Day 6 ~ St. Lucia
Thursday, April 28
If it’s Thursday, this must be St. Lucia. We can see a good chunk of the island from our balcony, and it seems to be much more developed than the others, the result, apparently, of having the old stuff burn down in 1927 and 1948. That may also explain the rather prominent fire station at the end of the dock.
If it’s Thursday, this must be St. Lucia. We can see a good chunk of the island from our balcony, and it seems to be much more developed than the others, the result, apparently, of having the old stuff burn down in 1927 and 1948. That may also explain the rather prominent fire station at the end of the dock.
Up close, the island is less impressive – tackier than St. Maarten, more crowded than Antigua and jammed with aggressive vendors selling the usual assortment of Hawaiian (OK: tropical) shirts, magnets, baskets and kitsch. It also has that unique scent of rain and garbage that I associate with some of the seamier parts of London. There are some interesting sights, though, like the tiny birdhouse-like cottages in turquoise, pink and yellow that serve as street stalls. More birdhouses hang on a wall to hide phones for the various cab companies. One building has a row of tiny openings at ground level, a few used as shops but most of them bars filled with locals on a lunch break. Other locals and a few escapees from the ship’s crew huddle around tables playing a somewhat raucous game of dominos.
We don’t feel the need to stay more than an hour, which is fine since it’s also raining. Instead, we join the couples strolling two-by-two around the ship as if en route to the ark. Which may be a good idea if the rain keeps up. We check out some of the indoor spaces before retreating to our usual spot by the pool. Today, everything is in the shade. But it’s a good day for reading, napping and eating, which seems to be a trend.
It also turns out to be the perfect day for a walk, since the drizzle cools things down and the moving ship hasn’t yet turned the deck into a wind tunnel. And the 15 laps almost justify the cholesterol-laden cheese tray we order from room service to tide us over until our next meal.
It also turns out to be the perfect day for a walk, since the drizzle cools things down and the moving ship hasn’t yet turned the deck into a wind tunnel. And the 15 laps almost justify the cholesterol-laden cheese tray we order from room service to tide us over until our next meal.
We burn more calories with an hour of dancing and then wipe out that bit of healthful behavior at dinner, where Snookie can’t decide between two entrees and is encouraged to order both. They may have to haul us off this ship in a wheelbarrow.