We had a 9 AM(ish) flight from Newark to St. Lucia this morning. Normally I strongly protest the "get to the airport 3 hours early for international flights" nonsense, but we had heard some recent horror stories about lines at Newark airport; to avoid having to leave the house at 4:30 AM, we spent last night at the airport hotel that's literally in the semi-circle of terminals.
It was nearly 10 PM when we got to the hotel. The economy parking bus driver actually dropped us off at the front door of the hotel, because we were the only people on the shuttle.
Spending the night across the street from the terminal allowed us to catch the 6 AM shuttle. We were through security and at the gate at 6:30 AM. Then the 9 AM(ish) flight ended up departing about 40 minutes late, due to a combination of the usual airport shenanigans and the extra time needed to verify everyone's pandemic-related paperwork.
A few people didn't have all of their paperwork in order, so there was an additional delay as their luggage was removed from the plane (because they weren't allowed to board).
The flight was uneventful; it was overcast and drizzly when we de-planed, just before 2:30 PM.
Then we stood in various lines for 90 minutes or so. The list of documents required to get into St. Lucia was absurd (obviously a few of these are typical for any international travel):
- Passport
- Vaccination card
- Negative PCR test result
- St. Lucia "travel authorization form" (involved an application online process, plus uploading the PCR test results)
- St. Lucia COVID-19 screening questionnaire
- the usual immigration form
After proving (to the extent that it's possible) that we aren't COVID-19 risks, we were issued wristbands of clean health, which entitle us to not-quarantine, enter restaurants, etc., or "roam freely" as the woman described it, I think. We can't take them off until we leave.
By the time we got the rental car, it was after 4 PM. But hey, we're on island time now. Except there was someone expecting us at the condo by 4 PM, oops.
Having done more research than usual for this trip, and having had some... harrowing experiences with rental cars on other hilly islands in the Caribbean, I actually got an appropriate vehicle, for once.
Behold, the (right-hand drive) Suzuki Jimny:
We had an exciting ~1 hour drive through the hills, along the southwestern rim of the island. As is typical of the places we've been down here, there are lots of obstacles on the road, including creative drivers, vehicles parked randomly, stray dogs, pedestrians of all types, pot holes and washed-out sections, speed humps and bumps, and (not typical) a funeral.
The drive reminded me a lot of driving around St. Thomas, including driving on the left while sitting on the right. But there are a lot more goats in people's yards and on the side of the road, here. (At least, I don't remember goats on other islands?)
Around 5, we stopped at the scenic overlook above
Soufrière, our home base for the next 5 or 6 days.
Another 10 minutes down the hill, and then back up the other side, led us to our condo. The view from the bedroom is spectacular, and we can't wait to see it in the morning and/or sun.
Here are two more glamour shots of the rental car, with Sabrina for scale. Also, you can see the road that leads to the condo, which helps justify the 4WD and high clearance.
After settling in, we walked down to town in search of some dinner. Along the way, we got a better look at the "road".
In some places, it looks like it was "repaired" by just spreading a thick concrete slurry on top, and then driving over it a few times. In others, it's basically cobblestones.
The sun was setting as we made the 1/2-mile trek down hill.
We hadn't done much food-related research (beyond "need food now"), so we sort of wandered a bit and consulted Google maps for ideas, eventually settling on some sort of pub that labeled itself a "bistro".
I had a cheeseburger, and Sabrina got some sort of fish. I was surprised to discover the burger had a curry sauce on it, in addition to sliced cucumbers. That, plus a bottle of the local lager was a great way to end a very long day.
Side note: some prices here are listed in US dollars, while others are
Eastern Caribbean dollars. It's going to take some getting used to; the exchange rate is about 1 USD to 2.70 ECD (or XCD?).
I forgot how loud the tree frogs are, in the rainforest. We should be able to get a good night's sleep anyway, what with the previous short night and subsequent long day.
Tomorrow, I have no idea what we're doing, other than finding a grocery store. Much of the plan for the next few days depends on the weather.
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