With the storm now gone, life is getting back to normal around St. Kitts.  There is a bit of repairs to be done due to flooding, minor landslides and some leaks, but nothing too major.  It isn’t even really a conversation piece around here.  The major news that occurred over the weekend was the 4 young men who were killed instantly in a single vehicle car crash on the main road.  Apparently there was decapitation and missing body parts.  Horrible, but I can’t say it’s surprising considering the speed at which people here drive on the narrow, twisty roads and the fact that no one wears seat belts.   

What is more shocking to me is that there were two shootings on the weekend and they barely received any news coverage.  This is a country of only 40, 000 people, where the headlining piece of last night’s news was the name change of a local high school, you would think two shootings would cause at list a little stir.  But, in doing research, I discovered that the Caribbean region has the highest rate of armed violence, murder and homicide in the world.  Of course this is largely thanks to Jamaica’s ridiculous statistics, but St. Kitts contributes with 40 murders per 100, 000 people.  In comparison, Canada has 1.7.  Last year there was something like 25 people murdered.  Imagine a Canadian town of 40, 000 people...now imagine 25 of them being murdered.  That is simply crazy.  Most of it is gang related and all of it is blamed on America’s “bling” culture and a lack of religion in young people.  They have actually reinstated death by hanging as a deterrent. 

On a positive note, I discovered a secret path down to the coastline near my house!  It’s a rocky coastline without any potential swimming area, but at least it’s a place I can go to take a walk and watch the sunset.  I did voyage out to a couple beaches this past weekend and they were beautiful.  One is lined with laid-back beach bars and is known, appropriately, as “The Strip”.  It must be insane during the high season!  I will be sure to let you know ;)