We went on Christian's tour from our cruise ship, and great fun it was, too. We met up with The Man at the moorings in St Kitts and marvelled... read more at his technicolour beard, hair and clothing - no mystery as to "Tangerine Tours" then. Boarded his truck, and away with a group of about 10.
The commentary was very good and informative. Basse-Terre is the most "old English Colonial" of the towns we saw, with the jail and courthouse and administrative buildings still in use today for their intended purposes.
Plenty of building going on; a new hospital is being built in the town outskirts and the whole thing is being built and paid for by the Chinese, using imported Chinese labour. Living proof that aid is welcome in poorer places if you don't wrap up the aid in political "terms and conditions" (are you listening, European Union?). I'm sure the Chinese will be back in the future to, ah, leverage their influence.
Lots of schoolchildren seen, all immaculate in uniform and just being happy..... Christian told us that schooling is mandatory, uniforms are mandatory, and the literacy rate is 98% - sounds like the UK of many years ago. Well done the Kitts government, and not so well done, perhaps, the UK.
St Kitts has lots of farming grassland on its coastal plain (the land rises steeply to dormant volcanoes in the island centre) because, presumably, the forests were cleared for sugar cane but when the last harvest took place in 2005, the cane was taken out and grass planed. Great for the cattle, sheep and goats we saw.
Called in at Romney Manor to see batik production, which I found unexpectedly interesting. Been kicking myself that I didn't buy an outrageously-brilliantly coloured shirt ever since. If you go there, don't chicken out like I did. Buy one! Great for photographs, too, and attractive gardens.
A mid-tour stop for loos and a drink was when Christian produced the icebox from the back of the truck and offered complimentary rum punches (the boss had one and pronounced it the best she'd had), beer, soft drinks and water. Great stuff!
As the tour reached its end another bit of colonial history relating to the land at the south end of the island was uncovered by Christian. The landowner / plantation owning family across several generations apparently refused access to everyone except his business contacts and pals (I'm generalising, probably) and eventually the government somehow persuaded the family to sell the land for $150,000 - which is all very well, but sounds a bit like typical government theft with menaces to this liberally-inclined individual. However, the development of the land since can't be denied with large international hotel chains, good roads, a marina and various other enterprises. Still don't believe two wrongs make a right, but perhaps some good is coming from a sordid past.
Great tour. Great tour guide. Do the tour. That is all. 🙂
