20 years ago the British Colony of Montserrat was not unlike every other island in this part of the world, small and comfortable with around 20,000 inhabitants on it's 100 square km of land.
In the mid-90's things started to go pear-shaped for the island when, like a bear being poked whilst coming out of hibernation, the Soufriere Hills started to come alive and get really angry. This volcano had been dormant since before people had called this place home, however come July 1995, the place erupted and like a giant cattle-prod, left its burning scar right across the torso of the island.
In the mid-90's things started to go pear-shaped for the island when, like a bear being poked whilst coming out of hibernation, the Soufriere Hills started to come alive and get really angry. This volcano had been dormant since before people had called this place home, however come July 1995, the place erupted and like a giant cattle-prod, left its burning scar right across the torso of the island.
There have been a few smaller episodes since, the latest being in 2010, however the evidence of the initial eruption is still the most telling, and forever will be. Over 2/3 of the Montserrat is now an exclusion zone, and there is now less than 6,000 people calling it home. It's capital city, Plymouth, is no more with Brades taking over as de facto.
I have seen volcanic ruins before in Samoa and Pompeii, however there is a definite sense of realism that hits home when you see the aftermath of this one. An abandoned town, still covered in ash and boulders bigger than the buildings they have crushed. Cars still upturned in the streets and vagrant trees finally reclaiming the town. The rich smell of Sulphur still leaking out of the caldron and the overall view that this place is more like Mars than a tropical island in the Caribbean.
It was an amazing thing to see, but a very sombre one nonetheless.
I have seen volcanic ruins before in Samoa and Pompeii, however there is a definite sense of realism that hits home when you see the aftermath of this one. An abandoned town, still covered in ash and boulders bigger than the buildings they have crushed. Cars still upturned in the streets and vagrant trees finally reclaiming the town. The rich smell of Sulphur still leaking out of the caldron and the overall view that this place is more like Mars than a tropical island in the Caribbean.
It was an amazing thing to see, but a very sombre one nonetheless.
Ears: Monument Valley
 |
| April being safe. |
 |
| Our ride! |
 |
| Tilt shift......pffft whatever. |
 |
| Into the blue. |
 |
| Looking east over the south coast of Antigua. |
 |
| First eyes on Montserrat. |
 |
| Mars? Moon? Middle Earth? |
 |
| Near the summit. |
 |
| Divide |
 |
| East side of the island. |
 |
| This and the following photos are all that is left of the capital city; Plymouth. |
 |
| Plymouth on the western side of the island. |
 |
| The old Wharf of Plymouth |
 |
| Stand tall. |
 |
| The steaming summit. |
 |
| Looking South |
 |
| Looking North, the new capital, Brades is at the foot of the small hill on the point in the distance. |
 |
| Sheree, Hannah and Cam. |
 |
| April riding shotgun. |
 |
| The outer reef of Antigua. |
 |
| Our favourite little Sunday afternoon jaunt, Sheer Rocks at Coco Bay. |
 |
| Coming home. |
 |
| St. John's, Antigua's capital. |
 |
| We went to Sheer Rocks for a debrief, this is why I love it. Looking out over Coco Bay. |
 |
| Sunset over Coco Bay. |
