Pradise found!

I can't seem to upload photos all of the sudden which is why I didn't post this blog two days ago. So, I'm just gonna go ahead and post it now with no pix until i can figure out why. Hopefully pix will come soon.

Sailing to Dominica was smooth and nice. We only stayed one night even though we had plans for two. We got word from another sailor that was several islands ahead of us there was a strong northeast wind coming through and we should seek out a good lil hidie hole. Unfortunetely we were in the perfect position that no matter what way we ran there wasn’t a great alternative for seeking really good shelter. After hours of scouring the charts and getting more accurate weather reports we found out our original report was pesamistic in her forecast and caused us a great deal of alarm for no reason. So, we defaulted back to our original plan of going to Les Saintes. However, there are some stronger winds coming, not a Noreaster by any means, which led to our decision to leave Dominica a day earlier and move on to Les Saintes.

Before we snuck out of Dominica we did make room to sneak in a river boat tour of the rainforest. We did it early in the morning when lots of birds and fish were active. It was beautiful. The tour guide rowed us up the river for little more than a mile. Iguana’s, birds, fish, lots of tropical flowers, baby birds still in the nest….everything you wanted a two hour tour to be. Nothing spectacular but, really a pleasant way to spend the morning. Dominica is known as a poor island. People still live in huts, the dock we stepped on to had cabinet doors (with the door knobs still attached) screwed down to fill in the gaps where boards were missing. Goats, dogs, chickens, cats…you name it running wild on the streets. The people speak English and are very friendly but you have to be prepared for it. I guess that’s true of a lot of these islands. There is plenty of beauty to behold if you don’t mind looking past the human factor. Just the way it is in the islands.

Something else that strikes me odd about the islands is how an island 20 miles away can be dirt poor and most of its residents NEVER leave their 20 square mile island and then the next island is sophisticated, clean, organized, well traveled and has wealth. The contrast is amazing. Not leaving the island would be like you and me never leaving the city we were born in, not even to go visit a friend. Strikes me odd. Plus, these locals that never leave their small piece of dirt in the middle of a huge ocean are being visited by strangers that are globe trotting. Ironic isn't it?!

After the mad scramble of trying to find a “hurricane hole” to hunker down in for the big blow and then realizing it was all for not, our sail to Les Saintes was just the opposite. The wind was blowing at perfect angle, the weather was perfect and it was only a short 20 mile sail from Dominica to Les Saintes. I got several cat naps while Michael drove the boat to keep his mind of the sea sickness. That makes two trips back to back with no sickness and great sailing...nice!

Les Saintes as the name implies is another French Island. Even though Martinique didn’t hit our top 10 list, this place….this place is different. It has a touristy feel that we are all familiar with but, not too touristy. It’s still quaint, quiet and civilized. It also has easily accessed INTERNET!!!!!!! Too good to be true.  Les Saintes is supposed to be a scuba diving haven. I snorkeled today just a hundred yards from where we dropped anchor and saw more interesting things than I have on all of our other dives combined so far. If the weather holds we are going into town tomorrow and getting our diving lined up for the week.

We arrived in Les Saintes with enough time before dark to launch the dinghy, take a swim, clean up and then go into town. We walked the streets with beer in hand while taking in all the new sights and looking for dinner. I have been hunting for a good French Bouillabaisse for three islands now. The captain is a pizza nut. He gets pizza about 50% of the time we go out. I think because on the islands where you don’t speak the language it is a fairly safe bet that you will get something that you like. Plus it’s usually reasonably priced. Needless to say our pizza was good and still dreaming of my bouillabaisse. Lol.

This morning I got up and jogged the island. This has become one of my new favorite things to do. You get to see so much more than you would if you were just walking. Plus it’s my time to get away from the guys.  I jogged up to the top of one of the hills. There was a huge Christ on the Cross at the top. Apparently it is lit up at night and overlooks the harbor. I’ll have to do some research on it and find out its history. It was a great place to get some quiet time. Afterwards I found the perfect little outdoor café overlooking the bay. I ordered my Café American longe au croissant and just sat there people watching and took in the morning. It’s more fun people watching in a foreign country. Not only are things and people different from our norm but, there is an anonymity to it because of the language barrier.

The Capt and Michael have hit the end of each other’s patience. Last night the Capt threw down the gauntlet and told Michael they either needed to figure out a way to get around their conflict or leave the boat. Whoa! The tension has been building and I guess this was coming. So, my jog served two purposes this morning. One; I got my quiet time and found my little piece of heaven. Two; the other two had time to talk and clear the air a little. Michael is still on board….as of now, seven days remaining before he departs in Antigua and counting.

I am not sure if I have already made it clear when I am heading to FL. Originally I was scheduled to leave out of St Lucia on the 7th. That was just for the sake of booking a ticket and having some sort of plan. As expected the plan has changed and I will be leaving from Antigua also. However, I will fly out on the 19^th. T-minus 13 days for me…hopefully the Captain doesn’t make me walk the plank before then! Lol.