Between the unusually frequent
trips and the parties to celebrate our wedding (did I mention I got married
late last year?) in 3 different countries on 3 different continents, I haven’t really
been able to sit down and unwind until now. No trips planned for the near
future. It’s actually quite a bizarre feeling.
However, since perhaps December
last year, we’ve been fighting with a very temperamental Internet connection
that finally decided it couldn’t live with us anymore and just ditched us.
RUDE! What’s a blog without Internet access? A big fat nada. And I deeply
apologize for the seemingly endless silence. I promise I am trying to catch up
on some very delayed posts. But when I think that I haven’t finished blogging
about Nepal and that was the first trip this year – in February!! – it kinda makes me want to cry!
But enough with the whining and
moaning! When I was in Florida last month, I got a wonderful email from Stacy
asking about the lack of content on the Caribbean area. Yes, there is a
surprising lack of information about that area, and all of Latin America…
I think it’s time to make a
confession, I have never been to the Caribbean, nor have I set foot on the
South American continent. And until 5 years ago I had never been to the USA.
There! I said it! It’s funny to think that I have been to so many places around
the world, but there’s this whole side of the map that’s still in the dark,
like I’m stuck in the 1400s and the American continent wasn’t even on the map.
It’s not for lack of interest,
just practicality and life. I did have a trip to Brazil in the works way back
in the day, but that fell through the day before I was supposed to leave… And I
have actually been to Cuba and that quick stint to Chichen Itza. And I did live
in Canada for a year... But that’s about it. Ok, no more rambling. The point of
Stacy’s email was to ask about a Packing Guide for St Lucia where she will be
going next month.
INSPIRATION
As I said, I have never been to
the Caribbean, but when I looked up pictures of St. Lucia, I was greeted with
picture after picture of beaches and mountains (which I found out to be the
Pitons and Soufriere Bay), I also looked up pictures of their traditional
clothes and the markets of Castries. The vibrancy of colors really struck me so
I decided to go with some bold yellows and orangey-reds and a more toned down
turquoise-teal color on a base of white to mitigate the other 2 primary colors.
WEATHER
The second half of the year is
pretty much considered the rainy season in St. Lucia, which doesn’t stop it
from being nice and hot so the combination will create a pretty humid
atmosphere. For that reason, it’s best to pack light cottons and wools. These
fabrics will let your skin breath and will also dry the fastest if they do get
wet making them great options for beach cover-ups.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
Indeed the beaches are truly
stunning and I have no doubts that they are where people spend most of their
time. If beaching is one of your main planned activities, then bring 3-4
bikinis, as you will be spending most of your time in them. I find it utterly
miserable to change into a wet bikini, so give yourself the option of putting
something dry on. You may even find that you spend the whole day in them, so
they effectively replace your undergarments. In fact, a colorful bikini top is
more effective under a slightly sheer top than a regular bra. Make sure to pack
bikinis that can be mixed and matched and that go with your general color
scheme so you can also incorporate them into your daily outfits.
A bright kaftan, a sundress or
romper make great beach cover-up options as do large summer scarves. I’m a big
fan of scarves as they are such versatile items (I’ve said this many times):
they can be worn as dresses at the beach, as turbans to protect your hair and
face from the sun or rain, as cardigans if visiting religious sites and of
course they can be the finishing touch to complete any outfit. As I selected a
lot of patterned items and plain white items, it’s good to bring one patterned
scarf and one plain one so you’ll always have an option.
In terms of separates, I stuck
to mainly patterned bottoms and plain tops to facilitate the mixing and
matching. Bringing patterned tops and bottoms will generally limit your options
(there are of course some exceptions to this – stripes, spots, leopard and camo
can act as neutrals). Try to bring things that are easy to throw on and
comfortable for both the beach and walking around markets and eventually
walking around the beautiful nature. Pack a light blouse which you can slip on
over any outfit for any cooler evenings.
In terms of shoes, a pair of
closed flats, flat sandals and wedges should cover any situation that may
arise. As it is the rainy season, make sure at least one of those pairs is
waterproof and/or easy to clean. Wedges are an easy option, which can dress up
any outfit, without losing practicality and comfort necessary when traveling,
especially at the beach.
On the topic of rain, pack a
light jacket for those rainy days as well as a fedora that can protect you both
from the sun and sudden rain, and bring a light, folding umbrella.
Throw in a couple of fun,
colorful accessories, and you’re all set! Have a great time!
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