Departing from the Pitons - Day 9

We are at sea. We awoke this morning under the Pitons and by 7AM I was in the water enjoying the clear water and an abundance of fish while the captain of the ship went into Soufriere to clear immigration and customs.



Chris joined me a short while later and we had a great hour and a half of some really fantastic snorkeling and searching the beach for sea glass. It was a romantic and beautiful morning.

And then, about 9:30 we departed our mooring for Bequia, which is the St Vincent part of the Grenadines. We hope to make Bequia by late afternoon and then the fun part of the sailing adventure will begin.



Sadly, I was so intent on getting into the water this morning that I forgot my camera. The abundance of fishes was special as well as some unique fish that I do not normally get to see such as squirrel fish, drum fish, a number of trumpet fish, spotted trunk fish, and a lot of small eels foraging along the bottom amend the rocks.



We are at sea as I write this--enjoying a relaxing, albeit slow sail south. But St Lucia is still in sight even though our course is firmly set south and the heading is 185 degrees with light winds. The beauty of the Pitons is behind us and unimagined adventures await us ahead.







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Finally At Sea - Day 8

It was a long day of waiting around for the boat to arrive, it was anticipated about 1pm, but about 5pm, it finally sailed into Marigot Bay and we were ready to begin the sea leg of our adventure in paradise. Boarding the boat was a sight to behold--luggage and provisions and people coming aboard as the boat was anchored just outside the navigational channel all from a water taxi. It was humorous and amazing that the only loss was a jar of spaghetti sauce. As we were all pretty busy trying to get aboard and in place three are, unfortunately, no pictures.



The boat is a beautiful Belize 43 foot catamaran named Javelot and the French captain, Marek, seems reedy to treat us to a great adventure. He took our desires and came up with a fantastic sailing plan--in fact, we departed Marigot Bay at sunset and cruised south about 10 miles to the base of the Pitons. It was fully dark by the time we arrived and we moored to a buoy seemingly yards off shore. I can hardly wait to see the sight in the morning.

The cabin is small--yet comfortable tough there is no air conditioning and the boat is swaying gently on the light waves in the bay we are tied up in.

We experienced something this evening that none of us had ever seen before--it can only be called a moon bow--a rainbow caused by the bright light of the moon refracting off the falling rain. Since I do not have an active internet connection, there is no way for me to get the precise term for this event. But, it was really cool.



The nighttime sail under the full stars before moonrise was something I will always remember. And then when the full moon rose--it was spectacular sight.

Who know what adventures await us in St Vincent and the Grenadines! We are all in though.

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Location:Pitons. St Lucia

Back in Bequia

We arrived in Admiralty Bay just after dark completing the sail from Tobago Cay after a day of snorkeling with turtles and seeing the drop off to to deep blue ocean from the ocean side of the reef.

Sadly, time is drawing short on our trip and we will soon return to the mundane trappings of life from this tropical paradise.

More to follow when I get a wifi connection.

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Lunch in Mustique

We sailed this morning from Admiralty Bay in Bequia to Mustique the home of the stars.

We are having lunch at Basil's on the beach.

Life is good and I have Internet for a bit. Longer posts when I get out on the boat.

And I have to return home, why?

Another day in paradise

What is wrong with this picture?

I'm taking it from the shore of Marigot Bay instead of on a boat. The boat is late and won't be here till about 5. Ugh!

Blog update delayed

Prob not a lot of updates as the Internet is down,again, and therefore my iPad won't connect.

We are preparing to board our boat today when it arrives from Martinique. We are about to sail off into an Internet black hole.

So when the blog updates come it means I am getting lucky Internet.

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Rainforest Zip Line Adventure

One of the things I really wanted to do while in St Lucia was to zip line through the rainforest.

Yesterday, my desire became a reality. Chris and I headed off on a rainforest adventure which was great fun and thoroughly educational.

We headed out on an hour long taxi ride to the rain forest picking up some other companions along the way at other resorts. We were met at the entrance to Rain Forest Adventures St Lucia by Jesse who would be our guide for the activity.



We were strapped into harnesses and provided a helmut and looked really ready to zip line--but first there was a training run to teach us the basics of zip lining and ensure we would have fun during the day.


From the training, we headed off onto the tram for a 45 minute and scenic ride up the mountain. Jesse was a font of knowledge and explained the details of the rainforest to us during the ascent. I really enjoyed having such a knowledgeable guide and we had a lot of fun discovering the hidden secrets of the St Lucian rainforest.



The tram up the mountain was in the area just under the canopy so that we could see the plants and creatures that inhabit this zone of the rainforest. As we arrived at the top, we disembarked and began a short hike to the zip line platforms.


We saw some wildlife along the way like this tarantula--which funny enough made a lot of people cringe--but it loved getting its picture taken.



We had a lot of fun. The operation was very safety conscious and after the first platform, which was just above the ground, we were never untethered to either the lines or a tree. At a couple platforms we were at least 80 feet up--and the view under the canopy of the rainforest was spectacular. Normally, you zip line alone, but Chris got a surprise when the guide decided to join her and spin her around on the zip line--just for fun!



After the zip lines--there were nine, we hiked back to the top of the mountain for the tram ride down. The ride down was mostly in or just above the canopy and so we experienced another unique part of the rainforest.



It was a wow day!

And after the hard work of becoming novice zip liners, we ended the day with another Marigot Bay sunset--just because. This is from a restaurant at the end of and above the bay--the whole bay is visible and our villa is on the right side of the hill going to the palm trees about half way down.



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Some Cool Dive Photos from Wednesday

I have been going over some of the photos I took during my dives the other day, and I have a few which are really cool that I want to share.



I don't know what this is, some kind of shrimp I suspect.



And then there is the puffer--a big puffer I was able to shoot as he was watching me watching him.



And I was swimming in an aquarium, or so it seemed.



And the wall I was swimming along underwater.


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History and Shopping - St Lucia Day 6

We took a day for some more exploration of St Lucia. We headed north from Marigot Bay and visited Pigeon Island, Rodney Bay, and the capitol, Castries, for some afternoon shopping during the heat of the day.

Our driver was fabulous and we navigated the roads again without incident.



Pigeon Island is host to beaches and history. A fort was erected on the island which was critical in the control of the West Indies during the struggles between France and Great Britain for control of the region. The site also hosted a USAF signal station for a number of years--tough duty being assigned to St Lucia. We even happened upon an old lime kiln--which is significant in that it is the name of the school that Chris works in.



From investigating the history of the region--and even learning about the Battle of the Saints, 9-12 April 1782--a stunning victory for the British, and the coining of the phrase "breaking the line," we left Pigeon Island and headed off into Rodney Bay for lunch and sight seeing.



Lunch was an on the beach restaurant and a momentous thing occurred, my wife ordered the first beer she has ever ordered for her own consumption. AND then ordered a second. We have been enjoying a local beer here, Piton Beer, it is very light and refreshing and just slightly sweet taste. She tasted it the other night and really liked it--evidenced by her ordering one at lunch.



From lunch, we headed off to Castries for some shopping. A Carnival Cruise Line ship was in port--and we were often confused with the cruise people, but, as the town emptied out it became clear that we were not associated with the cruise ship.


Shopping was an interesting adventure, but with a few exceptions, it looked as if every vendor was getting their merchandise from the same supplier. Castries is a booming city though and it was fun to be there amongst the hustle and the bustle.

Dinner ended with a nice meal at JD's at the end of Marigot Bay--we remembered bug spray unlike previous evenings and enjoyed the short ferry ride to the dockside seating of the restaurant.

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Diving and Snorkeling St Lucia - Day 5

Yesterday was devoted to a dive and snorkeling trip. We decided to head off and do serious work in the water. Although the day got off to a bit of a rough start in that the punctuality of vacationing Americans ran into the laid back approach to time that we generally love about the islands.

They were late--by all of maybe 5 minutes. But the dive shop didn't even open when it was supposed to open, which also caused some consternation. But in the end, all was good and we climbed aboard our dive boat and headed off for a great day of diving and snorkeling.

We headed off for our first stop which was a great location in the vicinity of the Lesleen M freighter. The really exciting thing about this tour operator, Dive Fair Helen, was they managed four very different groups nicely. The boat, although only having 12 passengers had one experienced diver, one diver doing certification dives, seven people doing and introduction to scuba, and three snorkelers. Everyone had their own guide and their own area to provide the best view of the marine life off the coast of St Lucia.


I got to dive the Lesleen M wreck. Chris, Scott, and Pennie got some really goos snorkeling right off the coast at Anse Couchon in some very clear water populated with lots of fish and corals. I actually joined them after my dive--and it was really good snorkeling. We got a great image of a cuddlefish. The wreck dive was awesome--I was the only diver and I had the divemaster all to myself. He really knew the wreck and ensured that I saw it all. I even made my first wreck penetration--we went into the superstructure and up a gangway out onto the walkways around the the aft end of the ship. The wreck is in about 65 feet of water at the bow and is 40 feet deep from the top of the superstructure. I saw a huge goliath grouper and an abundance of other fish.



From there, we were served lunch and headed off to the area which is the primer diving spot of St Lucia: Anse Chastinet. Again the charter managed the very different groups. The diving and the snorkeling was fabulous. In addition. my dive also included a tour of another dive site called Fairy Land. The corals and abundance of life was the best I have seen. The dive was varied and in some places aided by a nice current which made areas like a drift dive.



The highlight of the dive was the spotted eel I saw moving along the bottom.



The trip back to Marigot Bay on the boat was relaxing and enjoyable. At the end of the day we had had a lot of fun and seen some truly unique site.




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Speaking of Paradise

One of the really cool things about the trip so far is the sunsets.

Chris and I love sunsets and we love imaging them--so I am going to share a couple of them--just because.












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Location:Waterfront, St Lucia

Snorkeling the St Lucian Caribbean

Day 4 was a rainy day from the stat. Passing showers made it almost impossible to plan any meaningful outdoor activity--so we decided to go snorkeling.

We rented a water taxi and headed off to a small cove (anse) just outside Marigot Bay.

And so a short 15 minute sail later and we were ready for an adventure. It was fun--the highlight of the trip was seeing a spotted eel swimming--but it was too fast for my camera.


The abundance of different corals-soft and hard are beautiful to look at and as always, not touch.

All told, we had a good hour and fifteen minutes of snorkeling and enjoyed a couple of rain showers. The really nice part was the boat entry into the water and subsequent exit made for a no sand experience.

The images from my camera need some color balancing so most of them aren't that good, yet. But this little guy was a lot of fun to look at and to enjoy.


And what else is there to say, but another day in paradise?

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Interesting question from the trip so far

What common food item is this?



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Location:Marigot Bay, St Lucia

The road, the village, the volcano and some rum for good measure

Today was immersion into St Lucia. We experienced life in two fishing villages, visited the former capitol of Soufriere, walked into a volcano and smelled the H2S (Hydrogen sulfide) and saw the super heated steam, visited a botanical garden, and arrived back at our villa hot sweaty, and ready to fall into the pool for some refreshment.


Where to begin--ok the roads. The roads are dangerous and I am glad we hired a driver. the roads are narrow, pot-holed, mountainous, and washed out in some places by the hurricane last year. I'm not sure I could even have navigated using the maps.

This image is of the Pitons--the national landmark of St Lucia. We had lunch in a restaurant right between them and the volcano is just to the left.


The volcano was dormant but had hot spots which are national treasures. We could smell the gas coming from the earth. It gave new meaning to the phrase my Dad always uses about hell, fire, and brimstone.


I had thought we might be able to get closer to the hot spots, but they had us restrained a safe distance away. This photo actually is of the mud being thrown into the air by the super heated steam. Still, the power of what was below our feet was amazing.

From the volcano, we headed off to lunch at a location between the Pitons. It was fabulous. The raw beauty is hard to imagine without seeing them in person. They are rugged and sit right on the coast--right down to the coast. We are going to be anchored between them on our first night of the sailing half of the vacation. And I am looking forward to swimming in the bay between them--something right out of a movie.

From lunch--it was off to a botanical garden. We were confronted by so many beautiful flowers and at the mid point of our tour through a falls which is part of the mineral laden water flowing from the volcano.



Chris took a multitude of flower pictures and I tried to get the falls--unsuccessfully the way I wanted to remember them.




To end the day we happened upon a rum distillery. Since there are no wineries, we decided to do a rum tasting. Decide for yourself if we had fun on the road to Soufriere and back.




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Sunset Last Night

We closed out day 2 with a great snorkeling adventure right in Marigot Bay. We had a great tim until the tide started to go out and the water became too murky to see much beyond about 4 feet.

I got some pictures--my underwater camera is recovered from its bd adventure last year--actually I worked with the company and they replaced it.

A nice salmon home-cooked meal topped off the evening along with the fabulous sunset from the bay.



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Location:Marigot Bay, St Lucia

Day 2 on St Lucia

Tropical paradise in the truest sense of the word. It can be a shock for those who are used to urban tourist areas or visiting a Sandal's resort, but it is truly the tropics.

We are in a villa across on the north side of Marigot Bay on the west coast and the only way to get to the side where civilization and taxis are is a water ferry.

The bay and the water are the reasons that people come here. Here I am on the water taxi with my big purchase of the day--fruit. I was a bit of a sucker.


The bay and the water are definitely worth it.




Everyone seems so nice even though we essentially have no internet connection and only sporadic service with the rest of the world--who cares?

Are we having fun and relaxing? You bet.

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Location:Oasis Marigot, Marigot Bay, St Lucia

Lunch at Marigot Bay

St Lucia

We arrived. It is awesome. We are having wifi issues which precludes sending pictures or even writing more than short snippets.

The flights all worked out even with the delays and the over an hour drive to our villa from the airport was at the same time breath taking an terrifying. The island is still recovering from hurricane Thomas which blew through during October.

The warm breeze this morning blowing across the room is fabulous.

Lay back, relax, and maybe some snorkeling this afternoon.

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In the Air, It Begins - Day 1

This post was not made until after the trip although I wrote it as we were flying the first leg of our journey. Sometimes, things just get overlooked, I guess.

Well, we made it out of Dulles on time. Yay. So the vacation is truly underway I am writing this as we are winging our way over the US enroute to Charlotte for our connecting flight to St Lucia.


It has already been an adventure and we expect the adventure to continue for the rest of the day.

We had some fun with TSA again. Chris forgot a small can of hairspray in her purse--while it was of legal size, because she failed to pull it out separately she was subjected to additional searches which are never fun and always take more time. Im glad that I am not the only one who has fun with TSA when we travel.

It was fun to watch the airport wake up, although I wish it had been BWI.

The flying weather is so far beautiful and smooth.

I confess, I am looking forward to sitting around the private pool at our villa tonight enjoying the sultry Caribbean evening watching the sun set with traveling behind me and visions of decompressing and chilling ahead of me for the next two weeks. I am hopeful that the most stressful thing I have to do is decide which reef to snorkel or dive.

More updates to follow, I hope.


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Made it to Charlotte

We completed the first leg of the journey successfully. We are sitting on the plane ready to button up and take off for St Lucia.

So far so good although we have been advised that my sister I not as lucky and her flight is delayed.

Sadly. There is no wifi on the flight.

So it may be a while before another update.

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