Soufriere, St. Lucia

In the lee of the islands in a calm sea, the Captain gave us all an opportunity to photograph the Sea Cloud II fully frigged from a Zodiac that circled the ship. It was an unusual opportunity to see the ship the way an artist would render it. White canvas, full and billowing, against the brilliant sea and clear cloudless skies.

We landed in Soufriere which is distinguished by two prominent volcanic plugs, called Pitons; that stick up out of the green valley which is really an ancient volcanic crater, or caldera which last erupted 39,000 years ago. The town lies in the center of the crater, although the outer edge of the crater has eroded away and now forms the bay where we were anchored. The volcano that forms the base of the island is still active, having last expelled an explosion of steam but no lava in 1766. A lava pool lies deep under the island surface along a fault which leaks hot magma up into the base of the island, and forms a series of boiling hot sulfurous pools called fumaroles.
 
Due to the amount of the volcanic activity, the soil here is very rich. Although farming is still done on this island, marketing and transporting the exceptionally sweet and succulent fruits and vegetables still presents a major constraint to the local economy.

The total population of St. Lucia is about 110,000 but only about 11,000 live in the city of Soufriere. Since it was the last day of the year, all the streets were filled with people preparing for the night’s festivities. Carnival locally begins in the New Year and a few groups were already practicing their parade routines. Others were getting a head start on the beer and there was a general feel of happy anticipation in the streets.

The guides were excellent. They were extremely articulate and very well informed. Our first stop after the sulfur pools was the exceptionally rich Diamond Falls Botanical Garden where we learned about the great variety of tropical plants. Even more fascinating than the botany was the information on local medicinal uses of the various plants. There was a special emphasis on cures for a hangover, the most effective being to rub a large soft banana leaf with ground nutmeg and tie it around one’s forehead. We were assured it never fails. Perhaps our ship’s doctor will have an opportunity to test this out soon.

In the cool waters of Toraille Falls some brave souls got a chance to frolic in the shallow pool under the waters tumbling down from a height of about 30 feet. It is locally highly recommended as a sort of fountain of youth. The waters are said to promote youthfulness and vigor. The only problem is that one must return periodically to renew the effects of the water, but coming back to St. Lucia will not be a high price for youth and beauty.