St Lucia....back into the Carribbean...

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It's a small world! Few days ago I was in South Africa. Next I spent a week in Bangkok at home and two days in Saigon. No, here I am, a little further. It is truly a small world! On last Wednesday, I'm flying early to Saigon. Bump in an old friend I hadn't seen for years at the airport...he is on my flight. Up to here, it's kind of normal. On my Bangkok to Paris flight few days ago, I only met two other friends I hadn't see for a while. But on the flight to Saigon, while boarding, a young French couple ask me. Were I skiing in Queenstown back in July? Well, yes...and they recognized me....we chatted for ten minutes on a chairlift back in July this year....that's a small world!



So on Sunday night, I took a first 12 hours flight from Bangkok to Paris...the A380 from Thai...pretty nice experience. Took the bus all the way from CDG to Orly airport...it's a Monday morning...huge traffic jams...two hours drive...another example of why I'm so happy to go to Europe to visit my family and for holidays...would I move to live in Paris...no thanks...not tomorrow, not after tomorrow! Than came the 9 hours flight on Air Caraibes, this time in the back of the plane. Well, it was actually better than I expected.



Made it to Fort-de-France airport...and to my resort just on time for the aperitif! Next entry will be on Martinique. But for today, I took the catamaran for the 2 hours and half sail to St Lucia, just 50km south of Martinique...and yes, one more country visited. I love those sailing experience, even if I have figure out that I could not spend days on any of these boats if diving was not involved.



St Lucia, independent since 1979 is a member of the Common Wealth. The island is only 43km on 21km...but with a nice volcano in the south...and a pretty hilly topography. You will not see the famous Pitons. We landed in the capital Castries....the Pitons are only 27 miles south....but that's a good 90 minutes ride...sadly, not for today!



I spent my morning going around the capital. Not really what you could call a lovely little place, but I would rather call Castries a very lively place. Two huge cruise ships were in port....that's a recipe for catastrophe, but the good news is most of those passengers won't venture more than two streets out of the port terminal. So once you walk a little....it's only the locals...and their smiles!



We than took a 45 minutes ride into the country side before reaching Rodney Bay. The beach is laydown with the crowd I have no intention spending a day or a week with. Beer drinkers spending their days sunbathing...I guess the weather is better here than in Manchester...



it was soon time to ride back to Martinique. The sea became rough, I left my camera in the bag, but it was a fun ride back home. Good for us, out of 25 people, maybe just 5 or 7 ended up sick...so we still had some truly fun time.



This is the first entry of a serie of stops in the Carribbean...few more places I have never been too, and obviously, few more dives too!

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Comments

[RJT]

Oh dear!
This hurt my eyes. Please go back to posting the beautiful Caribbean smiles!

[Maisondubonheur]

Hi Rachael!
I was wondering not if...but who would be posting the first comment on that picture. The local smiles are indeed way nicer!

[D MJ Binkley]

????
What, no diving? What's the story?

[Maisondubonheur]

I know!
But St Lucia is not actually that much know for the diving...I regret more the fact that I didn't see the volcano and the pitons. But diving did happen the last 4 days....average one...but still better than no diving...