The sun rose this morning at 6:10 a.m. I spied St. Lucia’s famously majestic pitons rising over the sparkling bay at 6:30 a.m. The morning air was crisp and the day slightly overcast. We rode Zodiac to our destination of Soufriere – the first capital -- in the south west of St. Lucia by 8:30 a.m. The physical setting is very dramatic as the town of Soufriere (population 12,000) is actually situated at the west end of an ancient caldera, and a volcano blew the western ridge of the mountain chain away about 39,000 years ago. It is picture book perfect. The name of the town Soufriere means “sulphur air” because of the sulfur gases given off by the ancient caldera. If you can smell the gas, the locals believe the volcano is sleeping.
Once at the caldera we could see the fumes from the boiling cauldron bubbling with molten rock, sulfuric gases (hydrogen-sulfide), and a mud-water mixture. Our guide for the day was Heidi, a knowledgeable native of the area. Our first stop was the visitor center where we saw a five-minute presentation on the volcanology of the island and Soufriere in particular. The smell of sulfur was pungent, especially when the wind shifted. A professional guide at the caldera’s edge explained the nature of the volcanism we were observing.
Our next stop was the Diamond Botanical Garden, a gift to the island by the owners, the Du Boulay family. The Du Boulays received the land of some five thousand acres from King Louis the XIV in 1713 and the present owner is a lineal descendant. The garden is a cornucopia of tropical plants of every variety from the spectacular heloconias with their blinding vivid yellows and reds to the wonderfully stately nutmeg trees. I found the discussion of the bamboo’s botany - the national plant of St. Lucia which can grow 8 inches a day and reach 50 feet tall and 6 inches in diameter - riveting. We spent an hour in the garden and after our visit we returned to our vans for the very short drive to the center of Soufriere.
We drove though the old colonial town of Soufriere and some of us walked its lanes. It is not overly visited and thus has kept much of its original flavor. The wooden multistory homes are rickety and hang perilously over the small lanes. We then spent the rest of the late morning at Hummingbird Beach, snorkeling and swimming in the pristine waters. Lunch was served on the Lido framed by a view of the great Pitons. The sea is quite deep here in the bay and Sea Cloud was anchored in 185’ of water. I noticed a lot of the local Piton beer being served at lunch! Tom Heffernan gave a talk at 3:00 p.m. on the “Real Pirates of the Caribbean,” placing piracy within the geo-political forces which were shaping the late 18th century.
Dinner this evening was a scrumptious barbecue on the Lido Deck followed by the inimitable Sea Cloud Chanty gang singing their hearts out.
We all went off, delighted at such a rich and adventure filled day.
