Kingstown Things to Do

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There is no better place for sweeping view of the bay that embraces Kingstown than the fort Charlotte’s promontory. And there is no coincidence that this strategic location was appreciated early enough to be exploited successfully by the British Navy. Nowadays, it is a wonderful backwater with bastions devoid of people except for the rare tourist (not applicable if cruise ship has docked in town). One can play soldiers or just enjoy the stunning view of the Kingstown bay plus a whole bunch of the Grenadines starting with the closest one – Bequia and on all the way to Grenada. One of the structures is turned into a miniature gallery with educational intent in mind; having the turbulent story of St. Vincent’s inhabitants told in paintings. Unwittingly, this collection can be compared to the Jesus’ story narrated on canvases in countless churches to reach the minds and hearts of the more or less illiterate populace (the casual amenity-pampered cruise ship tourist matches this definition perfectly). Modern times are live testament to the struggle between words and images and the triumphant victory of the latter. Afternoons are perfect for the picture enthusiast with the town in the right spot to reflect the mellowed sunrays.

the market is a real must see to me! Here it's placed in a cement building of three floors each of which is for specific selling: fruit at the ground floor, household and body care articles on the first floor and gifts & fancy goods and a hairdresser on the last floor.
and don't expect fancy goods, packed buns, canned stuff but commodities and you can find lots of that lovely tuber with a brown peel which they always serve with your meat or fish in restaurant and of which I couldn't catch the name...

over 200 metres (600 feet) on the bay there is Fort Charlotte which when I asked how to reach changed sex and became fort Charles but this was just the beginning ;-)... infact the most unusal was how I reached it... I'll bother you about this in the general tip...
I had read that in this fort were shot some scenes of the movie Pirates of the Carribean with Johnny Deep but I couldn't find any sign or indication telling this...
anyway the climbing to the fort was more than worth for me...

the entrance to Fort Charlotte is free and so is that to the old barracks turned into a museum now a little bit devoid of objects but a sign apologizes for work in progress and at least, in each barrack, you find modern paintings showing the history of Black Caribs...

going up to Fort Charlotte on foot you get nice views of the bay but above all you meet friendly people waving their hands to you for an hallo and asking were are you from: it's a normal wonderful habit here to greet new people and with my white skin I didn't mingle with the crowd very easily...

at the Botanic Garden you can see a descendent of the original breadfruit tree which captain Bligh brought to Carribean and not in the so famous passage of the mutiny on the Bounty but five years later on the HMS Providence...
and here, in my travelogue you can see among what else you can walk...
there is also an aviary but I'm a stubborn gal who doesn't like cages for animals so I didn't take any pics ;-)...

the entrance to the Botanic Gardens is free but you'll be for sure approached by a guide offering his knowledge of the park, it's up to you to get his offer or not only you must be very firm to convince him if you don't want...

on the way to the Botanic Gardens you meet the anglican cathedral of St. George, due to the colonial influence - St. Vincent was fought over for nearly a century by the French and the British till 1783 when it became a British settlement. Nowdays it's indipendent and part of the British Commowelth.