Trash Talk

Of course, not all here is a paradise.  After a storm, the gorgeous beaches morph into trash piles.  Those pesky water bottles of every shape size and color predominate.  Coconuts and almond tree leaves mix in with every kind of plastic you can imagine.  If you saw the documentary, Tapped, you know that this problem isn't going away and without intervention will only get worse.

The St. Lucians are well aware that 60% of the island revenue is from tourism, and there is immense incentive to keep the island clean and welcoming.  The government sends squadrons of workers out weekdays to rake and remove pile after pile of washed up waste.  Like California, the waterfront is available to everyone, and beachfront resorts are vigilant about maintaining their beach access.

Yet on a Sunday afternoon, you'll see entire families walk away and leave their picnics in place behind them.  Styrofoam plates, chicken bones and water bottles still set on the picnic table or scraped into a pile under tree.