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Larry's LogThe next day Patrick and Teresa were flying home to take care of some business and had asked us if we were interested in renting a car and driving them to the airport, for which they would give us the cost of a taxi, about $50 US. Since the rental car cost was not too much more than that, we agreed. Diane had reserved a car with a local place for 8:30am and we were there just a little before that. Diane got a little concerned but the girl showed up about 5 minutes later, got the car keys from the prior renter who was also there, and we were off to pick up Patrick and Teresa. The only problem was that they drive on the left in St. Lucia and the driver's side is on the right, just the opposite of the US. I was a little concerned about it but as it turned out, I got used to it very quickly and we had no problems. Of course, the fact that I hadn't driven anything in about 6 months probably made it easier to get accustomed to driving on the left. We picked up Heidi and then drove to the marina where Kajsa was moored. We all got in the car and we started for the international airport at the southern end of the island. Patrick was in the passenger seat and navigated while I concentrated on driving on the "wrong" side of the road. We passed some nice scenery and actually enjoyed the ride. We got to the airport and dropped Patrick and Teresa off. Patrick asked if I would turn off a switch that he had forgotten and then leave the key with the marina owner. No problem - have a good trip. Hopefully we would see them again further down island. Diane, Heidi and I then drove off to see some of the island. We had decided to go to Soufriere and the Pitons so we got some directions and started off. The difference in vegetation from the windward side to the leeward side was tremendous. The windward side was very dry, and although the leeward side was also dry from lack of rain recently, the type of vegetation was very different. We were advised to go across the island to get to the airport since the road was better. As we drove the road to Soufriere, I could see why we got that advice. The road surface was fine (for the most part) but the turns, twists and grades up and down were amazing, with many one lane bridges. Fortunately, there wasn't much traffic and we enjoyed the scenery, stopping a few times for pictures. As we got closer to Soufriere, I saw the sign for the Sulphur Springs and we turned in. After paying the fee of 3EC per person, I parked the car by the side of the road. As soon as we got out of the car, we could smell the sulphur springs immediately. Although we were supposed to have a guide, we declined and just walked around by ourselves. The area was small but the sights were very interesting. There were many boiling pools of mud and the entire sight was covered in sulphur. They used to let people get fairly close to the boiling pools, and you could feel the heat from the ground under you from the hot gases, but a tour guide had fallen through the thin sulphurous ground several years ago and they have since enclosed the area. After the Sulphur Springs, we continued to Soufriere. On the way, we drove past the Jalousie Hilton, which has a beautiful location in a small bay right between the Pitons. We decided to stop and see about lunch and possibly snorkeling there. We drove into the hotel complex and parked. They have a shuttle bus from the parking lot and we went down to the beach and their restaurant. After a nice lunch, Diane wanted to go snorkeling so Heidi and I just wandered around the beach and I took some pictures. Afterward, Diane said that the fish were really good and the water clarity excellent. Very nice, perhaps we could stop on our way down the island as we sail south. Unfortunately, the shuttle bus took a while to pick us up so we stayed longer than expected, but we finally got underway again and drove the twisty road toward Soufriere. When we got there, we were all struck with the town and its contrasts. There was incredible poverty and at the same time a rustic charm. There was a lot of traffic and although the street was 2 ways, there was only room for one car due to parked cars, which made for interesting maneuvering. Some of the local people also had a disconcerting habit of staring, and some would actually shout at us, although I think those people were smoking some of the local flora. It did make us feel uncomfortable. We stopped for gas and asked directions to the Diamond Botanical Gardens and the attendant was very nice who helped us. We got the directions and off we went. The gardens were very nice and also had a large waterfall, called, naturally, Diamond Falls. The rock behind the falls were a different color due to the minerals in the rock and the water in the pool and stream below the falls was actually cloudy due to the dissolved minerals. After wandering around and meeting a tour group of Police Chiefs who were on the island for a conference, we left the gardens and continued around the island. We continued on the road back to Gros Islet and stopped at several overlooks that had great views. One overlook had a crippled man who came down to greet us and offered a pretty clear explanation of what we were seeing; the town of Soufriere and the Pitons. He pointed out the Sulphur Springs and other local sights. We took some pictures and left. I thought he would ask for some money before we left, but he never did. The drive back took until dark. After we got back, we decided to go to dinner at the Charthouse, near Rodney Bay. Since we had a car, we weren't worried about getting back. Dinner was excellent; I had Fillet Mignon and Diane had Baby-back Ribs. Heidi also offered to treat us. Thanks again. Saturday morning Diane dropped me off so Heidi and I could go shopping at a mall just outside of Rodney Bay. Diane stayed on the boat doing some food preparation for the evening. She came in at lunchtime and we ate at a local place. We started back to the boat but got caught in a downpour so we ducked into the Rodney Bay Marina for some shelter. Heidi decided to go back to the hotel by cab while Diane and I moved the boat to the other side of Rodney Bay near the hotel. This would make it easier to get to and from the hotel. After we had anchored in about 11 feet of water and made sure that the anchor was set, we went to shore. We relaxed by the hotel until "Happy Hour" and then all of us went back to the boat for cocktails and dinner. We had heard on the Caribbean Weather Net that a tropical wave was due to come in that night around midnight and were a little concerned, but we figured we would have time after dinner to do any extra preparations. The weather had been overcast and rained heavily at times, but the wind hadn't really increased tremendously at all. |