Postcard from St Lucia - December 2010

After a fraught couple of days when the hotel threatened to cancel my booking because the agent hadn’t paid up, I eventually took off for St Lucia and although quite ‘bumpy’ at times, had a good flight and arrived at my hotel, Coconut Bay Hotel, in St Lucia in the late afternoon of Wednesday 15 December. Then the hotel tried to put me into the ‘children’ side of the hotel, but after I got everything sorted all was well. I had quite a reasonable room with a good view and with all mod cons, including Wireless Internet free, so I was happy! I had an Italian dinner and an early night.

The next few days were spent lying in the garden by the Adult pool [no kids anywhere near!] soaking up the sunshine and having a few easy swims with the odd rum drink or two! In the evening I alternated between an Italian and Asian dinner in their speciality restaurants, and kept well clear of the hotel’s main [buffet] restaurant, except for breakfast! Everything is very easy in the hotel as all food and drinks are inclusive, and so is Wireless so I can get on line in my room whenever I want to.

On Monday 20th, I took a tour of the island with Lamie, my local agent. He was a good guide and I enjoyed the tour, although was a bit bemused that we were out for six hours and no mention of any lunch! It was good to see the island, but it has been absolutely devastated by the hurricane in October. So many landslides, so many forests ruined, so many banana plantations wiped out, so many rivers across roads and most roads in a dreadful state. One landslide completely wiped out a house and all the family. Awful as it was to see, it was nonetheless good to see how fast they are moving to put everything right, but it is going to take them quite some time. It was very moving to see how they are all coping.

I have to confess that for the rest of my time in St Lucia my days were spent lying in the garden by the pool and the evenings were quiet dinners in one of the speciality restaurants. The weather remained pretty good – always fluffy clouds and the occasional shower, but I have returned with a good tan and feeling relaxed.

AMB/30.12.10