Blogs from Saint Vincent & Grenadines, Central America Caribbean

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Kingston, St Vincent Blog 23rd January 2020 St Vincent is the main island of the Windward Island's, its a steep and volcanic island with mountain ridges and waterfalls. Another warm humid day with the saving grace that we were the only ship in port today. Yesterday our view was blocked by a huge cruise ship which towered above the Aurora. Once you get out of the dock area you can appreciate the town a bit more. It was very tricky underfoot with very uneven pathways so quite difficult to get around. The Kingstown market is full of colour and local produce where farmers bring in vegetables, fruits and fresh fish. Away from the port area you come across a number of churches and cathedrals. St George’s cathedral (Anglican) was built in 1820, has a stained glass ... read more
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Wednesday July 24 - The boat came at 9:30, but it was not the boat I expected, and we did not leave until 10:00. I always rely on someone else to book things, since that’s kind of the usual here, but I never get the details, also the usual. I thought Troy said he booked a water taxi to do the tour, and that a few other people would be there. But the boat that came was actually a taxi boat to take me to nearby Palm Island, which is a gorgeous island owned by the Palm Island Resort. The whole thing is just for this amazing all-inclusive, perhaps the only one I would consider staying at after seeing it (except it is mega expensive, like $600+ per night). The taxi boat was ferrying me and ... read more
Palm Island
Palm Island
Palm Island


Tuesday July 23 – I got out of bed just before 7am, not quite sure what the plan was for today. Brenton said he would drive me to the ferry, but we didn’t make any plans for a specific time, and it’s a workday. I plugged my computer in, as it didn’t shut down correctly last night and was all out of battery. Then I packed everything I could, cleaning up a little. Brenton’s daughter knocked on the door at 7:26, bringing my breakfast, and told me her dad was planning to leave at 7:30. So, the communication and timing is a bit off. I ate a few bites and then continued to pack the last few parts up. Today they brought tuna and toast, which is funny since I’ve been eating comically large amounts of ... read more
Clifton
My guesthouse
Marina


Monday July 23 – When I went to sleep last night it started to rain. When I left this morning, it was raining a little. Maybe the wrong day for a beach day? I woke up 10 minutes before my 5:30 alarm. Brenton’s ad for the airbnb said it included breakfast, which is unusual. I asked him to confirm yesterday and he said that if I want breakfast, they can make it. He never said anything again, only that we’d meet to leave today at 6:45, so I figured he forgot. I ate a yogurt and granola, and then his wife came over to ask me if I wanted some breakfast. I thought she said she’d bring me the stuff to cook, but she brought me a plate with toast, a boiled egg and some fried ... read more
Ferry terminal
Ferry terminal
Bequia Express


Sunday July 21 – I set my alarm for 5:00, so of course I was awake before 4:00. I had to be up early to catch a bus to the airport, and with that in mind, I was never going to fall back asleep. I got out of bed at 4:15 and started the final pack, did some internetting, ate a bagel with banana for breakfast, the usual. Shelly told me yesterday that the airport bus leaves the station at 6:00 and will be to our bus stop a few minutes later, so I should be out at the bus stop a little before 6:00 to catch it. As soon as I arrived, the bus came. My intention was to arrive at the airport at 7:00, a little more than two hours before my flight, even ... read more
Leaving Barbados
Airport
Fort Charlotte


I had mixed feelings toward this port of call. It was meant to be Kingstown, St Vincent - the place I was most looking forward to. I'd read that St Vincent is meant to be one of the most beautiful islands, still largely undiscovered. I had a canoe + snorkel trip booked to Wallilabou Bay - the film set of Pirates of the Caribbean. I was very excited about this, and looking forward to also exploring the parrot reserve, and maybe some waterfalls. But we arrived on our ship at the start of the week to discover a change to the itinerary, no explanation given. A local told me that Kingstown can only take two cruise ships and was probably full. So anyway, we ended up heading for Bequia instead, the largest of the Grenadines. I ... read more
Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary, Bequia
Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary
Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary


St Vincent & Grenadines form a multi-island nation, probably better known by the yachties, aristocrats and rock stars, as it mat seem off the beaten track for other visitors. There are 30 islands and cays wedged between St Vincent, the centre of government and by far the biggest island, in the north and Grenada in the south. Fewer than a dozen of these islands are inhabited, and this country shares traditional West Indies culture, giving it a multi-ethnic twist of African, Black Carib, French and British influences. The total population is around 110,000, of which around 90 per cent live on St Vincent and most of the balance on Bequia and Union Island. We actually made four separate visits to this multi-island country, as set out below. St Vincent: Centuries of volcanic activity have fashioned this ... read more
'Darkie's 'd cool spot' on Bequia
Cafe and accommodation on Chatham Beach
The beach at Tobago Cays


Bequia (pronounced Beckway) is a small island and one of the 32 which make up St.Vincent and the Grenadines. The name means" island of the cloud", but when we arrived it was very hot and sunny. Our ship anchored in Admiralty Bay and we were tendered into Port Elizabeth which is a tiny town of small shops and bars. We walked 1.5 km to the top of the hill where once there was an 18th century fort called Fort Hamilton. Now there are 6 cannon overlooking the water and no evidence of the previous fort. The views from the top are good though. We walked back down to the town and luckily we stopped on the waterfront for a beer. We just got ourselves seated when the heavens opened but by the time we had finished ... read more
Walking round the bay
Admiralty Bay from the fort
Main street of Bequia


The French founded Kingstown in the year 1722. Back then, it was a mosquito-infested settlement of rudimentary wooden dwellings with a small port to service transport ships. A few years later, the French grew weary of the heat and passed it over to the British. Then the British passed it back to the French, who scratched their heads and wondered what to do with their tropical slice of island. In the end, they decided to do what all the other islands were doing and planted some sugar cane, coffee and tobacco. Today, instead of sugar cane or coffee, bananas are the country’s biggest money-maker, closely followed by tourism. Being one of the latter who enjoyed eating the former, I was looking forward to seeing as much as I could in the one day at my disposal. ... read more
Kingstown
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Geo: 13.0032, -61.246We made it to our chosen Christmas destination. Now our pace slows down again. ;) ... read more
Very colourful and cute.
Oh, SO cute!
Yup. I like it here.




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