British Islands

Morne Trois Pitons National Park

Nineteen islanders died from the fatal eruption of Montserrat’s Soufriere Hills volcano in 1997. The flow of heated rock, gases, and ash cascaded down the Soufriere Hills volcano, passed through Plymouth, then ran into the sea, setting buildings and lands ablaze. A year afterthe eruption, wewere finally able to anchor at the North West Bluff, eager to explore inside the Exclusion Zone. Though most islanders had evacuated, a couple taxi vans were available for hire.

Bold red signs announcing “NO ENTRY” were posted along the single narrow road into Plymouth. Where previously we had passed lush tropical life, soon we were staring into a void that harkened back to a pre-Palaeozoic era when volcanic eruptions shaped the planet. The town of Plymouth was a jaw-dropping shock to study. Nothing was there: no recording studios of the rich & famous likeStevie Wonder and Paul MCCartney, no birds, nada! Sulphourous odors stung our lungs, so we didn't stay long.

UPDATE: Today, almost 5000 people live in the northern one-third of the island that was unaffected by the volcano. Long the refuge of goats and a few herders, new settlements are rising over the steep brown hills. A new centre for the island taking shape around Little Bay.

Montserrat was populated by Arawak and Carib people, before it was claimed by Columbus on his second voyage for Spain in 1493, naming the island Santa María de Montserrate, after a monastery near Barcelona. Reluctant Irish colonists were shipped here, captured after a rebellion in England. More Irish settlers arrived from St Kitts due to religious persecution. Hence, the strong Irish influence found on the island and popular Irish surnames.

Like other islands in the West Indies, the island danced in ownership between the French and English more than once, ending up with the British. The
Irish nicknamed the island the "emerald Isle" because of the vibrant plant life and the densely forested mountians. Because of the rich soil, the island was transformed into farm and plantations. Slaves were imported, but the plantations failed due to the rugged terrain.

Soufriere Hills Eruption

Antigua (pronounced "An-TEE-ga" with a hard "g") was named by Columbus after 'Santa Maria la Antigua of Seville, although first colonized by English planters from St.Kitts. At one time, the French occupied the island, then lost it to England in a battle. Just in case the French reappeared, the next 200 yrs were spent building naval forts on the shoreline. With its deep, huge bay, English Harbor was home to the British fleet, which frequently setout on raids against other European nations and pirates.

Capt Horatio Nelson was headquartered here, miserable from having alienated local merchants by his enforcement of the Navigation Act, which closed BritishWest Indian ports to American shipping.

Nelson complained to his wife, "I am alone in the Commmanding Officer's House, while my ship is fitting, and from sunrise until bedtime I have not a human creature to speak to".
Unfortunately, our stay was a brief one of only a couple hours. We arrived at Customs at 5pm, then were promptly ushered out of the harbor from having a dog onboard, althoug all our pet import permits were in order. I hear it's a great place though! NO DOGS WELCOME HERE.

English Harbor

Montserrat

Dominica

Trade Union

Liquor Store

Forest Home

North River Tour

Our sail across the Guadeloupe Passage was a bit wild in our monohull (today we have a catamaran). Fort Shirley stood sentinel on Prince Rupert Bluff, guarding the bay. We gladly set the hook in black volcanic sand off the Picard Estate on the south end of Prince Rupert Bay. Immediately, a boat boy offered to guide us upriver beneath a verdant canopy to an outpost deep in the forest, where cold drinks and snacks would be waiting for us. We hit the shore running, happy to board his dugout for some R&R. The kids got a real kick out of fake gorilla high up in the trees. At eight and nine years old, anything was possible in their imagination.

Dominica is widely known as the "Nature Isle of the Caribbean" for its seemingly unspoiled natural beauty. The Caribs, who settled here in the 14th century, called the island Waitikubuli, which means ‘Tall is her Body.’ Columbus named the island after the day of the week on which he spotted it – a Sunday (‘Doménica’ in Italian). The island became independent in 1978, after governmental control passed between the French and British a couple times. A French patios is spoken between the islanders; it keeps them connected with their ancestral neighbors. The big island holds an effusive, friendly atmosphere (it’s our favorite of the all the West Indies), as it renders a sense of the Caribbean that we remember -- before the invasion of jets, cruise ships and too many charter boats.

We relished our stroll around Plymouth at Prince Rupert Bay, yet Roseau (the largest town on Dominica), captured our hearts for its old town flair. We ambled through it, en route to hike the trails of Morne Trois Pitons National Park. Getting lost and rubbing elbows with the locals inside the Old Market Plaza and Saturday market (held at the north end of Bay Street) was fun. My patios carried me only so far. Listening to it, the kids understood far more words than we did! Caught in a time warp, Roseau possesses a colonial-style fell about it, with its brightly painted clapboard buildings, wide verandas and wooden balconies.

With an abundance of primeval forests, swift-flowing rives cascading from the soaring peaks and cliffs, we donned our sneakers and hit the trails of the Morne Trois Pitons National Park. Up a steep mountain from Roseau, on the south end of the island, we took the well-worn trail that looped through the Roseau River Valley to Trafalgar Falls, and the Emerald Pools, passing by the Queens River. Occasionally, we pass over narrow wooden bridges, where island women below us, bent double over boulders, washing laundry.

Inside the rainforest, we kept our eyes out for the sisserou (or imperial parrot) and its relative the jaquot (red-necked parrot), both indigenous to the island. Never close, but we delighted in seeing them soar across jungle filled gorges on wind drafts, their wide wings still in flight. Hummingbirds became more frequent sightings. A bit more scary to the kids was the legend of Morne Diablotions, a superstitious belief that 'Master Boa' lives somewhere, hidden in the forest. We were very careful where we walked, keeping to the trails. Apparently, the Afro-Caribbean customs and legends have been little diluted by modern ways, making for an interesting stay!

After our treks, we feasted on ‘crapaud’, the large mountain frog, referred to as "mountain chicken". The kids turned their noses up, preferring 'tee-ree-ree', the spicy fishcake. The land crabs looked rather ugly and unappetizing in their grey and white armor, but friends say the 'crabe farci' was delicious! All were a nice change from red beans and brown rice on the boat!

Emerald Pool

Trafalgar Falls

Morne Diablotins

Roseau from Morne Trois Pitons

The Arawaks came first, then later the Caribs, whom laid claim to this mountainous gem, which they dubbed “Igaunalao (place of the iguana). Columbus arrived, followed by French and British colonists and the coin tossing for control commenced once again. The island changed hands fourteen times over 150 years, until finally resting with the British. Independence followed in 1979, remaining safe framework of the British Commonwealth. Their English veneer is visible amongst a solid foundation of African and Creole tradition.

The iconic Soufriere Pitons rose from the waves to the clouds like pyramids of volcanic stone, as we made our way to the anchorage in Rodney Bay. At the outer limits, we had easy access to the beach, shadowed by Mount Pinard. The view from our boat was stunning: an emerald tooth rose from the calm anchorage, surrounded by a rainforest-choked interior. We couldn’t wait to don our sneakers to explore hidden trails to secret places.

When I looked ashore, I was surprised to see the boys had beat me to the landing. On the beach, they stood next to a pair of Rastas, who were bent double over the waters, rubbing cactus gel into their long dreadlocks. “To keep dem’ ‘ealthy,” they told with a wide toothy grin. Pointing, he guided us to a trail, bordered by a narrow river that was packed with fallen trunks and swollen limbs from a bad summer’s hurricane. Around us, a canopy of green covered the island like a haze. Rolling hills gave way to volcanic mountains that reached to the sky.

At the end of our muddy climb, we came to a rushing waterfall, pounding over slippery boulders, then crashing into a deep pool below. Our new Rasta friend led us onto a large flat rock, so we could bathe in its cool sweetness. “No soap ‘em, please. Dis the ‘tree of life’ to drink for eternal life,” he said. On the rock behind the falls, ‘tree of life’ had been carved into its mossy face.

Then I heard a puff of air and looked behind me in stunned belief to see the Rastaman blackflipping off the slippery boulder into the pool far below. Peter led the boys down to the pool, less they follow suit!

Central Forest Reserve

Soufriere Twin Pitons

On other hikes in the Central Forest Reserve, we studied the gum tree, lady’s fern and breadfruit, first grown on the islands of the South Pacific Ocean, then carried over on ships to the Caribbean.

Breadfruit is a principal staple crop of St Lucia. About the size of a small melon, it has a rough rind and a white, mealy pulp. We liked it best when baked. The pulp becomes soft and somewhat sweet, especially when sprinkled with brown sugar and butter. Villagers dry the pulp, then ground it to make biscuits, bread, and puddings. In the South Pacific, cloth is made from the inner bark and furniture and canoes are made from the soft, light wood; and the milky sap is used in waterproofing.

Along the hiking trails, we marveled at the beautiful tropical flowers. My sisters pay top dollar back home for such treasure of the natural forest, flown in via jet. Here, they grew wild alongside rivers, in bright sunlight, and in the shade of jungle canopoy.

Anthurium

Ginger

Antigua

Montserrat

Dominica

St Lucia