A few months ago I was in the Caribbean island of St. Kitts, and due to a raucous Nomination Day our guide took us on the reverse route around the island. On the way we passed many of the ramshackle seaside dwellings typical of the Caribbean. Though these houses sometimes look like shacks, in reality they are carefully put together, and families live in them for generations, replacing parts over time. Others are solidly built from concrete but remain modest in size. So close to the sea - everyone on this island lives right on the edge of the ocean, as the middle of the island is an inaccessible volcano - I had to wonder what would happen in the case of a major hurricane. I can't imagine many here would fare well. But for now, it remains generally sunny on St. Kitts, and the houses are surrounded by flowers.
And as we rounded the north end of the island, the houses disappeared and the open stretches of the old sugar cane fields revealed a stunning view of the Dutch island of Saba. I swear, half the islands in the Caribbean look as if they are about to explode.
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