A local's guide to St Lucia

Many times I come across tourist taking advantage of existing tours here. There is nothing wrong with that. It's just that they often miss out on some of the hidden gems that we have and worse yet, often overpay for an experience they could have enjoyed on their own. That being said, a visitor should always use their intelligence and common-sense. The use of reputable tour operators and taxi drivers will eliminate possible problems.

The thing is, St Lucia is an absolutely gorgeous island with hidden gems...well...hidden all over. The typical visitor doesn't get to experience half of them (for that matter the typical local hasn't experienced half of them). We have numerous waterfalls, beaches, rivers and parks/gardens that lend themselves to host amazing picnics or limes*. Most of these are already accessible via the regular tours. Some, due to their distance and 4WD only accessible roads can prove to be a problem to reach. Particularly if you are on a short stay-over.

Renting a vehicle can open up your options and provide an experience at your own pace but driving in St Lucia can be difficult and the challenge may take away from the enjoyment unless you have a true spirit of adventure. That being said hiring a taxi for the day is a good option, though it can prove to be expensive. Whichever route you choose, here my recommendations for "off the beaten track" locations you may enjoy:

1. Dennery Fish Festival - Every Saturday night, the lovely fishing village of Dennery, located on the western side of the island, hosts a fish festival. This festival follows the lead of the more well known Anse la Raye Fish Festival. The difference here is in money saved. Unfortunately the Anse La Raye Festival has become quite the tourist trap and as a result prices have skyrocketed. However, you can still get good deals on the same foods in Dennery. A tip though, befriend a local and get them to order for you if possible. I don't want to say the vendors will try to raise the price on a foreigner but locals get the better deals.

2. Anse La Voute - Also known as the five dollar beach it is located in the north of the island, near the Cas en Bas Beach, this beach has 4WD access and a toll of $5 EC for use of the path made on private property to access the beach. This beach is quiet, beautiful and full of charm. The water is not quite as calm as some of the other beaches but it remains calm enough to be enjoyable. Locals very rarely use this beach, only on long weekends really and I have never encountered foreigners there except those brought by locals.

3. Delmar Bar and Entertainment - Located in the quiet community of Quatre Chemin, Delmar Bar is a gem truly hidden away. This location provides drinks and eats, an inexpensively priced bar, games and a dance floor. Owned and operated by Janique Delmar, expect fantastic stories, good company and the perfect liming environment in a lovely suburban type setting. Karaoke is every Wednesday and Games Night is every Thursday.

4. Camping - Aside from the obvious safety precautions; having a large group, notifying local authorities and possibly getting a local's opinion on the ideal time and places to set up camp, the experience of falling asleep on a beach to the sound of waves and nothing but the night sky above you can hardly be surpassed. Saint Lucia offers many locations that can offer such an experience. It is an experience that locals and tourists alike should not miss out on.

5. Experiencing the country life - Many times locals and tourists alike get caught up in the northern lifestyle of Saint Lucia, ie: Rodney Bay, Gros Islet, etc... There is a lot to be said for the south of the island as well. They may follow a much slower pace but they know how to enjoy nature. The beaches, waterfalls, rivers, back yard cook outs... In the south a lot more imagination goes into their activities. Since less clubs exist people have learned to create their own entertainment and in this way often organise activities that lend itself to greater opportunities to get to know the people and the land around you.

6. SCUBA - and last but not least, Saint Lucia offers an abundance of beautiful dive sites. My words can never do them justice so grab your snorkels or scuba apparatus and get into the water asap...you won't regret it.





Much more exists but these 6 should get you started. Remember to walk the path less travelled and enjoy the sights few have seen.

Will you perceive the event that kills you?

When light strikes your eyes, it takes some hundreds of milliseconds before you become conscious of the event. As a consequence, you are always living in the past. This strange fact of our existence is well known is neuroscience, but there’s an interesting, under appreciated consequence: you may not ever become aware of the thing that kills you.

Cormac McCarthy addresses this point in his post-apocalyptic novel The Road, in a scene in which the main character has his pistol leveled on a miscreant. The malefactor challenges: “you won't shoot....they [my companions] will hear the shot.”

The protagonist replies, “Yes they will. But you won’t.”

“How do you figure that?”

“Because the bullet travels faster than sound. It will be in your brain before you can hear it. To hear it you will need a frontal lobe and things with names like colliculus and temporal gyrus and you won't have them anymore. They’ll just be soup.”

One way to appreciate the slowness of your perception is to compare it to the speed of mechanical devices. Take this incredible, sobering "anatomy of a crash," as described in an Australian magazine and echoed on Tom Vanderbilt’s blog. With fine-grained temporal resolution, it analyzes what happens when a stationary Ford Falcon XT sedan is struck in the driver’s door by another vehicle traveling at 50 kilometers per hour:

0 milliseconds - An external object touches the driver’s door.
1 ms - The car’s door pressure sensor detects a pressure wave.
2 ms - An acceleration sensor in the C-pillar behind the rear door also detects a crash event.
2.5 ms - A sensor in the car’s centre detects crash vibrations.
5 ms - Car’s crash computer checks for insignificant crash events, such as a shopping trolley impact or incidental contact. It is still working out the severity of the crash. Door intrusion structure begins to absorb energy.
6.5 ms - Door pressure sensor registers peak pressures.
7 ms - Crash computer confirms a serious crash and calculates its actions.
8 ms - Computer sends a “fire” signal to side airbag. Meanwhile, B-pillar begins to crumple inwards and energy begins to transfer into cross-car load path beneath the occupant.
8.5 ms - Side airbag system fires.
15 ms - Roof begins to absorb part of the impact. Airbag bursts through seat foam and begins to fill.
17 ms - Cross-car load path and structure under rear seat reach maximum load.
Airbag covers occupant’s chest and begins to push the shoulder away from impact zone.
20 ms - Door and B-pillar begin to push on front seat. Airbag begins to push occupant’s chest away from the impact.
27 ms - Impact velocity has halved from 50 km/h to 23.5 km/h. A “pusher block” in the seat moves occupant’s pelvis away from impact zone. Airbag starts controlled deflation.
30 ms - The Falcon has absorbed all crash energy. Airbag remains in place. For a brief moment, occupant experiences maximum force equal to 12 times the force of gravity.
45 ms - Occupant and airbag move together with deforming side structure.
50 ms - Crash computer unlocks car’s doors. Passenger safety cell begins to rebound, pushing doors away from occupant.
70 ms - Airbag continues to deflate. Occupant moves back towards middle of car.
Engineers classify crash as “complete”.
150-300 ms - Occupant becomes aware of collision.



The last line is the zinger. Early studies by Benjamin Libet suggest that the last line should perhaps read as high as 500 ms, although others, such as Daniel Dennett, have correctly pointed out that it is impossible to measure the moment of onset of conscious experience, so the exact timing will never be known.

Just as the explorer David Livingstone appreciated the biological kindness of stress-induced analgesia, there may an equivalent kindness in the slowness of perception.



Taken from: http://www.sentientdevelopments.com/2009/02/will-you-perceive-event-that-kills-you.html