Editor’s Note: I was hoping to put my own post in last week, but (sigh!) I’m sick again, a 1-2 punch of the ongoing infection I caught on the Norwegian Getaway in late April(!), plus a viral cough. I have to give energy priority to my Day Job, but a quick edit of Marti’s smooth writing doesn’t take too much! I think I’m starting to rebound. -rc
St. Lucia
November 16-17, 2024
Saint Lucia, located in the eastern Caribbean, is a small island (only 27 miles long and 14 miles wide), known for its rugged and dramatic scenery. Standing proud are two distinctive mountain peaks rising from the ocean dramatically, side by side, to give Saint Lucia an unmissable look. Day 1 was at a port called Soufrière.
Fringed by beaches and coral reefs, the island is one of the best places in the Caribbean to not only enjoy the tropical jungle and mountain peaks, but also to explore vibrant marine life and beautiful beaches with swaying palms.
The landscape is varied: narrow, winding roads, many with large trenches on the side, volcanic sand beaches, colorful coral reef-diving sites, interior lush rainforest trails that lead to waterfalls (Toraille) pouring over a cliff into a garden, and breathtaking views.
Saint Lucia is known for a vast variety of birdlife (157 bird species). The St. Lucian Parrot, one of 5 native parrot species, is the national bird.
Dolphins, whales and sea turtles are part of marine life. Other surprising and quirky wildlife species: agouti (rodent), mongooses, opossum, bats, wild pigs, reptiles, snakes, and lizards live here. At night the air is filled with songs of whistling frogs and insects.
Today is a tender day. This involves using smaller boats, “tenders,” to transport us to shore. This happens when the ship is too large to dock, the water is too shallow, or there’s not enough room at the dock. This time, it seems, the water was too shallow.
Saint Lucia became an independent nation in 1979. It has a mixed-raced population of 178,000, speaking English as their official language.
Soufrière is a 7,935-population town on the west coast of Saint Lucia. It’s a quiet town, small yet busy.
Pack a swimsuit and towel and head to Sulphur Springs, where you can bathe in the reputedly healing mud pots. Sulphur Springs is a volcanically active geothermal area with hot springs, bubbling mud pools, and steam vents. The volcano is dormant.
Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens: Amazing. Spectacular. The gardens contain many beautiful exotic flowers and plants. The waterfall is equally amazing.
Soufrière is home to the Pitons. One of the best things to do is climb them. Gros Piton is the southernmost mountain and, despite being taller than its partner, Petit Piton, it is easier to climb. Gros Piton can be climbed with a guide. The ascent takes a few hours, but the views are absolutely fantastic.
The signature food is green figs and saltfish. Orlando’s is a renowned Creole restaurant and is known worldwide as “one of the best.”
Our next port of call in Saint Lucia, Castries, greets us with a bit of rain.
Castries is the capital and the largest city in Saint Lucia, known for its beauty, historical significance, bustling seaport, incredible architecture, and lively markets. You will love the cafes, restaurants and bars.
The best reason to visit Castries is to haggle and barter at the lively local markets.
Relax at Vigie Beach or take a rainforest adventure.
Walk about Derek Walcott Square, a gathering place honoring the Nobel Prize winning poet and playwright.
Visit St. Lucia National Museum, a collection of artifacts that tell the story of the island’s history and culture, in city center. Explore Fort Charlotte, an 18th century fort located on a hilltop overlooking the city. Great views.
Summing up the past two days in Saint Lucia, it’s home to a wide range of religions, music, languages, and delicious food. Most of the people are descended from Africans. Saint Lucia has a fascinating culture, wonderful wildlife, lush rainforest, and breathtaking mountains. It may be a small country but settlers around the world have made it rich in culture.
The Odyssey departs at 7 p.m. for two days in Martinique.
Martinique
November 18-19, 2024
Waking up in vibrant Fort-de-France, the largest town and the capital of Martinique, an overseas territory of France which means it uses the Euro as its currency and the official language is French. Today people are of mixed European and African ancestry. Nearly 1/3 of the residents live under the poverty line, but with an impressive 97% literacy rate.
The Bay is unique and magnificent, recognized as one of the most beautiful in the world. La Savane Park, a rectangular park at the heart of the city, was created when a mangrove swamp was drained. It is in the bustling center of the city and often referred to as “Central Park”. The statue of Empress Josephine holding a locket with a portrait of Napoleon in it stands here, as Martinique is her birthplace. Adjourning the park are narrow alley shops and bistros.
Fort-de-France will amaze you with beautiful examples of 19th century metal architecture, such as its wrought iron balconies. Wood sculpture is also an art that has been cultivated here for centuries.
Home to Mount Pelée, meaning “bald mountain” or “peeled mountain,” is a currently active volcano at the northern end of the island. It famously erupted on May 8, 1902, destroying the town of Saint-Pierre, resulting in the deadliest volcanic disaster of the 20th century with 33,000 killed. With its imposing silhouette, steeped in mystery and beauty, at its highest point the breathtaking scenery is worth the ascent.
North of the city is the Garden of Balata, a private mature botanical garden, founded by horticulturist Jean-Philippe Thoze. This place invites you on a fascinating voyage of discovery into the world of biodiversity, housing more than 3,000 species of exotic and tropical plants, clearly marked. The landscape is breathtaking with its tree walk (a set of rope bridges strung across the treetops), fish ponds, a tranquil place of rattling bamboo, hummingbirds, dramatic views down to the sea, and rustling tropical plants captivating your attention. A real delight for nature lovers!
This multifaceted French island prides itself on blending flavors such as: Foi Gras Lobster, which is influenced by European, African, traditional Caribbean, Indian and basic Creole flavors. It’s a spiny lobster tail accompanied with foi gras and creole spices. Creole cuisine, featuring dishes like Colombo (a curry like stew) and accras (fried cod fritters) are especially popular.
The signature ingredients and dishes: jerk sauce mixes, hot sauce, mango chutney, plantains, and yellow rice with black beans are common.
The island features postcard-worthy beaches, lush rainforest, banana plantations, rum distilleries, and a smattering of historical sites.
Martinique vibrates to the rhythm of “zouk,” a dance style that originated here.
The air was thick and humid. The sky became dull and gloomy. I thought, “Who would have thought that something as colorless as water could make clouds so dark?” It drizzled. Soon it turned into an endless music of droplets hitting windowpanes, rooftops, and knocking out our Internet service until the downpour let up.
I just wanted to sit by the window and watch the raindrops create a world of their own. Rainy days teach us the beauty of finding joy in the simplest of things. Our ship sails at 7:00 p.m. for Roseau, Dominica.
Dominica
November 20-21, 2024
Bathed in the warm light from the morning sun, The Odyssey docked in Roseau, Dominica — The Nature Island, a real gem. Dominica will blow you away with its stunning, and relatively unspoiled, natural beauty, giving it a “Jurassic Park” aura.
Being known as one of the most beautiful of all the Caribbean islands, it is famous for incredible scenery: mountainous, rugged terrain, nine semi-active volcanoes, natural hot springs, sulfuric boiling lakes, tropical rainforests, beautiful beaches, too many gorgeous waterfalls to count, and a river for every day of the year (over 365). There are spectacular and dramatic panoramic views around every bend.
Dominica has 70,000 laid-back, friendly people. It has no highways, no traffic lights, no high-rise resorts, and no fast-food chains except for KFC in Roseau, the capital. Everything appears in the French language, but the official language is English.
Although Christopher Columbus “discovered” Dominica in 1493 and named it for the day of the week (Sunday), the day he first sighted the island, Dominica’s human history dates back much further. In the 5th century the Kalinago people dominated the island. By the time Columbus showed up, they put up such a fierce resistance that Dominica was one of the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by the Europeans. Most of today’s Dominicans descend from enslaved Africans brought over to work the plantations in the 1700s. The Kalinago people still exist.
A special live event on the Odyssey: A performance, blending rhythm, movement, and storytelling, honoring centuries-old traditions, celebrates Dominica’s rich history. Kalinago’s spirit is alive and beautiful.
Roseau is a colorful capital city lined with colonial buildings, shops, ramshackle streets, museums and old markets to be explored. With a population of 18,000, it has a small-town vibe. Old Roseau Market, an incredibly historic place, a major trading market in the Caribbean and, unfortunately, was primarily used as a slave-trading market for centuries. Today, it is a center of arts and crafts on the island, showcasing local goods and giving traders and craftspeople a place to sell their unique cultural creations.
Roseau Botanic Gardens is one of the most loved sights on the island. Established in the colonial days, these gardens are a source of life, but also a reminder of the troubles weather can cause here. A devastating hurricane destroyed much of the gardens in the 1970s. A large tree fell on a school bus, and both are still on the grounds as a reminder of the fragility of island life during hurricane season.
Walk to the top of Morne Bruce, a small mountain top that’s just outside of Roseau. This is one of the best and most accessible viewing areas on the island. It is short, but steep. It offers incredible views over the city and the mountains behind.
Champagne Beach, South of Roseau, is a bit strange yet beautiful. Off this beach you can find a rich array of coral reefs and marine life, but what makes it special are the hot vents that emit volcanic gases, causing a weird “champagne” effect as you swim or snorkel through the water.
Morne Trois Pitons National Park is the best place to experience a spectacular area of beauty. There are many hiking trails through different parts of the park with many different difficulties and lengths. Also, there are beautiful waterfalls for a refreshing respite from the sticky, sweaty humidity of the surrounding forest.
Boiling Lake is a most incredible natural attraction, but dangerous. The lake is spectacular, but the hike is an arduous 8-hour return slog.
Dining by the window, I became mesmerized by the water’s surface shimmering in the sunlight like a million tiny diamonds dancing on liquid glass.
Dominicans are survivors and innovators. In 2017 the island was dealt a devastating blow by Hurricane Maria, almost completely stripping its lush vegetation and almost 90% of its housing destroyed. You can still see evidence of the disaster, but there are shiny new houses, businesses, public buildings, and plenty of thick jungle growth with a few bare trees poking out. These people are determined to create the world’s first climate-resilient nation.
In summary, these are my fellow Residents’ favorites:
Hike: There are hundreds of hiking trails. The grandest is Waitukubuli National Park. It is the longest in the Caribbean (155 miles), consisting of 14 segments. Swim underneath a waterfall: Emerald Pool or Trafalgar Falls. Jump into a canyon: do it with Extreme Dominica on an expedition, The Canyon Experience.
Beach Comb: Mero Beach on the west side is the calmest, clearest water for swimming. Heavenly! Dive: Go with Dive Dominica off Champagne Reef and view a rich forest of sponges. Move closer to the shore and find a wall covered with coral and an abundance of sea life.
Finding beauty in everyday living reminds me of just how blessed I am. It is time to sail to our next port, Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Wow! I was at Dominica during one cruise several years ago. I did recall the school bus still there after it got crushed by a tree. Sad. But beautiful island!!
I love living vivaciously through these updates. Can’t wait until you hit the South Pacific.
It did make me wonder, as you travel around the world, what time zone does the ship keep? Does it change based on location, or just keep on static zone?
I’m sure the ship travels slowly enough that jet lag doesn’t really come into play, but wondering if there are any downsides to whatever time it is on the ship.
—
Time on the ship is Ship Time. It’s essentially the local time zone where we are, but can vary as when enroute overnight, they generally do changes at 2:00 a.m., which may not match the exact location we’re in at that moment. But the point is to have it be local at the next stop. We are notified ahead of time when Ship Time is to change. -rc
Are the tenders carried by the ship, or are they local to the port?
—
They’re carried by the ship. They double duty as lifeboats. -rc