Microcosm

St. Lucia!  We spent the day driving along the southwest coast yesterday.  and we drove up the southeast coast before that.  We saw, from a distance, the hotel that has the honor of being the most expensive hotel on the island.  Your room comes with a private swimming pool and has one wall open to the sea.  $1500 per night. And we saw the house below.  When I took the picture I didn't realize that people lived in it.

While we were eating a delicious plate of rice, lentils, fish and macaroni and cheese, I saw a rail thin man come out with an empty plastic bottle in his hand.  He returned a short while later carrying the jug on his head.  Imagine what this man could do with $1500!

We see the new, the old, the wealthy, the poor, the happy, the sad, the entrepreneurs and the civil servants and the tourists and the locals.  At first it is easy to be critical and only see the differences from our own lives, and yet with reflection, we are coming to realize that this is just like home with all of its extremes and shades of grey inbetween.  We are so quick to judge.

On a lighter, brighter note, we have discovered that "our beach" (a short drive from the guest house) is the nicest beach we have seen so far!  We have clear blue water, calm waters, and a community of kite- and wind- surfers who lament the lack of wind and tell their stories while waiting for the winds to pick up.  The Reef restaurant supports us with smiles, asking how we are, and bringing food and Pitons (local beer).  It takes a special group of people to make so many transients feel at home.  I want to take a picture of them before we leave and hope that I can express how much we appreciate them.  Here is a picture of Jeff- you can see that he looks happy to be there!  How fortunate we are!

Blue skies!