November 05, 2015

Caribbean Sea

On Board the MS Royal Princess: Day Sixteen

Castries City, Saint Lucia

 

[NOTE: I’ve grown weary of writing the usual bullshit narrative; so I’ve decided to dispense with it and present the raw notes I took on my iPhone instead.]

 

Houses along the coast of Saint Lucia, south of Castries City.
Houses along the coast of Saint Lucia, south of Castries City.
The resort in Marigot Bay, where the original (Rex Harrison) 'Doctor Dolittle' was filmed.
The resort in Marigot Bay, where the original (Rex Harrison) ‘Doctor Dolittle’ was filmed.
Looking out toward the sea from Marigot Bay.
Looking out toward the sea from Marigot Bay.
Chateau Mygo restaurant at Marigot Bay.
Chateau Mygo restaurant at Marigot Bay.
Cliffs on the west coast of Saint Lucia.
Cliffs on the west coast of Saint Lucia.
Anse Cochon Cove.
Anse Cochon Cove.
The rugged coast with houses and rainforest.
The rugged coast with houses and rainforest.
More of the rugged coast and rainforest in Saint Lucia.
More of the rugged coast and rainforest in Saint Lucia.
The Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), located near the town of Soufrière on Saint Lucia.
The Pitons (Gros Piton and Petit Piton), located near the town of Soufrière on Saint Lucia.
The town of Soufrière.
The town of Soufrière.
Steam coming out of the crater of Soufrière Volcano, Saint Lucia's very own "drive-in" volcano.
Steam coming out of the crater of Soufrière Volcano, Saint Lucia’s very own “drive-in” volcano.
Closer view of the steam vents and boiling mud pits.
Closer view of the steam vents and boiling mud pits.
Closeup of the mud pits in Soufrière Volcano.
Closeup of the mud pits in Soufrière Volcano.
An old bus permanently parked at Morne Coubaril plantation in Saint Lucia.
An old bus permanently parked at Morne Coubaril plantation in Saint Lucia.
Mound of coconut husks (used for fuel) at the plantation.
Mound of coconut husks (used for fuel) at the plantation.
Soufrière, seen from Morne Coubaril plantation.
Soufrière, seen from Morne Coubaril plantation.
The mound of coconut husks and the furnace they will fuel.
The mound of coconut husks and the furnace they will fuel.
Fruit grown at the Morne Coubaril plantation.
Fruit grown at the Morne Coubaril plantation.
A large metal bowl with water lettuce.
A large metal bowl with water lettuce.
Cocoa pods.
Cocoa pods.
A shrine with a statue of the Madonna inside.
A shrine with a statue of the Madonna inside.
Recreation of historic huts used on the Morne Coubaril plantation in years of yore.
Recreation of historic huts used on the Morne Coubaril plantation in years of yore.
Looking out the window from one of the huts.
Looking out the window from one of the huts.
Outside of a hut.
Outside of a hut.
A bedroom inside one of the huts.
A bedroom inside one of the huts.
Lunch composed of Creole bread, Cajun-style chicken, vegetable chow mein, ground provisions ("tubers"), stewed lentils, calypso rice, pan fried fish with hot sauce, and a coke.
Lunch composed of Creole bread, Cajun-style chicken, vegetable chow mein, ground provisions (“tubers”), stewed lentils, calypso rice, pan fried fish with hot sauce, and a coke.
A cocoa (or "cacao") tree in the Morne Coubaril plantation.
A cocoa (or “cacao”) tree in the Morne Coubaril plantation.
Petit Piton, seen from the road outside of the Morne Coubaril plantation.
Petit Piton, seen from the road outside of the Morne Coubaril plantation.
The waterfront of Soufrière with Petit Piton in the background.
The waterfront of Soufrière with Petit Piton in the background.
Downtown Soufrière with the Church of the Assumption in the distance.
Downtown Soufrière with the Church of the Assumption in the distance.
Looking back at the Pitons while on the road heading north to Castries City.
Looking back at the Pitons while on the road heading north to Castries City.
Canaries, a small fishing village on the west coast of Saint Lucia.
Canaries, a small fishing village on the west coast of Saint Lucia.
A parrot and the flag of Saint Lucia painted on a wall along the road.
A parrot and the flag of Saint Lucia painted on a wall along the road.
The beach in Anse la Raye.
The beach in Anse la Raye.
Castries City, the MS Royal Princess, and another cruise ship seen from Morne Fortune, the "Hill of Good Luck."
Castries City, the MS Royal Princess, and another cruise ship seen from Morne Fortune, the “Hill of Good Luck.”
The port in Castries City, Saint Lucia, seen from the MS Royal Princess.
The port in Castries City, Saint Lucia, seen from the MS Royal Princess.

-woke up at 06:50, showered, dressed

-breakfast at Horizon Court: fried egg, scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, hash browns, bacon, sausages, blueberry yogurt, coffee

-exited the ship after 08:00, met up with tour group, which walked to the catamaran, the boat left around 09:00, I tried to avoid the rain, but it came down quite a bit

-catamaran ride along west coast, visit to Marigot Bay (where the original ‘Dr. Doolittle’ was filmed); then stop at Tikai Resort at a cove for swimming (I did not go in, but did have a local beer instead), then on to Soufriere

-reached Soufriere, got into buses

-stop at sulphur springs inside caldera of volcano, a guide took us around

-Mourne Coubaril plantation: guide at plantation walked us through, plants pointed out, past estate, to coconut de husking and burning (tried some coconut), to cocoa bean production (tried a fresh cocoa seed), to sugar cane mill, to mockup of old fashioned huts, then to the open-air dining hall for lunch; sat down with an older couple from Maine and another from Missouri

-lunch: creole bread, Cajun style chicken, vegetable chow mein, ground provisions, stewed lentils, calypso rice, pan fried fish with hot sauce, coke

-after lunch, wait for jackass bus driver to show up, then drive back to Soufriere to change to another bus, which we had to wait for

-drive back to ship, stop overlooking Pitons, drive through rainforest, past small fishing villages, stopped at an outdoor market for ten minutes for souvenir shopping and WC break

-stopped at an overlook of the port and our ship

-finished the tour at 16:00

-back on ship, shower, dress

-cappuccino and relax in room

-walk down to Princess Theater and watch 18:45 performance of Sweet Soul Music, a tribute to classic 70s soul tunes

-dinner at Horizon Court: minute steak, chili shrimp, steamed root vegetables, beef stroganoff, salad (with croutons, chickpeas, bacon bits, and balsamic vinaigrette), iced tea

-dessert: slice of double chocolate cake, a chocolate chip cookie, coffee

-relax in room

-three slices of pizza (pepperoni and four cheese) for late night snack

-four Guinness beers and one gin martini from Club 6 whilst talking to the Canadian Real Estate guy and later on two guys from Massachusetts

-back to my room, watched most of ‘Entourage’ before going to bed at 03:00

 

An open journal or an exercise in narcissism.