As I start this last chapter of my time in St Lucia, it is now 48 hours to go, almost exactly, until I am airborne and homeward bound and I am setting down my reflections on how St Lucia has changed me
The first thing that strikes me is that I am so much more chilled than before I came. There were many obvious reasons of poor work/life balance and events happening that were outside my control, but also, I now realise, because of habit and because of expectations. In the UK I had hundreds of decisions to make each day, some complex ones, some less so. In St Lucia, my decisions were mostly the kind we all want to have to make like, do we have enough bananas and gin in the house and where to watch the sunset this evening.
When I arrived, I was nervous of many things new. For example, the twists and narrowness of the highway, with no hard shoulder. Today, I drove down it in Jo’s car like a local, enjoying the bends, overtaking (there is plenty of room!!), and feeling relaxed and free. No hard shoulder, who needs that? (for sissies!), buses a bit rickety? (It adds character); driving too fast? (just being nippy and efficient!). Of course, I jest, but I reflect that what was strange and a teensy bit scary, is now familiar and perfectly fine (was I a sissy back then?).
When I came, I had to listen hard to the local dialect and even then, I missed a lot of what people said. Tony, Elaine and I laughed about this recently, that I regularly didn’t pick up what he was saying at first, even when he tried hard to slow down for me. Now, that happens rarely and I wonder at how my brain and speech processing has developed. I can even pick up a little of what is said in Patois. I understand Lucian phrases and different use of words, such as ‘blocks’ instead of ‘bricks’. I have even adapted the way I say things so that the children understand me better, using ‘by’ rather than ‘to’ and ‘just now’ instead of ‘wait a minute’. I haven’t exactly learned a new language but I have attuned to a different and new, for me, dialect and version of the English I know. I feel richer for having done so and privileged to have had the opportunity. It has undoubtedly done my brain good too!!
My work at CDGC has changed me too. It has been a privilege to do my job there and to help the children and their parents; to get to know them and a lot about what life is really like for many Lucians. It is often very hard. This is not paradise despite the white sand beaches and beat of the calypso or soca (see, I now know the difference). Like everywhere, there is political turmoil, crime, tragedy and poverty. There is also a fierce pride and resilience, a culture of strong matriarchs holding families together despite hardships, a collective vibe to ‘don worry, be happy’, strong communities and neighbourliness, kindness and politeness, a prioritisation of time to relax with family and friends, great music everywhere you go and a wonderful sense of humour and quickness to see a reason to have a laugh. Laughter is heard much more on St Lucia and I have learned to laugh more often and more heartily with my Lucian friends, neighbours and colleagues. It has also been a joy and a privilege to work with the fabulous team at CDGC. What a great bunch of inspirational women they are. It is a team that laughs each day together, cares about themselves and each other, supportive and valuing. I have learned many things from them about life, recipies, flora and fauna, history of the island are just a few, and professional skills and knowledge. I will miss their friendship and company enormously.
I have grown richer by learning about St Lucia which is such a rich place on so many levels. In my last 3 weeks, I have read ‘A History of St Lucia’, which has given me even more insight into why some things are as they are, even today. It has taught me a lot and has stimulated my curiosity. The Carib Indians who first settled here lived in harmony with nature for over 1000 years, now that must have been paradise. They were chased out and killed off by Europeans, their firearms and their viruses within 200 years although a few people here can trace their ancestry back to them still. Then the terrible times of slavery and the battles between the French and British. It was hard to read about the slavery and I felt, at times, ashamed of my race for all the inhumanity they dealt to their fellow men, women and children. Slavery and the dignity and pride of the people who bore it still have echoes today in some things that you see and hear around, mainly in positive ways. I am glad that I now have a small insight into it. I am surely not finished with St Lucia, and I hope it is not finished with me. As long as I have skills to offer that are needed here, I want to be able to return here to give what I can and to help those children to be the best that they can be, and to help give them the gift of good communication skills.
Anyway, enough of my ramblings and waxing lyrical about my personal journey, what you really want to read about is what I have actually done in my last 3 weeks and see the photos. A few days after Sal left, it was my birthday. Anthony wanted to take me out somewhere nice and I very much wanted to go back to Rendezvous, the resort in Castries where CDGC had their Christmas lunch. We booked up for a lunch deal, a delicious help yourself buffet in the Terrace restaurant right on the white sand beach, with the use of their facilities for the afternoon. We arrived to a glass of chilled prosecco in the piano bar while our table was beautified with flowers. We then had 5 courses, salad to start, a small fish course, piton battered tuna and local sweet potato fries, a main of Lucian cottage pie and a chicken bouillon (casserole) for me, with a wide selection of veg, a selection of deserts, and cheese and biscuits with coffee to finish. All delicious and including carafes (yes, plural, it was my birthday) of chilled sauvignon blanc. We then installed ourselves on the white sand on very comfy loungers for an hour or two before we headed home. One of the highlights for me was lying in the shade of a coconut palm, hot and happy, when a lady came round to offer us a chilled towel. Her timing was perfect and it was super cold and refreshing!
My birthday was a Friday, so was Zac’s, his 40th, so the next day, Saturday, we were invited to his party, a BBQ at his and Ruth’s house near Windjammer. The 22nd was also the birthday of Yvette, one of my walking friends. She had invited us to her 60th party at her home in Massacre Ridge, above Anse La Raye. So, we set off with Sue and Brian about 4pm to Zac’s. We had a great time, and couldn’t resist a delicious burger with local salads n veg. I met some more lovely people and a few I knew already. It was hard to drag ourselves away to head off to Yvette and Nigel’s. This was very much a dancing party, which was what Yvette wanted and dance we did!! A really beautiful location in the garden with the lights of Marigot twinkling in the distance, fairy lights all around, a great DJ, delicious buffet and many friends as well as some more new people to get to know. We also met Nigel’s 98 year old Aunt who lives with them. She was having a drink or 3 and proudly showed us a photo of her with Prince Andrew about 30 years ago. According to her he is ‘…..a very naught boy!’ Most of the walking gals were there so it was lovely for Anthony to meet more of my friends and also for me to meet the ‘other halves’ that I hadn’t previously met.
The next day, Yvette had kindly invited us on her birthday boat trip to Soufriere. She had hired a brand new catamaran, Go Tango, which we had seen by the Yacht Club a few days earlier. Freddie, the sailing secretary, who had also taken us on our boat trip back in November, has just become the skipper of the boat so it was good to meet him again, and his jolly crew. We set off from the marina with around half the guests and headed down to Marigot to pick up the rest of them, the food and, importantly, the drink for the bar. The day was hot, the sea azure, the music lively, the company fun and interesting in equal measure. We had a wonderful day to remember. One of the most memorable things about this adventure for me, has been the people I have met, and this day was no exception. We chatted, laughed, learned really interesting stuff, shared and were again surprised by how many people not only knew, but also had connections with, the Isle of Wight. Yvette and Nigel are hoping to come and stay with us in June when Yvette is coming to the UK for a medical conference. She is a Consultant Geriatrician (I think would be her title here) and she commutes 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off, to the US from St Lucia. Now that’s a commute!! We motored into Sugar Bay and paused to soak up the stunning views of the Pitons as we enjoyed our delicious buffet. Then we motored up to Anse Cochon to snorkel for a bit before heading back for the two drop offs. It was a very special day in so many ways, and I really savoured every moment knowing it would be my last time on these seas for a long time.
The end of our Caribbean adventure was now too; too close for Anthony 😦 He took himself off to Pigeon Island one last time while I was at work in the Monday. He will share this with you soon as he wants to do one last blog. At work on that last working Monday, I was given a right royal, St Lucian farewell! Monday is our meeting day so we had a bring and share lunch. My friends and colleagues all knew how much I love the local food, so the spread was delicious and very local. It was hard to say goodbye, and thank you for the experiences and friendship, although I was still to be in at work a couple more days. My last week was for writing reports on the children due to go to school. I had almost 70 to do! I was able to work from home some of the days, and by the following Monday, I finished them!
We also took in Choops for a week on the Tuesday for Jo, our next door but one neighbour. We have got on really well with Jo since getting to know her when Sal stayed in her air bnb room. Jo and I had also been feeding and watering the dog, now christened ‘mummy dog’, next door to her, when John had so tragically been shot. Unsurprisingly, his son and girlfriend had not wanted to stay at the house since the shooting, and dog feeding was not at the forefront of their minds. Jo, I and a couple of other neighbours had been looking out for mummy dog and also shared a drink or two on our porch, when she announced that she had just accepted an invite to go to Canada with some girlfriends for a week. A girl after my own heart, never say no to a fun invite! So I quickly offered to have Choops who is the sweetest Jackerpoo, rather like Lucy’s Ludo. They have loyal, calm and loving natures and are wonderful company. So, as Anthony was leaving, Choops arrived to keep me company for my last few days. I managed to leave work early on the Wednesday and walked my man to Bay Gardens to get the taxi to the airport. He waved me goodbye and we both had a tear in the eye for it really was all coming to an end. We were trying to see it as a temporary leaving to regroup so that we can come back again, however, it was still feeling sad to say ‘goodbye’. I walked back to our little house and Choops, and poured myself a Gin and Tonic!!
Of course, I couldn’t leave St Lucia without just one more ‘Jump Up’. I am missing these nights of fun and dancing with abandon as I write this. Elaine, Tony and Aretha were able to join me and we had as much fun as ever! I miss them and the music in my life!!
The following day I was up early. I had arranged my last walk with the ladies and what a walk it proved to be. I had wanted to visit Maria Island and managed to organise a trip for the last Saturday I was there. Maria Island is a small island just off the south east coast of St Lucia, near the airport. It is a National Trust site and has its own eco system so visitors are strictly controlled. It has many rare plants and wildlife, including a lizard that is unique to the island and lives nowhere else in the world. The island is also a turtle nesting site and the small, white sand beaches are littered with the empty shells, that look like burst ping pong balls. We had to be brushed off before we could get on the boat and this involved a thorough brushing of shoes and bags to remove any seeds or bugs that could harm the fragile eco system on Maria island. We travelled across in a pirogue and had to wade ashore as there is no jetty. The walk was steep in places and very hot at the top as the rocks were pumping out heat at us. We saw the lizard and a rare rock lizard, as well as rare birds and butterflies. At the end, we had time to swim in the clear azure sea. The snorkelling was great and there were rare sea grasses on the bottom and I saw what we thought was a lion fish, that sadly eats the beautiful coral. After a truly special trip, we had to head back to the mainland and a long lazy lunch at The Reef restaurant. My octopus creole and sweet potato fries, with a glass of chilled prosecco, was a fitting end to a truly memorable day with my lovely walking friends. I really felt I was making the most of my precious last few days.
empty turtle eggshell 
The Maria Island lizard being bashful 
rock lizard 
View to Pitons, airport in view 
The following day was my last Sunday and I had decided to go to Pigeon Island 1 last time, although as it turns out, I did go back on Tuesday for a delicious lunch. The Sunday turned out be a really busy day at the island with a cruise ship using one of the small beaches and the one we love, therefore, also being very crowded. I had myself a rum punch and a slice of carrot cake, a lie in the sun and a swim, but decided to go back for a quieter lunch on Tuesday. Then it was indeed quieter and I enjoyed a final farewell lunch of their delicious seafood lasagne and a long relaxing day on the beach. Each moment was a joy, made sweeter because this really was my last time there for who know how long.
My last day was sad but sweet. I did a long swim up and down the beach to savour the warm water of the Caribbean one last time. I finished my cleaning and packing, and took a last walk to the beach for a rum punch and one last look at that gorgeous view! My taxi picked me up at 4.15pm to take me to the airport and by 9pm, I was in the air and leaving St Lucia behind me. My heart was heavy but full of the wonders I have experienced, the joys I have had and the wonderful, special people I have met. I was, and am, so very very glad I decided to go and even more so since, with the crazy surreal world that has arisen since I landed back in the UK!! As my last post said, never take anything for granted, and oh, my goodness, that has proved even more true now. Our very laws and liberties, as well as our health, are now not as they were, as we are threatened with the pandemic of Covid 19.
I had a good flight but landed back to a cold Gatwick. The UK weather was wet and cold as the photos show. What a contrast to what I had left. I am still trying to get used to the cold and not enjoying it. The spring is coming, though, and the Isle of Wight is beautiful in ways that are different from St Lucia, but how lucky am I to have been in both, as well as gorgeous Anguilla, and bold Texas, in the last year. If the world changes and travel becomes rare and expensive, I have not a single regret for all I did in 2019. St Lucia exceeded every expectation and now has a part of my heart! Until we meet again………
I will miss the warm sea and my frequent swims,the rum punch, the white sand, the laughter, the beat, never far away, the fist pumps. What has my adventure given me? I am more humble, wiser, more relaxed, richer as a person and feel blessed for having been here, not as a tourist but as a working member of the community. I am a little slimmer, fitter and happier. I have real friends here that I hope to treasure for years to come, as I treasure, so much, those of you that I have left behind for these months. The smells and sounds, the warm breeze, the burning sun, the light, the colour and most of all the people have changed me.There are so many things I have seen, discussed, experienced and felt since being here that I can’t, for all sorts of reasons, put on this blog. If you want to learn more, let’s meet and have a chat, virtually for now, or in the flesh after this ends. I can’t wait to see you. Allie xx
Allie's Caribbean Travel Blog 