Arrived in Martinique

Arrived just before sunset almost 11 hours and 65 miles. We had intended on 50 miles and an earlier stop but all was going so well we just kept on going. This is the view from the patio outside the customs office. 

More to follow when we have more to share. 

Relaxing in the anchorage

We have had a lovely few days of relaxing in this anchorage and are preparing to head the next step south. Since we have no depth instruments ( you might remember we bought a new Raymarine package in Nov and they ceased to work in Jan) so we can only anchor in a bay we know or pick up a mooring ball. We will leave tomorrow morning for Roseau at the southern end of the island. It is a place with  mporing balls and not a spot we have been to. We hope to spend two days there and explore and then go to Martinique on Sat or Sunday. The weather appears good for all of this. 

We have tried to meet more people here in the anchorage. There were two Canadian boats that we have seen in many ports along the way and yesterday we just dinghied up to say hello. Both boats seemed glad to see us. 

Yesterday we hooked up with a group to go to a Chinese food restaurant near the university. Nine of us went with six in one dinghy .... A limo we called it. It was fun to visit with more new people and the food was excellent. Tonight  there is PAYS BBQ on the beach with music and rum punch. Usually it is just Sunday evening but the bay is full so I guess why not. 

Roseau,Dominica

In the hot springs pools. Although the water looks dirty it isn't and no smell either. 

We had a lovely four hour down the coastline and not one shower. We nearly postponed our departure because of the threat of squalls. But on radar received on Brian's phone we decided to hit the road. We took a mooring ball very close to shore. The bay is very large and about a 15 minute walk to town. We are off this morning in search of a few groceries and some exploring. We took a taxi tour of the north end of the island with Armstrong yesterday.iIt was very lush and beautiful. I'll just include liots of pictures. 

They call this tree the Rasta tree. I told Brian to keep his hair short!

A view from the road.

It rained almost the whole time we were in the RAIN FOREST.

Brian having a roadside drink.

Trafalgar falls

Back in Dominica

We had a great motor/sail back to Dominica winds were just off the bow at 16 to 21 knots and gusts to26 we did not encounter a single squall that was forecast. The winds and waves were what we expected and we didn't even get too salty. We arrived about 4:00 after an eight hour sail. When we checked into Customs the next morning we met a nice young German couple. I do mean young! So young we had to ask how they were able to be here sailing. It turns out the boat is the fathers and the son and father sailed it from Germany. The son Boran is on the boat for one year after his graduation from university and Micah, his girlfriend, is here for two weeks with him. She is still in university and working as well. You meet some interesting people every where. We talked to them about an Isalnd tour and they set it up and the boat boy picked us up on Friday at noon for a half day. What a lovely couple they were. 

We started off in a mini van just the four of us with Winston, the guide. He is an older guy who has lots of info on the nature of this island. Just before we turned off the main road Winston said "don't be scared this is a two lane road" when actually it was one lane barely as wide as a narrow driveway and wound it's way up the mountain side. The interesting thing was that it was paved the whole way. When we did meet another vehicle going the other way we'd both slow down and swerve to the side and each driver would say "y'all right! it's okay brother" then drive on. Our first stop was in a park with lovely walking trails in a beautiful forest The trees were so tall and completely shady at ground level. These three pictures are Brian beside one 

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As we walked through we could hear a lot of birds and the island is known for rare parrots. Although we did not see any parrots close enough to identify we were told if you heard a parrot and saw a bird fly then indeed you saw a parrot! 

Then we proceeded to a plantation farming area. It was many acres of individual farm plots where people did the farming but no one lived in the area. We were able to sample some oranges and grapefruit. But only after finding a person we could buy from. Signs were all around warning of stealing the produce! We saw bananas, pineapple, oranges, grapefruit, coffee beans, cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa, lemon grass, ginger root, mangoes,papaya, dasheen and probably more I've forgotton. This is some of our bounty from the trip. 

The next stop was a hike into Syndicate Falls. It was great walk through more plantation fields and then into a rocky path and across a small stream and finally to the waterfall. No I didn't fall once. The way the path led us and you are carefully looking down picking your steps over boulders and you really didn't know you were so close until you were right there. What a beautiful surprise to look up and see a 80 foot waterfall appear. Boran and Micha went for a dip but Brian and I stayed back and watched. What a lovely day ..... Valentines day and all. 

Still in Deshaies

We are having a great time in this anchorage. We are in a lovely spot close to rock cut wall and the winds have been very light the past few days. Though they are more pleasant to live with we need to run the generator more often to supplement our power. The fridge is an energy hog and we like ice cubes. So we try to run it a couple hours in the evening and watch a movie at the same time.... Thanks Bet for the great selection of movies. It hasn't even rained much in the last week so very pleasant indeed. Fuel has been a problem to obtain since there is some kind of dispute going on. Not getting much local French news ( like we could understand it!) we are not sure what the situation was but stations were closed or pumps were dry. We did get both gasoline and diesel earlier this week. 

View from the stern this morning of the rock wall. 

We tried to rent a car with Barry and Ann (no e) from Cats Paw IV but nothing available for a week or more. So we checked into the buses and took a big highway bus into Pointe a Petrie. It was a two hour bus ride with many stops ( the express!?) and a very crowded scene. A verbal fight broke out about half way along and two people were just screaming at each other. She was in the seat ahead of us and just wild! We had no idea what the whole thing was about and people around us were laughing at them so it must have been pretty serious. The city itself was quite a sad sight. It was very run down, dirty .....littered with garbage and broken bottles every where. We walked along the water front for quite a way but it was fenced off to such a point we couldn't even get to the water. There were a lot of market places and that is always a colourful scene. One booth was selling down filled vests ..... go figure in this heat. We walked to the marina which was a busy clean place and a lovely lunch and walked back and got the earlier bus back. It was not as crowded and took only one hour. All this fun for only 4€. each way. 

Today we plan to go to town check out of the country after which we have 48 hours to leave. We will go back to the Pigeon Island anchorage that had the great snorkelling and have another hour or so there, a little shop in the Leader Price for stock up of cheeses and maybe another box or two of wine. Then Wed am we plan to make a bee line to Dominica. It is a 50 mile sail with two open passages between the islands. Unfortunately our weather guy was off the air this AM for some reason. We will rely on our own findings on the web to make our final decision to go. It is wonderful we have Internet on Brian's phone wherever we are for about 50 EC per month. In the French islands it eats up the time and dollars quicker but still worth it. 

That is our boat in the distance from shore and a view of the bay. Taken from the dock at a restaurant called Hemmingway's from which we heard wonderful jazz music all Sunday afternoon. We'll have to return to try their menu. 

There are lots of reasons to return to Guadeloupe and perhaps some of you could meet us here. 

Deshaies,Guadeloupe

We stand corrected on spelling of Guadeloupe the title of the last blog. 

We got here (Deshaies: pronounced - day ay) on Monday after a short sail up the coast from Pigeon Isalnd. This bay is quite large and we are close to the south side and not too far from the dinghy dock. It has been calm as glass,moderately windy and lots of rain to wild winds all day yesterday. We did a hike up over a mountain to a lovely beach where we watched lots of people be knocked off their feet and into the swells. Because it had rained the night before the trail on the mountain was quite slippery. Kendra your walking sticks saved us a couple times and a random tree in the right place saved us a couple times too. No falling this hike! 

The next early morning D&L left the bay north bound for Nevis. It was a sad day for me for sure. We had a lovely few weeks travelling with Cat Tales and learned a lot. But now we are on our own. So the first thing I do is go over to the boat anchored behind us that we have seen in many a harbour and invite them over for a drink. The man owns the boat and Patricia answered an ad on line and signed on as crew, He is 64 and she is 70 and doesn't look any past 60. Wow you never know ! 

Wednesday was designated "work day" as we haven't had a lot of them lately...... Playing too much. It felt good to get at a lot of jobs.the list is still not done. As I cross two things off I usually add one or two more. It was a rainy day too and we caught a full 6 gallon jug of water. Thursday was forecast to be rainy and we just went into town to find internet, the tourist bureau and just look around. We had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the bay and enjoyed fabulous French cuisine (a plate of three types of fish and a plate of goat ragout both with real French fries, fresh rolls and a bit of salad and dessert of fresh fruit and caramel bananas with almond slices) while the weather alternated between sun and rain showers. 

Friday was drier day and we walked to the Botanical Gardens. It was a beautiful well established quite large park, orchids and hibiscus abounded. Two of my favourites for sure! Hummingbirds and butterflies flew by and they had a room of noisy parrots.

The lunch spot was alive with begging chickens,babies,moms and roosters. They loved the french fries the children fed them. I picked a bouquet of flowers along the road home.

Last night was Carnival in the town and was supposed to start at 8:00 so three boats of us went in around 7:30 and they were just bussing the participants in and setting up barricades. True island time! At about 9:30 the parade started but they stopped just short of where we were standing to preform their dances for the judges in a crowd you couldn't see through or over. Then they moved along the street in front of us dancing and banging their drums. (Pictures to follow) It was 11:30 when we got home and they still weren't finished. But enough for us. 

Today we are talking to Ann and Barry on a boat Cat Paws IV about renting a car and doing an island tour. Something that has been highly recommended to us. 

Guadalupe

We had a nice two hour passage from The Saintes, wind around 18 knots from the ENE boat speed around 6.5 knots on jib alone. Some showers but a good passage none-the-less. No salt on the decks when we arrived so a good sail. We are now in Guadelope which is a French island also. We did not have to check out of the Saintes or in here.We arrived and anchored in the tiny bay of Anse A Le Barque. It was so peaceful and calm after our wild and rolly nights in the Saintes.

Then around noon we motor sailed to the next bay Pigeeon Island.  When we arrived we took the dinghys and made a short run to the laundry mat and a top up on groceries. There is no dinghy dock for this stop. You follow the Doyle guide book ( and of course Dawn and Laurie have been several times before) and you go in a little fishing boat harbour and tie off to the side and clammed up the side. The next morning we set out to explore the reef just a few hundred feet off the back of the boat. Wow the best snorkelling I think we have ever seen! With the help of D&L we spotted an octopus and several squids.we see the obvious but not the well camouflaged ones. This island is part of a Jacques Cousteau Park and has a lot of scuba diving and snorkelling. We are anchored close to the mainland. We spent the afternoon just looking at the beach bars and souvenir shops before deciding on a spot for lunch ....based on wifi availability. The lunch was good,service slow but the people watching was fun and wifi was unavailable. When we came back to the boat there was a new anchored boat beside us.  As the winds were blowing he seemed close but not so bad but as the winds died and we all started drifting around he was really close. Although there is an American flag on the stern they are French speaking and no offence to our French friends.....the French like to anchor so close you can pass a coffee if need be. 

Today will start with another hour of snorkelling and then a move to the next port just another hour or so up the coast.