Oh, St. Lucia. Having not parted on any of the islands that we had visited thus far, I declared St. Lucia the place to do so since it was our last port of call thus our last opportunity to do so. Again we headed to the beach and from what I can remember of it- was absolutely beautiful. We spent some time in the water before heading to the beach bar where I believe we spent the rest of the day. We ate, we drank, and we met some awesome people. 

When we awoke this morning, we were docked in Castries, the capital city of St. Lucia.  The island is famous for being very verdant and lush as well as for it's famous landmark, The Pitons. We signed up for a full island tour which would last most of the day. Included in this tour was a drive through the rainforest, a stop at a fishing village, a stop at a volcano, a hike to a waterfall, and a stop at the town of Soufriere. The large amount of rainfall the island receives is responsible for the lush vegetation and that was evident this morning. We left the ship to join our tour and the skies were overcast with sporadic drizzle. The group was split up into 2 vans as we drove through downtown Castries. Like Saint John in Antigua, it was as if we had been transplanted in Africa. The streets were very narrow with people walking all around going about their daily routines. While trying to maneuver through the traffic, we passed in front of one of Castries' most famous landmarks, The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. From inside our van, we were able to look in and see that there was a wedding in progress. Continuing through Castries and into the surrounding hills, we made our way to a viewing point which gave us a nice view of the city and it's harbor. Our van was one of almost 10 vans here making a quick stop. All of the tourists that stop at this point attracted a large number of locals trying to sell their wares. We were only stopped no more than 5 minutes but in that time I must have been approached 10 times by someone trying to sell me jewelry, postcards, and other trinkets. We continued driving through the hills where we passed other local landmarks such as the Government House and some military barracks that have been converted to a university.

     Our drive continued into the Roseau Valley where there were many banana plantations. We stopped in front of one of them and had a look at some of the banana trees. Our guide explained to us some interesting information about the banana crop as well as some history about the transition from sugar plantations to banana plantations. Continuing on, we finally arrived at the little fishing village of Anse La Raye. We were only going to be here for a quick 20 minutes to use the restrooms and to have a quick look around. Like the previous stop that we made, we weren't the only van to stop. About 10 other vans stopped here, all at around the same time and for the next 20 minutes, the little town was invaded by tourists. The street where our vans stopped were lined with stalls selling various trinkets. One product this island is known for is banana ketchup which every stall seemed to sell. I had a small sample of it but was not impressed. Shea spent her time here waiting in line to use the women's bathroom. While I decided to wander around the immediate vicinity and made my way over to the beach. Besides a few wandering chickens and some fishing boats, there wasn't much else to see here. After the beach, I just walked along the main street. The homes here were very rustic and it seemed that most people made a living from tourism and from the sea with not much else. Back in the van, we continued driving into the hills and into the rain forest.  Prior to driving into the rain forest, it had only been sporadically showering, now it began to really come down. I guess it really does rain in the rain forest. Every so often, we would drive by some guy with a machete in one hand and a Boa Constrictor in the other. He would be proudly displaying his catch to us as we drove by. The tour guide later told us that they catch these snakes and hope for tourists to stop to take a photo. Our first view of the Pitons finally came into view and we made a quick stop at a viewing point for a quick photo. Since the skies were really overcast today, our view wasn't the greatest but still it was nice to finally see this island's most famous landmark.

 We finally drove into the town of Soufriere, a small town nestled at the base of one of the Pitons. From here, we drove into the world's only drive through volcano. Most of the volcano had been blown away in a huge eruption but you can still see evidence of volcanic activity in the remains. When we got out of the van, the first thing you noticed was the smell of sulfur. We walked over to the edge of a railing and on the other side, you can see the sulfuric gases spewing from the earth as well as some boiling mud. The guides gave us really good information about the history of this particular volcano and of the different types of volcanoes found around the world. The smell of sulfur is taken as a good sign that the volcanic activity is normal. If the sulfuric smell disappeared, then this was a sign that odorless poisonous gases were being released and that you should run for your life. We then walked over to a small creek where you can bathe in the sulfuric waters. The waters are supposed to be really good for your skin but you end up smelling like rotten eggs for days after.

     After the volcano, we drove to the outskirts of Soufriere to the Diamond Botanical Garden. Along with other tour groups, we walked the grounds of the garden looking at various different types of tropical foliage. The bushes and shrubs that lined the pathways were bursting with brilliantly colored flowers all growing beneath a canopy of towering trees. It wasn't the most exciting thing ever, but it was nice to be amongst the lush foliage of the garden. The main attraction at the Diamond Botanical Garden was a 30 foot waterfall which was fed by underground sulfuric springs. We hiked to the waterfall to have a look but it was hard to get a decent photo of it with all the tourists around. Nearby, there were some pools of water being fed by the underground sulfuric springs. For a small fee, you could bathe in these waters for it's curative effects. However looking at this water, it didn't seem too enticing for a quick bathe. Evidently, everybody else here felt the same. After the hike to the waterfall, our guide gave us an explanation and demonstration of products that can be found in St. Lucia. After talking for about 5 minutes about all the different types of fruits and nuts, I started to get really bored and zone out. Thankfully, she didn't go on talking for much longer. Afterwards, we hiked back to the van in the rain to drive to our lunch stop.

     After lunch, we continued making our way through the rain forest and back to the port at Castries. Before arriving at the port, we had one last stop. We pulled up at a scenic overlook where there was a nice view of the bay of Marigot. Marigot is a secluded little bay lined with a few upscale resorts and hotels. Since the skies were gray and cloudy, the views were not all that magnificent. There were a few shops at this overlook and I purchased a bottle of Piton, one of the local beers. It was surprisingly good and had a nutmeg taste to it. Some of the others in our van were already on their 3rd or 4th bottle.

     We arrived back at the terminal and tipped our tour guide. She kept us intrigued and gave us a lot of very interesting information about her beautiful little island. Since this was the second to last port, once we arrived in the terminal we decided to do some shopping. We darted in and out of stores looking for gifts for others and something nice for ourselves. Suddenly, the skies opened up yet again with some of the most intense rainfall I had ever experienced. Thankfully like most of the rain we had thus far experienced, it didn't last very long. Back on the ship, the sporadic rainfall had prevented people from hanging out at the outdoor pool and the upper decks. So most people spent the evening in their rooms or hanging out in the indoor areas. I spent the time lounging in the solarium, drinking a beer, and watching the sea pass by. Tonight's entertainment was put on by the Royal Caribbean Dancers. Their show was called "Vibeology" and was a collection of dance routines put forth to hits from the 70's,80's,90's, and today. After dinner, it was still raining so we just spent the evening wandering the ship. We made it to the uppermost deck where we played some miniature golf in the rain. Once the sting of the wind and rain became too much for us to handle, we called it a night and retreated to our room.

blogs to follow

On Monday night, Eric heroically took on the task of cooking carbonara for the whole group at Plantation House using a single wooden spoon and one bowl.  He worked the kitchen crew hard - cursing, frightened scurrying, frantic chopping ensued.  Finally Megan soothed the chef with a homemade punch concoction, dishes were served out buffet style, and we all ate a delicious dinner.     

No diving today, because we have a flight at 4:45.  Happy to have secured the last two seats on the volcano trip, even if it is one one those group tours.  Two vans were loaded up with smiling pink tourists and off we went for the four-mile drive (which took about 30 minutes of course -- the roads are crazy here!). We had a scenic stop to look at Soufriere town on the way, and Steve sang a little song about being "down in Soufriere town" which stuck with us the whole trip. 

We first stopped at the volcano area. Everywhere, boiling mud, steam, and the tang of sulphur. Surreal. It was more restricted than when I went to Iceland and just strolled amongst the hot pots and steam vents. We were told that a guide broke through the crust and was severly steamed 20 years ago, hence the board walks. OK, good idea! Despite threatening appearances and the flash-fried guide, this volcano is considered dormant.

Next up was the botanic gardens, where we had a nice easy walk on our own. It seemed deserted and special. Along the way, there were samples of cocoa beans, nutmeg, and other fruits and flowers, all with informative signs. There was a nice waterfall, and we did a honeymoon shot in front of it, probably just like every other couple who has visited that very spot.

Just as we were leaving the area, multiple vans arrived with hoardes of cruise shippers - perfect timing on our part! We peeled out and back to Anse Chastenet.

Back at the hotel we packed up and had lunch before that nausea-inducing ride back to the airport. :^p  Next stop: Canouan!

Ok, the Big Day. I wake up ever determined to have a simple, non-eventful wedding. Typical of me, I can't stop worrying that it won't be stress-free enough :-)

Breakfast as usual upstairs with the birds, then a 10:30 dive at Superman's Flight, where all I notice is a really strong current. Back to the room for a quick shower. Really, just a rinse off. (Steve said, You're  not going to do your hair and stuff are you?!!?  Of course not, I reassured him.)  Then, lunch as usual. I was starting to feel a little queasy and nervous to tell you the truth. I am not big on ceremonies, and I really hope I don't have much of a speaking part in this one.

Just before 1:00, we met our minister. I was quite pleased to see she was in jeans. This is looking good. Then we asked Andy and another guy from the dive boat who I will call Luke (since that is what his bracelet said), to be our witnesses. It was a little late in the game to be gathering our witnesses -- luckily they were available. So far so good! Peter wasn't there, and his cohort Monica had sneakily be-flowered a table for the document signing (flowers! foiled! But we didn't make a fuss about it. Now of course people were looking over at us wondering what was up.) The ceremony was near the dive shop, under the shade of a palm tree, and took exactly 11 minutes (Steve timed it).  It was perfect: simple, sweet, secular. And Monica used my camera to take pictures, so we do have my messy hair recorded for posterity after all!

Afterward, everyone insisted Steve lift me up on the beach for that special "just married!" shot. I was paranoid that my bum was showing, and of course I felt sorry for Steve having to hoist me up like that. The dive shop manager took some shots, and later delivered an enlarged copy to our room, signed by the dive staff. Such a nice touch! (And my bum wasn't showing after all).

OK, back to diving! We hopped on the boat for our second dive, at Pinnacles -- big underwater mountains. Strong current again. Not great.

Back on dry land, we bought postcards and made out our "wedding annoucements" while slamming banana daiquiris. I called mom and dad (surprised but pleased!), but we couldn't reach Steve's parents.

We had a small nap (the staff had prettily festooned our bed with more flowers -- I give up!), then we decided to eat upstairs at the Tree House, although we originally told them we would eat at Andsara. As a result, they couldn't find our champagne (included in the $800 wedding package ... of course we weren't going to turn THAT down!). We waited for quite some time, then we waited some more.

When we finally got to the restaurant, they had a very nice special table set up for us. There was a nice breeze, and everything was so lovely, so romantic.  First was a goat cheese appetizer (good), then a salad (fine), then sorbet (quite tasty). Then a very, very long wait (annoying) and I nearly had a nap!  Finally, we were served our main course. For me, ravioli in "tequila tomato cream" (spectacular). Steve reported his duck was good, but oversauced. Also included in the package was a cake (dry). It was shaped like a heart and said "two hearts beat as one" (cheesy ...but funny).

Speaking of cheesy, back in the bar we were entertained by a Kenny G wanna-be wailing out smooth jazz. We stopped in to silently mock him. But everyone was really enjoying him, bobbing their heads. I got the giggles and we had to leave. Such a Bridezilla!

We woke up pretty early and hiked the thousand stairs to breakfast. Lovely place, Anse Chastenet! Lots of stairs though.

We first had to meet with our wedding coordinator, Jean-Paul. I had imagined (hoped for) a Caribbean version of Anthony, the wedding planner from Sex and the City, but Jean-Paul was decidely un-flamboyant. There was paperwork for us to review, and he instructed us that we could not set it on any surface or the lawyers would be after us. Lawyers...strange birds indeed.

We then sat in on a rather lengthy orientation meeting, where we learned there are MANY activities to partake in here at Anse Chastenet. There are history lessons, a plantation tour, volcano tours, and of course, diving. I had that feeling I have on every trip: we need more time here!

Very hungry by now, so we headed right for the restaurant, and wondered about the squirt guns on the breakfast tables. Then we saw someone blast a bird with one -  bird repellent! I kind of liked the idea of shooting pesky birds, and spent some time trying to chase them all off, but of course they weren't afraid of me and my poor excuse of a gun.

The buffet breakfast wasn't all that nice, so we ordered a hot breakfast of eggs, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Not bad. From our table we had a wonderful view of the mountain, Gros Piton - green and trees everywhere. Gorgeous!

Then, yet another meeting with Jean-Paul (already this wedding stuff is too much work!), and we told him to simply, simplify, simplfy...much to his bewilderment.  No photographer, no flowers?  That's right, we want to get married during a surface interval between dives, and I certainly don't want to have to worry about fixing my hair just before I am about to jump in for another dive! That would be silly.

At 10:30 we did the orientation dive from the shore with guide Andy, and it so was pleasant, nice, and easy.  The people , the location...everything is perfect here.

Then a buffet lunch at the beach bar, which had some very nice salads and was vegetarian friendly. I was even able to order a tofu kebab! It doesn't get much better than that when you are a vegetarian.

Next, a nice afternoon dive (didn't catch the name of the site), where I saw a huge turtle and a wee eel.

Lots of activity, so we had a nap before dinner at the Tree House upstairs. It was good. We have the all-inclusive meal plan, but it's not like some resorts who serve all-inclusive guests like pigs at the trough. It was very good food, served by a friendly wait staff. After dinner, we went to the band for live music. We danced and danced like maniacs, and I am embarrassed to say I kind of threw out my hip! Really, I'm not THAT old! But, dang, it hurts...

An early breakfast today, then down to the dive boat. Unfortunately we were late leaving due to one latecomer and two no-shows (now that's something they don't tolerate in Bonaire. If you aren't there in time, they leave without you!)

We discovered that since the dives sites are so close to shore, there is only one two-tank dive, which we were doing today. That means they won't be doing this dive again tomorrow, which also means we won't be able to get married on the boat after all. The boat will come to shore between dives, and so will we. It's too bad, but not the end of the world. So it will be a beach wedding instead -- that's nothing to complain about.

Our first dive was the Lesleen M wreck dive, which was wonderful. I felt very adventurous swimming through the hull, up the stairway, and across the deck, though I never lost sight of the "outside."  Wonderful. Outside the wreck there was a fish pot with several doomed tropicals swimming listlessly inside. I wanted to set them free! I am pretty sure that would have been frowned on. (Plus I couldn't find the damn latch. )

The second dive wasn't much to talk about. I had a rough entry, and the water was murky and chilly. I saw a small turtle though, so it was worth it.

We got back to dry land at 12:15, raced back to the room for a quick cleanup, got to the restaurant at 12:40, ate in about 3 minutes, then we were off again for our walking tour with Meno. The tour started with a boat ride to a beach at Anse Mamet Plantation. Meno gave us an informative tour through the forest, patiently explaining the leaves, trees, flowers along the way - he is quite the botanist, and a really nice guy to boot. Along the way we sampled cocoa beans, which are more repulsive looking than one would expect of the precursor to heavenly chocolate. At the end, Meno cracked open a coconut using no tools whatsoever (so you'd think those people on Survivor would be able to figure it out), and we all had a refeshing drink.

Steve was practically sleep walking by this point, so he had a nap while I had afternoon tea at the beach cafe.

In the evening, we ate again at the downstairs restaurant, which was partial table service with a buffet. I had a Greek salad which was swamped in dressing. Not as nice as the Tree House.

Then to bed kind of early ... tomorrow is our big wedding day!

On the day before the wedding, Eric's aunt Kathy arranged for some friends of hers to host a beach bbq for us at The Reef/Sandy Beach in Vieux Fort.  Adam and Sue set the tone for the day by starting out with Hurricanes.  

Rachel & Eric decided to throw a wedding ceremony and dinner into the middle of the week.  The lovely people at Stonefield set up the dining room and gave us manis/pedis in the morning.  The bride was late.  We were all late.  Eric stood on the wrong side during the ceremony and confused Nick & I.  Rachel eye-rolled her presentation as Mrs. Eric Michael Kocmich.  Jean cried (I'm guessing).  We briefly lost track of the marriage license.  Toasts were given, including both analogies AND allegories.  I think Eric is like a cream sauce. Cake was cut at midnight after much pestering on my part (don't judge, I get hungry after drinking).  Most importantly, good times were had by all.  Oh yeah, and the whole evening was a beautiful and heartwarming celebration of their love for each other.  

These are random photos from the entire week, mostly taken at Stonefield Estate Villas where we stayed and had the wedding.  

What to do in St. Lucia?  Hmm, how about another unbelievably awesome beach/bay/resort?  Monday we went over to Jalousie, which is between the Pitons.

Our first full day in St. Lucia we went down to Soufriere and took a water taxi to the Anse Chastanet beach resort.  Meant to snorkel, mostly drank pina coladas and Pitons and soaked up some sun.   Became acquainted with Man Park/Man Cave/Man Hut/Man Shack.  Good crew. 
Highlights:
Andy & Rachel purchased some classy Piton Beer beach towels, which ended up providing good padding for our duty free liquors on the plane ride home. 
Jamey talked a lot about a baby he was going to buy. 
Bob introduced us to the Budweiser theme song, or rather, to the fact that it was prominently featured in his ipod play list. 
Jean showed us where her priorities were with her beach emergency kit.
Neil & Pat bought special drinks for their "St. Lucia is for Lovers" t-shirt photo.
We learned that "back fleep" is French Canadian for "back flip".

Anse La Raye is cute little fishing village in St. Lucia, where they still build their boats by hand.  The colorful and eclectic materials used on their modest homes reminded me Boca in Buenos Aires, only a little more tropical.  The drive through the town is slow-going because the roads are so narrow and they're usually packed with pedestrians.  In the afternoons, they're filled will children in uniforms walking home from school. 

The town is very simple, but inspirational in that it shows people can be happy without being materialistic.  (I did not see even one 52 inch HD plasma television with an accompanying Series 3 Tivo in the entire town. ;-P ... )

Today is the fourth of five days at sea until we get to Guadalupe in the Caribbean. We have gotten into a routine.  Our day usually starts off with our morning with a walk and breakfast, not always at the same time.  At 11:00 am we have a team trivia game.  Noon is bingo by one of the pools then lunch.  1pm movie or the casino, then a nap so we can be ready for the 5pm trivia game, this one counts, after that more  casino action, before we get ready for the early show in the ship theater, then dinner, we have late seating.  There are many lounges on the ship, they all play different music. We rarely go into any of them because we spent too much time in the casino.   Costa line leaves a lot to be desired when compared to other cruises that we have taken. The food is not very good reminds us of a school cafeteria. There seems to be very little planning or organization, we are constantly waiting in lines that can be avoided with proper scheduling. The staff leaves a lot to be desired, they answer most questions or request by directing us to someone else who directs us to someone else or outright lies to us. We get nickeled and dime to death for starters we are getting hit with a 3% money exchange commission, we been in Europe for three month and have never paid anything close to that. Beside that we are enjoying life at sea, we have a great cabin at the rear of the ship with a great view from the terrace, however the view has not changed in the last few days it consist of water and sky as far as the eye can see.  Most of the passengers are Italian with some French, Spanish and German mixed in for good measure English speakers are definitely in the minority, There is also a lot of young people (20s & 30s) aboard, they seem pleasant and well behaved, we can not say the same for the elderly passengers (At what age do you become exempt from having manners and common courtesy)