Day 2 - Vieux Fort & Castries

Day 2 (December 2nd) Had a great night’s sleep! I was exhausted from traveling. We got up early and were taken to the St. Jude’s hospital in Vieux Fort. George Lee was our driver – he is great man; such wonderful people here. The hospital is currently located in a stadium; a portion of the hospital burnt down 4 years ago and the rebuilding is still under way due to financial issues. There are hopes to move back to the original hospital soon as the stadium will need to be used again in 2017. The hospital has done a wonderful job with the relocation; they have utilized what was available very efficiently. We toured the hospital and met many of its employees. We spoke with the Assistant Nursing Director and the Nutritionist. After the tour, George Lee drove us into Vieux Fort – we drove past the ocean and some schools (government owned). We went to a restaurant and sat on the patio overlooking the ocean. The view was GORGEOUS. We had fish fingers and garlic cheese bread for an appetizer; fresh grapefruit juice to drink. Delicious! So sweet, not bitter. I had the grilled Mahi Mahi, tossed salad (tomatoes, cucumbers & cabbage), mashed potatoes, and pasta salad. So, so, so good! After lunch, we headed back to our hotel (the guest house for the hospital) and packed the van for Castries, about an hour and a half drive. Our luggage is out of control and barely fit in the van. On our way to Castries, Cuthy stopped at Mandele Lookout. The view was fantastic. It overlooked the city of Dennery; beautiful coastline – colorful houses and a huge church! I took lots of pictures. Our house in Castries in amazing! Huge, yellow, and Amelia and I have our own deck! We were pretty excited. After arriving, we headed to a grocery store to buy food. Amelia and I made noodles and red sauce with corn for dinner. We bought rum from Saint Lucia – it’s a little strong! Tonight we are just hanging out in the room (unpacking, blogging, Skyping, etc.) Tomorrow we are going to the Health Ministry to meet with Lisa Hunt, she with be my co-capstone coordinator along with Dr. Hansen. Our internet is sketchy – coming in and out – hopefully I can upload these posts. Things to know about Saint Lucia: • People tie up there cows, horses, and goats wherever there is grass and let them feed • The exchange rate is $1 US to $2.67 Eastern Caribbean Currency • The ladies wear killer heels! Impressed with their shoe game.