So Many Interesting Things to See…..

#St. Lucia culture  #natural surroundings  #walking trails  #mountain climbing #sustainability

St. Lucia is just one of many “islands in the sun,” so it is fascinating to see why people choose St. Lucia.  Many choose St. Lucia because of the variety of things to do and see.  And, the variety of things to do in the Soufriere area is one of the things that brings guests to Calabash Mountain Villa.

One of our special treats is to see the excitement of our guests as they leave for their special excursions while staying with us.  Some of them have really done their research ahead of time, figuring out what they want to visit, what things they think will fit into one day, and what would be the logical place to stay to make their plans work.  And we have noticed that those who have done their homework well are the ones who are most fulfilled when it is time to return home.  Some of the guests will sit with our manager and see if what they planned is “doable” and if the combination of activities to be done in one day makes sense.  Daron is truly happy when he can help our guests have a fabulous experience while here.  He is especially good at making sure the plans are “do-able” within the timeframe they have planned.  He always checks with them on their return from the excursions to find out if everything went as planned.  The only comments I’ve heard that are less than totally positive is when the visitor has over-estimated what they could cram into one day.

One of our recent guests was one of those “plan-ahead” people.  And she took Daron’s advice to heart.  She even sat and tweaked her plans after recognizing that some of the activities can be really challenging, and too much for one day.

This story, like the last couple of posts, will tell you the story via the guest’s photos, of what a visit in St. Lucia can be.  

We love it when guests like our place so much that they begin taking pictures of our place when they arrive.  This guest started with her room.  Her room photo captures the colorfulness of the room and the balcony and green trees visible from the balcony.  We believe that lots of beautiful, rich colors have a lot to do with how well your vacation goes.  We also think that it is great to have your bathroom set up to reflect the fun you will have with us.  The decorative styling with the towels and wash cloths are a nice touch that guests appreciate (and even take pictures of.)  Her next step was to capture pictures of the surrounding area – the lush green mountains and all the vegetation around us.  She even captured the colorfulness of our building; the second level of our building; and other pictures of the community surrounding us, from the vantage point of her piece of the balcony.  And everybody tries to get pictures of the frequently seen rainbows that appear.

                           

Our guest traveled the Tet Paul Trail as one of her adventures.  Tet Paul is a community run nature trail that includes an organic farm, lookout points, beautiful views of the Pitons, and excellent insights to traditional local life.  It covers a 3.1 mile path through the Soufriere District.  The pictures include pineapples growing, views of the mountains and surrounding small communities.  You can also see that she captured a picture of a very stylish, upscale home located among the trees and other plants in nature.

In addition to the awesome views from the Trail, you can also see the beautiful plants along the way.  The other thing visible is views of the Soufriere Bay and the ocean beyond.  Several places along the trail you are afforded views of beautiful mountain-scapes, ocean views, and beautiful cloud formations, that all come together for an awesome view. 

    

 From a distance, mountains can appear as huge rock formations, but getting closer and really getting to see the mountain terrain, you see that there is plenty of vegetation and trees on these mountains.  And when you do these mountain hikes, you become aware of the distinct mountain trails that have formed and been around for a very long time!  The other thing that becomes obvious from a mountain hike is just how many trails, dwellings, and fields of crops are found in the mountains.

                         

   

From the elevated vantage of a mountain trail, the water sport vehicles and beaches look much smaller than they do when you are down at the water or beach level.  When you go up in the mountains you also become more aware of the communities that exist in the mountains.  Depending on the size of the community, you might not even know they are there unless you actually go into the mountain vegetation and experience the trails, roads, and communities that exist among the trees.

St. Lucia looks at cultural heritage as one of its greatest assets.  Visitors to the Island love that they can see actual communities and vestiges of “days gone by.”  You can see how meals were prepared in large iron pots on a real fire inside thatch buildings.  It is a better history lesson than just reading about it.  The guides are excellently versed in the history and culture of the areas.

Downtown Soufriere is still struggling from a huge fire that affected several blocks of the central downtown area.  The most damaged area is cordoned off by wooden barriers to prevent people from getting injured from trying to explore the damaged area out of curiosity.  However, Soufriere is still in business, serving visitors to the area and residents of the area.  Vendors have found new places to set up their wares and entice tourists to look at and buy their products.

Back at “home base” you have Esperance Road, which used to be a main road in this area that could

take you right into Soufriere, but not anymore.  But, it is still part of the local community.  Down this road you will still find local residences.  You see children pass along this road going to and from school.  The “bread man” passes through this road, early in the day, selling home baked local bread.  So there is no reason a guest at Calabash Mountain Villa should not feel free to go ahead and explore that part of this local community.  It is a very green and tree-rich area.  There are a beautiful variety of flowers and plants growing along this road.  Some are growing, apparently wild, but they are still beautiful and colorful.

                  

And the goats you see belong to someone when you see them with a rope or tether around their necks.  Some of the plants may be wild flowers, and some are planted by people in this area who also come and tend to them, e.g. the cocoa trees.  In all it looks like there were over 35 different kinds of plants that were seen in the photos taken.  The plants attract birds and insects which add more ambiance to the area.  You will also see well maintained fields growing a wide variety of crops in the area.  This is why the Soufriere area is considered the bread basket of St. Lucia.

An interesting news item that ties into this very topic is that, “St. Lucia’s Ministry of Sustainable Development, Energy, Science and Technology has formally launched the 10 Year National Forest Strategy (2015 – 2026.)  It provides a framework for the management of terrestrial ecosystems of St. Lucia and the services they provide.  Key priorities include maintaining healthy ecosystems and thriving species; ensuring sustainable flows of products that support both local economies and biodiversity conservation; protecting water supplies, soils and coastal zones and ensuring resilience to climate change; promoting awareness, visitation and cultural enhancement; and organizational strengthening.” This is why visitors to the Island will be able to look forward to such beautiful experiences, which are also eco-friendly to ensure the experience is there for future generations of St. Lucia residents and visitors to the Island.

There are many trails and paths in this area of the Island and we help those who want to explore this area some more trails, find a local guide to make sure they don’t stray onto a private land, or get lost and be unable to find their way back.  Many of our guests have found themselves enchanted by the trees, flowers and surrounding fields of crops that they have seen in this area.  Some of the farms are so well manicured that they rival the flowers for the attention of visitors.  There is something so calming and restful in a natural area of this sort.  You expand your understanding of what it takes to be stress free and you learn about a different place while you are being reenergized.

The final shots taken by our guest were of some of the beautiful original artwork which adorns the Common Area of Calabash Mountain Villa.  The original artwork was done by a local artist who knew the flowers, fruits and vegetables growing in this area and the birds that frequent the area, very well.  

Special thanks to our guests who have shared their pictures with us to help you see this area.

Written by,

Sandra Emmanuel

Calabash Mountain Villa

April 17, 2015