Happy Day Mons and Monettes:
New Papi schedule….up at 6:30 for jog before the massive and cantankerous breakfast buffet…Sunday morn means really empty Carib streets…up to the top of the nearby hill ..to catch the view of bay and mountains the local elite have….
Making my usual front desk hotel friends pays off with someone cancelling- and getting room upgrade which allows me to stay in my room and not have to move to peasant HQ in ancient building down the resort road….…Gotten used to my little balcony facing the quiet rear….and with two fragrant eucalyptus trees…
Was back and getting ready to figure out three- bus trek to volcano when Gloria, the Eastern Carib project coordinator called me with invite to go with her to a local craft fair…did not want to pass up a local experience so said sure…..said she’d pick me up at 10:30….I forgot to consider Island time…she showed up at 11:30…and then we had to drive to her friend Anthony’s house up in the hills- since she does not drive to the other side of the island, where Fair was housed at Sandals country club…
Fair was an extraordinary mix of people of color….many of whom good-naturedly allowed me the privilege of taking their photos(check out the gallery) …and surrounded by many of the islands rich and famous……unbelievably hot today….hard to stay out of sun….got sunburned just driving with car window open….then got the grand tour of the north side of the islands beaches and back country….got to see the little land mass St. Lucia built in the 80s, connecting the original island and Pidgeon Island….a spot where you have the Caribbean on one side, and the Atlantic fifty yards away….very cool…these are the non-tourist beaches with big families setting up their cook stoves and lights to spend the night….wanna go there…away from the mass of Brits…
Finished off the day with rum and fish lunch at a very local spot in the little community of Reduit….very poor…but very real Carib….not sure they see many light folk there ….but welcomed with open arms…..Got lots of insight about life in the islands from Gloria and Anthony.
By the time I got dropped off at 4…was wasted and bloated….and lulling about ever since….trying to figure out if I can really do another meal today….was planning on traditional Sunday night Chinese…but may have to wait until tomorrow night…faux Sunday….
Still hoping to make the trek tomorrow but will see how complicated it is…..certainly making it to the capitol to see city life…
Ready to move on to Antiqua…but one more day of sun, rum and fish…
