May 26th, 2003.

We took a County Cab to St. Louis airport, and I wrote ‘thank you’ cards sitting at the gate and ran to the mail box just before boarding started!

More than twelve hours later, Donald along with his girlfriend collected us at St. Lucia International airport, a small building housing immigration, baggage collection & customs in the same room. While waiting for our bags, we were mistaken for a “Sandals” couple; this we denied vehemently! Sandals is an all-inclusive resort where the guests seem to be quarantined and rarely experience the reality of the place they are visiting.

We spent our first exhausted, hot night at Villa Zandoli on a small double bed under a mosquito net, as wires had got crossed about booking a room with a/c for us and the shower didn’t work in the morning. We had arrived at the end of a long dry spell, just before hurrican season. One of the housekeepers hadn't had water at her home for three weeks. As we were to discover in the next couple of days, lack of water (Anse Chastanet) and power (Ladera, where we went to have a cocktail and live the high life:) effects the exclusive resorts as well!