Our 6½ hour sailing excursion booked on our cruise was canceled today. It was supposed to go to the island of Nevis.
We decided that you can’t really say that you have been to an island if you just see the port. For example, can you say that you have been to Michigan if you just land in Detroit? I don’t think so.
We decided to take a two-hour island tour. There are lots of willing tour guides offering a great experience.
Basseterre, a French name that means lowland, is the capital. The town was established in 1625. St. Kitts has only one “town”.
The Flamboyant Tree is the national tree AND national flower. The blooms come in many different colors but most often red-orange blossoms with large, fern-like leaves.
The population of St. Kitts is 38,000, and 12,000 people live on Nevis. Together they make up the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis which is the smallest country in the Americas by area (101 sq. miles) and population (50,000). They are a young country of 42 years having gained their independence in 1983.
Tourism is the main industry whereas it used to be sugar cane. Sugar cane isn’t grown any more because it is too expensive.
West Independence Square now functions as a park but used to be the site of slave auctions for the sugar plantations. Caribbean island populations are primarily made up of descendants of the slaves. And it is ironic that mostly Caucasians are getting off the cruise ships.
The Kalinago genocide in 1626, often referred to as the “Bloody Point Massacre,” was the killing of approximately 2,000 to 4,000 Kalinago (Island Carib) people by English and French settlers in St. Kitts.
A 17th-century sugar plantation and rum distillery on St. Kitts was owned by Samuel Jefferson, the great-great-great-grandfather of U.S. President Thomas Jefferson.
St. Kitts has a thriving monkey business. The green vervet monkey is prevalent. They were brought to the island as pets by the French.
When we arrived back aboard the Norwegian Sky, we participated in various ice breaker type games like Charades, Name That Movie, and Destination Trivia. I thought that we would clean up on the last game due to our extensive travel, but we only got about 9/16. Rob turned to me and said, “We need to travel more.”
My granddaughter is in kindergarten, and they are collecting postcards from around the USA or around the world. I sent one from here together with a fun fact.
Leave a Reply