Market Friday in Saint. Lucia, the Lesser Antilles

almost 3 years ago (Edited)

Saint Lucia. She is just so incredibly beautiful. She sits in the Caribbean Sea, all 27 miles (43 km) and approximately 14 miles (23 km) wide of her. The capital is Castries, known for palm-lined Vigie Beach and port of call for many cruise lines. The island nation gained independence in 1979, but remains a member of the Commonwealth.

These are the Pitons Mountains, a major hike and attraction in Saint Lucia. They are located in the south of Saint Lucia near the towns of Soufriere and Choiseul, which are on the southwestern coast. They rise up with pride. It is about two hours, give or take a bit, I believe that was in its entirety. Nice view from there! Feel free to hike it, it's free! Welcome to #MarketFriday! We will find something that you can buy!

Today is #MarketFriday initiated by @dswigle (Denise, that's me!!) Join me as we share our markets across the globe. I always look forward to seeing what you send me! It is amazing to see the different markets and cultures of our friends here on Hive.

Saint Lucia has some of the prettiest beaches in the entire Caribbean, especially Anse Piton. Did I happen to mention that somewhere along the line, importing the fine grains of white sand from Guyana has probably helped it along the way? Is this cheating? The beaches in St. Lucia are open to the public for free!

Lucia - Poverty and wealth. There is little drastic poverty in St. Lucia, but there are clear differences between a wealthy minority, a comfortable middle class, and a poor lower class. With per capita income estimated at approximately US $8790 in 2020, the island is at times, one of the more prosperous in the Eastern Caribbean. This is largely due to the success of the banana industry during the 1980s and the early 1990s, and continues because of the tourism industry. Many rural villages in banana-growing areas have solid housing and expensive imported vehicles, signs of the banana industry's economic impact. But there are also many smaller farmers, some with as little as an acre or two, who have not shared in the benefits of the banana boom.source

In contrast, the wealthy minority in St. Lucia are situated in the plush residential developments to the north of Castries, around which many tourist resorts are to be found. Here, shopping malls, golf courses, and marinas testify to a luxurious lifestyle. Those who are richest in St. Lucia are white-collar professionals such as lawyers and doctors, local managers of foreign companies, and people connected with successful tourism ventures and private sector construction. Included in this employment sector are a large number of European and American expatriates (citizens who moved from their native country to live in St. Lucia). The island's middle class is composed of urban professionals and those involved in traditional retail, while in the countryside there are many owners of large farms who have made enough money to consider themselves middle class.

Primary education is free and compulsory, but poor families often find it hard to afford uniforms and school books for their children. Medical care is available throughout the island, but doctors charge for visits and prescriptions are expensive. Housing conditions vary enormously, from the luxury villas of the island's northern tip to the ramshackle villages of the eastern coast.source

This is where I stayed when I went to Saint Lucia. It is proper middle class, I rarely will stay in a resort... almost never. It has nothing to do with the affordability and everything to do with visiting a country that is not my own. How will you ever know the people, the culture, share anything with another human being? I haven't stayed at a resort since I was a teenager, maybe even 20. When I decided to see the real world, it wasn't at all like the travel brochures. So, I will never go back to the resorts, unless I am looking for that kind of pampering, but, I can do that back home. I feel like I am wasting time if I don't get out and glad-hand with the locals! How about YOU? Do you like to be pampered or do like to get out and see what it's like...or maybe even a mixture of both?

Major shopping here, in Castries, the capital. Very many local farmers, at the side of the road selling their produce, coconuts, whatever they have.

EC =The Eastern Caribbean dollar- the currency of all seven full members (and one associate member) of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States. How much is the food in Saint Lucia? I had to use the expatistan prices to get the 2021 prices, about as current as I could get. I imagine they are higher now than they were at that time. I thought they were quite high now, just thinking that they are probably even higher now. Yikes!

Basic lunchtime menu, drink included in the business district EC$50 ($18)
Combo meal in fast food restaurant (Big Mac Meal or similar) EC$25 ($9)
500 gr (1 lb.) boneless chicken breast EC$16 ($5.93)
1 liter (1 qt.) of whole milk EC$10 ($3.83)
12 eggs, large EC$9 ($3.51)
1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes EC$12 ($4.33)
500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese EC$31 ($12)
1 kg (2 lb.) of apples EC$23 ($8)
1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes EC$10 ($3.52)
0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket EC$3.00 ($1.11)
1 bottle of red table wine, good quality EC$40 ($15)
2 liters of coca-cola EC$4.92 ($1.82)
Bread for 2 people for 1 day EC$2.46 ($0.91)

In the front of your house, on the side of your street, any place that people will walk by. That is the best way to sell your market. In such a small island, you have to carve your niche early on or be left out.

I rented a car and no surprise, British rules, and cars. I am okay with that, but, I did spot a couple of Yankees on the road some days. :) The island is very tiny and the gap is wide between the have and have nots. However, unlike some places, I never felt out of place, no matter which side of the fence I was on. There was proper respect for each. I don't want to feel guilty if I have money and I don't want to be made feel out of place when I don't.

He made a comfortable living playing for the tourist who came to enjoy this scenic outlook. He was personable and interesting, giving history about the island and tips on what to see or avoid. He never asked for a penny, he just simply played and sang, enjoying the good life. People tipped him, some did not, but, he never said a word to guilt, anyone. Which was unusual.I have to wonder how he is surviving with the tourist trade gone.

Another overlook into a neighborhood on the beach. Oh, the rough life, yes? It is a mixed neighborhood, meaning the less than rich were here first and others moved in but did not edge out the others. I liked the equality here. You are not better than me because you have more money. It works nicely for them. It is called respect one another.

Please remember, when you get to traveling again and stay somewhere for longer than a day. Bathe yourself in the richness of the culture. You won't find it in a hotel or resort, but, you may find it at an airbnb. You want to know the real people and the real country? Get out of those places and you will find what is so magic about it!

Please leave the link to your post here so it can easily be found by others. It helps you and me to have them in one place. Where else can you take such a quick trip around the globe? Thank you so much for joining us!! ❤

And just like that, this post is done. I hope you had a good time and learned a little something new. As always, I want to thank you for taking the time to visit, and just remember, #MarketFriday loves you! Thank you for supporting the challenge! Have a most fabulous day! Cheers!!

As always, there must be flowers to color my world. #alwaysaflower

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Fridays are all about the #MarketFriday Challenge! Looking to take part in it? Here is how:

Rules of the Road to Join #MarketFriday!

Go to the market, or anywhere that you pay money for a service.
Take pictures! Be creative!
Tell us a little bit about the market or the event. What brought you there? What did you buy? How much did it cost? Was it expensive? Did it go up or down? IPictures are nice, but, we need words to go with them.
Post the pictures. Of course, you should tell a little bit about the ones you post, it is too difficult to guess on some
Use the MarketFriday Community Platform to post (#hive-196308) This is not required but appreciated.
PLEASE Drop the link into the MarketFriday comment section so I can find it!!
Following me and reblogging the post would be appreciated, but not a rule, more vision for more views on the #MarketFriday posts!
You must put #MarketFriday by @dswigle somewhere on your post.