By Carolyn
This is the last major stop of our ‘round the world adventure, and it was not without fanfare! The island colony’s British appointed Governor, Lisa Honan, met us on the tarmac, and news photographers captured greetings and group shots. The next morning we visited the local press office where we were interviewed for a feel-good story about making history as the first single propeller plane to land in St. Helena.
The $300M airport is extremely controversial, not the least being the challenging wind shear conditions, which had been predicted but never abated. (Jack and Josh witnessed the commercial flight make two go-around passes before landing on the third attempt.) The politics of the airport are equally fraught...previously, St. Helena was subsidized by the British government, but the airport was built under the theory of if-you-build-it-they-will-come and all those tourists mean no more subsidy.
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| Our arrival means three flights in one week! |
Opened in 2017, numerous flights have been canceled, ruining vacations for incoming as well as outgoing travelers. At the time the island gained an airport, they lost their passenger ship, but it was also prone to mechanical problems and weeks could pass without delivery of various staples or tourists.
Other minor impediments to creating the next Tourist Mecca include a cash-only economy where there are no ATM machines, no roaming cell phone coverage, and very slow internet that you pay for in 30-minute increments. Plus, inconsistent food deliveries which can leave stores and restaurants with limited choices, no air conditioning, and a tropical locale with no beaches. Oh, and the only airport with flights to St. Helena is in notorious Johannesburg.
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| Counting cash at Briar House in the room where Napoleon lived for two months |
BUT, don’t let that sway you. It’s a lovely, friendly, quirky, sunny, rainy, historical island! We’ve had a very special time here.
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| Main Street, Jamestown, looking toward the wharf |
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| Stone walls and gate at the wharf |
Our first full day was a guided tour with Kevin in his Land Rover. He roved us all over the island and we saw forts and flax; endangered wire birds and endemic ebony and gum trees; searing deserts and lush green pastures.
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| Flax from New Zealand was used to make twine until the 1960's when the entire industry fell to plastic |
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| High Knoll Fort, overlooking Jamestown, built in 1799 |
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| Stunning views |
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| Millennium forest project restoring endemic gum trees |
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| The desolate coast belies the lush interior |
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| Plantation House where the Governor lives |
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| Sheep farm with Speery Island just off shore |
We even visited France in three locations.
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| Garden at Briar House, where Napoleon waited for Longwood House to be refurbished |
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| Napoleon's tomb (before he was moved to Les Invalides in Paris) |
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| Longwood House, where Napoleon lived in exile until his death in 1821 |
St. Helena’s 47 square miles are the remnant top of an enormous conical volcano many millions of years old. It has since migrated off of the hot spot and was untouched by humans until the Portuguese discovered it in 1502. The Dutch East India Company camped out here until 1651, then the British colony was established in 1659 with the English East India Company building fortifications which still stand today. Our hotel, The Consulate, was built in 1762 and has 20” thick stone walls, high ceilings and big windows to catch the breeze.
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| The Consulate Hotel |
Our dear proprietor, Hazel, has furnished it like a museum with walls covered by original artwork, antique lithographs, maps and stamp collections; rooms packed with antiques and ceramics; every form of Napoleonic memorabilia; and all things nautical. She has several remaining containers [as in massive shipping containers] yet to unpack.
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| Covered courtyard and bar |
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| Green Drawing Room |
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| Blue Drawing Room |
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| Front room |
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| Dining Room |
Our second day began with a nice leg-stretch climbing up the 699 steps of Jacob’s Ladder...and back down again. The guys went to the airport to refuel the plane and I wandered thru the compact New Museum (very well done!) and checked out the LIMITED gift stores (tourists??) around town.
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| Looking up Jacob's Ladder |
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| And looking down at Jamestown below |
In addition to its most famous prisoner, Napoleon, St. Helena has held slaves from India, Southeast Asia, and Madagascar; the captured African Chieftain Denzizulu; some 6,000 Boer Prisoners of war; and Chinese laborers indentured with the East India Company. In the 1840’s, the Royal Navy intercepted slave ships, and 15,000 liberated Africans were first processed in St. Helena before being disbursed across the Caribbean. Some 543 opted to remain in St. Helena. Today’s “Saints” can claim a truly global racial heritage.
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| None of the famous prisoners stayed here |
We have felt like special visitors on this special island, following in the footsteps of other explorers including Edmund Halley, Captain James Cook, Captain William Bligh, Charles Darwin and Joshua Slocum. Each had his own reason for coming here, but likely we all are here because there is no where else within 700 miles that one could be.
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| 'Round the World 3.0 crew with airport in the distance |
