Photos Martinique
February & March 2005
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| This is a view of
Martinique from the water. Right away we could see that the island was
affluent. Stocking up on fine cheeses, pâtés, and wine in air
conditioned comfort was a real treat!
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The beaches were well
taken care of. There were always available places for us to tie up the
dinghy to allow us to get to shore easily. We didn't have to pay a
couple of kids to 'look after our dinky' either!
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| This is the capital city,
Fort de France. It was bustling every day of the week except for
Sunday. On Sundays it was barren with every door and window secure
with bars and locks. We were told not to go out at night!
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This is a local market.
They sold some essentials, but also a lot of touristy items. Of
course, we bought a little of both. The prices here were much higher
than on the British islands.
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| The northern part of the
island is beautiful St. Pierre. The town, with 32000 people, was
totally wiped out in 1902 by the eruption of Mount Pele.
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St. Pierre from the water
at sundown. Abandoned from 1902 to 1922, the town now only has about
8000 people.
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| One of the main streets of
St. Pierre. Town hall is located at the back of the shot.
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This crew of fishermen
arrived with a couple of fresh sharks to sell at the market. After
they cleaned them on the beach all kinds of fish waste floated past our
boat. Not a great time to go for a swim!
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| After a long walk straight
up hill, I was able to take this picture of the town with Mount Pele in the background. Our boat is
first one beyond the dock.
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After the volcano erupted,
the headstones tell a story. Apparently the temperature went to ~600
Celsius almost instantly.
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| The museum had lots of
great information about the eruption, and many of the ruins had interpretive
plaques.
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Some pottery
partially melted into the surrounding rock and ash.
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| Solitary confinement.
Just the place you'd want to be in the event of a volcanic eruption! A
man inside actually survived the explosion by drinking water dripping down
the inside of the walls whenever it rained. He eventually was picked
up by the Barnham circus!
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A church bell: cracked,
twisted, and melted. Much of the population was at prayer in the
churches when the volcano blew.
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| Rum, rum, and more rum at
the Depaz distillery in St. Pierre. A big rum-producing area before
the eruption, but the quality is up now.
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Can you believe this tree is a rubber tree plant...the same kind we try to grow in our homes in Canada?! |
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| Apparently, if you catch a
chicken, you can eat it...fresh!
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Our favourite fruit, the
mango. Later on in the trip we were able to pick them off the trees
ourselves.
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"Finally, I know what to
order for lunch!"
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