A Rainy Day in St Lucia

Landfall today in St Lucia in tropical rain with the mountains cloaked in clouds and torrents of earth soaked water cascading down the roads, and making the rivers burst their banks so that we were often driving through brown lagoons on the road. Not what we had expected at all.

For some reason, an umbrella was not high on my packing requirements, nor even a light waterproof cagoule. What I did unearth from my case was a plastic cape thing that you can buy in the tat shops in Edinburgh's tourist area and which has remained in the foot of the same case for many years. The fact that it said 'Scotland' all over it was a plug for the the country and didn't embarrass me too much.

I can't remember hearing rain like it. It drummed on the tin roofs of the batik factory and the wood work factory. It also drummed on the roof of the rum distillery, but after a few samples of their 150% rum we found it all hilarious, even paddling ankle deep in water en route to the various venues.

It's such a pity the weather was so bad, because any views we had were through the mini bus window which itself was streaming in water.

I had a particular desire to see St Lucia at its best as my sister- in- law's aunt lived there in the 60's and 70's and also because one of the streets is named after my son- in-law's forebears, the William Peter Boulevard.

The weather cleared a bit after we had retreated back to the ship to dry off, but I don't think we will forget this Christmas Eve again in a hurry.

The blip is taken through the streaming windows of the mini bus, hence the atmospheric bur.