Wednesday 4 July 2007

So much to Write. No time!

Lovely view of climbing vine in Flamboyant tree (or Poinciana as it is known here).
This is the fountain at one of the charming hotels located in Basseterre's beautiful hillside suburbs.

Here is Cleaver, our rainforest tourguide who could not have been nicer. He is nestled here in the roots of one of the massive buttress trees that form the rainforest landscape. In a fascinating ecosystem, these roots anchor the earth and prevent erosion of the soil at the side of the riverbank.The petroglyphs of St Kitts are some of the best preserved of the region. They were carved into the rock faces by a people who probably thought that they had all the time in the world. This desire to communicate through art is still one of the most distinguishing features of human beings and is what truly brings us together. I wondered if this image was created by an errant teenager (or is that a 20th century invention?) or was the artist well respected throughout the region? The red paint has been added recently and, to the purist, may be seen as a mistake. The paint will fade but the etchings are here for as long as the rocks stand.

Needless to say, I have been hectic. St Kitts has been interesting on so many levels. I had no idea that this was the Crown Jewel of colonies for the British Empire and, as such, is very rich in historical data. The gravestones and churches alone are a treasure trove.I will post more later on all of this but we are off this morning to an island tour of Nevis. I'm posting some photos from my rainforest hike yesterday which was really interesting.

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