Antigua to Guadeloupe

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Time to spend a day connected again. Its been a while since speaking to the other side of the world let alone writing. Very easy to have that time fly by isnt it? Its been two months on holidays now and it sure feels longer and since St Marteen have been to 3 new islands. Barbuda, St Barts and currently Antigua.

The experience feels full and diverse. From watching the superyachts race in St Barts to the Frigot Birds in Mangroves in Barbuda and Mountain walks in Antigua picking fresh coconut, paw paw, mangoes and oranges along the way. Im experiencing the brief lifestyle of the carribean in ways that I like to experience a place when travelling.

The Classic Yacht Regatta was full of partying at night and meeting up with Leigh on Mi Quireda, australian made cherebuni 44 fter fully wooden and just beautiful. Proud to be an aussie our team and style of racing involved, beers and barbecuing and introducing Chris the Canadian to the way of enjoying and mocking each other like we aussies tend to do. We didn't make it anywhere near the finish in godspeed time but all in all we had a ball, which of course is the most important. By the last day the team felt strong and we worked the winches hard and fast, used every sail possible and chris was always good at getting us the best start possible, knocking the famous american Herashcoff beauty Ticonderoga over the line before the gun once!! Oh Yeah!!

Somewhere during the big walk around English Harbour and around the cliffs that lead to Pigeon beach I met the Gli Gli, the largest hand built canoe by the carib tribe of Dominica. She is made from a single tree and is 35ft long, a traditional canoe that sails and rows, She is travelling up to Tortolla in the British Virgin Islands with the Mothership Fiddlers Green a square rigger and an absolute beauty. The caribs some of which I have taken a big liking to, Chalo the main master of canoe building in and Johnny a very entertaining character who makes beautiful artwork from metal and likes his afternoon smoke very much.

There was a part of me that has become very attached to the atmosphere of these guys and this way of living. Especially the living off the land and the sense of community and helping each other, without having a need for money they seem to live very richly in the other ways.
Its makes sense to live this kind of lifestyle, and i contemplated leaving Spyglass and jumping onto Fiddlers Green so I could live more in depth with them and help out with the making of the Gli Gli Carib Documentary. Yet with this year going so quickly I have chosen to stick to my original plan and within a month or so ill be in Central America and there will be people there living a similar way that I can reach out and find and enjoy again. And whats more I will be able to learn that Spanish.

The Antigua Sailing week is in full swing here and im ready for the next sail on more open water. Ive had my big share of partying and socialising and now ready for more nature and reading and quite times, although chris and i seem to drink heavily when the sun goes down so im not sure how far ill get away from it!

Lots of love to everyone back there in the friendly continent.

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Photos

Overlooking Deshaies
This is where we wandered up the hill of the town of Deshaies in Guadeloupe. It was very hot and very cute and I remember feeling pleased that we were in french territory again. It was refreshing that they took time to pave roads and have neat gardens and all in all it looks a lot prettier and is much nicer in all of the french islands in the carribean than the other parts. I think this is mostly due to the fact that france supports their islands economy a little more, besides that they instinctively know how to make things look more stylish and appealing from their clothes to their homes and atmosphere in the bars and restaurants

From the shore to the Anchorage
the town of deshaies was very colorful as well and plenty of photo opportunities. More of the postcard kind of shots that you send home. Well maybe intend to send home, but somehow they dont make it to the mailbox with me! The anchorage here is really nice and there are some great sounding bells that chime every half hour or so from a clock tower in town.

Kids and ballgames
The kids were in the street playing soccer on a hill so i couldnt resist snapping the action. One of the kids was getting more exercise than the other being on the lower slope of the hill he was always running to chase after it

as the sun set...
she lit up one of the dominicans finest and indulged alright, rum and cigar and music and conversation. ah now thats what i call another good night

The Local Way
There a many a fishing dinghy this size that the locals use to pick up there plentiful catches of various fish, such as dorade, mahi mahi, lobster, conch and crabs around the carribean. Most of them colorful and some wooden and some fiberglass. It appears that they take great pride in their boats here. I hope that this way of fishing carries on for centries to come. Whilst sailing you are constantly steering clear of crab pot markers particulary in the Guadeloupe region.