Day Totals: 16 hrs, 13.5 kms

The town of Gros Islet is surprisingly shabby and laid back in contrast with the luxury surrounding it--still a pleasant place, and I find a guesthouse right near the beach so I can enjoy an evening swim . Unlike Soufriere, I feel quite comfortable wandering around after dark, sampling different snacks and enjoying the music and the vibe of the outdoor restaurants and bars. A nice final night in the country.

Next morning I've got pretty much a full day to kill and, well, not a whole lot more to discover. I guess I've got to admit, I'm really glad I don't live on one of these islands. To be stuck indefinitely on an island with the feeling that there's not a whole lot more to discover would be pretty frustrating. Of course, you could immerse yourself into the culture in a deeper way--but for someone like me who visits on average 250 new towns every year, this would be torture. I'm actually glad that I'm going back to the USA which--although not as colorful as the Caribbean--I do have pretty much unlimited new places to discover and explore.

There is one sight a stones throw away, Pigeon Hill, a penninsula with an old for where you can get a nice panoramic view from the top . I head that direction and soon find myself in the middle of a large resort... then another.

Pigeon Hill isn't open yet--and it doesn't look that interesting for the entrance fee, so I figure I can just skip it. I continue on up the road, hoping to get to the very tip of the island. Around are more luxurious villas, a gold course and white folks out jogging. This is the image of itself that St Lucia wants to give to the world.. but I can't shake the image of the horribly polluted streams and bays down on the southeast side.

It looks like the northern tip is exclusively owned by another resort. I figure I can just stroll inside, pretending I'm a guest... right? Sure enough. It does have a cozy beach and a beautiful garden/sunbathing area. But I still prefer the lively neighborhood around my guesthouse in Gros Islet.

On my way back, I try one of the side roads that meanders through the coutryside past large upscale estates . I have to struggle through the bush a bit to loop around past the golf course and back to the main rd. I figure I've done enough... I'm just going to go get my stuff and go chill out in Castries a bit... maybe chat with my smoothie friend a bit more... then take my time walking to the airport.

I have mixed feelings as I wade along the pristine beach to the airport. My feelings about this country are conflicted. In some ways its the best of the Caribbean countries I've visited so far. In other ways... the worst. But I have come to appreciate the people here and do hope that this country can sort out its problems and that the predictions of upheaval and chaos will not come true.

"Hey! are you the guy that was walking along the road? We passed you a bunch of times!" someone interrupts my thoughts. It's a group of Canadians, a father, his adult son and the son's girlfriend, and two others.

" ...And you never offered me a ride?" I respond jokingly. I wouldn't be surprised if half the island is talking about this white guy that's been spotted trudging along the road over the last week.

I join them and a couple of locals under a tree. One of the local guys has a guitar as well, and we do a little jamming together--he even plays an original of his own!

Classy finish to my St Lucia adventure.

I finish my hike to the airport where I spend the last of my Caribbean dollars on a burger (Caribbean dollars work in St Lucia, St Vincent and Grenada--but not Barbados or Trinidad)... wait for my plane and daylight fades... watch the lights of Castries-Gros Islet fade off in the distance from my airplane window.