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Thursday's Essay Preview

The first paragraph of Thursday's essay, "Why I wouldn't want to live on a Caribbean island" reads as follows:

When we went to “Super J’s” grocery store for milk on Friday — they received no shipment on Monday and said their next one was due on Friday — they were already out, if they received a shipment at all.  We had to purchase half-gallons of Lactose-free milk at $15.99 EC$ (more than $5.00 U.S. ) each, but we were totally dependent on island deliveries, and for most of the week (all except the first 2-3 days), we could not have our regular skim milk.
    


Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraph of the essay

I love traveling, and I love sampling other lives and lifestyles.  I am a people-watcher, and while waiting for our ride in St. Lucia, at a number of different places, I watched how local people dressed and acted.  When we traveled I observed how those in other cultures lived.  This is a treat, to be sure.  And, in many cases, I have observed that the lives of many in other cultures are simple and less complex than many in the United States.  By contrast, I prefer our modern conveniences, technical “necessities,” and the complications and complexity we have.  When it comes right down to it, I wouldn’t trade my life or lifestyle for any other in the world!
       




And Then Some News

And Then Some News

Thursday's Essay Preview

The first paragraph of Thursday's essay, "Planning to go to St. Lucia?" reads as follows:


There are several things I learned from a week in St. Lucia that may help others who are planning to go.  It is a popular Caribbean destination, and St. Lucians are trying to make it known as a romantic getaway and the destination for honeymooners.  In this essay I will address the kind of dress that is appropriate, the situation regarding food, and transportation.
       


Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraph of the essay

Dress, food, and transportation are some of the factors that need to be considered if you are planning to go to St. Lucia.  We went to accompany our older daughter and her 3 kids, and it was a great choice (very expensive to get there, to rent a house, and to buy food), but we saw the island, experienced the culture, enjoyed the cuisine, swam in the water, and would want to experience another place for another time.    




And Then Some News

And Then Some News

Thursday's Essay Preview

The first paragraph of Thursday's essay, "St. Lucia: Some Observations," reads as follows:

For an island just 27 miFles long and only 14 miles wide (238 sq. miles), it hosts a number of extremes.  The first and most obvious (easily observable) is the geography.  The terrain is described as volcanic and mountainous with some broad  fertile valleys.  It is more mountainous than many other Caribbean islands (except, perhaps, St. Vincent) with its highest point being Mount Gimie (pronounced “Jimmy”) at 3,120 feet above sea level.  There are 90-inches of rain each year with temperatures averaging 70-90-degrees Fahrenheit, and the island hosts 2 separate rain forests that, together, cover 19,000 acres.
    


Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraph of the essay

We have enjoyed St. Lucia because of its history, geography, climate, local food, culture, and overall ambiance.  It is one of the most outstanding of the Caribbean islands because everyone speaks English (the locals chat with each other in Patois, which is a blend of African-Caribbean language, heavily laden with French), they cater to tourists, it has irrefutable beauty, and it is easy to get around.  It has been a fun, relaxing, pleasant week — despite the heat and humidity.  That said, it is unlikely we would ever need or want to come back.  We have seen in St. Lucia all we need or want to see; we prefer going to places we have never been before, and that is why we came to St. Lucia in the first place.  There are so many elements that harmonize to make St. Lucia a true destination in the Caribbean especially for those who have never been to a Caribbean island.
    




And Then Some News

And Then Some News

Thursday's Essay Preview

The first paragraph of Thursday's essay, "St. Lucia: What We Did," reads as follows:

Our older daughter made the arrangements, and we rented a 3-story, 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom house that looked out to Rodney Bay from the side of a “mountain” (large hill), along with many other beautiful, modern, well-landscaped homes, most of them (but not ours) gated.  The house is fully furnished with all pots and pans, dishes, towels, and air conditioners in 3 of the 4 bedrooms (electricity is expensive), but no air conditioning in the main parts of the spacious house.  As I write this essay, we have 3 of the full-length sliding glass doors (only 2 with screens), wide open and the front door (no screen) open for cross ventilation.
    


Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraphs of the essay

On our way home we traveled the “roller coaster” road down into Castries by the governor’s mansion.  We stopped briefly to have a wonderful view of the entire town and port area.  One of the docked cruise ships was getting ready to leave, and by the time we were in the port area itself, it was nowhere in sight.
    
We arrived back in Rodney Bay around 6:00 p.m. after a very long day.  I have saved my observations about the island and island culture for my second St. Lucian essay: “St. Lucia: Some observations.”


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