Pirates of the Caribbean footsteps in St. Lucia
If you look on the map, above South America will see a myriad of islands, many with names of saints ... Are Antilles islands of paradise, the dream of millions of people from colder lands and less lush. Each island but is an independent, self-contained, with parliament, government and all that he needs a state. In the case of former British colonies, they are part of the Commonwealth and therefore Britain's Queen Elizabeth remains head of state and is represented in the various islands by a governor.
I was recently on the island of St. Lucia. 160-170000 is a small island inhabitants who live on only 620 km 2 , which is somewhere in the middle adun?turii southern islands of the Antilles. It is an island with a culture and interesting history, which distinguishes it from all other islands in the area.
It is not known exactly who discovered the island of St. Lucia, tradition says that even Christopher Columbus was the first European to set foot in the beautiful island, but recent research shows that, most likely, Columbus passed near the island galleon in speed. "Discoverer" island seems to be a little known explorer, namely Spaniard Juan de la Cosa, who was navigator in the early expeditions of Columbus and ship Santa Maria apparent owner of Columbus's first fleet. From Cosa did not stay too long on the island and left for other adventures. Clearly, the islanders were left alone by Europeans until 1550, when the island became a base for pirates - famous François Le Clerc - "wooden leg" has taken up residence on the island where attacking full Spanish galioanele New World Gold ... And then St. Lucia has something to do with pirates until today.
After a short first attempt Dutch and British colonization (settlers en route to Guyana circumstances forced landed and settled on the island). Do not have lasted more than a month. A second failed attempt of colonization was experienced throughout the UK.But those who have managed to establish more superior in St. Lucia was French from the French West Indies Company. They "bought" island of the locals and they built the first permanent European settlement in Soufriere, in 1746. Between 1746 and 1815, the island was the battlefield between the French and English ... For 69 years, the island was passed from one to another of no less than 14 times ... But the French had colonized the island and a franchisee in the first 40 years of peace ... In 1815, after the defeat napoleonean? St. Lucia remained firmly in British hands until independence in 1979. But what's interesting, though English, the island remained French soul - French toponyms remained until this day, many local names are French and the vast majority of residents are Catholic and Anglican Protestants not ... Curiously, the United Kingdom led, but not assimilated.
Although Josephine, Napoleon's first wife, lived for a long period of childhood in St. Lucia (s born in neighboring Martinique), St. Lucia is not too proud wife of Napoleon, but the fact that it has no less than two Nobel laureates, the country with most Nobel laureates per thousand! In 1979, Sir Arthur Lewis was the first black man won a Nobel (except the Nobel Peace Prize), and in 1992, Derek Walcott received the Nobel Prize!
The official language is English, but language is Creole population (a combination of the French and African languages ??carib, tribes indigenous language). And speaking of population, 85% are black African, 10% are a combination, and 5% are Indians and whites.We arrived in St. Lucia in September in what is called "hurricane period". In fact, I landed on "tails hurricane" Tropical Storm Maria has just passed on the way to Puerto Rico. The sky was covered with dark cloud and I was afraid to miss an opportunity so great because of a bad hurricane ... And yet, hopefully it will be good - generally sunshine, after the hurricane passes over several days. And I was right, followed three days mostly sunny, true and some heavy rain for about 15-30 minutes ... but that is part of the Caribbean experience.
The first day I discovered St. Lucia offshore. In St. Lucia, all beaches are public, so no hotel, no matter how many stars they have, can not prohibit anyone to walk on the beach next to it. Beach so you can meet with vendors zdr?ng?nele (ironically, hundreds of years ago, Europeans came to sell local mirrors and zdr?ng?nele land and rights in exchange for settlement, now the locals sell all kinds of medallions Europeans), but also Captain Typhoon, one of the characters tourists walking the area with a boat ... And as offering a better price than the official tour, we negotiated and drove around the island one day.
As I wrote above, the history of the island was always about dealing with pirates. Well, not only history ... The first film in the series "Pirates of the Caribbean" with Johnny Depp as pirate Jack Sparrow funny, was filmed here in St.Lucia ... And the film's success was reflected in the number of tourists who stormed the island where they filmed ...In fact, Captain Typhoon misses no place to film - in one of the island's ports are "Black Pearl", one of the ships used in the film, one can see the natural spring that some corpses were hanged, but mostly famous "Pythons" - some spectacular high mountain peaks rising to almost altitude of 8-900 meters.
Do not think that only Johnny Depp or Orlando Bloom were here. They last shot and went ... Some came and bought their homes. It is said that the most famous owners of villas in St. Lucia is famous Mick Jagger, lead singer of the Rolling Stones, and boxer George Foreman's legendary challenger Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) in the famous match for world belt in Kinshasa, Zaire ("Rumble in the Jungle"). Well, the location is contradictory - in the coming days we visited the island with other guides and some claimed that the two would not live here, others, on the contrary, argue that the two houses, but not in the bay where Captain Typhoon argued that it they are two ...
The next day we went to visit the island by land ... The driver's name is Rico and in his youth was picking sugar cane in the U.S. ... He returned after a few years and then walk across the island tourists. We visited Castries - capital island inhabited about a third of saintlucieni, but a city without anything special ... A fully burned about three times, so not much of a historical colonial buildings. The main tourist attraction is the bazaar of souvenir and Catholic Cathedral of the island ...
But the island's charm lies not in buildings - buildings are typical of the Caribbean - made to rebuild immediately after any hurricane ... The natural, green jungle (apparently about 20% of the area is national park), you climb hills and down them like a surfer on waves (roads are ok, some still rebuilding after Hurricane Tomas in October 2010, which killed seven people and affected many homes and infrastructure of the island), great blue ... And speaking of Hurricane Tomas, this is the main reason for the anger residents - the government send SMS to all mobile phone owners on the islands alerting them when it comes to hurricane and tropical storm comes a time (which is of lower intensity hurricane) ... Well, SMS announce they said it was a tropical storm Tomas. It was, in fact, hurricane and spent nearly 36 hours over the island, ravaged it. "And now I SMS to your phone saying that it's storm," said Stormy Norman, another island tours operator.
All of my drivers, I learned about St. relations. Lucia with China and Taiwan ... Although it seems a story from the series "elephant and the flea", well, St. Lucia has always been the center of contention between the two Chinas.Until 1997, St. Lucia had relations with Taiwan, but not with the People's Republic. China promised the moon, so St. Lucia Taiwanese ambassador sent home, recognizing China ... The Chinese came and they started what they do best - building ... they started to build a cricket stadium (the national sport of the Caribbean) for Cricket World Cup and a huge psychiatric hospital ... But, as usual, the Chinese were "stolen" from megalomania and built a giant - psychiatric hospital is by far the largest building on the island - looking at him, it seems as though the entire population of the island has a screw loose missing although "only a few politicians would have to live there" claim taxi drivers.
In addition, thousands of Chinese tourists have emerged or trâmbi?atele investment than providing jobs for those of St. Lucia - were few Chinese restaurants have opened, serviced all the Chinese and the famous hospital was built by labor brought from the mother country ...Mind, after 10 years, saintlucienii returned to friendship with Taiwan. Since 2007, St. Lucia is one of the few countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Lilliputian Taiwan (obviously in exchange for material benefits), and the hospital was completed Taiwanese money, but labor saintlucian? ... Then, when St. Lucia has no money to get that support huge building, all Taiwan has opened a medical university in building and maintaining the Taiwanese taxpayers ... I do not think Taiwanese tourists invaded the island, most are British, American and Canadian, but it seems that St. Lucia is more than happy with Taiwan People's Republic.On the last day, we flew by helicopter en route to the island intercontinental airport located in south ... Besides the thrill and adrenaline of my first helicopter flight, I rediscovered the upper jungle, helicopter ...
And not only jungle and plantations but ... cannabis. By the '50s, St. Lucia cane produced in hard, was the main crop on the island ... But at some point, Britain, the colonial power, has decided not to import sugar anymore Caribbean, so sugar cane culture was suddenly replaced by bananas ... Moreover, if crosses the island by car, you'll see miles of banana string ... Unfortunately, being an export culture, you will enjoy the variety of "supermarket banana", those long banana "commercial aspect" rather small and incredibly tasty bananas found on other meridians where bananas grow on trees and not shop. In addition to banana production, some farmers also deals with the cultivation of cannabis, used to produce marijuana. Obviously, cannabis is grown in the road, but by the middle of the jungle, but there's no problem helicopter to distinguish small plantations ... Supposedly, from time to time, and elicopeterele defend his U.S. Guard, but they destroy one side and protect crops elsewhere ...
In recent years, the main economic sector generating foreign currency is not the banana island but tourism .... all over North picturesque island complexes have sprung all-inclusive and Castries harbor was expanded to accommodate giant cruise ships full of American tourists rush to buy souvenirs from each island ... and not just souvenirs ... Where in America can you find high quality rum at $ 8?How to get there
The only airline that operates both in Romania and in the St. Lucia is British Airways. Basically, fly from Bucharest to London Heathrow evening and the next morning to catch a direct flight to the Caribbean from Gatwick airport. For those who buy tickets to British Airways St. Lucia's free transfer between airports and accommodation for one night is free for those who fly business class. For those flying in economy, exist preferential rates at hotels near Gatwick.Intercontinental flight is operated by a Boeing 777, which brings hundreds of tourists daily small island. Moreover, BA has a highly developed network of flights to the Caribbean, flying most of the islands former British colonies.Flight from St. Lucia continues in Trinidad and Tobago.Visa
Romanian citizens do not need visas to enter the St. Lucia, only a valid passport.Money
The national currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar, the currency used in several other islands in the area, former British colonies (very young Queen Elizabeth variant is the bill). East Caribbean dollar is linked to the U.S. dollar at the rate of EC $ 2.4 to U.S. $ 1. There are numerous ATMs where you can get caraibeni Eastern U.S. dollars but you can pay in U.S. dollars.When to goDry season is during the European winter ... sky is blue, rare and short rains, the temperature at 25-30 degrees.During the spring, after the rainy season begins in May, with more rain and the hurricane season starts in august, which lasts until late October (Tomas came to St. Lucia on October 31, 2010). Like I said, I was in the middle of hurricane season, but as soon as Maria had gone, so I had a few days of clear skies and temperatures around 30 degrees. Unfortunately, air humidity about 70% heat was unbearable for many ... Obviously, in this case be able to jump into the sea or the pool.
Aka Imperator Caesar is passionate about travel, history and discover other cultures.
You've added this content to your favorites.
Post your comment
Load More
