Day 6 & 7 - Marigot Beach, St Lucia

We are sitting at the airport now wishing we didn't have to go back to the cold!  We were laughing at the fact that St. Lucians LOVE country western music!  We listed to it ALL the way to the airport - 90 minutes.  And I'm not talking Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood, I'm talking Willy Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Lyle Lovitt....the owners at Ladera even told us that there are no Reggae clubs on the island, only country western.  This makes sense now that we think back on all the cowboy hats we saw!



Yesterday we experienced a lot of ran in St. Lucia.  It pretty much rained all day.  Disappointing, but we did have fabulous weather the rest of the week.  It would generally rain for 20-30 minutes every few hours, but clear up.  Yesterday was one black cloud and heavy downpour. 

Rainy Day in St. Lucia

We decided to take advantage of the rain and travel down to Castries for the day and eat at The Coal Pot for lunch, rather than dinner.  The ambience was really great, sits right on the harbor and overlooks the water.  This is the area where the cruise ships come in, so we saw a lot of toursts hoofing it around with their Carnival Cruise Line umbrellas.  We were lucky we had more than a rainy day in St. Lucia, we felt kind of sorry for them. 

Since we had time to kill, we had a rather long lunch.  We started with appetizers - french onion soup and escargot.  They were both excellent, might have been the best we've ever had of each.  So we were really anticipating our main courses.  I decided to try the saltfish and green fig, which is a local St Lucia dish.  Jeff got the snapper with coconut curry sauce, again a local St. Lucian specialty.  Jeff's was okay, but mine....inedible.  Almost to the point of laughter - I couldn't even smell it.  It was the fishiest dish I had ever smelled or tasted!  I think I nibbled on one piece before throwing the towel in.  I'm assuming, given the great appetizers, that it was not an issue with the chef, but rather just a personal preference towards salt fish...LOL.

The Coal Pot, Castries

Upon arrival back to the hotel, we ate again, and again, and wait again....HA HA.  What else is there to do other than drink rum punch and eat when it rains in the tropics?  We ventured down to Chateau Mygots, which is a short walk from our hotel.  Everyday they have happy hour, buy one get one free, so the rum punch and banana daquiries were flowing.  Even though it rained all day, we managed to have another fantastic day in paradise.

This morning we got up early for a few more hours of sunshine before heading off to the airport.  The clouds had cleared and we had a good 3 hours by the pool before heading back to Mygot's for lunch, fish and chips....very tasty.  They catch the fish right off the pier, you can't get fresher than that!

Chateau Mygot, Marigot Bay, St. Lucia

It was a fun trip.  We absolutely loved Ladera.  If and when we come back, we would definitely make another trip back to Ladera and possibly catch a ferry or small plane over to another close by island, such as Martinique, Trinidad, or St Kitts.  While we enjoyed our stay at Marigot Bay, Ladera completely spoiled us and we would want to spend our entire next trip there! 

Merry Christmas to all!

XOXO
Jenn & Jeff

Day 4 & 5 - Marigot Bay, St. Lucia

Marigot Bay

We left beautiful Ladera yesterday and headed north towards Marigot Bay.  It was roughly a 55 minute drive through various banana plantations and winding roads before we arrived at Discovery Marigot Bay.  Marigot is a natural harbor and home to the "super yachts."  Considered by many to be the most beautiful bay in the Caribbean, Marigot is situated on the West Coast of St. Lucia, just seven miles south from Castries (the capital) by road and 15 minutes away by boat. Marigot is still a haven today for yachtsmen from all over the world and the home where the movie "Dr. Dolittle" was filmed with Sophia Loren as the lead actress.

The best part of Marigot - there isn't much to do here other than sit by the pool, watch the yachts come in and out of the harbor and eat at one of the 5 local restaurants.  You get to the restaurants via ferry, which literally wisps you across the bay in 3 minutes to the other side of the harbor. 


Dinner at Rainforest Hideaway



Upon arrival yesterday, we checked in and enjoyed a few cocktails poolside before heading up to our room to get ready for dinner.  We ate dinner at the Rainforest Hideaway, which is across the harbor.  It was a very quaint and cute place, tucked away behind some beautifully landscaped gardens.  Dinner was perfect! 

Today we got up early and enjoyed breakfast at Boudreau, which is located inside our hotel.  We spent the day at the beach and poolside, again, just relaxing and taking in some much needed sunshine.  A few amazing yachts docked today, check out some of the photos:

Marina view from Hotel Pool

We are taking it easy tonight and hanging at the hotel for the seafood feast.  Tomorrow morning we are heading to Castries, which is about a 15 minute boatride north.  We plan to visit the city in the morning and eat lunch at "The Coalpot" which has been a family run business since 1966.  Supposed to have excellent food and a better view.  Check it.  http://www.coalpotrestaurant.com/location.htm



Tomorrow is our last full day on the island, back to the cold Chicago weather!

Till tomorrow, XOXO J&J

Day 3 - Soufriere, St. Lucia

Today is our last full day at Ladera .  We woke up to a beautiful rainbow sitting in between Gran Piton and Petit Piton mountains. 

Rainbow from Room

Today we are doing the “Soufriere Experience.”  This is a few hour private tour of the southeast’s most famous landmarks – the islands long dormant volcano, Diamond Botanical gardens and waterfall and the therapeutic mud baths.  We started at the volcano, which is still bubbling at over 143 degrees.  The volcano is a mixture of sulfur, iron, copper, and magnesium, which does NOT lead to a very pleasant smell.  I found myself putting my nose up against Jeff’s back as the tour guide told us about the eruption over 141,000 years ago. 

From the volcano we drove a short distance to Diamond Botanical Gardens and Waterfall.  The gardens were planted among the plantation trees (coconut, cocoa, mahogany, red cedar) as well as flowers and shrubs from around the tropical world.  Locally grown fruits and vegetables are also on display.  Bananas are the largest export here in St Lucia.  They have started farming cocoa at a local plantation down the street from the hotel, called Hotel Chocolate, but we’ve been told it will take 3-4 years for a healthy crop.  St Lucians are extremely excited about this, as cocoa can bring the island a tremendous amount of needed financial aid.  As you walk through the gardens, a river runs along the path.  The river flows from the volcano, which is colored by the mineral deposits; this has turned the stones and rocks red.  There are also 18^th century mineral pools used by the troops of King Louis XVI back when St Lucia was a French colony.  The remains of the baths are still there and have been restored and are in operation. 

Our next stop was the famous St. Lucia mud baths.  Thanks to the sulfur that drifts into the springs from the volcano, the baths stay incredibly warm.  They are a 2 miles away from the waterfall and many locals believe that they have healing powers.  Unfortunately with the rain we had this morning, the temperature of the water wasn’t as hot as normal, but there were still people there rubbing the mud on their arms and faces, as they believe it is a cure for many diseases.  Mud is definitely not our thing, so we stuck our toe in and went on our way! 

Our last stop for the day was to Jalouisie Plantation & Beach.  This is the white sandy beach just down the mountain from Ladera.  It was originally a French Sugar Plantation, which is easily identified when you walk the grounds and look at the architecture.  We didn’t stay on the beach today, instead we opted to sit by our pool at Ladera and listen to the local band the hotel brought in for the day.  Tonight we are driving back down the hill to have dinner at Jalousie, which had a beautiful restaurant called the Great Room. 

Tomorrow we will be leaving Soufriere and heading to Marigot Bay, which is located closer to Castries.  This part of the island is less secluded with many restaurants and shops, so it will be a nice change in pace.

Till tomorrow.

XOXO

Jenn  & Jeff

Day 2 - Soufriere, St. Lucia

Good morning from beautiful St. Lucia!  And Happy Birthday to my dad!!!!!!  28 years old never looked so good. 

Our suite pool

Lobby Bar



 

Anse La Raye Friday Fish Fry



Anse La Raye Friday Fish Fry - Live Band

We spent yesterday afternoon at our pool and lobby bar before heading to Anse La Raye's Friday Seafood Feast.  Definitely a ritual among locals.  We arrived early, so we felt a little uncomfortable at first; however, after an hour or so, more tourist started arriving and we were able to relax.  The festival was VERY grassroots, local seafood stalls lined both sides of the street.  Many of the local people had big grills cooking up lobster, snapper, conch, oysters, etc.  You name the seafood, they probably had it there.  There were also a bunch of large stew pots, cooking up Creole stew with curried lobster and king fish.  I’m not usually a big fan of “street food,” but what the hell, we tried it anyways.  We started with the fish cakes, which were really tasty and cost only $.50!  We then moved on to the local dish, Braff, which was grilled mahi mahi in a lemongrass basil sauce…very tasty.  Lastly we tried the Lobster special, which included a full lobster, rice, veggies, conch fritters and pasta for under $20!  Oh and of course we washed it down with the local beer, Piton, for $1 each!  There was also a live band playing steel/bongo drums and people singing karaoke.  This was HILARIOUS!!!!  St. Lucian’s with strong French (Creole) accents singing the Eagles….priceless.  Jeff and I did not drink enough Piton to participate in the karaoke! 







The drive to the festival was rather long, 45 minutes, but we did get to see many of the local towns as we drove along the coast.  St. Lucia was hit by a hurricane this past October 30^th and the locals and the land are still recovering.  The hurricane left a lot of destruction in its path, taking the lives of 10 people.  Our driver pointed out some of the areas that were most affected.  Huge landslides took the lives of one entire family, as the mud and rock came rushing down the side of the mountain and completely took out their home.  The home to their east was lucky.  The mud, trees, and rock came down around this home, but the structure stayed in tack.  As you drive by, there are literally hundreds of trees (now horizontally facing) and rocks wrapped around this home.  It was unreal to see these huge boulders and 7 feet worth of mud on the backside of this home.  We tried to get a picture, but we were too slow.  It’s very sad to see how the people here were affected by the hurricane.  From what we’ve been told, there was no indication that it was even coming.  No evacuations were put in place and people had to ride out the 4 day storm and hope for the best.  The people of St. Lucia have been working together to rebuild the island, as this is one of the first weeks that many of the hotels have reopened their doors.  Tourism is the largest industry to St. Lucia so we know they look forward to a strong Holiday season that will drive the economy during this hardship. 





This afternoon we are heading to Anse Chastanet Beach.  There are many beaches in St Lucia with white sand, but we thought it would be different  to visit Anse Chastanet, it is a volcanic sand beach located in the southwest coast.  It is pretty secluded, with one restaurant…another day of r&r is ahead!  We will post pictures tonight!



Day 1 - Soufriere, St. Lucia

We arrived in St. Lucia around 6:30PM last night.  St. Lucia is part of the Windward Island chain, a subgroup of the West Indies.  The island is 238 square miles and a mere 21 miles from its closest neighbor, Martinique, and roughly 1300 miles southeast of Florida. 

St. Lucia is most well known for its natural harbours and its central location within North America.  The French and the British fought endlessly for possession of this island, changing ownership 14 times!  Given the tug of war between both powers, one historian calls St. Lucia the “Helen of the West Indies,” comparing the island to Helen of Troy, whose beauty mobilized an entire navy.   Since 1979 it has been under British rule, but the French influence is still very apparent.

There are approximately 170,000 natives to the island.  Most of the population (60,000) is located in Castries, which is the capital of St. Lucia.  We aren’t staying in Castries, but plan to visit the famous Castries Central Market before we leave.  We are loving the tropical weather - the climate ranges between the mid seventies and mid eighties, year round….not bad coming from Chicago! While it can get very hot here, the trade winds provide a nice breeze, which is extremely important as our first hotel, Ladera (www.ladera.com), does not have air conditioning! 

We’ve been dreaming of staying at Ladera since we read about it in Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure.  For many years it has been awarded and voted as the best hotel in the Caribbean!  We now know why.  It is more than a place to rest your head, it is an experience.  Located in Soufriere, St. Lucia’s first capital, the land was once one of the oldest plantations on the island.  In the late 1960s an architect saw the potential to celebrate nature and location and built a small cluster of condominiums.  In 1982, under private ownership, the condominiums were converted into what the resort is today.  Their goal was to incorporate the natural beauty and bounty of the island.  This commitment remains true today, with yearly maintenance to protect the exposed Caribbean timbers, stone and tile work used in each guestroom. 

Ladera is home to the towering peaks of the Pitons, which rise above the water to heights of over half a mile.  The resort is open aired, perched atop a forested ridge 1100 feet above the Caribbean Sea.  There are only 32 rooms – 26 suites and 6 villas.  It is secluded and highly personalized.  We absolutely love it!  Each room is designed with only three walls, which allows for unobstructed views of the Piton Mountains, with is part of St. Lucia’s UNESCO World heritage site.  We are literally in the middle of the rainforest, so we were woken up today by a soundtrack of frogs and birds!  Ladera prides itself with bringing together nature and an authentic St Lucian experience.  Environmentalism is important to the owners, who go out of their way to conserve energy, use local and sustainable foods, and maintain the beauty of the island.  I have to say, it’s pretty amazing.  I love that there is no walls between us and the  green, lush mountains . . . don’t worry we have a mosquito net!  We also don’t have to leave our room – each room has its own private pool and a swing the sits over the pool to take in the view.  It is unlike anywhere we’ve ever stayed. 

We are taking it easy today, enjoying the pool and some good Caribbean tunes.  We also took a tour of the botanical gardens and the fish and lily ponds located on site.  Absolutely beautiful!  Natural lily pads and ponds are located throughout the resort.  Tonight we are taking a water taxi to Anse la Raye, which is another city on the island.  Every Friday they have a big street party, which they call the “hang out.”  The streets are lined with food, music, lots of rum, and dancing!  The festival features lobster and a variety of barbequed, fried, and cooked en papillote seafood.  We’ve been told to try the “braff” or mahi-mahi, which is the authentic dish of St. Lucia. 

We have a small list of must do’s, which include visiting Anse Chastanet Beach tomorrow, the “Soufriere Experience on Sunday (stay tuned)”, and heading towards Marigot Bay Resort for the second part of our trip.

Till tomorrow!

Jenn & Jenn

2 Wks + Counting

Jeff and I decided to get away for a pre-holiday vacation this year.  He has been dying to get to St Lucia, so we are making our first trip down there.  It has been an exciting but busy year!  Between Jeff's business, my school, work, and finding a new job, we are looking forward to a little R&R oceanside with a fruity cocktail in hand!  Please join us on our journey through St Lucia!