Question regarding Boa Constrictors for Stluciapride.

[bozza]

Having read some of your replies and knowing you are from St. Lucia I wonder if you can answer my question

You see I have a real phobia of snakes and for that reason we won't do Cosol's tour as he stops where someone has a boa constrictor and you can have your photo take with them.:eek:

We would very much like to go to a beach for the day and wondered if there was a quiet beach where we could spend the day without seeing any or passing anyone with one.

I know this sounds stupid but everywhere we go I have to ask the same daft question. I am over 60 now and still have this dreadful phobia.

[DrmnOfMaui]

I have read that Cosol has skipped that stop when people did not wish to see the snakes. I would email him and see if he would do that for you! We have not done the tour yet, but he was very responsive on email when we signed up.

[Stluciapride]

Having read some of your replies and knowing you are from St. Lucia I wonder if you can answer my question

You see I have a real phobia of snakes and for that reason we won't do Cosol's tour as he stops where someone has a boa constrictor and you can have your photo take with them.:eek:

We would very much like to go to a beach for the day and wondered if there was a quiet beach where we could spend the day without seeing any or passing anyone with one.

I know this sounds stupid but everywhere we go I have to ask the same daft question. I am over 60 now and still have this dreadful phobia.

 

No question is stupid Bozza atleast you will be aware as to what you should expect. This is what the forums are for. As long as you will be travelling along the west coast which is where most tourist go to see the Pitons/Volcano it is very likely that you will come across two guys with the Boa Constrictor. However, it is not required on all tours. The driver usually stops for a photo oppertunity only if persons are interested. I would recommend that you do a private tour where you don't have to stop because others decide they want too. You can also ask your driver/guide to give you the heads up when you are approaching one.

 

In the event you don't want to do a tour to the pitons there are quiet beaches in the north of the island where you will not come across or see any snakes. Pigeon Island is the most suitable if you want a peaceful/relaxing time at the beach. Reduit Beach can be crowded depending on the number of cruiseship in port.

 

Feel free to ask any questions what so ever.

[Sanlj]

We did the Cosol tour in February and someone in our van also had a snake phobia. The driver, Bompy, slowed down and as soon as he realized that we were not interested, he quickly pulled away and we were off to the next stop.

 

Mention your concerns in advance (when you begin your tour), and I'm fairly certain it won't even be an issue.

 

Enjoy the island. It's a treasure!

 

Sandy

[kyriecat]

I don't know if you can completely avoid seeing a person with a boa in St. Lucia. We were on Cosol's tour a couple of weeks ago but did not stop at the snake guy. Our driver, Yellowbird, asked if anyone was interested in a photo. None of us were so he continued driving. He did slow down some and the snake guy was right next to the road so it would be difficult to avoid seeing him unless you keep your eyes closed. We also saw a guy with a boa in Castries near the port.

 

St. Lucia isn't the only island in the Caribbean that has snakes. They are common in most places. We were on a tour in Dominica to Emerald Falls and saw a small snake in the foliage by the trail as were we walking to the falls. We also saw a snake near the old jail at Brimstone Fortress in St. Kitts. I don't have issues with non-poisonous snakes so I just ignored them. We also saw an eel while snorkeling in Barbados. I don't know if your issue extends to to snake-like creatures or just actual snakes.

 

If seeing a snake could be such a traumatic experience that it would ruin your day, there are several anti-anxiety type drugs that your doctor could prescribe to help you deal with the problem. I don't know the severity of your problem and am not a medical professional. If you feel that you cannot control your phobia if you do accidentally view a snake, a frank discussion with your doctor to get his/her recommendations would be a good idea.

[bozza]

Thanks for all you replies, they are much appreciated.

Bit concerned about the snake at Castries, wish I could put them out of my mind as everywhere in the Caribbean we go I am on ALERT as is my very patient husband. We have been 3 times and have yet to come across one, but am sure if I did I would have a heart attack.

Never thought about going to the doctors, and may try that. I am even nervous trying hypnosis as I have heard they show you photos to try and come to terms with this phobia and that frightens me to death as well.

I am just a NIGHTMARE but don't want to not go to the places my husband wants to visit as he works so hard and deserves his holidays.

[bozza]

Dee, just noticed we are on the same cruise as you but depart on the 30th Jan 2010 on a B2B.

[kyriecat]

Bozza,

 

Hopefully you will be able to avoid any snakes. Cosol and his team should be able to work with you if you really want to take his tour. It really was fabulous! If you are on a roll call for your cruise, see who else is taking the Cosol tour and let them know about your snake issue. I'm sure they will be understanding that you don't want to stop. If there are enough people on the tour, you can have a snake and non-snake van. For our tour, we had 10 people and that filled the van. Our driver asked if anyone was afraid of snakes as we were going so he knew in advance that there were a couple people who mentioned a fear. I've seen and held enough snakes so I didn't care to pay someone for a photo of his boa.

 

I know some people who have used hypnosis to overcome cigarette addiction with positive results but I don't know anyone who has used it for a phobia. Your family doctor can provide a recommendation or else refer you to another another professional who can help. The key is to be frank and not embarassed about your phobia. The closest experience I have with phobias is a friend who was in a severe auto accident a couple of years ago. She was terrified to drive afterwards and had several sessions with a psychologist to overcome the fear. She was also on an anxiety medication for a while. She is able to drive but still gets nervous in traffic and occasionally will have to pull over for a mental break.

 

I was on HAL's Maasdam from Apr. 10 -24 so have recently seen several of the Caribbean islands with my husband. The January cruise on Serenade is with my mom but we can only go for a week since hubby and I are planning a return trip to St. Lucia next April for our anniversary. It's a gorgeous island - my personal favorite. I wish I could take another 2-wk cruise next year, especially on Serenade.

 

My husband has a minor in herpatology (study of reptiles) and seems to notice every snake, lizard, and toad wherever we are. Thankfully, I'm not afraid of them or else I would have killed him by now. ;)

[bozza]

I really enjoyed your reply, Kyriecat and your sensible advice, still not sure what to do and how odd that I am afraid of what your husband is interested in!!!