Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Some more French bread, a chocolate-filled crepe, and everything overpriced!
Martinique is quite3 a stunning island, geographically. Big, lush green mountains rise from the clear blue seas and provide a stunning backdrop for a cruising sailboat. It is very French, and the money system is Euros, which is VERY strong against the US Dollar, so everything is much more expensive than one would wish. When we lefty St. Pierre, in the north part of the island, we sailed down the west coast to the main harbor at Fort de France. This was, as the name implies, the primary defensive locale for the early French navy. It is now the capital city of the island and a hussle-bussle spot. We opted to choose an anchorage across the big bay at a smaller bay called Anse Mitan. This Anse (bay) was the original spot where the islanders decided to develop tourism in the 50's. It is very attractive, clean, and quaint. The shops are very upscale as are the restaurants and most bars.
Once we arrived at Anse Mitan, we found a suitable anchorage and went ashore to have a look around. From our anchorage, we couldn't see any developed ton of any sort, just a couple of marinas and beach bars. We began to feel disappointed in our choice of anchorages until we got ashore and found a small road leading to the small village where all the "action" was. We found a nice resort style town full of shops and restaurants, and spent the afternoon window shopping and enjoying people-watching. At happy hour, we popped into a nice looking pub and ordered two local draft beers. They tasted very good and as we were ready to order the second round, we thought we should inquire as to the price. We were shocked to find out they were 5 Euros each (about $7.50 US) so the round cost us nearly $15! From there. We slid down the street to another place where we found a local crowd and beers for $4 US. Still outrageous to us but not as exorbitant as the initial round. We found ourselves enjoying our happy hours onboard, from that night on!
The second day, our buddy boaters, Nebula and Windfreak arrived at our anchorage and we had fun recounting each other's prior experiences at other ports. The next day we rented a small 4-seater car (they didn't have anything bigger) to try to explore the island. As all three men are 6 footers or better, and although two of the gals are small, Vicky, though quite slender, is almost 6 ft tall as well. You might imagine the 6 of us squeezing into this little car and driving around the island from tourist stop to tourist stop. When we would arrive, we must have looked a bit like the circus clown car where people just continue to climb out, one after another. That day we visited a rum factory/distillery, a big local supermarket, some notable beaches, and some fantastic overlooks around the southern end of the island.
The next morning, we returned the rental car, individually pulled up our anchors and headed off toward St. Lucia, the next island in our southern direction. The winds were brisk as we headed off, but the forecast called for nothing worse than we were experiencing as we left the harbor. As we rounded the tip of the island, into the open area of the Atlantic, the wind really kicked in along with some more serious wave activity, and we were all experiencing a bit of doubt about continuing across the 25 mile passage to St. Lucia. About 5 miles out, we collectively decided to turn back and wait a day to try again tomorrow. We found a nice anchorage near the southern tip of Martinique called Anse d'Alete and were treated to a comfortable nights sleep before heading off again the next morning.
That morning, the wind and waves were much more favortable, although still blowing consistently around 20kts, the waves were spaced further apart so the ride was not nearly as choppy. We made terrific speed that day and as we all left together, the angle of sail was such that our cat really showed her stuff. We were able to average nearly 8kts/hour across the entire passage and had a very comfortable ride. We are now traveling more in a Southerly and South-Westerly direction, so the wind angles favor our type of boat over a mono-hulled boat for speed. Therefore, when we would be struggling earlier in our trip to maintain the angle of sail to match the mono-hullers, now we just blow by them.
We arrived at St.Lucia to find yet another lush tropical paradise. Huge mountains, covered with thick vegetation, big roky cliffs falling into the sea with coconut-palm lined white beaches between, all along the shore. A true tropical wonderland. Upon arrival, we had intended to stop at Rodney Bay, a large harbor with lots of activity but the marina was under re-construction. Since we had all made such fantastic time across the passage, we opted to continue south along the coast to another harbor for the night. We stopped at a bay called Marigot and found a calm haven, tucked in the shoreline, perfect for a quiet anchoring spot. We went ashore, cleared customs, and wandered about for the rest of the afternoon. That night, we were all invited aboard another boat for supper. We had met this couple in Dominica a few achorages before and enjoyed a shore-side happy hour together at a Roseau watering hole. They are from the Dominican Republic and are our age. They made paela for the group and as we were their first onboard guests, even popped a bottle of champagne to celebrate. After dinner, our host, Luis even offered some fine Dominican cigars all around. Since they are from a Spanish culture, Laila, our friend form Ecuador, and Sophia, the hostess, chattered away in Spanish much of the night. She was obviously happy to have another lady with whom to chat with in her native tongue. Heading back to our boat after the night, made us feel very international. Great food, nice conversation, in a beautiful foreign place: this is why we came.
The next morning, we decided to move along the coast to a famous spot further down the island of St. Lucia. It was a beautiful anchorage at a place highlighted with two giant pointy mountains called the Pitons. Although none of us felt too comfortable ashore, the sight of these twin towers rising beside the boats was spectacular! This anchorage was the first we experienced where we all felt somewhat harassed by the locals. As we've continued to move south, we've noticed what are locally called "boat boys" come out to greet you as you approach a port. Some wish to "help" you secure a mooring ball, some want to sell you homemade trinkets, others are selling fruits and vegetables. Some are very aggressive and seem almost threatening in their demeanor. Although they will take "no thank you" for the final answer, one can't help but feel, occasionally, that they do not have one's best interest in mind as they approach your boat. At the Pitons, the boat boys were especially aggressive and made all us us feel uncomfortable enough to plan on staying only that one night before heading off. We had intended on staying a couple of days there, doing a local tour and exploring the inner island, but the actions for these few forced us to consider otherwise.
We left early the next morning and headed across the next open body passage toward St. Vincent. Although a stunningly beautiful island, and the primary location for the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, we had heard from other cruisers of this type of continued harassment on the island of St. Vincent, so we all had decided to bypass that island entirely, and continue on to the island of Bequia (pronounced "Beck-way").
Bequia is considered the beginning of the Grenadine chain and has been touted as a "must-see" by everyone who's visited. We found the anchorage to be outstanding and the bay calm for good sleeping. When we arrived, we anchored off the beach near a local restaurant. Quite a bit of partying was going on at that beach and once we settled in we recognized a beautifu8l local's wedding and reception was in progress. Viewing through binocs, we noted that everyone was in their finest and they festivities were obviously very joyous. The DJ was spinning the tunes, even some straight ahead American country and western was mixed in with some world beat music we'd never heard before. It was especially fun for us to sit on our trampoline after dinned and listen to the music from the party.
Since arriving, we've heard from one couple we haven't seen since the Dominican Republic layover, Ivory Star. It will fun to reunite with them sometime later today. All of us seem to be heading south on a similar timetable, with some planning an extended summer stay in the tropics, while others will return home, up north for the hurricane season.
As for us, we are heading to Grenada, where we have made a reservation for our boat to be hauled out of the water in late June, placed in a special steel framework, strapped to the concrete pad under it, and left on the hard for the summer. We intend to head back to Steamboat Springs for the summer, then hope to head back down here next November, to retrieve the boat and sail her north again, retracing some of the same paths which took us south. This lifestyle is one which we find most enjoyable and, if financially possible, one we hope to continue to pursue for a couple more years.
Once we arrived at Anse Mitan, we found a suitable anchorage and went ashore to have a look around. From our anchorage, we couldn't see any developed ton of any sort, just a couple of marinas and beach bars. We began to feel disappointed in our choice of anchorages until we got ashore and found a small road leading to the small village where all the "action" was. We found a nice resort style town full of shops and restaurants, and spent the afternoon window shopping and enjoying people-watching. At happy hour, we popped into a nice looking pub and ordered two local draft beers. They tasted very good and as we were ready to order the second round, we thought we should inquire as to the price. We were shocked to find out they were 5 Euros each (about $7.50 US) so the round cost us nearly $15! From there. We slid down the street to another place where we found a local crowd and beers for $4 US. Still outrageous to us but not as exorbitant as the initial round. We found ourselves enjoying our happy hours onboard, from that night on!
The second day, our buddy boaters, Nebula and Windfreak arrived at our anchorage and we had fun recounting each other's prior experiences at other ports. The next day we rented a small 4-seater car (they didn't have anything bigger) to try to explore the island. As all three men are 6 footers or better, and although two of the gals are small, Vicky, though quite slender, is almost 6 ft tall as well. You might imagine the 6 of us squeezing into this little car and driving around the island from tourist stop to tourist stop. When we would arrive, we must have looked a bit like the circus clown car where people just continue to climb out, one after another. That day we visited a rum factory/distillery, a big local supermarket, some notable beaches, and some fantastic overlooks around the southern end of the island.
The next morning, we returned the rental car, individually pulled up our anchors and headed off toward St. Lucia, the next island in our southern direction. The winds were brisk as we headed off, but the forecast called for nothing worse than we were experiencing as we left the harbor. As we rounded the tip of the island, into the open area of the Atlantic, the wind really kicked in along with some more serious wave activity, and we were all experiencing a bit of doubt about continuing across the 25 mile passage to St. Lucia. About 5 miles out, we collectively decided to turn back and wait a day to try again tomorrow. We found a nice anchorage near the southern tip of Martinique called Anse d'Alete and were treated to a comfortable nights sleep before heading off again the next morning.
That morning, the wind and waves were much more favortable, although still blowing consistently around 20kts, the waves were spaced further apart so the ride was not nearly as choppy. We made terrific speed that day and as we all left together, the angle of sail was such that our cat really showed her stuff. We were able to average nearly 8kts/hour across the entire passage and had a very comfortable ride. We are now traveling more in a Southerly and South-Westerly direction, so the wind angles favor our type of boat over a mono-hulled boat for speed. Therefore, when we would be struggling earlier in our trip to maintain the angle of sail to match the mono-hullers, now we just blow by them.
We arrived at St.Lucia to find yet another lush tropical paradise. Huge mountains, covered with thick vegetation, big roky cliffs falling into the sea with coconut-palm lined white beaches between, all along the shore. A true tropical wonderland. Upon arrival, we had intended to stop at Rodney Bay, a large harbor with lots of activity but the marina was under re-construction. Since we had all made such fantastic time across the passage, we opted to continue south along the coast to another harbor for the night. We stopped at a bay called Marigot and found a calm haven, tucked in the shoreline, perfect for a quiet anchoring spot. We went ashore, cleared customs, and wandered about for the rest of the afternoon. That night, we were all invited aboard another boat for supper. We had met this couple in Dominica a few achorages before and enjoyed a shore-side happy hour together at a Roseau watering hole. They are from the Dominican Republic and are our age. They made paela for the group and as we were their first onboard guests, even popped a bottle of champagne to celebrate. After dinner, our host, Luis even offered some fine Dominican cigars all around. Since they are from a Spanish culture, Laila, our friend form Ecuador, and Sophia, the hostess, chattered away in Spanish much of the night. She was obviously happy to have another lady with whom to chat with in her native tongue. Heading back to our boat after the night, made us feel very international. Great food, nice conversation, in a beautiful foreign place: this is why we came.
The next morning, we decided to move along the coast to a famous spot further down the island of St. Lucia. It was a beautiful anchorage at a place highlighted with two giant pointy mountains called the Pitons. Although none of us felt too comfortable ashore, the sight of these twin towers rising beside the boats was spectacular! This anchorage was the first we experienced where we all felt somewhat harassed by the locals. As we've continued to move south, we've noticed what are locally called "boat boys" come out to greet you as you approach a port. Some wish to "help" you secure a mooring ball, some want to sell you homemade trinkets, others are selling fruits and vegetables. Some are very aggressive and seem almost threatening in their demeanor. Although they will take "no thank you" for the final answer, one can't help but feel, occasionally, that they do not have one's best interest in mind as they approach your boat. At the Pitons, the boat boys were especially aggressive and made all us us feel uncomfortable enough to plan on staying only that one night before heading off. We had intended on staying a couple of days there, doing a local tour and exploring the inner island, but the actions for these few forced us to consider otherwise.
We left early the next morning and headed across the next open body passage toward St. Vincent. Although a stunningly beautiful island, and the primary location for the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, we had heard from other cruisers of this type of continued harassment on the island of St. Vincent, so we all had decided to bypass that island entirely, and continue on to the island of Bequia (pronounced "Beck-way").
Bequia is considered the beginning of the Grenadine chain and has been touted as a "must-see" by everyone who's visited. We found the anchorage to be outstanding and the bay calm for good sleeping. When we arrived, we anchored off the beach near a local restaurant. Quite a bit of partying was going on at that beach and once we settled in we recognized a beautifu8l local's wedding and reception was in progress. Viewing through binocs, we noted that everyone was in their finest and they festivities were obviously very joyous. The DJ was spinning the tunes, even some straight ahead American country and western was mixed in with some world beat music we'd never heard before. It was especially fun for us to sit on our trampoline after dinned and listen to the music from the party.
Since arriving, we've heard from one couple we haven't seen since the Dominican Republic layover, Ivory Star. It will fun to reunite with them sometime later today. All of us seem to be heading south on a similar timetable, with some planning an extended summer stay in the tropics, while others will return home, up north for the hurricane season.
As for us, we are heading to Grenada, where we have made a reservation for our boat to be hauled out of the water in late June, placed in a special steel framework, strapped to the concrete pad under it, and left on the hard for the summer. We intend to head back to Steamboat Springs for the summer, then hope to head back down here next November, to retrieve the boat and sail her north again, retracing some of the same paths which took us south. This lifestyle is one which we find most enjoyable and, if financially possible, one we hope to continue to pursue for a couple more years.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
To Dominica and beyond...
We had such a fabulous time in The Saintes, Guadeloupe, that we felt hard pressed to leave. Our friends, Richard and Laila on Nebula finally caught up with us and we had a terrific reunion beach party and dinner aboard A2C the night they arrived from Guadeloupe. It was, indeed, good to be us, once more! Before their arrival, we enjoyed a couple of nice days in the main harbor of the Saintes, Terre des haut. This thoroughly French village really caught our attention and if it weren't for the ever present roll in the harbor, we might still be there. Fortunately, the roll drove us out of the main harbor and into a beautiful anchorage just around the bay from our original spot and we found a nearly deserted spot with some of the most beautiful beaches of our trip. There, we would spend our days snorkeling and our evenings on the trampoline, watching shooting stars above, before sliding into bed. It has quickly become our second favorite place after Antigua.
Although we really loved the anchorage, and even with Laila and Richard back in the fold, we knew we needed to put some water under our boat and begin to move south soon. So after our "welcome back to the group party, Windfreak and Allergic to Cities, yanked the anchor up the next morning and sailed off to the next island, Dominica. Not to be confused with the Dominican Republic, Dominica is a rain-forested island of significant beauty. Most recently those of you whom have seen the Pirates of the Caribbean II and III movies, will recognize this island as the location for that filming. We arrived after a 6 hour sail across open water in near perfect conditions, to the port of Portsmouth. This was originally designated to be the capital city of the island, but due to early outbreaks of Malaria and Dengue fever, from the nearby swampy areas, the capital was moved south to another port, Roseau. These problems have all but disappeared and today, this port is an active eco-tourism destination.
We took advantage of the tourism offerings one morning and went with a local guide in his small rowboat up the swampy river into the mangrove area. We saw many large iguanas and fish, and he was hoping that along with it being a good iguana day, that it would also be a good snake day. We kind of looked at each other in a bit of shock as he explained that this area was the natural habitat to Boa Constrictors as well as several other exotic vipers. We didn't get to see any snakes but non-the-less, had a fabulous experience on the river with this guide. Incidentally, some time ago, the country realized that tourism was to be a big part of the countries economy, they set out to certify guides to be able to offer qualified tours with expert guides. Our guy, Albert, was on of the first to pass the certification, and his knowledge was in depth and very complete in all details. He could describe, at length, the various flora, and fish species we would see and easily answered our more scientific queries. Yet his formal education was clearly not likely to be beyond what we call grade school. He rowed the boat up the river several miles, as to not disturb the beautiful natural habitat of the jungle, and for this was paid the equivalent of about $20/US.
We moved on down the coast to our next stop, Roseau, the next morning and found the anchorage to be, unfortunately, as rolly as the last. We were met, as we entered the mooring field, by a small, colorfully painted fishing-style boat, manned by a guy who introduced himself as Dexter. We found that once we got to this island, "boat boys", as they are referred to, make their living "helping cruisers, with chores like mooring, fruit sales, garbage disposal, and arranging for tours, taxis, and rental cars, and such. It is quite a contest, between them, to see whom each boat would select to be their helper. Somewhat pesky, but not threatening at the least. We're told, this will be the way it is the rest of the way down island.
After we hooked up to the ball, a necessity at this anchorage, we headed into town to have a look around. This, being the capital city, was supposed to have some nice shops and things to see. We didn't find a lot of nice stores, although we did find a descent grocery, and we did find a really good outdoor farmer's market. There were many vendors with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, many of which are so foreign to us. Lots of rooty looking things which we only could imagine were to be boiled and served like a potato. One vendor lady was particularly helpful in describing what each thing was and how to prepare them. We nodded and said "thanks" but couldn't force ourselves to buy any of them. Probably our loss.
We returned early to our boat for the night as David and Vicky had arranged for a rental car the next day so we all could travel around the inner-island and see some of the spectacular natural sights. That night we decided it must be the national law for everyone on the island to own at least one mangy looking dog and then to tether them on a short leash outside their homes where they would be encouraged to howl and bark unmercifully, all night. Then, if the owner were to try to quiet the mutt, they would be subject to additional fines and be forced to wear a bight bright yellow smiley face t-shirt as an additional penalty, for trying to be nice to the boating community. Sarcasm aside, we didn't get a lot of sleep that night.
We arrived ashore the next morning, however, ready to explore the island. Dominica is a very rugged island with mountains raising up to 5,ooo ft. from the ocean.They are all lush with vegetation and beautiful assorted plant life. Since David rented the car, it was, fortunately, his responsibility to do the driving. They drive British style on Dominica, opposite side to American traffic, and mostly was over any reasonable speed around mostly blind corners, up and down treacherous hillsides. The habit is to honk the horn when approaching a blind curve and hope someone coming the other direction hears you coming. Most of the roads are badly pot-holed so they are very rough and driving involves lots of swerving around on the roadway. We did, however, envoy a fun day traveling about the island, stopping at a couple of notable waterfalls for a relaxing cool-down.
Everywhere we drove we found fruit trees growing along side the roads. Mangoes, Papayas, breadfruit, grapefruits, bananas, plantains, and more were everywhere. Tempting as it was we didn't stop to help ourselves as we figured these were probably owned and tended to by some local farmers. We returned to our boat dock after stopping at the grocery for a few provisions, and made it out to the boat just in time for another glorious Caribbean sunset. They decided to stay another day and enjoy more of the island in the rental car, but we had decided to move on the next day to Martinique. That night all of the dogs must have been holding a convention on the other side of the island so we got a good nights sleep.
We left Dominica around 7:30AM Friday and raised the sails about a mile out into the bay. The winds were to be at a good angle and a reasonable speed so we planned on having a nice day of sailing. We were not to be disappointed. Although we saw a few gusts over 2okts,; the winds stayed consistent and we made terrific time in our Manta 42. At times we had her up over 8.5kts which is moving right along. Because of speeds like this, we made the 35 mile passage in great time and arrived at the island of Martinique around 1:00.
Geographically similar to Dominica, Martinique is a larger island, with a greater population. The cruisers guide says it this way: "When you've had enough of deserted beaches and raw nature, Martinique is the place for a breath of civilization." It is VERY French and the towns are scrubbed clean and offers almost anything a cruising boater might need in the way of repairs or mechanical services. The shops are European and the restaurants are frequent and breathe wonderful aromas out onto the walkways.
The town we arrived at is called St. Pierre, and, like many of the island towns, has a notable history. Empress Josephine was born here and Napoleon spend much of France's naval wealth here, trying to protect the island from the superior English Navy. More notable is the historic eruption of Mt. Pele in 1902. This volcano nearly wiped out the entire population of the city of St. Pierre, except for two survivors. One was a prisoner in the local jail who survived due to the thickness of his cell walls and later became pardoned and traveled with the Barnum and Bailey circus, in the freak show.
When we went ashore to check in with customs, we found the typical French laid back system and were not able to find anyone able to do the paperwork. The customs office was closed and a note directed us to the internet café where we were told we could check in. The café was also closed, so we must go back in this morning and try again. It is quite comical to compare the systems between some islands and others. The British islands are very strict and official about customs, while the French ones, seem to almost care less.
We shopped a bit and had a humorous time trying to explain to the pharmacy what we wanted. They spoke only French and our French is very lacking. We finally were able to communicate well enough and purchased some Echinacea liquid for our fiend David, who is suffering from a upper chest cold. We also sat at a sidewalk café at happy hour and enjoyed a couple of the local beers. Not bad beer for French stuff, I might add.
Today, David and Vicky and Richard and Laila are expected to arrive here from Dominica. We're not sure if we'll still be in this anchorage, yet, at we would really like to move on down the island to find something less "city-like". After all, you know we really are allergic to cities! We may have to wait to reconnect with them further on down the island.
Although we really loved the anchorage, and even with Laila and Richard back in the fold, we knew we needed to put some water under our boat and begin to move south soon. So after our "welcome back to the group party, Windfreak and Allergic to Cities, yanked the anchor up the next morning and sailed off to the next island, Dominica. Not to be confused with the Dominican Republic, Dominica is a rain-forested island of significant beauty. Most recently those of you whom have seen the Pirates of the Caribbean II and III movies, will recognize this island as the location for that filming. We arrived after a 6 hour sail across open water in near perfect conditions, to the port of Portsmouth. This was originally designated to be the capital city of the island, but due to early outbreaks of Malaria and Dengue fever, from the nearby swampy areas, the capital was moved south to another port, Roseau. These problems have all but disappeared and today, this port is an active eco-tourism destination.
We took advantage of the tourism offerings one morning and went with a local guide in his small rowboat up the swampy river into the mangrove area. We saw many large iguanas and fish, and he was hoping that along with it being a good iguana day, that it would also be a good snake day. We kind of looked at each other in a bit of shock as he explained that this area was the natural habitat to Boa Constrictors as well as several other exotic vipers. We didn't get to see any snakes but non-the-less, had a fabulous experience on the river with this guide. Incidentally, some time ago, the country realized that tourism was to be a big part of the countries economy, they set out to certify guides to be able to offer qualified tours with expert guides. Our guy, Albert, was on of the first to pass the certification, and his knowledge was in depth and very complete in all details. He could describe, at length, the various flora, and fish species we would see and easily answered our more scientific queries. Yet his formal education was clearly not likely to be beyond what we call grade school. He rowed the boat up the river several miles, as to not disturb the beautiful natural habitat of the jungle, and for this was paid the equivalent of about $20/US.
We moved on down the coast to our next stop, Roseau, the next morning and found the anchorage to be, unfortunately, as rolly as the last. We were met, as we entered the mooring field, by a small, colorfully painted fishing-style boat, manned by a guy who introduced himself as Dexter. We found that once we got to this island, "boat boys", as they are referred to, make their living "helping cruisers, with chores like mooring, fruit sales, garbage disposal, and arranging for tours, taxis, and rental cars, and such. It is quite a contest, between them, to see whom each boat would select to be their helper. Somewhat pesky, but not threatening at the least. We're told, this will be the way it is the rest of the way down island.
After we hooked up to the ball, a necessity at this anchorage, we headed into town to have a look around. This, being the capital city, was supposed to have some nice shops and things to see. We didn't find a lot of nice stores, although we did find a descent grocery, and we did find a really good outdoor farmer's market. There were many vendors with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, many of which are so foreign to us. Lots of rooty looking things which we only could imagine were to be boiled and served like a potato. One vendor lady was particularly helpful in describing what each thing was and how to prepare them. We nodded and said "thanks" but couldn't force ourselves to buy any of them. Probably our loss.
We returned early to our boat for the night as David and Vicky had arranged for a rental car the next day so we all could travel around the inner-island and see some of the spectacular natural sights. That night we decided it must be the national law for everyone on the island to own at least one mangy looking dog and then to tether them on a short leash outside their homes where they would be encouraged to howl and bark unmercifully, all night. Then, if the owner were to try to quiet the mutt, they would be subject to additional fines and be forced to wear a bight bright yellow smiley face t-shirt as an additional penalty, for trying to be nice to the boating community. Sarcasm aside, we didn't get a lot of sleep that night.
We arrived ashore the next morning, however, ready to explore the island. Dominica is a very rugged island with mountains raising up to 5,ooo ft. from the ocean.They are all lush with vegetation and beautiful assorted plant life. Since David rented the car, it was, fortunately, his responsibility to do the driving. They drive British style on Dominica, opposite side to American traffic, and mostly was over any reasonable speed around mostly blind corners, up and down treacherous hillsides. The habit is to honk the horn when approaching a blind curve and hope someone coming the other direction hears you coming. Most of the roads are badly pot-holed so they are very rough and driving involves lots of swerving around on the roadway. We did, however, envoy a fun day traveling about the island, stopping at a couple of notable waterfalls for a relaxing cool-down.
Everywhere we drove we found fruit trees growing along side the roads. Mangoes, Papayas, breadfruit, grapefruits, bananas, plantains, and more were everywhere. Tempting as it was we didn't stop to help ourselves as we figured these were probably owned and tended to by some local farmers. We returned to our boat dock after stopping at the grocery for a few provisions, and made it out to the boat just in time for another glorious Caribbean sunset. They decided to stay another day and enjoy more of the island in the rental car, but we had decided to move on the next day to Martinique. That night all of the dogs must have been holding a convention on the other side of the island so we got a good nights sleep.
We left Dominica around 7:30AM Friday and raised the sails about a mile out into the bay. The winds were to be at a good angle and a reasonable speed so we planned on having a nice day of sailing. We were not to be disappointed. Although we saw a few gusts over 2okts,; the winds stayed consistent and we made terrific time in our Manta 42. At times we had her up over 8.5kts which is moving right along. Because of speeds like this, we made the 35 mile passage in great time and arrived at the island of Martinique around 1:00.
Geographically similar to Dominica, Martinique is a larger island, with a greater population. The cruisers guide says it this way: "When you've had enough of deserted beaches and raw nature, Martinique is the place for a breath of civilization." It is VERY French and the towns are scrubbed clean and offers almost anything a cruising boater might need in the way of repairs or mechanical services. The shops are European and the restaurants are frequent and breathe wonderful aromas out onto the walkways.
The town we arrived at is called St. Pierre, and, like many of the island towns, has a notable history. Empress Josephine was born here and Napoleon spend much of France's naval wealth here, trying to protect the island from the superior English Navy. More notable is the historic eruption of Mt. Pele in 1902. This volcano nearly wiped out the entire population of the city of St. Pierre, except for two survivors. One was a prisoner in the local jail who survived due to the thickness of his cell walls and later became pardoned and traveled with the Barnum and Bailey circus, in the freak show.
When we went ashore to check in with customs, we found the typical French laid back system and were not able to find anyone able to do the paperwork. The customs office was closed and a note directed us to the internet café where we were told we could check in. The café was also closed, so we must go back in this morning and try again. It is quite comical to compare the systems between some islands and others. The British islands are very strict and official about customs, while the French ones, seem to almost care less.
We shopped a bit and had a humorous time trying to explain to the pharmacy what we wanted. They spoke only French and our French is very lacking. We finally were able to communicate well enough and purchased some Echinacea liquid for our fiend David, who is suffering from a upper chest cold. We also sat at a sidewalk café at happy hour and enjoyed a couple of the local beers. Not bad beer for French stuff, I might add.
Today, David and Vicky and Richard and Laila are expected to arrive here from Dominica. We're not sure if we'll still be in this anchorage, yet, at we would really like to move on down the island to find something less "city-like". After all, you know we really are allergic to cities! We may have to wait to reconnect with them further on down the island.
Monday, May 26, 2008
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