MONTSERRAT
This year I spent Christmas on the Island of Montserrat. This was my second holiday visit to the island, and it was lovely as ever.
Montserrat was nicknamed the Emerald Isle, by Irish settlers, because the island’s coastline resembles that of Ireland. The first Irishmen arrived from the island of St Kitts in, 1632. I arrived on December 17, 2019.
Antiqua is the only gateway to Montserrat and American is the only airline with direct flights from South Florida. As usual American, which is often late, was an hour and a half behind schedule. The delay of my three-hour flight caused me to miss my 20-minute connecting flight on a local puddle-jumper to Montserrat... This left me with two options: stay at, Carter’s a clean but modest guesthouse near the airport but with no eating establishments nearby and fly over the next day, or get a taxi to the docks, hang around for two hours and take the seven-p.m. ferry across the channel between the two islands.
Because I had no Antiqua sim card nor access to a local phone to call my daughter in Montserrat, I had no way of letting her know my alternative plan. I surmised that once I arrived on the Montserrat Ferry, I would find a taxi driver who knew one of my son-in-law’s family members, and take it from there. After all, there are less than 5000 permanent residences on the island.
After a rough, but not unpleasent hour-and-a-half crossing (I understand the sea is always rough between these two islands), I arrived at 8:30 p.m. Customs and immigration is a rather confused event in a small building next to the pier. Once I secured my luggage, I found a driver, but just as we headed for his taxi, who walks up but my clever daughter. Upon finding I had missed my flight, and had not checked into Carter’s Guesthouse, she of course knew I had opted for the ferry. After hello, hugs, and tipping the driver, we were off across the island to their cottage in Woodlands Estate.
Their charming little house overlooking the sea, had a small main house, a pool (yum) and a pool house which became my own little haven.
 |
| the cottage |
 |
| The view from the main house |
‘Hi Nana,’ ‘I’ve got some great games we can play,’ or ‘I have this great video I want to show you.’
As any grandmother will tell you, ‘It was wonderful.’
But enough of this Holiday stuff. Like every other loving family, we had a wonderful, joyous Christmas. Besides enjoying my family, I found the Island itself, one of the most fascinating I have visited in the Caribbean.
Montserrat has a history as rich as a streetwalker’s down on her luck. Because of its inaccessibility, lack of a harbor and the beauty of the island, Montserrat became a quiet haven for well-heeled British, Canadians, and Americans vacationers. The main town, Plymouth had about 6000 or seven thousand people, with an entire island population of around 12000.
 |
| My Grandson |
 |
| Taking a walk on a road near the house |
During the 1970s, George Martin, the famous producer of Beatles’ Albums built AIR (recording) Studios Montserrat, where he imported numerous famous roc artists: Paul McCartney, Duran Duran, The Police, Elton John, Jimmy Buffet, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Carl Perkins Phil Collins and Arrow, a famous Caribbean musician, (to name a few) to record albums without the distractions of city lights, women, drugs; their normal metropolitan environments’ distractions.
As Keith Richards was reputed to say, “if you’ve got everybody on a little island with nowhere to go, and you’re actually living almost in the studio…. you get a lot done, quicker.”
 |
| Inside AIR Studios after Hurricane |
 |
| electrics in AIR Studieos after Hurricane |
AIR Studios was equipped with the most advanced recording technology of the time, and more than 67 albums were recorded there. But in 1989, it all came to an abrupt end when hurricane Hugo Swept over Montserrat and damaged 90% of the island including AIR Studios Montserrat. Currently, the property is a jungle of vines, debris,
 |
| Outside AIR Studios |
 |
| By the AIR Studios pool |
 |
| Pool view now |
fallen roofs and moldy keyboards. If George Martin had any plans to resurrect the house and studio, they were squashed by the Island’s next horrific events.
In 1995, the 3000-foot-high dormant Souffriere Hills Volcano decided after 350 years, to again erupt. By the year’s end and into January 1996, it was decided that the whole town of Plymouth had to be evacuated. Numerous people were removed to Antiqua but most were shipped off to the UK for safety’s sake, and it was a good decision because in 1997 the volcano had a major eruption again and obliterated most of the whole south end of the island in which 19 people lost their lives. At one point only 1200 people remained on the island.
 |
| Volanco in the distance |
Now, the island has a small harbor at Little Bay, however no main central town. There are small grocery stores, a pharmacy, small hospital, car repairs, tourist and similar facilities scattered throughout the Northwestern part of the island; in Saint Paris Parish, the only one of the three Parishes that was not ruined by the volcano. Still, the only way to get to this lovely little Island is by prop plane or a ferry service from the neighboring island of Antiqua. The current population remains just under 5000, with many of the islanders 60 and over.
Since July 18th, 1995, the Montserrat Volcano Observatory, or MVO, has been on the job monitoring the volcano 24/7. It’s new director, Dr. Graham Ryan, a volcanologist and geo-thermal specialist works with a staff of 15. Besides Dr. Ryan, there are four other scientists; a volcanic seismologist, a geologist, risk management individual, and a geophysicist. There are also 10 other staff members who are essential to the running of the Observatory.
 |
| Inside MVO |
The Volcano does not disappoint, as it continues to spew a pasty lava and a grey smoke. Every thirty years, it threatens more aggressive displays of its powers but as yet has not exposed it full power as it did in 1997. Currently most of the south end of the island is set aside as the ‘Exclusion Zone.’ Although there are tours of Zone V, they are only available when the Observatory staff deems it safe, and one only may enter with a qualified guide.
During my last visit, I enjoyed tours of MVO, and also the AIR Studios Montserrat.
This year, other than enjoying my holiday with my family, the highlight of my trip was a tour of the ‘Exclusion Zone.’ Because he is a close family friend, Dr. Ryan agreed to take me out to the ‘Exclusion Zone’ so I could see the damage the volcano created. He picked me up at the house at about 10 a.m. and we drove toward the restricted area.
“Because the Lava or Magna still ‘floats’ creating new land, the island outside of ST. Peter’s Parish is divided into zones.” He explained. And as we drove down on the flattest area of the island, we passed signs designating the different zones we were traveling through.
Zone B, which is a questionable area, had warning signs which stated ‘danger, if the volcano is ‘bubbling’, one could experience some ash in the air and surroundings, and if it erupted it might be an unsafe zone.’ Although this was the case, someone was in the final stages of rebuilding their damaged house; new roof, paint, a new fuel tank outside the home. Someone else was just beginning to repair their very damaged home as well. Then we drove over a gully or locally referred to as a galesh. The sign there warned that because of flooding during times of heavy rains the water would be too deep for cars to pass. Further on, we were stopped by a steel blue gate and a sign that notified us we had arrived at Zone V. RESTRICTED AREA NO ONE ALLOWED IN WITHOUT PERMISSION!
 |
| Near the entry gate |
Dr. Ryan pulled out a shortwave radio and contacted MVO (Montserrat Volcano Observatory) requesting permission to enter. He gave his code name and they alerted him that it was safe. All the former paved roads are now dirt – overflow of lava, magna - the road along the sea which formerly bordered the Caribbean Sea is now about an 8th or half acre distance from the water. Besides the new land the lava and ash flow has created, there are also some big boulders created by an invisible ‘silica glue’ in the air sticking together the sandy gravely deposits from the volcano. Some are the same height as the three and four story buildings the Lava flow had previously invaded...
“About every thirty years the volcano acts up, so the 24/7 monitoring by MVO is essential to keep track of this living part of the earth to protect the local residents.” ‘Dr. Ryan said. “It has been ten years since the last time the Souffriere Hills Volcano has acted up. So, I guess we have 20 years till its next dangerous behavior.” He continued. Once inside Zone V, we joined a local tour of about eight guests. The tour guide explained that the ash from the 1997 eruption piled itself 39ft high, covering the first two stories of 3 and four story buildings. The Kam Corporation owned warehouses, the largest grocery store and a Hotel.
 |
| Dr. Ryan by the second floor hotel dining room |
 |
Kam warehouse top story |
We peered into the windows of hotel restaurant which was on the second floor. The lave or magna had piled so high it covered all of the first floor, and everything in the restaurant up to the window level. The sizable Arrow Building (owned by the famous Calypso singer – most famous song – HOT, HOT, HOT) which was four stories high, now only the top floor is visible. All the buildings around the Arrow building are totally covered in Lava and ash.
 |
calypso singer Arrow who sang HOT HOT HOT |
The guide also told about a great bank robbery that happened just as the volcano began to erupt. Barclay’s Bank had received a shipment of $800,000 in crisp new bills which were left in its vault when the volcano began. Even in spite of police prodding, a somewhat disturbed man named ‘Neverme’ refused to leave the area during the eruption. He survived the volcano’s wrath, which was amazing in itself. However, he also told the police that he had seen ghosts in the bank. But they ignored him. When it was finally safe to reenter the area, the Barclays Bank executives found to their surprise, that there had been a heist and the money had disappeared. When they realized the situation, they alerted the police, and it was then that the authorities realized ‘Neverme’ was telling the truth. Many years later, one of the robbers spent a small bit of the money and because the money was numbered, the robbers were finally caught and the rest of the money recovered.
At the end of the tour, I recall looking up at the white cloud of Hydrogen oxide still creating lava/magna that flows in to the old Plymouth town center, and thinking that we are really just guests of an all-powerful earth mother, existing on this planet at her will.
 |
| Soufriere Volcano which spuds ash, and lava daily |
------------------------------------------------------------
There are lots of things to do on Montserrat besides visiting the ‘Exclusion Zone.’ One can also get a tour of MVO, experience a helicopter ride over the volcano, numerous hiking trails, beaches, a carnival festival during St Patrick’s Day, and the Biological Garden. Restaurants and Guesthouses/hotels abound, and the people are lovely. One of the best internet sites to find out more about what to do in Montserrat is Trip Advisor. Although I would also check out the old standbys: Lonely Planet, and other off the beaten-track Caribbean travel books for more information about the island – particularly for lodging. Don’t forget Airbnb. They might some deals as well.
------------------------------------------
An Odd Fact:
Because there is no rain shadow the rainfall causes Montserrat to be an island of lush green hills. Therefore, there is no need for cisterns or catchments to store water for island use. Although a number Caribbean islands have portable water systems piped into their houses and buildings in their main town, Montserrat is the only Caribbean Island, I know of that has water piped into all the private houses and other public and private buildings.
