REVISITING CASTRIES

With many stops it takes a 15 minutes ride from Rodney Bay to Castries. The mini bus-van is always packed with adults, school kids ans sometimes a chicken or two. The atmosphere is upbeat. You always get a response to your greet, you might hear it in spite of the loud music.

The bus ride is an introduction to Castries, as if life on the bus spilled on to the streets. Is there anybody left at home or in the office? The streets are so packed with people, you have to weave your way through the crowds. Side walks are filled with the street vendors, from them you can buy anything from sandals to fruits, but mostly little snacks and hair decorations. St. Lucian women and girls take special care of their hair. If they don't wear their wigs, and many do, they braid and decorate their hair with bright and shiny decorations. Some colour their hair red, an old African tradition, using canna blossoms. Little school girls are beautiful in their yellow and white uniforms and matching beads in their braids.

We walked into the harbour, where four cruise ships were docked, the fifth was anchored close to the harbour entrance. And yet, markets with colourful clothing, carved statues and beautifully weaved baskets were poorly visited by tourists. There are to many markets on the islands, where cruise ships stop.
We found some of the things we were looking for, had lunch in one of the harbour restaurants and had another exciting ride on a speedy public mini bus going back to 'NADA'

Note the cruise ship at the end of the street

Calabash tree