1.9.2009 Guadeloupe: Les Saintes, Deshaies, Grande-Terre Hei, huomenna jatkan matkaa Martiniquelle. Olen innoissani, kun vihdoinkin pääsen matkustamaan laivalla lentokoneen sijasta. Matka Pointe-à-Pitrestä Fort-de-Franceen kestää 3 tuntia 45 minuuttia. Eikä lippu maksanut kuin 65 euroa. On tosiaankin valitettavaa ja outoa, että Brittiläisen kansainyhteisön, Ranskan ja Hollannin saaret on eristetty toisistaan. Se on ihan älytöntä, kun kuitenkin Englanti, Ranska ja Hollanti ovat EU-maita. Siirtomaa-aika eturistiriitoineen on edelleen voimassa täällä, ja se on yksi syy karibialaisten kapi [View Full Entry]

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No, nythän minä pääsin oikeaan viidakkoon asumaan. Guadeloupen luonto on huomattavasti vehmaampaa ja maasto kumpuilevampaa kuin Kuuban, Puerto Ricon ja Antiguan. Täällä sataa joka yö kuten kuuluukin aidossa sademetsässä, joka yltää kaupungin keskustaan asti. Saint-Annen pikkukaupungissa (20 000 asukasta), perhosen muotoisen Guadeloupen Grand-Terre -siivellä voi hyvin kuvitella, miten nopeasti luonto valloittaisi takaisin sivilisaation kapean rantakaistaleen. (ks. kuva terassiltani) Täällä on niin kuumaa ja kosteaa (30 C yöllä), että pyykki ei kuiva kuin päivällä suorassa auringonpaisteessa. [View Full Entry]

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Even though we had to book it south for hurricane season, we couldn’t resist stopping at Iles de Saintes on our way back down. We skipped the Saintes on our travels up the Caribbean chain this year, and just couldn’t pass by these islands without stopping again. Besides, we had to break up all that travel somehow. And who could resist this group of small islands just off of Guadeloupe. The Saintes are one of our favorite anchorages in the Caribbean. We absolutely love the quaint French fishing village on Terre-de-Haut, it is so charming! The people are friendly, the food [View Full Entry]

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Guadeloupe I can’t believe we have only been here a week and already so much has happened After the terrible trip to Deshaies we woke up the next morning find the sea calm,. Sparkling and enticing. It was pleasant and so of course we had to go out to the 100 metre mark to put out the fishing rods. Alan’s arm is a lot better. Pigeon Island was only about an hour and a half away. Pretty little anchorage, took two attempts to make the anchor hold. Lots of eel grass, very slippery stuff. We put our gear on and did [View Full Entry]

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Year and a catastrophe at sea. We did not want to stay too long in Jolly Harbour so motored down to Falmouth, the weather was a little stormy but the sea very calm. We anchored in Falmouth and just carried on getting the boat ready for sea, a much easier job than normal. Which was just as well because for this first week Alan’s arm swelled up and was unusable. We decided the best thing was for him to totally rest it and certainly after a few days it has got a lot better. New year was a really nice [View Full Entry]

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Zouk karaoke and dinners by the marina - Welcome to Guadeloupe. Bob Marley sounds even better down here. [View Full Entry]

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We left St. Bart's just after sunset and had a wonderful sail to Les Saintes. And yes- we actually sailed. We were booking it around 8 knots with full sail and engine off, just the sound of the waves and the water rushing against the hull- nice! It was the first time since we left the Bahamas that the wind was off our stern not dead on the nose, so instead of bashing thru the waves we just got pushed along, surfing down them as they came in behind us. It was a calm night and we enjoyed watching the lights [View Full Entry]

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We sailed to the Saintes Islands just south of Guadeloupe. The roosters woke us up in time to walk up to Fort Napoleon. Fort Napoleon was built in 1867. The Fort has a well tended garden of labeled cactuses and succulents. [View Full Entry]

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'Up in de hills, where de streams are cool, An mullet an janga swim in de pool, I have ten acres of mountain side, An a dainty-foot donkey dat I ride, Four Gros Michel, an four Lacatan, Some coconut trees, and some hills of yam Evan Jones The plants of the Caribbean are extremely colourful, with exotic looking flowers and fruits. Some of the most common species were brought by early settlers for food, or to decorate their garden and remind them of home, so the vegetation of today is almost certainly very different to what it looked like before [View Full Entry]

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The bridge did not open, what else is new...See tomorrows comment... [View Full Entry]

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