Two Steps Forward, One Step Back!

With Nancy and Vernon aboard we wanted to give them the best Caribbean experience we could and after seeing the horrors of Fort De France we decided that going back to St. Lucia would be best.  We got up early, pulled anchor and headed South again across the St. Lucia channel.  The day was rainy and dreary…perfect for a crossing.  On the way across the channel Vern noticed something ahead but as the waves were between 6 and 8 feet high the “thing” came and went…then Captain John saw it too…it was a whale .  The whale disappeared as quickly as it came.

We made a day of it and sailed all the way to Soufriere and picked up a mooring in between Grand Piton and Petit Piton.  We had been eating all of our meals aboard and decided we wanted to go to The Hummingbird Restaurant.  The Piton was blocking our reception so we had a very nice yachtee help us make a reservation by “relaying” the call.  We were booked for 7pm and had a Water Taxi called “Feeling Good” all lined up to take us around the point and into town…much too far in the sea state we were experiencing for five of us to dinghy around the mountain and into town.  Well, they never showed up so Mac-N-Cheese it was.

The next morning the divers had arranged to be picked up for a dive on Emerald Reef.  Jonathon saw a Spider Crab which sounded like a beautiful yet strange creature.  Lunch and rest then off we went again for a Land Tour.  First stop was the Hot Springs at the volcano…a lot like Yellowstone with the steam and bubbling mud pools.

Next we went to the Botanical Gardens, Mineral Pools and Waterfall.  The land for the gardens was given to 3 Devaux brothers by King Louis XIV of France in 1713 for service to their country and it has been passed from generation to generation.

The waterfall was beautiful with the yellow colored rocks from all the sulpher.  Coming into the mooring field we could smell the sulpher from the volcano.

I am showing you photos of the mineral pools before and after Hurricane Tomas hit in 2010.  The mineral pools were originally built in 1784 by orders of King Louis XVI for the French Troops.

Our guide, Dixon (being an ex-car salesman and good at the sales aspect), told us we had to go see Heaven and we all agreed.  So off to Tet Paul Nature Trail.  This was such a well-done trail with guide that we HIGHLY recommend it!  We had no idea it was here…no mention of it in any tour guides.  The first plant is the “looney” fruit, we also saw pineapples and a cashew tree.

We kept climbing up and finally found the “Stairway To Heaven” with a 360 degree view of the Island of St. Lucia and a Piton view to die for.

Since we were already in town we dinghied over to The Hummingbird Restaurant which we had all to ourselves for a while but first we explored “The Bat Cave” at dusk with all the bats starting to fly around…eeeeeewwwww.  A sunset in paradise was the perfect way to say goodbye to another day!  Those of you who know Vern will have to ask him about the “blind” man at our table .

Are we on a Caribbean Island or in NYC?

Today we rented a car to pick up Nancy and Vernon from a late night flight at the airport.  Since we had the car we decided to explore Martinique a bit more.  Heading around the island we passed many Banana plantations where they had blue bags wrapped around the banana bunches.  Then we stopped in Le Vauclin for lunch.  They had the “Menu Touristik” and we just went for it.  It started with the appertif of your choice, “Ti Punch or Planters Punch”.  Ti Punch comes with a coconut shell of sugar to add since the alcohol is a bit rough.  Then came appetizer of fried fish and cole-slaw.  For the main course the guys had chicken and I had the fish with some local side-dishes (the mashed potato thing was dasheen)…Jonathon got a pile of “frites”.  Next course was your choice of ice cream, fruit salad, or café.  For the digestive we all got a shot of “schrub”.  After paying “l’addition sil vous plait” (the bill) we took a walk in the sand bar which was beautiful!

Heading West we wanted to see Fort De France.  As soon as we got within 10 miles of the city, we were in a traffic jam…really???  I thought we were in NYC for a moment except for the presence of the Fort of Saint Anne.  The commercialization and industrialization just felt out of place on a Caribbean Island. 

Bonjour Martinique but first…

We enjoyed a great sail from St. Lucia to Martinique and while in the channel a Wahoo decided to eat the Rapalla lure that Jonathon had set up.  Look at the size of this fish!  We will have a VERY nice fish dinner for our guests!  John gave a few nice steaks away to other cruisers we met.

We are in Marin hoping for a spot at the marina but this week there are 100 yachts coming in for the finish of the Trans-Quadra race.  It is a 15 day race from Madera (North of the Canary Islands) so there is no room at the inn but we have a nice spot in the anchorage to watch the Hobie Cat races and the local square-rigged Yole’s.  We finally hooked up with friends from “Yapuka” and “Jambalaya” and invited them onboard for an impromptu Congratulatory (for finishing their Trans-Atlantic Crossings) Happy Hour complete with champagne from Tunisia!

Martinique is The Isle of Flowers.  It’s beginnings started over 2,000 years ago by the Arawak Indians.  Christopher Columbus landed here in 1502 during his 4th expedition.  The Islands main industry was sugar cane…hence the ten rum distilleries here.  A lot of the population has roots from Africa as slaves were brought over to work the plantations.  In 1804 Josephine, wife of Napolean Bonaparte, was born here on one of the sugar plantations her family owned.  On May 8th, 1902, Mount Pelee erupted and destroyed the town of St. Pierre, killing all but one inhabitant (30,000 people total).  The one who lived was a prisoner spared by the prison’s thick walls. 

Tonight we explored the town of St. Anne.  Even though it was Sunday, a lot of pre-Carnival activity was going on.  A woman on the street was frying some delicious smelling Creole-Crudite’s.  The town was bustling with a lot of women dressed up as prostitutes and old junk cars with “police” painted on them barely getting up the hills.  We sat, got a drink, and just watched all the crazy activity going on. 

Marigot Bay…Paradise

An easy sail from Soufriere today leaving Grand and Petit Pitons behind us.  We arrived in Marigot Bay to what looks like paradise.  We arranged to have the bottom of the boat scraped and cleaned and headed for lunch.  “Herman” finished the boat while we enjoyed our meal. 

A Rainbow of a day!

Sometimes rain can be sooooo annoying when you are out sailing but today it made for some beautiful rainbows to enjoy as we fought the North wind (yes, on the nose) of 30+ knots and BIG, ROLLY seas .  We had to stop in Chateau Belaire to “check-out” of St. Vincent.  The Captain took the dinghy ashore and had to wait for Customs to show up to work and then wait outside at Immigrations (the police) while they were interrogating a couple girls accused of stealing. 

On our way here, we had a Police Water Craft approach us, hail us on the radio, ask us a few questions, and then leave again.  We were really surprised that they would even be on the water after the seas and wind we were experiencing.

We are now in Soufriere Marine Park in St. Lucia.  We are on a mooring (they no longer allow anchoring here as it is damaging the coral). in between the Pitons…what a sight to behold!  We told a boat boy on the way in that we didn’t have money to pay him to help us with the mooring and that we would do it ourselves…didn’t work.  He helped and we paid.  Then more boat boys came to sell produce, tours, etc.  Then the officers from the SMMA (Soufriere Marine Management Area) came to collect their share. 

Has anyone seen any pirates in these parts?

Today we had a short sail to Wallilabou Bay.  We ducked in the bay prior to see if we could grab a mooring there but the swell was too much and so we moved on.  The “boat boy”, named Sean, was at our side the whole way and even rowed his boat out to sea and back into Wallilabou to be able to get us our mooring line and earn some pay for the day.  Because of the heavy swells you grab a mooring ball at the bow and tie a stern line to another buoy behind you to keep you from swinging.  That way they can pack the boats in to a small space.  After you settle in more “boat boys” come around wanting to sell their goods…necklaces that they claim to have beaded themselves or produce or a fresh catch of the day, etc.  I bought a necklace made of Hematite from the Soufrier volcano for 20 EC which is about $8 US dollars.

We called Sam’s Taxi Tours on VHF channel 68 and arranged for an Island tour tomorrow…can’t wait! Later on, “Davis” stops by the boat to collect the 20 EC for the use of the mooring.  Remember that we also had to pay the boat boy for his help…everyone has their hands out .

As night Falls we head to shore.  We leave our dinghy at the dinghy dock and pay the “attendant” to watch it so that nobody steals it (the question is…how do we know he won’t steal it???).  If you eat at the restaurant they will refund you the 20 EC mooring fee but we didn’t find the food very appetizing.  There were lots of “no-see-ums” biting our ankles and bats (Yes, bats) flying around.

This Bay was a major site for the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies and the restaurant has a small museum of some relics that were left behind.  The rock arch as you sail in was in one of the movies with 3 pirates hanging off of it…called “Elephant Rock”.  John had to try out the caskets.