3). During a fascinating morning he gave us many tips on how to photograph the scenes, such as recommending never to take photos with the sun directly behind you because the lack of shadows may hide the shapes of the various objects in the frame..
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A tree-lined, gated avenue marks the home of the owners of a plantation |
The ground in this part of the island is very unstable, and this old church, built at the top of the hills, is now rapidly sliding down towards the sea |
Not far from the church, the hillside provides a beautiful view of the seashore |
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We stopped and drank rum punch at this idyllic seaside location |
Over time the waves have turned this rock into the shape of a mushroom |
There were a great many people riding on the surf ... |
... watched by the sheep. On these islands they look similar to goats except that their tails point down instead of up |
We were served neat rum so that we could appreciate the difference between 5 & 12 year old spirit |
I did not have time to board the ship for lunch, but instead bought a delicious local fish dish from a cafe on the quayside. Then Debbie and I joined together on the bus that would take us to an absolutely mind-blowing afternoon adventure on a 40-seater submarine!
A conventional boat took us out to sea, where the submarine was waiting for us. We tied alongside it, then stepped onto its deck before climbing down the ladder to its viewing area. There were 20 seats on each side, each with a good view out of a porthole. Once we were sealed inside, the submarine descended to a depth of about 70ft so that we could observe the reef and its wide variety of marine life, before proceeding further down to a depth of 120ft where there was an old shipwreck. The commentary from our guide was excellent throughout the journey, and the view through the portholes was uniquely fascinating (although extremely difficult to photograph). As we returned to the surface we were delighted to watch a stingray swim past us, then all too soon we were climbing back onto the boat that would take us back to the shore.
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Back on shore, we were each presented with a certificate to commemorate our dive, before returning to the ship to continue our Caribbean cruise ...
All pictures on this site are © Allan Jones unless otherwise stated.
