ST-VINCENT

Our sail from Bequia to St-Vincent was a wet one.  The waves were 6 to 8 feet), the winds were  at 25 knots and we were going against the trade winds and current.  We hugged the shores as much as we could, but still, waves pounded into our cockpit soaking us.  This was actually the best day to sail as the forecast was only going to get worse.  Of course, we could of stayed longer however, we're on a SCHEDULE to get to St-Anne, Martinique for Xmas.  I must of said a million of times and cruisers all know that schedules are an awful thing but still, we make them for one reason or another.  

Our goal was to hike the volcano in St-Vincent however my herniated discs were not happy, giving me lots of grief.  So, instead, we waiting 30 minutes for a local bus to pick us up to go to the town of Kingstown.  This bus driver had it figured out.  He was by far, the worse, fastest crazy bus driver with the loudest vulgar rap music to date but....the inside roof of his bus was very well padded so we guessed  that if we flipped over, we'd be protected by this pad.  A lovely thought.

PADDED BUS IN CASE OF CRASH

Kingstown is a very lively, dreary, falling apart kind of Carib city by the ocean with lots of container ships and a cruise dock. The streets are lined with fruit, vegetable vendors and cheap clothing stores.  I just had to buy a watermelon and eat it right then and there.

Some vendors set up a couple of stools and a make shift table so you can have cocktails in the middle of the work day.  The town is loud; people screaming at each other for unknown reasons since we cannot understand Creole.  There was also a demonstration opposing the newly elected government.  I made the mistake of asking a lady what the demonstration was about.  She was extremely lively and yelling  and screaming about how their new government was a communist and she just went on and on and on....She was so loud it was hurting my ears.  I had to back away.  

DOWNTOWN KINGSTON

DOWNTOWN KINGSTON

MURAL IN DOWNTOWN KINGSTON

DOWNTOWN MARKET

We walked up the hill to visit the Botanical Gardens.  These gardens are the oldest in all of the Western Hemisphere.  We had to stop under a gazebo and have our lunch since it was raining very hard.  The garden keepers kept us company and were very proud to say that they had their first Xmas light show the previous night.  

The garden boasts a breadfruit tree that is a descendant of the original breadfruit tree imported here by Captain Bligh.

There is an organization that is trying to save the St-Vincent parrots as there are only about 500 left in the wild and only on the Island of St-Vincent.  Next to the gardens are several cages with about 20 St-Vincent parrots.  We were greeted by them saying "Hello, hello, hello".  They are very colorful birds of bright grey, red, pink, orange, blue, white and green colors.  It started raining really hard again and the birds walked upside down clinging to the roof of their cages and spreading their wings to get a bath.  This went on for about 30-60 minutes.  It was quite comical watching them.

ST-VINCENT PARROT

On our way back to the city, we decided to walk thru the very large cemetery.  As soon as we stepped inside the gates, a man which looked like he was living there, proceeded to get naked.  Not sure if he saw us or not...we turned back.

NAKED MAN TAKING COVER

HINTS FOR CRUISERS:

• Blue Lagoon marina:  Can be a bit rolly.  If you take a mooring ball, you can use their pool for $10 US a day.  The marina has a small cafe and a bar.  It also has a small grocery store.  You can catch a local bus just outside the marina by walking up the steep driveway.  It is only about 15 minute bus ride to the airport and another 15 to Kingstown.  Traffic can be horrible going into and out of the city.
• Botanical Garden:  We were here in December and there really wasn't many flowers at all.  The far better botanical gardens are in Deshaies, Guadeloupe.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

BEQUIA

You can tell that Christmas is just around the corner.  Xmas lights  are being set up in trees all around town.  Unfortunately, they won't be lighting them for another few days.

One night, we had beers at Papa's restaurant and bar, owned by a Swedish guy who's really into hockey.  Turns out that the Montreal Canadiens were playing against the Ottawa Senators in Montreal that night !   Next to me, was sitting Yalmar, a Swedish sailor on s/v Flying Penguin.  Turns out we saw his boat a couple of years ago near Musha Cay in the Bahamas with our friends on s/v Harmonium Cays.  Small world indeed.  Yalmar owns a condo in the Lagoon in St-Martin.  He invited us for cocktails.  When we get there, we'll surely take him up on it.  

While watching the hockey game, two local guys were playing guitar none stop for 3+ hours.  I find it's a real treat when you don't expect free live local entertainment.  A 3rd guy came along and was playing the yukilaly then suddenly left.  On the way back to our boat, at the dinghy dock, a guy next to a white van with a red light blinking on top asked us if we were at Papa's. We said "Yes".  He said, "I'm the guy who was playing the lukilaly and sorry I had to leave so fast".  Turns out he's the ambulance driver and there was a stabbing he had to attend to.  We asked if there was a hospital on the island.  He said no, but that the coast guard was arriving to pick up the guy and bring him to Kingstown in St-Vincent.  I asked, where's the guy now ?  He said, in the ambulance behind you.  As we were leaving, the coast guard arrived.  I'm just glad the guy in the ambulance didn't come out after us !  Ahhhh, just another night in the Caribbean Islands I guess.

We had a nice walk towards Peggy's Rock and visited a most beautiful resort called Bequia Beach Hotel.  My favorite would be a beach side cottage for only $500 US a night.  I have very good taste indeed.

You may want to look at my blog for Bequia dated May 2015 for more details.

POMEGRANITES

HINTS FOR CRUISERS:

• Maria's cafe has a laundry mat on the side of the cafe at street level.  You can do your own laundry here and get free wifi (from the cafe).  Cost me $48EC for 2 washes and 2 dryers.  Laundry in the Carib is expensive but cheaper if you do it yourself.  Beware, many places say they have laundry but it's laundry services where you cannot do laundry yourself.
• Papa's restaurant/bar is one of my favorites.  They have a nice view of the harbor.  Try their sour sop ice cream.
• The fruit and vegetables the vendors sell come mostly from St-Vincent.  Best to go the day they arrive from St-Vincent, otherwise they get ripe really fast.
• Must go to Dorris's gourmet grocery store.  There you will find things you wouldn't find anywhere else but be warned, it's pricey.  They have fresh mint for your mojitos :).  You'll find frozen meat and fish in the big freezers.
• If you want to buy a batik, there's a beautiful batik shop in town.  Expect to pay $49 US +++.     

CARRIACOU

Carriacou is a small, quaint island with very friendly locals.  We anchored in the protected Tyrell Bay where you can find some restaurants, bars and small grocery store.  Here, the music can be quite loud on certain nights. 

We met a guy who lives on a derelict sailboat with no mast.  His ankle was all taped up.  I asked him "What happened to your ankle?".  He responded “A dog bit my foot and then I kicked it, breaking my foot”.  He must of kicked that dog really hard !

There is no water on the island.  The only way to get water is to collect the rain water.  There are approximately 5,000 inhabitants on the island.

We took the local #10 bus for $3EC to Hillsborough, the main town.  There you can find some grocery stores, vendors for fresh veggies and fruit, a fish market, post office and several restaurant/bars.  We particularly enjoyed ‘La Playa’ restaurant.  For $30EC we were served a large portion of Mahi Mahi burger with fries or salad.  It was absolutely delicious.    

LOCAL CHILDREN TAKE THE LOCAL BUSES

NO IDEA WHAT THIS CRITTER IS

FISHERMAN ARRIVING WITH THEIR CATCH IN HILLSBOROUGH

A visit to the  town of Windward was well worth it.  Take the #11 bus from the bus depot in Hillsborough.  Anthony McLaurence is currently building a wood cargo/sailing ship that’s about 75 feet long and 18 feet wide.  The wood he’s using is white pine, mahogany and cedar.  Some of the wood is local and some are imported from Grenada and other islands in the area.   Mr. McLaurence said he’ll launch approximately in July 2016.  I wish we could be there for the festivities where they’ll roasting pigs and goats.  It’ll take about 300 people to launch the boat.  It’ll be an all day ordeal.

Sitting by the ocean having beers before lunch was Lynn and Kevin we met from Lake Manitoulin, Ontario.  They bought a house down the road 4 years ago and make Carriacou their home 6 months out of the year.  They were kind enough to invite us to their home where they showed us their land turtles.  During December, they mate and make so much noise that it’s their entertainment as they don’t have a television.  Turtle Porn they call it.  It’s unfortunate in the fact that they no longer grow vegetables in their gardens because they kept getting their produce stolen.  In fact, one night around 2am, they saw someone carrying a goat on their back….They figured that the person was stealing this goat.  Sad.

SUSAN, LYNN AND KEVIN ON THEIR PROPERTY IN CARRIACOU

YOU CAN TELL IT'S A MALE BECAUSE OF HIS SHELL IS INDENTED TO BE ABLE TO MOUNT A FEMALE

In July 1945, children found an anti ship mine that was washed ashore.  It unfortunately exploded and several people perished.  A monument was erected at the site.

About a 25 minute walk from Windward to Bay A L’eau, along the seashore you’ll find a cemetery called T-Bone.  Locals are buried here next to the ocean in hopes that one day they’ll be washed out to sea.  Then, why don’t they just get dumped into the sea when they die?  It’s a creepy place.

We walked the beautiful Paradise Beach in L’esterre.  It’s a wonderful beach with clear water and some restaurants & bars along the way.  It’s very low key and well worth spending some beach time there.  It’s here you will find a brightly colored container which is the Fidel Productions store that has lots of local made crafts and batiks.  It’s a bit on the pricey side but everything is very well made.  Across from Paradise Beach is Sandy Island.

PARADISE BEACH IN L'ESTERRE

PARADISE BEACH AND SANDY ISLAND IN THE BACKGROUND

Sandy Island is basically a sand bar across from Paradise Beach in L’esterre, Carriacou.  It is a protected sea park and there is a small fee to take a mooring buoy here.  Previous storms washed up coral on the windward side protecting this little island.  If you look closely, some places have pink sand which is pink coral that has been broken and washed up on the beach.  The water is amazingly clear, probably because of the strong currents.  Snorkeling is best on the East end. 

CORAL WASHED UP ON THE WINDWARD SIDE OF SAND ISLAND

STAR FRUIT FOR BREAKFAST.  I LIKE IT A BIT UNDERIPE AS IT'S CRUNCHY LIKE APPLE

After a beautiful night at Sandy Island, we motored to Hillsborough, Carriacou to clear out and get some fresh fish from the market.  This time, we bought some Lion fish and Red Snapper.  Both costs $20EC, that’s about $7US.  It was our first time eating Lion fish and it is truly delicious.

HINTS FOR CRUISERS:

- You need European 220 volts, 50 Hertz electric.

-        - Post office is in Hillsborough however you can mail letters and post cards at Alexi’s supermarket in Tyrell Bay.

- - There's a good Deli in Hillsborough called Patty's Deli.

-     - Take #10 bus from Tyrell Bay to Paradise Beach or Hillsborough.

-         - Take #11 bus from the Hillsborough bus depot to Windward.

-         - There can be loud music at night on the shores of Tyrell Bay.

-         - You can clear in and out both in Tyrell Bay and Hillsborough.  Immigration and customs is opened on week-ends in Hillsborough.  Once you clear out, you have 24 hours to leave.

-         - You can easily bike this Island.

-      -  Groceries and produce are limited.

GRENADA

My plans to fly to Trinidad in the middle of October got changed to flying to Montreal instead.  My step father, who I always considered to be my father, lost his 8 year battle with cancer.  I was lucky enough to be able to be with him and talk to him for about two weeks prior to his passing.  As anyone knows, loosing a parent is not an easy thing, I don't care if it's their time or not, we are never ready for this moment.  Rest in Peace Walter Garrett, I will miss you terribly.

Tim has been on Alpenglow since the end of September doing boat projects.

New Swim Step

Moved automatic pilot so we can see it rather than it being behind us

Moved VHF so easier access

Sanded and varnished the floor

Put an anchor at the stern for easier access.

My wish was for Tim to sail solo from Trinidad to Grenada while I was in Montreal.  I had no energy left or desire to be in a boat yard or sail overnight to Grenada.  My husband rocks !  I flew to beautiful Grenada and into the arms of my hubby and onto our wonderful boat Alpenglow.  Thus season 3 begins.....

Tim and I did our very first HASH.   "The Hash House Harriers (abbreviated to HHH or H3, or referred to simply as hashing) is simply an international group of non-competitive running social clubs. An event organized by a club is known as a hash or hash run, with participants calling themselves hashers or hares and hounds".  Needless to say, we didn't expect the beer shower at the end for first comers.  It was a blast.  Approximately 100 people showed up.

SINCE IT WAS OUR VERY FIRST HASH, THEY SURPRISED US WITH A BEER WASHDOWN

CUTE LITTLE GUY ALONG THE HASH TRAIL

We made friends with a bunch of German speaking cruisers from Switzerland, Germany and Austria.  There are mostly Europeans now in Grenada.  English is not the main language.  To get my dose of French, I go to the Butcher shop in Hog bay, where Gilles from Quebec owns the shop.

While in Grenada, we went river tubing, visited the oldest Rum distillery in Grenada, went to Mt.Carmel falls and hiked Mt. Qua Qua.

NUTMEG WITH RED MACE AROUND IT

RUM DISTILLERY STILL USING THE OLD METHODS

DUMPING THE CRUSHED SUGAR CANE

MT. CARMEL WATERFALLS 

WATER CASCADE NEAR MT.CARMEL FALLS

CALABASH FRUIT USED FOR DECORATIONS ONLY OR TO MAKE BOWLS

SIGN IN A LOCAL BUS

HIKED MT. QUA QUA.  APPROXIMATELY 2,400 FEET

6 HOURS AFTER A DIFFICULT HIKE.  DO NOT HIKE TO THE CONCORD FALLS AS THE TRAIL IS DESTROYED BY A LAND SLIDE,  WE FOUND OUT THE HARD WAY.

CONSTANT SCRAMBLING

THE EASIER PART OF THE HIKE

Before leaving Grenada, we just had to stop again at Moliniere to snorkel the underwater sculptures again.

 




















HINTS FOR CRUISERS (as of Nov. 2015):
- Cruiser's Net on channel 66 Monday - Saturday at 7:30 am.
- There are several Grenada facebook group pages for loads of local information.
- HASH, every Saturday.  You can call Shademan aka Patrick for a taxi ride to the HASH.  The HASH costs about $2EC only and they have beer and food to purchase afterwards.
- Secret Harbor Bay anchorage:  If you anchor here, you can use the Secret Harbor Marina showers and laundry for a fee.  It is a 15 minute walk to Prickly Bay.  It is difficult if not impossible on some days to dinghy to Prickly Bay.
- Hog Island hosts a beach bar called Rogers.  He makes Roti and BBQ chicken on certain days.  He also has free live music which is really good ! Listen to the net for more info.
- Taxi service called Shademan goes to the market, bank, ect ect.. on certain days for a small fee.  Listen to the net for more info.
- On Mondays, Shademan (taxi) goes to Island Waterworld for free (Island Waterworld pays for the taxi service).

-      - Prickly Bay marina:  439-5265 or 439-9656

-    -  Le Phare Bleu live music Friday nights 8:30pm 444-2400

-    - True Bleu 439-6434

-    - Junction Bar & Grill at L’ance Aux Epines, Thursdays 9-11pm free Salsa dancing.

-    -  Secret Harbor marina.  Mondays:  Live music.  Wed: Jazz.  Thur: movie night with 2 for 1 pizzas.  444-4449

-    -  A Mici Miei Pizzeria  473-439-6434, closed Sundays.

-    - West Indies Beer Company 5pm Roti Wednesdays

-    - True Blue has cooking classes/demonstrations 473-439-6434

-    - Cutter Tours, highly recommended by other cruisers  407-5153