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Caribbean
St Lucia
Saint Lucia was the first stop on a four-island journey. I had picked this island because of a resort called Ladara. It sits between two extinct volcanoes overlooking the Caribbean Sea. After I left the small town of shacks and poverty, I continued on a one-hour-long trip to Ladara from the airport. The windy road that weaved in and out had no guardrails and long drops into the ocean below.
Ladara is remote and beautiful with its tarantulas, bats, and wild birds. Our villa was rustic and like something out of “The Swiss Family Robinson,” with one full side of our villa open to the elements so all I could see was the sea without any obstructions to the view. Each of the three bedrooms had enclosed netting over the beds. Moths the size of birds gathered at night if you left your lights on. Lizards crawled up the bathroom walls, and something took my soap. My shower was open to the view because there was no chance of anyone peeking in. This place is remote!
The first three days I was without my luggage. I made the best of this by swimming in the nude in our private villa’s kidney-shaped pool. This pool overlooked the sea and an amazing view. Bats flew in at night, which left me a little less than comfortable.
Taking a ride down to the shore, I rented a private boat and toured the shoreline to a quaint inlet that had been used to hide ships at the turn of the century. From the shoreline I could see the enormous volcanoes looming out from the coast. It was these giants that formed the island so many years ago. They are clearly visible from space (top row, left image).
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