Dimanche 13.05.07 Mother’s Day again
There’s someone next door absolutely murdering a karaoke classic this morning as Nic and I sit outside in the St. Lucian sun making plans for our day. The record changes but country and western warbling takes over and we decide to retreat inside to pack our bags. We had planned to go to the Nazarene church down the road for the 9,00 service but we were only getting served breakfast at that time.
Most of the population of St. Lucia are Catholic. There’s a small Anglican community but anyone we ask doesn’t know where exactly the Anglican Church can be found. We find the one at Soufrière later that day but I doubt there’s been a service there in the last decade as it’s a tumbledown tin and brick building letting in plenty of natural celestial light and heavenly refreshment.
Our journey to Soufrière is a long one; two hours out of Castries and we’ve gone up and down hills, around hairpins, over mountains, passed numerous snake charmers and con-artists, cruised through Marigot Bay, entertained Rainbow Man at Anse la Raye and taken snaps and inaccurate directions at Canaries before reaching a recommended hillside resort just in time for their Mother’s Day luncheon.
The spectacular Pitons at Soufrière resemble magnificent yet imposing pointed green teeth. Nestled between these two canines you find the Ladera Resort. The unusual location and unique design attracts the brave and affords expensive tastes. We take a drink in the open bar which looks down 1000ft to the bay framed by the Pitons on either side. The pool looks inviting – I’ve already dipped a toe in the Black Mud Baths but a real dip would be welcome.
Lunch is all we can afford so we’re let loose on the spectacular buffet of roast beef, pork chops, chicken wings, fried fish and the plethora of salads, vegetables and other accompaniments which make their way unto our plates. Dessert is another feast in itself with Upside-down Pudding, Bread and Butter Pudding, Banana Pie, Chocolate Cake and exotic fruit salad. For $25 it’s a mammoth meal and you can keep on refuelling if you haven’t already exploded with the first round. The house menu is more pricey and exotic with clear fruit soup with melon balls and green curry banana soup catching my interest. There’s a water pistol on each table to zap the birds but we spend most of our mealtime in awe of the amazing Pitons, the deep, lush valleys and the wonderful bay below.
Lunch is all we can afford so we’re let loose on the spectacular buffet of roast beef, pork chops, chicken wings, fried fish and the plethora of salads, vegetables and other accompaniments which make their way unto our plates. Dessert is another feast in itself with Upside-down Pudding, Bread and Butter Pudding, Banana Pie, Chocolate Cake and exotic fruit salad. For $25 it’s a mammoth meal and you can keep on refuelling if you haven’t already exploded with the first round. The house menu is more pricey and exotic with clear fruit soup with melon balls and green curry banana soup catching my interest. There’s a water pistol on each table to zap the birds but we spend most of our mealtime in awe of the amazing Pitons, the deep, lush valleys and the wonderful bay below.
Two hours later we’ve made our way back along the windy roads and random smoky Rasta hangouts to Rodney Bay where we collect Francesca, before heading for the boat. We pick up Glenda on route and we bid her and Stephen goodbye as we join the queue. The boat is late but the queues are just about bearable. The Longest Yard is showing but I’ve seen it before so I snooze. Gilbert picks Fran up at Fort-de-France and Nic and I hot-foot it to the port before getting tooted by Gilbert who brings us to our destination. A final sea trip brings us home and we soon roll into bed happy, high and red.
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