We were at breakfast by 7:30 and were on the beach by 8:30. While there were a few threatening clouds on the horizon, we had a great morning in 29°C. After claiming our now-usual cabana, we did a 3KM walk up and down the beach and then spent an hour-and-a-half floating in the warm ocean with pool noodles. I can’t remember the last time we both felt so relaxed.
By 1245, we were starting to feel a bit peck-ish. As if on cue, the sky opened up — Mother Nature‘s way of telling us it was time to go get some lunch. We packed up, cleaned up, and set out for Basseterre, the nearby capital city. Okay, “city” is a bit of a stretch — let’s call it a town. After a quick lunch near the cruise terminal, we set out on foot to explore the limited number of sites of interest, which are all centered around Independence Square.
Following that, we drove back in the direction of the hotel and onwards to the very southern tip of St. Kitts. From my earlier blog entry, you may recall that I described St. Kitts as being shaped like a whale. So, in essence, it was the tail of the whale that we explored this afternoon. And let me tell you, the tail is filled with stunning mountains and beaches. And, as a bonus, it’s mostly unpopulated. There are no towns down there, but in recent years, the government poured a ton of money into developing roadways and building infrastructure to attract high end neighbourhoods and hotels. Unfortunately, to date, it has all but fizzled. The southern tip is also where you can get a ferry to the nearby island of Nevis, which is part of the country. Time prohibited us from making that journey, but it was wonderful to get views of the volcano that dominates views of Nevis. We made it back to the hotel by late afternoon for a quick ocean dip and a final dinner at the hotel.
There is something neat about walking on the freshly groomed beach of a resort in the quiet of the morning.
They may look staged, but these are shells we saw on our morning walk, placed by nature and untouched by us.
In yesterday‘s blog entry, I mentioned there are ramshackle snack bars set up all over the place, some put together with scraps of wood and any other materials the builder could find. Here are two examples from our beach walk this morning. Later in the day, these places set up shop to sell BBQ meat and drinks.
Half Moon Bay, a kilometre north of the hotel, has some very dark sand.
A horse, with the hillside neighbourhood of Lucas in the background
This horse prefers luxury and seemed to enjoy hanging out among the cabanas on the hotel’s beach.
The Caribbean waters here in St. Kitts are so incredibly warm. We spent an hour-and-a-half floating around until we were shrivelled like prunes.
Scenes from Basseterre
This foot bridge, painted in the colours of the national flag, is near the cruise port. Today, a Holland America ship was in port, visible behind the tree.
Independence Square is a grassy park in the heart of Basseterre, anchored by this circular fountain crowned by three nymphs. Once called Pall Mall Square, it has a dark past as a venue for 18th-century slave auctions, although there is no indication of this sordid past today.
A very aged banyan tree in Independence Square.
Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Wesleyan Methodist Church
St. George’s Anglican Church has a stormy history.
French Jesuits built the first one in 1670, but it was destroyed by fire, an earthquake and a hurricane, and rebuilt three times, the last time in 1869.
St. George’s Anglican Church is almost at the point of equidistance from Basseterre to the northern tip of St. Kitts, going either west or east.
An example of the traditional architecture of Saint Kitts, featuring lattice-work balconies, stone construction, and wooden shutters
The rather humble offices of the Treasury of the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis.
A typical home in Basseterre
A (sadly) typical side street in Basseterre
Views of the Marriott St. Kitts Resort in Frigate Bay, where we are staying
Scenes from the “tail of the whale” - a.k.a the southern tip of St. Kitts
The brand spanking new “St. Kitts” sign, which was erected on Saturday! The sign is located at the start of the isthmus leading to the southern tip of the island.
If the island of St. Kitts is shaped like a whale, as we think it is, then today we explored the tail of the whale – the part circled in red.
One of the significant features of the “tail of Saint Kitts”, is the Great Salt Pond, the green body of water you can see above.
This isthmus connects the southern tail of the island to the rest of St. Kitts. The highest peak in the far distance is the volcano on the island of Nevis.
Part of the government’s grand scheme to develop the southern tip of the island included the construction of a super-yacht marina. Although there were a few fancy yachts moored there, there definitely were not signs of much super-yacht activity.
Cockleshell Bay Beach, a very low-brow hang-out for the locals of St. Kitts - especially on a Sunday afternoon.
The highest mountain you see above is Nevis Peak, the dormant volcano at the center of Nevis Island.
The beach was very quiet when we returned for a final dip of the day at 5 PM.
This large wooden ship is a key fixture just off the hotel's lobby. - nicely lit up at night!
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