From Rodney Bay to Castries .... 25th Jan 2018

From Rodney Bay to Castries 

25^th Jan 2018

Today we decided to depart from the Rodney Bay Marina.  I’m sure it was a good idea to get going, I seemed to be getting too fond of the real showers and the lemon sorbet at the ice cream shop.  While boating isn’t really a complete hardship experience, there is certain spartan aspect.  Some boaters dream of ice cream, for others it is cold drinks especially ice in drinks.  Mike misses the hot showers with plenty of water.  I remember coming down the ICW in 2012 as the fall temperatures slid down.  At that time, I really missed being able to wash my hands in hot water.  [We were so concerned about water consumption that we always used the foot pumps to wash hands.  These pull water directly from the tanks and by pass the hot water system.] If we went to a restaurant and the bathroom didn’t have hot water in the sinks, I felt cheated!

Mike made a masterful job of backing out of the dock and we were on our way.  Castries is the capital town in the northwest of St. Lucia.  It’s only about five miles from Rodney Bay and the route is in the lee of the island.  That is more or less the perfect trip for a first outing after a while off the boat.  Strangely enough there are no yachts anchored in the harbor here.  There is one monstrous cruise liner and a tugboat, both tied to docks.

We had cleverly timed our arrival to the lunch hour and went to shore with the dinghy to find the “market” with the “cheapest and tastiest local food on the island.” Who says we are all about food? When our lunch arrived it consisted of the meat of choice in a spicy sauce along with rice, lentils, yellow noodles, a square of cold mac and cheese, a potato like vegetable, plantains and a small fresh salad of cabbage and tomatoes. Depending on how you choose to count it—that’s five or six starches!  After lunch, we wandered around the town for a while. Then we came back to the boat and collapsed into naps.  Tomorrow we plan to carry on down the west coast to Marigot Bay.  The bigger picture is to slowly wend our way south and be anchored off Vieux Fort in time for the arrival of Simon.

Here follows a selection of photos that attempts to capture the atmosphere of Castries. It's a colorful and lively place and I took a lot of shots, so I've tried to be selective here!

Cobbler in the market - Castries

Young child in Castries market

Playing Dominos - Castries

Lady shopper - Castries

Disabled beggar in Castries

Fruit and veg market - Castries

Spices and sauces - Castries market

Bakery - Castries

Bar - Castries

Castries Cathedral

Strong women - This painting (30 feet x 6 feet) is on the wall outside the girls school in Castries and expresses sentiments I fully support. I dedicate this photo to my daughter Tasha, who is the strongest proponent for the rights of women that I know, and is helping me to view the world in a new light.

Cotinga in Castries Harbor - overnight this cruise ship departed and two others arrived

... and this is why only fools (like myself) wear flip flops on deck