I recently went to St. Lucia as part of a medical mission to St. Jude's Hospital in Vieux Fort. The people were fantastic both in and out of the hospital. I made some life long friends, that I keep in contact with via email. We were kept pretty busy at the hospital. I normally work 12 hour night shifts, but at St. Jude worked 8 hour days. I don't know if I could have done 12 hour shifts because of the heat and humidity. We did find some recreational time on the weekend. I tried the Zip Line in the Rain Forrest. Initially I thought I wouldn't like it, actually had planned on just doing the tram up and back, but it was fantastic. Some of our party wanted to go fast, but I wanted to slow down and enjoy the view. WOW! :)Val

I fully agree that St. Lucia is a great vacation spot. But a few important notes about the Pitons. First, hiking up Petit Piton is not permitted and is also dangerous. You are only permitted to hike up Gros Piton. Petit Petit is very steep, a tough climb, and does not feature a trail for hiking. Not only is hiking Petit Piton risky for all but experienced hikers and rock climbers, it is bad for the natural habitat since the lack of an established trail means that you will trample on the delicate flora on Petit Piton. I am sure that you can find a guide willing to take you up Petit Piton if you offer the right price (locals hike it regularly), but perhaps you should consider taking a miss. Besides, Gros Piton is well worth your efforts. Speaking of which, Gros Piton is actually the taller of the two Pitons, at least according to the St. Lucian government. There is a wonderful trail up Gros Piton that was created and is maintained by members of the village of Gens Fonds Libre (translated loosely, Valley of the Free People). You must be escorted by a guide up Gros Piton. You can hire an official guide from Gens Fonds Libre at the gate to the Gros Piton Park (if no one is there, just walk to the cabin at the base of the Piton or pop your head into the little snack shack). Last year (Nov. 2006), the rate was $20USD for the guide and the park fee--a very fair rate. We also tipped our guide after the hike.