Today we left the ship early to organise the rail tour.
Celebrity was charging US $99 pp for the trip. However, we soon realised that the cruises seem to have a monopoly. All the local agents in Basseterre, the country’s capital, could sell any tour but the train. Of course, we had to take the train so we had no option but to pay up!!!
We toured the town while awaiting the train trip. This is a British Protectorate and had a better Caribbean ambiance than Americanised Puerto Rico or St Thomas.
This island was once divided between the French and the British, but it appears the British prevailed with the Treaty of Paris 1783 giving them full possession - driving is on the left and the former sugar plantations had proprietors with names such as Dawson and Saldier. The Irish came here in the 16th century to work as slaves in the sugar cane plantations.
The buildings were very colourful - what one imagines the Caribbean to look like.
Berkeley Memorial Clock was erected 1883 in honour of a deceased estate owner. It is the focus of streets, an octagonal plaza, not unlike Piccadilly Circus, London.
The streets are resplendent in their French and English architecture.
The Catholic church
dominated Independence Square ,
though the population is only 6% Catholic.
Legal eagles - the Supreme Court sits nearby.
The area abounded with tourist shops - tourism is their chief industry now that the sugar cane industry met its demise in 2004. However, it is seasonal, from November - April as there is a threat of hurricanes for the remainder of the year!
We were taken on a 20 minute bus ride to meet the train. The narrow gauge railway was constructed between 1912-1916 to bring the sugar cane from the fields to the processing factory st Basseterre
Our guide gave us a detailed account of this tiny island. It has a population of only 15,500. It is known as the Gibraltar of the West Indies and has an impressive mountain top Fort.
On arrival at the railways station, we boarded the double decker train for a 30 mile tour. There was ample room on top. Most stayed in the air conditioning carriage below.
We travelled along the northern Atlantic coastline, which is rougher than the Caribbean.
It is from the Atlantic that they experience the hurricanes. We passed many stone built churches - Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican - many built up to 300 years ago and yet they appeared to withstand the hurricanes better than the local timber-constructed ones.
To our right a black sandy beach - the sand is black as this is a volcanic area. To our left was the extinct volcano Mount Luamuiga (3,792ft)
Now that the sugar cane industry is no more, the farmers grow a range of crops - peanuts, vegetable varieties and a little sugar cane. Cows, sheep and goats are the main animals. The monkey was introduced by the French and its population is out of control!
The train travelled on , crossing many bridges
until it turned toward the Caribbean side. The waters are calmer and the climate is wetter.
The influence of the Chinese is seen everywhere - building hotels, schools and hospitals.
There is no housing crisis here! The government builds houses for the poor in every village, fine structures often with an ocean view!
Wealth is in evidence too in some of the finer homes.
We returned to our ship, viewing, way in the distance, Brimstone Hill Fortress, 750 feet high, a UNESCO world heritage site, one of the best preserved forts in the Americas, commanding a panoramic view of the Caribbean.
We sailed at 1700hrs. Up on the dock, leaving Basseterre behind
The sun is setting
as we set sail for Fort Lauderdale - ETA 0700 hrs Sunday next.
No comments:
Post a Comment