During the 1990s, my husband and I spent four extended
periods - three to six months each - on the Caribbean island
of Montserrat Antigua and Guadaloupe and near St.
Kitts and Nevis , but is so small it doesn't
show up on many maps.
How did we find such a remote place? Ed was asked by a
minister friend to go with a group to help rebuild houses after Hurricane Hugo.
That storm struck in 1989 and damaged 90 percent of the buildings on the
island. He fell in love not only with the people but with the island itself,
even in its devastated state.
Sadly, Montserrat was just getting
back on its feet, with more and more tourists arriving to soak up the relaxed
lifestyle and the beautiful surroundings, when a volcano, which had been
dormant since the 1500s, sprang to life in July of 1995, shooting boulders the
size of cars up in the air.
We bought our house in 1992, never dreaming what was to
happen three years later. What a treasure it was, though, to learn first-hand
about a different culture and way of life. Despite how it all ended, we
wouldn't have given up the experience for anything.
This is the first of what I hope will be many posts about Montserrat .
I kept a detailed diary and have written
an as-yet unpublished memoir, which
I'll share with you from time to time.
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