It's a terrifying sound, rumbling through the darkness like thunder. Yet it's more physical than thunder -- almost metallic, like an automobile accident. It's very close and very loud, as if it's going to sweep over me and there is no escape.
The hotel employee dropping me off outside my cottage at Jalousie Hilton Resort is unfazed by the spine-chilling sound. "Those are rocks from the volcano," he explains after the rumble ceases. "It happens every day."
I couldn't see much when I arrived at the resort during a torrential downpour at dusk. But the next morning a fresh scar and newly broken trees are visible on the steep slope of Petit Piton, one of St. Lucia's signature landmark peaks, which towers over the resort. What I heard was indeed a rock slide, caused by the rain.
It was a memorable welcome to St. Lucia, a lush and rugged island of mountains carpeted with rain forests and valleys filled with banana plantations -- the bunches of bananas in blue plastic bags to protect them from birds, insects and the elements.
St. Lucia's natural beauty and friendly people most often are cited as the island's greatest attributes by both residents and visitors. It's a place where people say "no problem" and sell T-shirts that advise "live slow." Yet it is distinct from several other islands in the Caribbean.
St. Lucia is not yet overly developed or overly Americanized. It retains a sense of being a different country, which indeed it is. You may find yourself dining in the same restaurant as the island's prime minister, who may stop at your table to ask visitors how his country might improve its tourism.
Yet St. Lucia also is an island where many residents love American country & western music. You're more likely to hear C&W; blaring out of a neighborhood bar than calypso or reggae.
Most of the island's 170,000 inhabitants speak English, yet cities and other geographical features have French names.
St. Lucia gained its independence from Britain in 1979, although it remains a British commonwealth nation. People drive on the left. Sharp curves are called "hairpin bends" and detours are "diversions."
Visitors are encouraged to do more than restrict themselves to the artificial paradise of resorts along St. Lucia's many beautiful beaches. You are encouraged to explore the country and meet its people.
You can go souvenir shopping in a sprawling city market, hike into the rain forest, wander through a colonial-era British fort, bicycle through a jungle, admire tropical gardens at an old plantation, even stand above the steaming and bubbling remnant of a volcanic crater.
St. Lucia claims some of the Caribbean's best diving and snorkeling, with the reefs in Anse Chastanet and Anse Cochon especially popular.
With the Atlantic Ocean on the island's east side and the calmer Caribbean Sea on its west side, residents say traveling by water taxi often is faster than going by car.
Although St. Lucia is only about 27 miles long and up to 14 miles wide, its mountainous terrain means driving between cities takes an hour or two. Perhaps the most scenic drive is the winding West Coast Highway high above the Caribbean between Soufriere and Castries.
Driving here is an adventure. Some roads are in terrible shape. And many cars apparently spend eternity wherever they die. You may encounter dogs, chickens, goats, cows or horses on roads or grazing next to them. On Saturdays, you may see meat being sold off carcasses of freshly slaughtered steers hanging along roads.
Some people walk on roads with bunches of bananas, cardboard boxes or large bundles balanced on their heads. Some men carry machetes. Drivers give their horns a friendly toot to warn pedestrians and when approaching curves.
THE PITONS
The majestic Pitons, St. Lucia's best-known landmarks, are volcanic cones that never erupted. The fraternal twins rise out of the sea like a pair of ancient weathered fangs, creating world-class scenery along the southwest coast.
The more massive Gros Piton is 2,620 feet tall, about 160 feet higher than the steeper Petit Piton. Both can be climbed, although Petit is tougher. Greenery clings to the craggy peak wherever it can gain a foothold.
The Pitons are the inspiration for St. Lucia's flag and its beer, named Piton. They were in the movie "Superman II" and many TV commercials.
Standing between the Pitons on the beach of the Jalousie Hilton, Andrew Kay of Breinigsville declares: "This has to be one of the most beautiful spots in the world." He's vacationing on the island with his wife, Ione, and their three children.
SILVER BEACHES
Most hotels are on the Caribbean side of the island. The rugged Atlantic coast is much less developed. If I ever get back, I'd like to spend a day exploring that coast.
Some beaches have gritty "black sand" created by lava. Actually, it's gray, but some resorts refer to it as silver.
