Adventures on the volcanic island in the Caribbean
- a visit to Montserrat in the summer of 1998
By Henrik Karl Nielsen, Copenhagen
Adventures on the volcanic island in the Caribbean
- a visit to Montserrat in the summer of 1998
By Henrik Karl Nielsen, Copenhagen
The volcanic "Emerald Isle" of the Caribbean
Although the Caribbean islands are the target, anually, of numbers of European tourists, the island of Montserrat may not be among those recommended by the travel agencies lately. Though Montserrat is often referred to as the "Emerald Isle" it may not attract the type of tourists who are drawn by extraordinary, white-sand beaches such as those found on the neighbouring Antigua. Yet the British Crown Colony of Montserrat offers unique experiences for tourists, who wish to spend their summer vacation with more and other items than water sport.
Montserrat was practically unknown to many Europeans before the volcano Soufriere Hills began its eruption on 18 July 1995. But its sudden volcanic activity and the devastation it caused, placed Montserrat on the world wide television news. Ironically, the volcanic crisis with its dramatic tragedies spread information about Montserrat far outside the Caribbean, but naturally did not contribute to an increase in the number of tourists visiting the island! The irresponsibly exaggerated news last year in the European media that the entire island was about to explode may well have kept most people at a very safe distance! Fortunately the cyber technology of the Internet easily and speedily enables anybody around the world to get reliable and current information about Montserrat and the volcanic activity at Soufriere Hills.
This presentation intends to verify that an extremely unique and extraordinary experience is indeed available for today's traveller to Montserrat! Wherever appropriate I will include cyberlinks to relevant Montserrat web sites in order to facilitate the flow of information about the island. Suggestions of new sites to be included are encouraged. Please forward links, if any, by e mail to mail@hknielsen.com.
Brief history of Montserrat
I do not intend at this point to go into any great detail regarding the history of Montserrat. Anyone planning a visit to the island, however, would find a little homework on the subject both interesting and rewarding, as it will greatly enrich your visit. The books available for study are few. I particularly recommend the excellent study by Dr. Howard A. Fergus, Montserrat, History of a Caribbean Colony, which was published in 1994 by The Macmillan Press Ltd in London and Basingstoke. Do remenber to study a map carefully in order to facilitate your stay and increase its value.
Planning your holiday on Montserrat
Probably the most difficult thing about planning a trip to Montserrat these days will be the identification and booking of accommodation. The hotels on the island were all located in or fairly near the capital city of Plymouth. This area is still evacuated due to the volcanic risks from Soufriere Hills. With adequate service available from the Internet, the question of how to reach Montserrat is easily answered. Both helicopter and ferry transport are available from Antigua.
Arriving at Montserrat
The ferry from St John's, Antigua arrives at the newly erected pier at Little Bay in Northern Montserrat.
If you choose to go by helicoper you will arrive at the temporarily erected heliport in Geralds Park, North Montserrat. The Blackbourne Airport on the east cost of the island near the former village of Trant's has been damaged severely by pyroclastic flows from Soufriere Hills and is presently located in the danger zone. Remember to arrange the transportation from Little Bay to your place of residence at Montserrat with your local host in advance. It is, however, not difficult to get a ride on a private basis or with a local taxi or minibus.
How to explore Montserrat
The most recent events from the volcano can be explored on the home page of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory. As you will notice, it is merely the northern part of the island which is officially accessible. The northern zone extends from Salem in the central north-west to St. John's in the north, encompassing inter alia the villages and/or areas of Olveston, Woodlands, St. Peter's and Cudjoehead, Banks, Brades, Davy Hill, Baker Hill, Cavalla Hill, and Sweeney's.
Exploring the danger zone
The best and indeed safest way to explore the volcanic activities on Montserrat is a boat ride around the island. It can be done in three hours, but is absolutely an unforgettable, lifetime experience! From the sea, just west of what was Montserrat's only real town, Plymouth, you see an unbelievable sight. A memory of a beloved town, half-buried by the ravages of pyroclastic flows. Further south, on the western side of the island, there is only a vast slope of sand and ash to the sea, where villages dotted with homes, shops and activities were once flourishing! Around to the East, off the coast of Tar River, the the seaside offers an excellent view of the steaming craters and towering dome of the Soufriere Hills, plus a panorama of similar devastation of the villages in the east, up to and including the airport terminal.
The extreme powers of nature are obvious and evident. Great quantities of material from pyroclastic flows have formed new beaches. On their way down, the flows wiped out quite a few villages, including Bethel, and Trant's, Farms, and Spanish Point, and others. The Bethel Methodist Church was destroyed by pyroclastic flows in 1997. Subsequent flows have wiped the remaining ruins completely out.
Hiking into the pyroclastic deposits
Though still located in the official danger zone, the eastern part of the island from Trant's Estate to Tar River may now be outside immediate danger since the dome collapse in July 1998. The situation may, of course, change in a moment, in the event of future heightened volcanic activity.
The destruction by the pyroclastic flows ends a few yards from the impressive ruins of the Trant's Estate. The ruins comprise one of the characteristic sugar mills, which are found all over the Caribbean islands. Surprisingly well preserved are the boiling house and the smokestack. In the ruins you will still find machinery from the active days of the estate.
The Amerindian exscavations just behind the estate are only partly covered with pyroclastic deposits and may still be of scientific value, as soon as the situation returns to normal. In the summer of 1998 it was still very easy to find pieces of pre-colombian pottery in the soil.
The pyroclastic flows, however, have completely devastated the Blackbourne Airport nearby. Whereas the air strip appears almost intact, the rest of the airport facilities is today nothing but ruins. When you have experienced the atmosphere at smaller airports at the neighbouring islands such as Antigua or Barbados you may well imagine the life around the airport before 1995, which is a sad contrast to the the damaged luggage cars and melted bottles in the former bar, now partly covered with pyroclastic deposits.
It is hard to imagine the former view of the landscape between the Airport and the Soufriere Hills when you see the destroyed airport buildings today. A walk in the pyroclastic deposits will reveal very little about the former village of Trant's. Even the solid buildings at the Farm Estate have had to collapse under the enormous powers of nature. When you get closer, you can see the foundations of the former suger mills comprising both a wind mill and a cattle mill.
Besides the unbelievable layer of volcanic dust, which covers your body immediately when you explore the locations covered by pyroclastic deposits, you will almost certainly pick up some pieces of pumice stone to bring home with you. You will find perhaps two souvenir shops on Montserrat belonging to Mr. Kevin West and to Mrs.Carol Osborne. You will, therefore, appreciate the number of natural volcanic souvenirs available.
Outside the danger zone
Having studied the immense destruction caused by Soufriere Hills Volcano you could expect that the safe part of the island was marked with a somewhat depressed mood. Surprisingly, this does not appear to be the case! Out of its total population of around 11,000 inhabitants only around 3,500 have remained on the island. What strikes you as a tourist here is not only the extremely easy and relaxed atmosphere, but also the helpful and friendly openness of the local folks. This might, of course, be due to the general lack of tourism lately, but also seems to suggest that Montserrat avoids the artificial atmospheres we find on islands such as Antigua, where every beach offers a handful of water scooters or scuba diving equipment for rent, conch shells for sale, etc.
It might also be mentioned at this point that though much of the ravaged south appears colourless and windswept, the northern part of the island is green and lush, with rivers, mountain forests, and sparkling, salt and pepper beaches of volcanic sand. The contrast is striking! That two such different worlds should be contained within the same seven by eleven mile area is unbelievable! The combination of the natural volcanic attractions from Soufriere Hills on the southern part of the island and the ultimate relaxation on the friendly, safe, northern part of the island makes Montserrat an ideal target for tourists seeking both experience and relaxation from their holiday.
Useful Montserrat links:
