St. Vincent and the Grenadines

22-Jun-2012 • Kingstown St. Vincent & Deps.

It was a Sunday when we arrived in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Given the day it was, everything was closed when we visited the capital of Kingstown. Nevertheless, we were able to tour the city, and we found the people very kind and friendly. Many of the locals who saw us advised us where to go and even pointed us towards the direction to take. There was even a lady with her teenage son on their way to church who thanked us for visiting her country and all this she did by shouting from across the street so we could hear her. That made me smile and feel really good.

Prior to our departure for the cruise, I feverishly checked out websites and reviews about the island. I wanted to know the sights to see and worthy of a visit. Armed with my several page guide which I downloaded from the internet back home besides our Frommers book, Marc and I set foot on our walking tour of the city from the dock where the Grand Princess was.

There was a nice sign welcoming visitors to St. Vincent and the Grenadines

upon disembarkment from the ship

The Cruise Ship Terminal of Kingstown

At the Cruise Ship Terminal

An exhibit at the Cruise Terminal

This canon was part of a shipwreck in Kingstown Harbor.

It is a French 12 pounder made last 1776 in the Foundry of Ruelle.

The Administration Building on Bay Street West in downtown Kingston

The Central Police Station along Bay Street West

Another view of the Central Police Station along Bay Street West

This was a memorial dedicated to the sons of St. Vincent and the Grenadines who died in the first World War serving England in front of the modern new market also along Bay Street West.

The steeple of the Methodist Church along Bay Street West

The wooden tower in the middle of an old meat and fish market along Bay Street West

Views of the St. George's Anglican Cathedral of Kingston

A view of the altar Inside St. George's Anglican Cathedral

A priest welcomed Marc and me to the cathedral. We exchanged pleasantries briefly and then he left us alone to explore the premises.

The ornate chandelier of the cathedral

The pulpit of the cathedral

The main entrance to the cathedral, the chandelier, the pews,

and the quintessential organ on the balcony

The stained glass windows of the cathedral

This stained glass window with an angel in a red dress was destined for a church in England.

Queen Victoria disliked it so much though, and it was given to this church in St. Vincent instead.

Inside St. George's Anglican Cathedral with the stained glass windows with the angel in the red dress

in the background

The bible verse from St.Matthew, Chapter 6 in marble

An egrette walking on the grounds of St. George's Anglican Cathedral

Marc and I saw of lot of egrettes in the Caribbean. They were very beautiful birds.

Across the street from St. George's Anglican Cathedral was the St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church.

The Roman Catholic Church had a pretty impressive facade.

Since it was a Sunday, Marc and I went inside the Roman Catholic Church and prayed a little bit.

I just had to give thanks for the blessings and the opportunity to visit the Caribbean once again

and explore more of its islands.

Kingstown is a city known for its arches. Reason being buildings everywhere have arches.

Here I am walking through some of the arches.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is also know for its stamps.

Unfortunately, the post office in Kingstown was closed,

and we couldn't see nor buy any to add to my collection.

Taken in front of the main post office in Kingstown

The Court House right behind the new modern market building

One of the banks in the island

Although now an independent island nation, St. Vincent is still very British and it can be seen on the architecture of the buildings, the names of the streets, the names of companies, etc.

The Old Carnegie Library restored by the Alliance Francaise

A slogan painted on a government building

The Adventist Church on James Street originally built by the Scotch Presbyterians in the 1700s.

This building is called the new market. The first floor sells fresh produce, the second dry goods, the third boutiques, and the fourth fastfood.

Kingstown's Chinatown

The movie theater

One of the deserted streets of Kingstown on a Sunday

Very light traffic in the streets of Kingstown on Sunday

Per our map the Botanical Gardens was walking distance from the city center and that's exactly what we did. Given the heat and humidity though, I wouldn't it walk a second time.

One word of advice to people who wish to visit this beautiful garden independently. Be careful. Join a tour instead should you wish to see it and not be hassled by some scrupoulous people. There were some men who were dressed in uniforms and acted as if they were the official guides and overseers of the park. One man tried to charge us $4 each upon entry. We told him we knew that there was no admission to the park to which he answered he was just asking for a donation.

Going back to the cruise ship terminal after a full day of sightseeing in Kingstown

Marc and I met some really friendly and kind people in Kingstown. They were eager to give directions and welcomed us very warmly by their smiles and waves. Right before we entered the Cruise Ship Terminal, we saw some passengers from our ship who apparently took an unofficial cab to do some sightseeing and were having an argument with the cab driver over the fare. Do avail of the official cabbies at the port and don't just go inside any cab. The official ones are very easy to spot. Decide on a fare before setting out to avoid any misunderstandings. One couple from Vancouver, Canada we had dinner with did some sightseeing themselves by hiring one of the official cab drivers and had a perfectly wonderful time.

There was a map by the exit of the Cruise Ship Terminal and it listed all the sights of Kingstown. We were quite happy to note that we saw 90% of them without having to join any tour from Princess this time around.