Mayapan Castries
 
We did not find any beautiful beach to settle, so we decide to stay in the apartment and  enjoy the terrace and the pool.
 
We have lunch in a "real" restaurant on the marina, where the price of the punch is exorbitant.
 
Rest of the day :  organisation of our stay in Barbados and update of our website.
 
That’s the oportunity of meeting our neighbours, Aurélie and Alex, a french couple living in Guadeloupe. We have the same feeling about St Lucia.
 
We gave them as a present : our brand new mexican hand luggage that we dont realy need and which is a problem on the little planes flying from one island to the other. We just ask them to send us some photos from time to time !!!
Soufriere
 
Second day of visit, heading south of the island.
 
The road is winding and impressive to reach "Soufrière" through a thick tropical jungle that hides the beauty of the shore.
 
We take a mini bus to get there and we are shaked for more than an hour....
 
Once there, we decide to take a taxi to visit the various sites.
 
"Soufrière" was the very first town on the island. It was its capital, but, because of the latent danger represented by the volcano, it was abandoned for Castries.
 
It remains famous for its pitons, two triangle-shaped mountains that fall  into the sea, and for its volcano.
 
We hike 45 minutes on the " Tet Paul Treck " where we admire the famous piton of Soufrière and then we discover the boiling mud and smell the sulphur that comes out of the crater of the volcano.
 
We then visit the village, with its colorful wooden houses,
 
Every night the same question .... what are we going to cook tonight?
 
It is very difficult to find appetizing food and the choice is very limited...fortunately, we have lunch in a restaurant at lunch time.
Pigeon Island
 
We have not rented a vehicle according to the advice of tourist sites or guides which strongly discourages it.
 
We use local mini-buses to get around, vehicles  that only leaves when they’re full.
 
We dedicate our first day to the north of the island to "Pigeon Island"
 
This peninsula bordered by the Atlantic and the Caribbean is the site of the famous battle between Admiral Rodney, who led the English fleet, and Admiral de Grasse, who defended French interests.
 
From the British fort there are only a few ruins left, not very interesting, except the view over Martinique.
 
We also discover "Gros Islet", where many resorts and hotel complexes are concentrated, and which is known for its "street party". Every Friday evening, it attracts hundreds of locals and tourists who come to party at the rhythm of reggae, R'n'B and zouk music
 
Since our arrival, we experience every day more the poverty of the population.
 
The houses in the villages we pass through are made of corrugated iron or wood and bound one to the other.
 
However, there are many nice houses in the area...a strong contrast!!!
Saint Lucia
 
This former British colony, gained its independence in 1979 and is now part of the Commonwealth.
 
"Saint Lucia" is located south of Martinique and north of Saint Vincent.
This land was subject of many conflicts between France and the United Kingdom. Its heritage : English and Creole is spoken, and the last one is difficult to understand.
 
Its impressive and varied landscapes are made up of tropical forests, waterfalls, sandy beaches, bays and lagoons and volcanic rocky peaks.
 
We get up early to avoid traffic jams and catch our 9:00 flight . Time to have breakfast at the airport and after a 20 minute flight we arrive in "Castries", the capital city.
 
Founded in 1650 by the French, the city got its name from the Marshal of Castries, Minister of the Navy, who, by the Treaty of Versailles in 1783, temporarily gave Saint Lucia back to France.
 
There are very few buildings of colonial style left and the local atmosphere gives us a strange feeling.
 
It’s Saturday, market day, and the locals wandering around the market are under alcohol and drug.... very odd... We could be in Jamaica !
 
There is nothing to encourage us to stroll between the stalls filled only with bananas and roots.... We have to do some shopping and the prices  in the supermarkets are equivalent to those in the United States.
 
This town lives only three days a week, when the cruise ships stop over.
 
We go back to our beautiful apartment with our lovely view.
ROAD BOOK 065
MAVROS ODYSSEE