6 hrs, 10 kms

Encouraged by my hike yesterday all the way from Soufriere to the tip, I'm ready for another big hike today . I arrive at the station in Vieux Fort, and immediately begin my hike up the Atlantic side. I'll save exploring this town for later.

At first things are looking good. There's a nice view of a mountain penninsula at the very tip of the island... a side patht that takes me to a nice view of a bay... I even spot a Lord of the Rings inspired sports car with a full size painting of Gollum! It should be a fun day.

But then things start drying up. The trail that I'm supposed to be able to follow along the coast doesn't seem to exist (or there doesn't seem to be any way to get there)... I'm stuck hiking alongside a dreary road with a dry landscape in the scorching heat.... and when I do reach the coast, the water reeks of raw sewage (as do the streams running into it)... Suddenly the beautiful beach I encountered when I stepped outside the airplane seems a bit hypocritical. Sure, St Lucia keeps the beaches meant for tourists perfectly clean ... but the beaches that the ordinary St Lucians need to go fishing are completely abandoned. Makes you wonder... what's the point in having tourism if you're not going to use that money to benefit the country as a whole?

In contrast, St Vincent and Grenada (which have little tourism) do not have river of raw sewage running into the sea... so why does St Lucia?

Later that Day

Later that day I'm back in Vieux Fort and wander through the bustling shopping district on Main Street. I notice that most people are dressed in suits and their Sunday best.

Sure enough, as I suspected, it's a funeral--and it seems the whole town has turned out for the event. A large crowd lines the streets outside the church, waiting...

I'd like to observe more, but I feel a bit out of place, and head down to the shore for my Parkbench Concert.