Week One

Merry Christmas everyone. We are just passing our first week in paradise and things are wonderful if you don't count the little wreck I had on Tuesday. I was driving along minding my own business when a pot hole jumped in front of me and swallowed the left front tire and ground effects, (can't imagine why we had a low rider to begin with) the result was a wrecker.

Soufreire is just like a small town back home and after coming here half a dozen times I have gotten to know some people. Tony from Cool Breeze towed the car into their lot and within 24 hours Ursula from Budget had another car delivered to our guest house. This one is a Mitsubishi and sits a lot higher. Thanks Tony and Ursula.

Leo and Marcy arrived last Monday and spent two days with Marcy's family then two days with us and we are going up north for brunch with her clan today. Should be swell, lots of good food and cheer.

We have been in the mother once, found a terrific new waterfall in Anse LaRaye, (one that Marcy had never even seen), had a great soak in the mineral baths at Diamond Botanical, visited The Still, Jalousie and Hummingbird Resorts, not bad for one week. Some sad news to report, my friend and talented woodcarver Robert aka Fargo passed away from pneumonia about 5 months ago, RIP Fargo.

Driving to Catries

The drive to Castries (the capitol and northern city) from Ladera is even more treacherous than in the past. The road is winding with many switchbacks and steep hills under ideal conditions people have been know to become car sick and some just plain afraid. Since hurricane Tomas the drive is especially challenging with the road blocked by boulders, landslides, heavy equipment, dropped pavement and at times is no wider than a single, narrow, rutted lane. I was a passenger on this trip and glad not to be driving, many locals have not even attempted to go any further than absolutely necessary.

When I lived here in the winters of 07' and 08' I made the trip from Soufriere where I lived to Canneries where my nephew Leo and his now wife Marcy lived many times. One of my favorite spots to stop with visiting friends was Columbette where a lovely couple ran a Art/Craft cooperative called Livity it is now unrecognizable and this is the site where the couple, two of their children and a visiting artist were killed. Swept down the mountain and into the sea, the funerals of the children were just last week while the adults have yet to be found buried under the mountains of soil you see in these photo's. It was very emotional passing this area, may they rest in peace.

The brigde near Anse la Raye had nearly six inches of water still spilling over the top of the road. Everywhere I looked the hurrican damage was evident and locals continue to work hard shoveling masses of slippery, wet silt from the interior of their homes. Many family lost all of their belonging which in this impoverished nation will take many years to replace. It is sad yet uplifting as the Lucians complain little and attack each day to restore normalicy.