Soufrière - Bad Eggs and Pitons


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Published: May 8th 2013
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It was very hot overnight and I had an uncomfortable sleep. To make matters worse, today was a sightseeing day (with little walking) and an early start.

Before the alarm, at 06h00, I was getting up and taking a shower. Somehow, the water always got hot overnight and I always had to let it run a while until it cooled. This morning, it seemed to take for ever to become cool, but maybe that was just because I was tight for time.

Fresh pineapple was again on offer, probably because this is the start of the pineapple season and these have travelled no further than the other side of the village. Watermelon too, these also having not travelled that far. For me though, there would be quite some travelling to do.

My driver arrived at 08h00 promptly. Having settled in, we set off into the rush hour traffic and crawled our way down into Castries. As the cruise ship season had just finished, there was less traffic than normal, but we still took a while to negotiate the narrow streets.

Before too long, we’d left our normal route and were heading up towards Mount Fortune. This overlooks the city of Castries and is home to Government House (where the Governor General resides) and Fort Charlotte, started by the French and completed by the British. Such was the strategic importance of St. Lucia that the island changed hands 14 times during the colonial wars. Once the French had been defeated, the fort fell out of use and is now a Community College.

Continuing south, we stopped overlooking Marigot Bay. This unbelievably beautiful bay boasts the filming of Dr. Doolittle (the pink Sea Snail came ashore here) and Pirates of the Caribbean, to name but two.

Move on, we drove through the largest banana plantation in St. Lucia, with all the produce being sold to the UK. All the while, the wild, forested Mount Gimie, St. Lucia’s highest peak lay visible to our left. Climbing up and over the headland, we descended into Anse La Raye which, until recently, had no road access. We climbed again, hairpin after hairpin, eventually arriving at a Cassava bakery. This is a form of tapioca and, when made into bread, is very tasty. Mine was simply cooked with cinnamon.

On again, passing through Canaries and back into the mountains before we had our first spectacular view of the Pitons. These two great tree covered volcanic plugs seem to leap from the sea to dominate the vista. The eye can’t help but be drawn to them and it is no wonder that the view has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Before my trip is over, I am determined to climb to the summit.

From the vantage point, and in front of the Pitons, Soufrière (Sulphur) sits nestled in the valley. The town is surrounded on all sides bar one by the mountains and, in the far distance, steam rises. On a dark and stormy day, this could easily be mistaken for Tolkein’s Mordor, but in today’s brilliant sunshine, the heavily forested mountains look so serene, even if they do contain Boa Constrictor and Fer de Lance. The steam gives a hint that this is no ordinary scene and is, in fact, the giant caldera of a long destroyed volcano.

It was into this volcano that we drove. Climbing up narrow and bumpy roads, the smell of rotten eggs getting stronger with each turn on the road, we finally reached the gates. Collecting a guide, we learned about the volcano, the healing properties of the water and the dreadful fate of the many Arawak sacrifices thrown into the boiling mud. However, as long as the mud boils and the rotten egg smell continues, the volcano will remain docile.

Back with my driver, we headed back into Soufrière, stopping at a supermarket to buy lunch, before heading to the dock. There, we were met by Daisy (an unusual male name) and his boat, Moby Dick. Climbing aboard, we sailed across the beautiful, blue sea and around the headland covered in lush forest. There, in front of us, was the most stunning beach with palm trees towering over the white sand. Little boats lay at anchor just offshore, whilst snorkellers floated by, gazing at the fish beneath our boat.

Going ashore, I sat in the shade of a palm tree enjoying my lunch, occasionally going into the sea to cool. I was joined by a local, eating mango taken from one of the trees. He told me he operated one of the boats I could see anchored. I asked her name and he replied Pepto Bismol. I commented that this was an interesting choice of name and enquired of the reason. “Because she’s pink”, came the reply. With that, he wandered off, through the surf, back to his boat.

I too wandered off along the beach, but in the other direction, towards another beach. The cliffs above me were full of boulders and loose stone, evidence of a previous volcanic eruption. Resting by the water again, I watched the skippers relaxing on their luxury yachts.

Before too long, my time was up and I headed back. Stopping at the bar, I was robbed of US$5 for a beer (usually EC$5) before I made my way to the dock where Moby Dick was waiting. She sailed back to Soufrière at high speed, her two powerful engines cutting through the waves with ease.

Back at the hotel, I showered, dined and headed off to the Jazz Lounge for its official opening night. Crowds filled the room, whilst Michele Henderson and her band skilfully entertained us with the Duke’s Take the A Train, Miles Davis’ So What in addition to other classics. I even made it on to St. Lucian television, though that may be because I was wearing a Hanoi Jazz Club shirt!


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