It was just last December that I made my first trip to the tiny volcanic island of Montserrat. But I’m already looking forward to my return. How can I be so sure I’ll visit again? Because I drank from Runaway Ghaut.
On the main road just north of the town of Salem the ghaut (pronounced “gut”) is a ravine formed by the constant flow of rainwater down the mossy mountainside. Named not for runaway slaves but for the French, who fled from this spot after losing their battle with the British for control of the island, the spring is a fixture on every visitor’s itinerary because of the legend that surrounds it.
Apparently, if you drink the cool water that rushes down the mountain you’ll always return to the Caribbean’s Emerald Isle.
So after being on island for a mere 24 hours but already enchanted by Montserrat’s unique assets, a drive by the roadside spring was a no-brainer. My companions and I clambered out of our SUV and dashed across the street to the ghaut to drink our fill. The plastic PVC pipe protruding oddly from the hillside didn’t deter us as we cupped our hands and sampled the soft, mineral-rich water, snapping photos of each other as we leaned into the steady flow and sipped.
“If you drink from this burn, to Montserrat you will return,” a wooden sign set off to the side of the stream advised. And while none of us could verify its claims, we all wanted to believe it was true. So, for good measure, we guzzled a little more. And, in our heads, immediately started plotting our return.