Montserrat

Just back from Montserrat (that’s the Caribbean island where the volcano has been active since 1995) such a beautiful and amazing place.

We met loving friendly people who are choosing to stay on their island, in spite of the difficulties, to rebuild their homes and their country. The place is bustling with activity in the north where new houses and even a new town are being constructed to replace the areas destroyed by the volcano.

I have been traveling in the Caribbean for over 20 years and have never been anywhere where the people are so in love with their island. Other places have pride and joy in their culture and their homes but in Montserrat there is a powerful sense of gratitude and a love that surpasses anything I have experienced anywhere else.

So many people left after their homes were destroyed. But the ones who stayed have such a wonderful attitude about the rebuilding and the land itself. They showed us the areas of destruction and photos of the way things were before the time of crisis with an attitude of quiet pride and gratitude that they have survived the destruction and are rebuilding.

It may not be your typical Caribbean vacation but it was one of the best I’ve ever had. Between the ease of finding everything and the friendliness of the people it was the getaway to paradise of my dreams. There are lots of villas available for rent at very reasonable rates, some guest houses and a hotel. The beaches are virtually deserted most weekdays so you feel like you are alone in the world. There are hiking and diving tours available and of course the tours so you will know your way around.

I sat on a rock on the beach where the Belham Valley meets the sea. The valley including a golf course and a number of beautiful homes are buried under 30 feet of mud and ash. I was powerfully moved by the strength of the island formed over hundreds of thousands of years with the sea bathing the shores like a mother soothing a child’s feverish body. Amazingly, it felt so serene and soothing in spite of the chaos and destruction.

As the sea washed in and out moving little pieces of shell and rock I realized how transient everything is in our lives. We mighty humans build and create such wonderful structures but we put way too much importance on the things. We are a part of an amazing whole. We are one with all that is. We are the created and the creator. We have value as living the experiences of life. Our greatest gifts are based in love and gratitude. We are not better or worse, higher or lower, more or less important than anything or anyone else. Each of us is a unique creation, an aspect of the universal God/Love existence. Time and nature moves all physical reality but the spirit remains.

We found our old friend Shaka Black resting at home in Montserrat, getting ready to tour some more. There will be more about that later. Check back and see what else we discovered in our travels.