I've now settled back home after spending ten days back in the UK. Those days back in London went by quite slowly and driving back from the airport, it didn't seem five minutes had passed since I'd left the island.
My shenanigans and pictures are now up. If you want to see them, click here and here
There were a couple of occasions during my mad shopping spree that took me by surprise. One of the shop attendants asked me if I was there on holiday and while I was waiting for a friend just off Bond Street, a woman from a charity came up to get names and addresses for some type of funding, once I said that I don't live here and that I live in St Lucia - she exclaimed that that is where she comes from and her mother lives in Canaries (which is about 45 minutes north from where I am). Both occasions definitely surprising!
I met up with one friend, who's got married and had a baby since the last time I saw her. She persuaded me to have a go at the bowling on the Wii (me not knowing what a Wii was and thinking that she's said Wee). I ended up in agony the next day from my shoulder aching (which had been aching anyway) and my hamstring aching, which meant I was walking funny....probably won't be doing that again in a long time! (I meant about the bowling on the Wii, not the walking funny bit!)
So, I come back to 30 degree C heat, all lovely and merry to see people here again asking how my trip went, then the water goes off - for 24 hours!!!! great! No bottled water in the house at all, and no "rushing around the fill up as many containers of whatever size" either.....oh and the icing on the cake - I have a cold!
:o)
Holiday 15 May 2008
Location : River Doree, St. Lucia
Only another 2 days to go until I'll be flying off over the Atlantic on holiday. I'm getting kinda excited about it all.
I think it's part of that feeling that you get before you jet off that you're getting away from the routine that you're used to day in day out. Going somewhere different that's a world away from what you know (oh, in this case, that couldn't be further from the truth!).
It's also going to be strange, not weird strange or funny strange, but a weird and funny strange. Okay, I'm wittering and not making much sense. But when you've been away from somewhere for a long time (in this case 2 years) and seeing places and streets and houses that you saw each and every day and just didn't take much notice of them and coming back those same places and streets and houses are going to be familiar, but not overly-familiar as they were before (they might not even be there). I think the ten days that I'm going to be in London, it's going to seem so weird and surreal being back.
| One thing i'm not looking forward to - the british weather - I just looked on the BBC Weather, and the temps over here in the Caribbean at the moment are 27C (we are now into the dry/hot season) and the temps in London are 19C.... Brrrrrr. Don't think i'm going to be needing my sunshades!! Now where's my scarf and gloves |  |
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Holiday 30 April 2008
Location : River Doree, St. Lucia
In as many days, we've had the electricity go off for half an hour or so each evening. Not exactly a good thing when you're working in the Bar, have customers enjoying the music and drinking their beer, then all of a sudden it goes completely dark and they are drinking by the light of a small torch!!
This morning, it looked as though the electricity company found out where the problem originated from and have now hopefully found the appropriate solution. Not exactly everyday that you see a couple of men about 20 feet up a telegraph pole!!
:o)
St Lucia 25 April 2008
Location : River Doree, St. Lucia
So there was me this morning, happily doing my business in Vieux Fort. Merrily driving home. Then about 2 miles from home, the traffic grinds to a complete standstill - very unheard of over here. I couldn't see what the holdup was, but inevitably it turned out that there'd been an accident and it would be a good few hours before the police cleared the road.
Now please don't get alarmed that this was a massive accident. The police always have to get involved in any type of accident over here - even if it's only a minor scrape - standard procedure. The police also have to talk to the drivers, take measurements of the cars, location and whatever police stuff that they have to do.
So, the driver in the car in front of me turned around to try a different route and she said that there had been an accident. I mentioned that I was trying to get to River Doree and she, very willingly and nicely said follow me. So I quickly turned the car around and dutifully followed her, wondering where I was going to end up and also what state the road was going to be in - just glad that I have a jeep!)
So we went through a couple of places that I know and ended up on this type of dirt track that looked as though it hadn't seen alot of traffic in years, alot of large(ish) potholes and four vehicles in our convoy. Eventually, we ended up back on the main road just two minutes down from my house. And I shouted out the window "Thanks" to her as well as she sped off up the hill and over the river.
Below are some pictures of being well and truly "off the beaten track".
:o)
St Lucia 22 April 2008
Location : River Doree, St. Lucia
This book is fantastic. A friend, who came out here to stay, recommended it to me. I eventually saw it in the main bookshop in Castries a few weeks ago. I read it with aplomb, not truly knowing what was going to happen or how it was going to be told.
But, it's about this guy who time-travels within the girl/woman's life from when she was 6, he was 36.
Sometimes the storyline is slow and not much happens, or everyday things happen. Then all of a sudden, the storyline changes slightly and the speed picks up and you think that you can't put it down until you find out what's going to happen.
:o)
Books Films & TV 20 April 2008
Location : River Doree, St. Lucia
I've just got my flights booked up.
Managed to arrange to stay with a friend.
Getting away from it - 10 whole days of rest and relaxation
Going to be going somewhere that's familiar, yet different to here.
Where is it I'm going you ask?.....back to lovely (!) London, England
I'm going to be visiting friends (that still remember who I am).
Seeing places that have changed so much since I was last there.
Do some serious (and i mean serious), heavy-duty shopping !!!
I'll be flying in at some ridiculous time in the morning on Saturday 3rd May - I just hope that the weather isn't going to be too cold. Better find where I put those jumpers!
Lottie's coming back....beware!!! Bwahahahahahaha
:o)
Holiday 19 April 2008
Location : River Doree, St. Lucia
We'll things seem to be going well at the bar. TOH and I went out on a couple of mornings to put up some flyers on telegraph poles in a 2 mile radius of the bar and they are still up and might have had the desired effect.
We've started doing food on a (borrowed) grill as well on Tuesday's and Saturday nights, which is going down well. 
We also had a visitor of a different kind, not sure whether he'd be a rum drinker or a lager drinker...but he was keen on the food...(but a different kind of food!) 
Plus, being at the bar, it's amazing watching the sunsets...so here's a couple of sunset pics.
:o)
The Bar 18 April 2008
Location : River Doree, St. Lucia
Well, we finally opened the bar last night and a good evening was had by all. Considering we didn't do that much marketing (just telling a handful of people that we knew) we had a good number of people come down.
The atmosphere in the bar is, how would I call it - unique - to other bars on the island. The music isn't loud that you can't hear yourself think nor hear, the ambience is soothing, and a number of people have said that it's a nice little hideaway to have a quiet drink, due to it being away from the main road.
At one point in the evening, when the bar was devoid of customers, I went back up to the house and brought down a cuppa tea for my mum and I, now that was the best drink I had all night!
This morning my feet ache like anything, and I need sleep (I had to get up early to feed the dog!)
After all that, I have to do it all again tonight..at least I've got Monday night off!
;o)
The Bar 29 March 2008
Location : River Doree, St. Lucia
Since I got my work permit through last week. Things have been hectic trying to get everything set up and ready to open the bar - the grand opening being THIS Friday (finally !!!)
I have been making way too many lists of things that I need to do, people to see, places to go.
Today was spent borrowing a friends truck to get the beers from the outlet (as they couldn't deliver it this week) and unloading it at the bar - a whole 30 crates (and they're not exactly light!!), doing a little bit of carpentry work and putting the drinks in the chillers ready to be cold enough for friday.
We've still got the hard liquor (the brandies, rums, whiskeys), the alcohol for the cocktails and some soft drinks being delivered today, although they haven't turned up as yet.
The bar also got a good thorough clean (and I mean a really good clean!!)as it hasn't been cleaned since December.
All that's left to do is a little bit of paperwork and a few last minute touches.
:o)
The Bar 26 March 2008
Location : River Doree, St. Lucia
I had Kira in the house for a while and she was happily playing, before falling asleep on the sofa...and she looks comfortable
I think she's got used to living the life of comfort and hopefully this will be the one exception and she won't think that this is normal
:oS
Animals 24 March 2008
Location : River Doree, St. Lucia