Saint Kitts 2000

1: I'm heading to St. Kitts by ferry from Nevis. The southeast peninsula comes first. It is wild and unspoiled, but much of it is now being developed in an upscale way. See Christophe Harbour.

2: Basseterre is now coming into view.

3: The Bayembi Cafe (on the south side of Bank Street) is where the island bicyclists hung out back in 2000. It now no longer exists.

4: Independence Square.

5: In Independence Square a ground lizard was running around.

6: A view of the sourthern part of the island, with Nevis behind. Taken from Fisherman's Wharf.

7: A view of Basseterre. Also from Fisherman's Wharf.

8: I continue up the West side. A lot of vultures hanging out together.

9: The sugarcane train. The island still had a narrow gauge sugarcane train that went around the island, delivering cane to the sugar plant. Since my visit it has been turned into a tourist train: St. Kitts Scenic Railway.

10: A coastline view, looking southeast. Nevis in the distance. That is [probably??] Palmetto Point sticking out in the middle.

11: A coastline view, looking northwest. Brimstone Hill is to the left.

12: St. Thomas Anglican Church in Middle Island. Still in use today. The roof was damaged by hurricanes in the second half of the 1990's. The roof has since been repaired (but not the belfry). The steeple/belfry was damaged by an earthquake some years ago (1974 possibly). Hurricanes have also done some damage to what remains of the belfry. The small white shed in front of the bottom right corner of the church building is the tomb of Sir Thomas Warner, the first English settler on the island. The tomb of the grandfather of Andrew Jackson (US president) is next to Sir Thomas Warner's tomb.

13: An old lime kiln at the foot of Brimstone Hill.

14: A view from Brimstone Fortress looking northwest. Sandy Point is the town in the picture center. The first island beyond is Statia. Past it is Saba.

15: Brimstone. A small panorama. The Magazine is front center.

16: Looking down at the Prince of Wales Bastion at Brimstone. This is what you get when you stitch two pictures that weren't taken with the intention to stitch them.

17: The entrance to the Citadel at Brimstone. From the West Place of Arms.

18: Looking southeast. Nevis in the distance. Taken from the Citadel.

19: The cannons lining the Citadel.

20: The Citadel at Brimstone.

21: A public water cistern. South of Brimstone.

22: Looking back at Brimstone Hill.

23: Godwins Estate sugar mill ruins.

24: Caribelle Batik factory. On the grounds of Romney Manor.

25: The formal gardens at Caribelle Batik.

26: The remains of the only aquaduct on St.Kitts. Part of the ruins of Wingfield Estate.

27: The ruins of Wingfield Estate. While taking this picture I lost my terry cloth hat. (Indispensible for keeping the sun off my bald spot.) When renting the bicycle they gave me a helmet. So I used it and put the hat under my belt. This day was the last time I wore a helmet in the Caribbean.

28: Not everybody has running water. Public baths for the ones that don't.

29: The Wingfield petroglyphs. The white paint is modern. It shouldn't be there.

30: A closeup of the Wingfield petroglyphs.

31: Springfield Cemetery. A public cemetery overlooking Basseterre. Used by all denominations. The building is an old chapel where funeral services were once held. Taking this picture is when I realized my hat was lost. So I backtracked until I found it.

32: The sugarcane train again. It doesn't go very fast. I could bike faster than it and take pictures of it coming many times.

33: The sugarcane train again. There is now a tourist train that runs on the sugar train tracks.

34: The sugarcane train again. A closeup. And that finished my daylight time.

35: The next morning I again biked up the West side. But first St. George's Anglican Church in Basseterre.

36: Approaching the ruins of Charles Fort, Cleverly Hill, Sandy Point. On the coast across from Brimstone. It was a military post from 1670 until it was abandoned in 1854. From 1890 until 1996 it was used as a Hansen Home (leper asylum).

37: The entrance to the ruins of Charles Fort.

38: Inside the ruins of Charles Fort.

39: Inside the ruins of Charles Fort.

40: Inside the ruins of Charles Fort.

41: Pump Bay. Brimstone Hill is behind. My rental bicycle makes its appearance.

42: Sugar mill ruins. Just north of Pump Bay. [name??]

43: Sugar mill ruins. Just north of Pump Bay.

44: Sugar mill ruins at Cranstoun's Estate.

45: [??] across from Cranstoun's Estate. [15 minutes after prior picture]

46: Rawlings Plantation Hotel & Restaurant [now closed].

47: A road view in the north.

48: The Golden Lemon Inn.

49: Sugar mill ruins along Atlantic side.

50: Looking at Mt. Liamuiga.

51: A small panorama of Sandy Bay.

52: A church along the Atlantic between Harris and Belle Vue.

53: Belle Vue is the point sticking out.

54: Sugar mill ruins. A little south of Belle Vue.

55: A church. [name??]

56: Sugar mill ruins in the Bourryeau Estate.

57: Sugar mill ruins in the Bourryeau Estate. Same ruins as the prior picture.

58: Sugar mill ruins in the Bourryeau Estate. This is also a working sugarcane farm.

59: A view along the east coast.

60: A fellow walking along the sugarcane train tracks.

61: A young fellow along the road runs down and poses for me.

62: Getting back to Basseterre.

63: A 180 degree panorama overlooking some homes, then past it is the Royal St. Kitts Golf Club. Taken from the Conaree Hills.

64: I ate breakfast this day at the Frigate Bay Resort. This picture, my first of the day, taken from my seat while waiting for the eggs to be cooked.

65: The salt pond at Frigate Bay.

66: A good panorama of the Royal St. Kitts Golf Course. This picture is old. The golf course is now jointly owned by the Government and Marriott and is being managed by Marriott. The whole course was completely redone.

67: North Frigate Bay. Looking south. The southeast peninsula and Nevis in the distance.

68: North Frigate Bay. Looking north. This is the Atlantic side.

69: Over on the Caribbean side is Frigate Bay Beach.

70: I hitchhiked out the southeast peninsula to Turtle Beach. Some boys and men in traditional costume entertained us for a while. This is known as Masquerades in St. Kitts. It was a rite of passage from boys to men in West Africa.

71: Three of the boys and men.

72: The boys and men entertaining again. Now seven of them.

73: The boys and men entertaining again.

74: Some were playing volleyball.

75: The Turtle Beach Bar & Grill. Now sold. It has been turned into the upscale The Beach House.

76: A view of the entire beach at Turtle Beach.

77: A vervet monkey (or green monkey).

78: A vervet or green monkey.

79: A view of Nevis.

80: A beach scene at Turtle Beach.

81: A pelican kept diving in for fish.

82: Maybe this time it got one.

83: A little tattoo on this woman.

84: My last day has arrived. An early morning street scene in Basseterre.

85: Another early morning street scene in Basseterre. Taken from the western end of Liverpool Row

86: The Seaview Guest House on Bay Road. I did not stay there, but would if I visited again.

87: Looking up Fort St at The Circus. The clocktower is in the middle.

88: Another early morning scene of Fort Street looking north. Taken from north side of Berkley Memorial (The Circus).

89: Chef's Place on Church St. I ate my meals on the front porch. It is no longer in business. (A fellow that helped with these captions has his office on the second floor.)

90: Another early morning street scene in Basseterre. Nevis is in the distance. The Eastern side of Shadwell bordering on the ghaut (watercourse).

91: Springfield Cemetery again.

92: The old Treasury Building. The St Christopher Heritage Society is in the process of establishing a substantial national museum here. [now established]