25 Nov 19 Castries, St. Lucia

This post is based primarily on Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our cruise in 2019. When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).

Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons), occasionally used for clarification, indicate that source in the caption.

We woke at 6:30 am and went to breakfast in the World Café at 7:15. We ate outside, on the Aquavit Terrace but under cover during a brief, hard rain.

Viking Map of Castries; Key:

1  Port

The description of Castries, St. Lucia in the Viking Daily and the Cruise Documents was as follows:

“Rich in unspoiled and dramatic scenery, St. Lucia boasts some of the Caribbean’s most idyllic beaches, many near the capital of Castries. This paradise is so seductive that the British and French fought over it for 150 years. The British finally triumphed in 1814. Today St. Lucia is a sovereign nation, yet still part of the British Commonwealth. The island has rich artistic heritage: the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Castries is adorned with lush murals painted by a local artist and batik artisans keep a cherished tradition alive in their shops. On the island’s west coast, the landmark Gros and Petit Pitons, two breathtaking rocky pylon peaks, soar over pristine beaches.”

Saint Lucia (French: Sainte-Lucia) is a sovereign island country in the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It had an estimated population of 181,889 in 2018.

The French were the island’s first European settlers. They signed a treaty with the native Island Caribs in 1660. England took control of the island from 1663 to 1667. In ensuing years, England was at war with France fourteen times, and the rule of the island changed frequently (it was ruled 7 times each by French and British).

One of the Windward Islands, St. Lucia was named after St. Lucy of Syracuse (AD 283-304). According to legend, French sailors were shipwrecked here on December 13, the feast day of St. Lucy and this named the island in her honor. Christopher Columbus may have sighted the island during his fourth voyage in 1502, since he made landfall on Martinique, but he did not mention it in his log. A Spanish document from 1511 mentions the island within the Spanish domain. In the late 1550s, the French pirate François le Clerc set us a camp on Pigeon Island (in the northern region of St. Lucia), from where he attacked passing Spanish ships. In 1605, an English ship was blown off-course and 67 colonists started a settlement on St. Lucia but were soon forced to flee the island following continued attacks by the Carib natives. In 1664, Thomas Warner (son of Sir Thomas Warner, the governor  of St. Kitts) claimed St. Lucia for England. In 1666, the French West India Company resumed control of the island, and in 1674, it was made an official French crown colony. Both the British and the French found the island attractive after the slave-based sugar industry developed. And during the 18th century it changed ownership or was declared neutral territory a dozen times, although it was a de facto French colony well into the 18th century. During the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763), Britain occupied St. Lucia for a year, but handed it back to the French at the Treaty of Paris in 1763. In 1794, St. Lucia fell to a British invasion as part of its war with France. But in 1795 a group of locals (slave rebels) defeated a British battalion and took control. In 1803, the British regained control. France and Britain continued to contest St. Lucia until the British secured it is 1814, as part of the Treaty of Paris ending the Napoleonic Wars. Representative government came about in 1840. In the mid-20th century, St. Lucia joined the West Indies Federation (1958-62). In 1967, it became one of the six members of the West Indies Associated States, with internal self-government. In 1979, it gained fill independence, but chose to remain within the British Commonwealth.

Vernacular languages are St. Lucian Creole and French. The currency is the East Caribbean dollar (XCD). Driving is on the left side of the street.

St. Lucia’s main post office in in Castries. Because most parts of the country do not use standard street addresses, mail is largely sent to P.O. boxes. Any main sent without a town name ends up in the Castries post office.

Castries (pop. 20,000; Castries Quarter 70,000) is the capital and largest city of St. Lucia. In 1650, when two Frenchmen purchased St. Lucia from the French West Indies Company, the French founded a fort “aupres du Petit Cul-de-Sac et de la riviere du Carénage.” The capital was moved to the south side of the harbor in 1769. In 1785, the village of Carénage was renamed Castries after Charles Eugéne Gabriel de La Croix, marquis de Castries, the French Minister of the Navy and Colonies. Castries has been rebuilt many times, following major fires in 1805, 1813, and most notably in 1948.

Viking Map of St. Lucia; Key to places we would visit:

 4  Morne Fortune and Inniskilling Monument
12  University of the West Indies

MT Monday, November 25 7:37 AM – St. Lucia: view, from our stateroom balcony, of Castries harbor (mild telephoto 49 mm).

MT 7:37 AM – St. Lucia: view, from our stateroom balcony, of Castries harbor (mild telephoto 76 mm).

At 8:25, we went to the Theater meeting place for the (optional) shore excursion “Aerial Tram.”

The Viking Cruise Documents describe the Aerial Tram excursion as follows:

“A Bird’s-Eye View of a Lush and Primitive World

“Witness life in the canopy of St. Lucia’s lush rainforest from on board an open air gondola. Meet your guide for a scenic drive to Rainforest Adventures, where you will board your tram. Then, make a thrilling ascent into the island’s forest preserve, rising to the majestic heights of gommier and chatannier trees and countless other species, all of them close enough to touch as you drift upward through the dense brush. A nature interpreter will be on hand to describe these lush surroundings, pointing out giant ferns, bright heliconia and the buttress-like root systems that support this cathedral of a forest. You might spot hummingbirds flitting from flower to flower and yellow-bellied bananaquits taking wing. Keep your ears open for the call of parrots and your eyes peeled for their vibrant plumage. As you descend back to the station, admire the sweeping green vistas of the North Island.”

Giant chatannier trees are chestnut trees with massive trunks of particularly hard wood and a highly developed root system.

Webster’s: The gommier (Pachylobus excelsa) is a Caribbean tree of the family Burseraceae that exudes a gum resembling incense.

Burseraceae in Wikipedia: Commonly known as tabonuco (or gommier, also candlewood), Dacryodes excelsa is a large, dominant tree found in Puerto Rico and other parts of the Caribbean. Like all members of the Burseraceae family, the tree releases sap from the bark when wounded. The clear sap oozes from the tree and hardens to a white, aromatic waxy resin that can be used to make candles and incense. The wood itself is useful for constructing housing, furniture, boxes, small boats, and a variety of other wood-based products.

A small bus took us to Rainforest Adventures for the aerial tram and hike.

9:20 AM – St. Lucia: plantain trees from bus window on way to Rainforest Adventures.

MT 9:12 AM – St. Lucia: plantain trees from bus window on way to Rainforest Adventures (mild telephoto 55 mm).

9:20 AM – St. Lucia: plantain trees through bus windshield on way to Rainforest Adventures; our bus guide Ashley at left with microphone (mild telephoto 49 mm).

9:23 AM – St. Lucia: mango tree from bus window on way to Rainforest Adventures.

Around 9:30, we arrived at Rainforest Adventures St. Lucia, near the town of Chassin in the Babonneau region of St. Lucia, about 9 km east-southeast of Castries. An aerial tramway in the rainforest was built in 2006.

St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – Don’s ticket.

There are two types of rainforests: tropical (located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn) and temperate (located in cooler climates). The St. Lucia rainforest is tropical.

Rainforests are forests characterized by high and continuous rainfall, with annual rainfall in the case of tropical rainforests between 2.5 and 4.5 meters (98 and 177 in) and definitions varying by region for temperate rainforests. A tropical rainforest typically has a number of layers. The emergent layer contains a small number of very large trees called emergents, reaching heights of 45-55 m, although on occasion a few species will grow to 70-80 m tall. The canopy layer contains the majority of the largest trees, typically 30 meters (98 ft) to 45 meters (148 ft) tall. The understory or understorey layer lies between the canopy and the forest floor; many seedlings that will grow to the canopy level are present in the understory. The forest floor, the bottom-most layer, receives only 2% of the sunlight; only plants adapted to low light can grow in this region.

Tropical rainforests are rainforests that occur in areas of tropical rainforest climate in which there is no dry season—all months have an average precipitation of at least 60 mm.

From https://www.rainforestadventure.com/pages/st-lucia :

“About Rainforest Adventures St. Lucia at Chassin, Babonneau

“ Rainforest Adventures creates unique and memorable experiences that inspire a sustainable use of the environment and an appreciation of the local culture while positively impacting our communities.

“Situated in the highland community of Chassin, in Babonneau, Rainforest Adventures St. Lucia offers visitors a unique opportunity for full immersion in the island vibrant rainforest life.

“Guests can choose to amble along different things to do in St. Lucia, such as eavesdropping on nature conversations along the nature trail, soaring up and away through the forest canopy on gondolas, or thrill-seeking on a zip line, gliding from platform to platform, high on the stoic trunks of the ancient sentries of the rainforest.”

The web site also lists: “Aerial Tram

“PRICES STARTING AT USD 72 WAS USD 80

“The Rainforest Aerial Tram transports guests up and away from the heat and bustle of the lowlands to an ecological park located in the heights of St. Lucia’s forest reserve.”

9:32 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view into forest from base of tramway.

MT 9:27 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – black bird perched near white splotch on tree at right in previous photo (telephoto 86 mm).

The bus passengers divided up into smaller groups, and we boarded a gondola that had seats for eight passengers and our tram guide Rachel. We started in a light rain (which collected on the canvas roof of the gondola).

9:37 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – pink flowers that had fallen from a tree near base.

MT 9:30 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – pink flowers that had fallen from a tree near base (mild telephoto 52 mm).

9:38 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – empty gondola at tram station at lower end.

9:41 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of small trees that looked like a rubber tree (but wasn’t).

9:41 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of small trees with red flowers.

MT 9:22 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of small trees with red flowers (telephoto 69 mm).

9:42 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola, looking ahead from the station.

9:43 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of small red flowers and larger white flowers near rubber-like trees (telephoto 72 mm).

MT 9:33 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of white flowers near rubber-like trees (telephoto 69 mm).

MT 9:35 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – Don and MT in front seat of gondola, taken by Rachel before liftoff (mild telephoto 54 mm).

Then we started our ascent in the tramway, with our onboard guide providing commentary.

9:45 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola up tramway with another gondola coming down on a higher cable.

MT 9:37 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola up tramway with another gondola coming down on a higher cable (mild tellephoto 48 mm).

9:45 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola.

9:47 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola up steeper part of tramway with another gondola coming down on a higher cable.

9:47 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – looking down from our gondola.

9:47 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of nutmeg on tree.

9:51 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of star-shaped stump of large chestnut (chatannier) tree (telephoto 93 mm).

9:52 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of chestnut tree with roots of ficus tree on its outside(telephoto 93 mm).

Our guide Rachel said the ficus eventually chokes the chestnut tree.

9:56 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola up tramway.

MT 9:50 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola up tramway.

9:58 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of mountain stream below.

10:00 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of star-shaped stump of large chestnut (chatannier) tree.

10:06 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of dark (mahogany?) tree through other smaller trees.

MT 10:01 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of umbrella-like growth among tree leaves (telephoto 71 mm).

10:07 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of large chestnut (chatannier) tree leaning toward sunlight, with ficus trees choking it; tree at right with vine wrapped around it.

10:09 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of vines wrapped around trees.

10:08 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of vine wrapped around tree (telephoto 105 mm).

10:09 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of ravine below and view up the tramway.

10:10 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of stream below.

MT 10:02 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of giant fern trees.

10:12 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of giant fern trees below.

10:13 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of giant fern trees and up the tramway.

10:16 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of tree with orange flowers.

10:23 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of “sweet” (something?).

Around this time, our guide said something about coffee beans.

MT 10:18 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of (coffee beans?).

10:26 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of base of chestnut (chatannier) tree with ficus.

10:26 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of wild orchids attached to tree.

When the gondola reached the top end of the tramway, it traveled on a higher cable going down.

10:28 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from our gondola at the start of the way down, with one other gondola at bottom left approaching the turning point on the lower cable coming up and another gondola in the distance on the upper cable going down.

10:28 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of mountains in distance and upper cable.

10:29 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola to the left, with houses on mountain in distance.

MT 10:23 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of houses on mountain in distance (telephoto 78 mm).

10:29 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from our gondola of other gondolas on both upper and lower cables, with houses on mountain in distance.

10:29 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from our gondola of other gondolas on both upper and lower cables, with mountains in distance.

10:29 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of orange fruit (mangos?) on tree below.

10:32 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola on the way down (to left, with mountains in distance).

10:32 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of white ginger lilies and mist (low clouds) above trees (telephoto 156 mm).

10:32 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of white ginger lilies and mist (low clouds) above trees, with red-orange flowers on tree below (telephoto 156 mm).

10:33 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of ferns and other trees below.

10:34 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola looking down the tramway, with cable below.

10:46 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of hibiscus-like red flower in trees (telephoto 156 mm).

10:48 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of thin trees to right of tramway and down.

10:48 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of thin trees and orange flowers to right of tramway and down.

10:48 AM (Cropped) – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of orange flowers to right of tramway and down.

10:51 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of red flowers on tree with shiny leaves.

10:51 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of red flowers on tree with shiny leaves (telephoto 119 mm).

10:54 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola down tramway, with another gondola on cable below and orange and brown and small red flowers at right.

10:57 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of tree with orange flowers and small white, star-shaped flowers (at far right).

10:57 AM (Cropped) – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – view from gondola of small white, star-shaped flowers.

After the tram ride, our tram guide Rachel took the two of us on a short hike on a nature trail near the bottom of the tramway.

11:13 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – pink hibiscus-like flowers (telephoto 105 mm).

11:13 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – small blue hummingbird perched on branch, through broad leaves (telephoto 105 mm).

MT 11:06 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – small blue hummingbird perched on branch, through broad leaves (telephoto 114 mm).

11:17 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – MT holding “incense” pods.

11:15 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – Rachel squeezing “incense” pod onto MT’s hand.

11:15 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – liquid from “incense” pod on MT’s hand.

MT 11:17 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – “incense” pod on MT’s pants leg.

11:26 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – orange flower on plant with broad leaves.

11:26 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – Rachel and MT with tree root grown around boulder.

11:28 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – mahogany tree.

11:29 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – breadfruit on tree (telephoto 156 mm).

11:29 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – pink flowers.

11:29 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – plant with pink leaves.

11:30 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – plant with long tan hanging parts.

MT 11:26 AM – St. Lucia: Rainforest Adventures – hot pink flower.

We got back to the Viking Sea around 1 pm. We ate lunch at the Pool Grill (seared ahi tuna and pulled pork plus sides).

Then we went back to our room to get the tickets for our afternoon (included) shore excursion.

Then we went to the Explorers Desk. and Don did sudoku puzzles (provided by Viking) in the Atrium while MT wrote notes on the Aerial Tram excursion.

At 2 pm, Don went out for the “St. Lucia Panorama,” but at the gangway MT decided to stay back when we found that it was raining outside and to just walk the waterfront. However, she changed her mind when we found a container with red Viking umbrellas near the gangway exit, and we took one.

The Viking Cruise Documents described the “St. Lucia Panorama” excursion as follows:

“Breathtaking Vistas and Bananas

“Marvel at the glorious mountain and seaside landscapes of St. Lucia’s northern half. Begin with a brief tour of Castries before ascending to the suburb of Morne Fortune for sweeping views of the city, its picturesque harbor and the distant island of Martinique. At the Morne complex, see the Inniskilling Monument, erected to honor the British regiment that overtook the French in 1796. This is also the home of the University of the West Indies and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States. Later, a drive along hillside country byways past small communities will lead us to La Guerre and spectacular views of the Marquis Estate, once the largest banana  plantation on the island. Continuing on, enjoy views of Rodney Bay and Pigeon Island before stopping at the resplendent estate of Stony Hill, a private home. You can stroll its lush tropical gardens and enjoy a cool refreshment before returning to your ship.”

There seemed to be a lot of people signed up for the 2 pm Panorama  tour; the Viking representative who met us at the pier just divided the group onto multiple small buses. Don got on the first one (tour group number 7).

The Viking Cruise Documents said “Begin with a brief tour of Castries,” but it just retraced the route we had takin in the morning.

The bus took us to Morne Fortune, then to a place with a botanical garden for a snack. When we got there, there was already one Viking bus, and three more arrived before we left. This delayed our departure when it was difficult for our bus to get out. By this time, the rain had stopped.

Morne Fortune (meaning “Good Luck Hill”) is a hill and residential area located south of Castries. It is at the summit of a ridge that rises to a height of 852 ft from point La Toc, the southern arm of Castries Harbor. Originally known as Morne Dubuc, it was renamed Morne Fotuné in 1765, when the French moved their military headquarters and government administration buildings here from Vigie Height, The French constructed a fort, Citadelle du Morne Fortuné, here, completed in 1784. The fort was first captured in 1794 by the British, who renamed it Fort Charlotte, but was recaptured by the French in 1795. The British captured it again in 1796. A memorial to the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot still stands commemorating the 1796 battle, in which the regiment captured the fort for a second time. France regained possession in 1802 with the Treaty of Amiens, but the British recaptured it in 1803. The fort remained a British one until independence in 1979. Government House, the official residence of the Governor-General of St. Lucia, is on the northern side of Morne Fortune.

Fort Charlotte is now occupied by the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, just across the road from the Inniskilling Monument. Sir William Arthur Lewis (W. Arthur Lewis, 1915-1991), born in Castries, won the Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences in 1979. The Sir William Arthur Lewis Community College was established in 1985.

2:39 PM – St. Lucia: Morne Fortune – view across Castries to an island (Martinique?).

2:39 PM – St. Lucia: Morne Fortune – view across Castries and its harbor to an island (Martinique?) (mild telephoto 63 mm).

2:40 PM – St. Lucia: Morne Fortune – view across Castries and its harbor to an island (Martinique?) (telephoto 93 mm).

At the Morne complex, there was a display of fruit and vegetable products.

2:48 PM – St. Lucia: Morne Fortune – left end of display, with labels: top row [no labels] with doll; next row down (L to R) [? (in basket)], empty bowl, [Catrine? (white)] over Sweet [Cassava?], Ya[m?]; bottom row (L to R) Shake Me […] Chak-Chak, Flamboyant Seed Pod, Mahogany Pod, Castor Seed. [Okra].

The Flamboyant Tree (Delonix regia) is the National Tree of St. Kitts and Nevis, where it is called “shak-shak,” an onomatopoeia, as the word mimics the sound the long, thin seed pod makes when it is shaken. According to Wikipedia, the seed pods are used as a percussion instrument known as the shak-shak or maraca. The dominicanewsonline.com web site says the Flamboyant seed pod is used by Dominican children for playing games; when dried, unopened seed pods would be shaken like a pair of maracas, which are called “chak-chak” in Kwéyòl.

Kwéyòl (Saint Lucian French Creole, also known locally as Patwa [from French patois]) is a French-based language created by African slaves brought to the Caribbean in the 17th and 18th centuries. Kwéyòl is also spoken on several other Caribbean islands.

2:48 PM – St. Lucia: Morne Fortune – center of display, with labels: top row (L to R) doll, [?], [bread fruit (?)], [Semircan] Acker, Sugar Cane; next row down (L to R) empty bowl, [Catrine? (white)] [? (looks like bananas)], Green Banana, [no label ?], [Star] Fruit [?] [Imagre?] Carambola; next row down (L to R) Sweet [Cassava?], Ya[m?], Tania, Nutmeg over Tamarind, Li[me]; bottom row (L to R) Okra, [unidentified seed], Cocoa Bean, Ginger Root over Turmeric Root.

2:48 PM – St. Lucia: Morne Fortune – right end of display, with labels: top row (L to R) [bread fruit (?)], [Semircan] Acker, Sugar Cane, Pomegranate; next row down (L to R) Green Banana, [no label], [Star] Fruit [?] [Imagre?] Carambola, Guava, […para?], [?], [Sugar Apple] over Golden apple, [?] over [Gerbo…?] Pepper; next, short row down (L to R) [Nutmeg] over Tamarind, Lime; bottom row (L to R) Ginger Root over Turmeric Root, Cashew, Almond, Cinnamon, Bay Leaf.

2:50 PM – St. Lucia: Morne Fortune – view across Castries and its harbor to an island (Martinique?), with palm tree.

2:52 PM – St. Lucia: Morne Fortune – mahogany tree (name on small white sign at base of tree) by steps.

2:53 PM – St. Lucia: Morne Fortune – mahogany tree (name on small white sign at base of tree but not readable from this angle) by steps; sign in foreground says “Walkway Slippery When Wet.”

2:58 PM – St. Lucia: Morne Fortune – Poinciana or Flamboyant Tree (name on small white sign at base of tree) with long seed pods.

2:58 PM – St. Lucia: Morne Fortune – sign for “Poinciana or Flamboyant” Tree (telephoto 93 mm).

2:59 PM – St. Lucia: Morne Fortune – pink flowers and Century Plant Agave (name on small white sign at base).

2:59 PM – St. Lucia: Morne Fortune – sign for “Century Plant Agave” (telephoto 93 mm).

As we started our drive again, the rain resumed.

3:54 PM – St. Lucia: after Morne Fortune – “Give Way” (yield) sign, through bus window in rain.

3:54 PM – St. Lucia: after Morne Fortune – “scenic view” through bus window in rain.

The bus then took us to the Morne complex, which was once a military installation used by the British and French.

4:15 PM – St. Lucia: Morne complex – sign for “Inniskilling Monument” through bus window in rain; gray part at bottom says “St. Lucia National Trust - Morne Fortuné Historic Area.” Steps at right led up to the monument.

St. Lucia – Morne complex – Inniskilling Monument (By Pi3.124 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65870436 ).

The Inniskilling Monument, erected in 1932 at the eastern end of Fort Charlotte,  is a memorial to the Irish-based 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot (Fusiliers) that commemorates the 1796 battle, in which the regiment captured the fort for a second time (the first time was in 1778). It stands beside the grave and  memorial to the Nobel-winning poet Derek Walcott.

Sir Derek Alton Walcott (1930-2017), born in Castries, was a poet and playwright who received the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature.

4:17 PM – St. Lucia: Morne complex – view, across bus through window in rain, of large tree (our guide said it was 2,000 or 3,000 years old).

4:23 PM – St. Lucia: Morne complex – view, through bus window in rain, of Government House, through gate.

Government House, viewed through gate (By User: Bgabel at q373 shared, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23024616).

Government House, located on the crest of Morne Fortune,  is the official residence of the Governor-General of St. Lucia. The first Government House that was built on this site was destroyed by a hurricane in 1817, before its completion. A second house, built of timber, was completed on the same spot in 1819. That house fell into disrepair and was abandoned by 1865, when Government House was relocated to a disused military barracks nearby. Construction of the present brick Government House was started on the site of the previous house in 1894 and was completed a year later. The building reflects the period of Victorian architecture.

Government House (By Pi3.124 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65870432).

4:26 PM – St. Lucia: Morne complex – view, through bus window in rain, of Viking Sea at Port Seraphine.

Soon, the rain stopped, and the bus let us out to take photos.

4:27 PM – St. Lucia: Morne complex – view of Viking Sea at Port Seraphine.

Then the bus took us back to Castries.

4:40 PM – St. Lucia: Castries – view, through bus window in rain, of Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception – tower and apse.

Castries: Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception – façade and left side (By User: Bgabel at wikivoyage shared, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23024616).

The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, or Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, is located in Derek Walcott Square in Castries. It is the largest church in the Caribbean, measuring 200 ft (61m) long by 100 ft (30 m) wide. It was built starting in 1894, dedicated in 1899, and was given the honorary status of a Minor Basilica in 1999, its centennial year.

Castries: Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception – tower and apse (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Lucia,_Karibik_-_Castries_-_Cathedral_Basilica_of_the_Immaculate_Conception_-_panoramio.jpg).

The bus didn’t get back to the Viking Sea until 5 pm. It was scheduled to return at 4:15 but had been delayed at the botanical garden and then ran into rush hour traffic in Castries. Don joined MT in the ship’s Theater for the Rob Warne lecture “Barbados—The Region’s Success Story,” which had started at 4:30.

At 5:30, the ship set sail for Bridgetown, Barbados (117 nautical miles).

MT 6:00 PM – St. Lucia: Castries – view of town as ship departed.

After that, Don went out on the Deck 2 track to run, but the deck was still wet and slick from the rain, So Don walked 7 laps (1.75 mi) on the track, then showered.

We went to the Caribbean Buffet in the World Café.

At 9:15, we went to the Theater for the “Mi Cuento, My Way” by Manuel Rodriguez, the Assistant Cruise Director.

The Viking Daily newsletter described “Mi Cuento, My Way” as “an evening of storytelling, humor, and song – featuring music you all know and love, from Broadway classics, to opera favorites, and more.”