We prefer to vacation as travelers and not as tourists. As such, we enjoy meeting the locals and getting off the beaten path.

The trip was everything we had anticipated and more. What caught us by surprise was the warmth of the people of St. Vincent & the Grenadines and also the other vacationers we met along the way. Additionally, the local food was outstanding.
Daily Reports:

Day 1:
A knock on our hotel door signaled our 5:00 am wake-up call. Our over-night was at the “Peach and Quite” hotel on Barbados. As we had settled into the room the night before, we realized there were no alarm clocks or phones in the room, so we were a bit perplexed on how the wake-up was going to be handled. The heavy hand on the door and the announcement that it was “5:00, wake-up!” gave us our answer. The flight to St. Vincent was uneventful and we found Phyllis, our taxi driver waiting for us at the airport to take us to Barefoot Yacht Charters.

Arriving at Barefoot, we were greeted by a very nice facility and good people. Lacking was the high stress environment found at the larger charter companies prior to departure. There was only one other boat heading out that day, so things were well in control. Having our 6 cases of Heineken and Carib properly stowed we retired to the on-site bar for a beer in anticipation of the chart briefing. Having a taste of the local brew, Hauroin, we quickly realized we made a good decision to stock the boat with Heineken and Carib…. With our pre-boarding checks, provisioning, and briefings completed we were ready to head out for our first destination, Mustique. The day was overcast and the trade winds were blowing a solid 18-20 knots with 4 to 6 foot seas and periodic showers. Our first nature encounter occurred when a giant sea turtle surfaced about 2 boat-lengths to leeward. The first thing we saw was a giant head which looked like an oversized football followed by the shell which was at least 5 feet long. It stared at us for about 5 seconds and then disappeared into the depths.

Entering the harbor at Mustique we did a quick lap around the anchorage to select our mooring for the evening. The mooring is mandatory in Mustique; however they are in good shape. By this time the clouds had cleared and we were rapidly decompressing into vacation mode with a couple of malted beverages. The grill was fired up and we broke out the marinated shrimp for the evening’s meal. Our next stop was Basil’s for a couple of drinks, so we fired up the dingy and we set out for the dingy dock. Darcy and I were enjoying our respective drinks at the bar talking to Marvin, our bartender for the evening. My discussion with Marvin turned to rum and my preference for Mount Gay. I had questioned if St. Vincent has island rum and he quickly set up two large shot glasses – it was apparent he and I were going to enjoy a shot of the local spirits together. What a nice guy…… I had a feeling that I was being set up and as we both tossed the shots the shots back in a single gulp my feelings were confirmed. The Sunset “Very Strong Rum” is definitely not sipping rum and is probably better suited for charcoal lighter fluid. My throat instantly burned and my eyes teared up as I forced the rum down. I was envisioning my throat lining turning a dull grey as the rum went past. Thanking Marvin between gasps for this cultural experience, he slid a glass of ice water my way to help put out the inferno erupting in my throat. Wiping my watery eyes I declined the water. Marvin was suitably impressed and announced to the bar that “I was the Man!” He then proceeded to pour some of this rum on the bar to show me how easily it lights confirming my thoughts that this would make a great charcoal lighter. A couple more drinks were ordered to sooth my throat and we made our way back to the boat for a peaceful nights sleep.

Day 2
We woke up to a beautiful sunny morning. Darcy and I knew this would be the day we finally collapse into vacation mode. The first day is always difficult as there was air travel, boat provisioning, boat checkout, etc. This day will allow us to fully unwind as we had a 15 mile sail to Mayreau in great sailing conditions. We took off in 15-18 knots of breeze and 3-4 foot seas for a nice downwind sail. Darcy grabbed the wheel and did a great job while developing her steering skills. Our goal was Salt Whistle Bay where we dropped anchor right off the beach. This was an ideal Caribbean anchorage, incredibly beautiful, which words can not describe.



After a swim, we prepared to explore the island and visit the settlement at the top of the hill. A couple of minutes after locking up the dingy at the dingy dock, a taxi came rumbling down the road. Given the long uphill walk to the settlement we decided to hop in the taxi. Our driver, Patrick (nicknamed Papa-san – turns out everyone has a nickname), quickly turned into our tour guide when he stopped at the Catholic Church located at the top of the hill. Looking east from this location you see the Tobago Cays along with the brilliant turquoise water of the cays and the deep blue water beyond the reefs.



The view is absolutely stunning and confirmed in our minds during our trip planning that Mayreau would be our favorite island in this trip. We quickly warmed up to Patrick as we peppered him with questions about the island, settlement, and his family. Driving up to his house along the way he stopped to say hello to his children and the neighbor kids playing in the yard. Darcy and I looked at each other with the same idea. Just prior to leaving on the trip we decided to purchase about 25 finger puppets to hand out to the island kids. We had a brightly colored tropical fish, seahorse, turtle, and dolphin which you could place on your fingers. We asked Patrick if it was OK and proceeded to have a ball as the kids picked out their favorite animal.



After a couple of quick photos we got back in the taxi and asked Patrick to drop us off at Robert Righteous and de Youths. We ended up spending the better part of the afternoon talking with Robert and just having a great time with him. He is a great guy with a big heart and wonderful personality. As we discussed the settlement economy with Robert we were rather surprised to hear the settlement is bypassed by the cruisers, charters, and cruise ships. We just could not understand why someone would consciously bypass spending an EC or two at this place. While it has a third world feel to it, the people are first rate. After bonding with Robert for the afternoon he suggested we come for dinner because he was going to have his drum ensemble playing that night. We told him we already had dinner planned on the boat, but that we would be back for the drums. We rounded up Patrick for a ride back to Salt Whistle Bay and made arrangements for him to pick us up at 8:00pm that night to go back to Roberts. We fired up the charcoal grill on the boat and enjoyed a pork tenderloin dinner. Around 8:00pm we rowed the dingy into the dock and went to look for Patrick in the pitch black night. There was no electricity on that side of the island, consequently no lights. We called out Patrick’s name as we had not seen any car lights coming down the road. The response was “My name is Ricky and Patrick sent me to pick you up”.

Entering Robert’s, we saw him with other dinner guests and he waved us over for an after dinner conversation with two couples from Michigan who frequent the island. After they left we were alone with Robert and when Darcy questioned him about the drums he informed her that there we no drums that evening. Darcy was not about to let that one pass as she cajoled Robert into getting the band together. Robert, coming to the realization that she was serious, laughed and headed off to find “de Youth”. Sure enough, one beer later he shows up with the 5 band members with drums in hand and they proceed to give us a private drum concert that was just spectacular. Robert was leading the drums on his harmonica and “de Youth” was hitting the bongos hard. In addition to the bongos, one was playing a metal ice bucket placed upside down between his legs giving a unique sound to this group. These guys were good! We knew we were experiencing something unique as we absorbed the awesome rhythms of Robert Righteous and de Youth.



Our entertainment went on for about a half hour and a generous tip left everyone departing with smiles. After giving Robert our heartfelt thanks we found Ricky for our ride back to the dingy. After enjoying a cleansing ale under the clear star studded sky we collapsed into our berth.

Day 3
We woke in anticipation of a quick jump to the Tobago Cays. We wanted to arrive as the other cruisers were pulling anchor to assure us a prime location in the anchorage. We also wanted to maximize our time in this area as it is just beautiful. As we motored directly into the trade winds on the 3 mile jump to the cays, we recounted the prior day and our enjoyment of Mayreau. We both looked forward to our return visit later in the week on our northbound journey. We enjoyed the kaleidoscope of colors in the water as we entered the cays and found a great spot in 12’ of water just inside the reef. We were careful in assuring our anchor was secure as the trade winds were in full force. I grew a bit concerned as the winds continued to increase, my guess was they were approaching 25 knots and an uncomfortable chop was developing in the anchorage. Luckily this was a short term event that ended as quickly as it began.

As the weather moderated, the boat vendors appeared to sell their wares. We had read a lot of mixed opinions about the vendors and we decided to embrace them, enjoy their presence and be respectful of their efforts. We found this to be a great approach and enjoyed our discussions with them, even though we would tell them upfront we were not in need of anything. Our first vendor was Walter who is primarily a shirt vendor. We had read about Walter and he described as one of the primary shirt vendors in the cays. We invited him along side and helped him tie up along side. I did want to buy a t-shirt in the Tobago Cays so after chatting with Walter for 10 minutes we got down to business. I had a specific shirt in mind which he had, but not in my size. Darcy found a great top with a sea turtle which she purchased. Walter was going to check with some of the other vendors to see if he could find something my size.



Later that afternoon we were approached by Sydney, another well know vendor in the area. We connected with him right away as we recognized him from our cruising guide and internet photos. Calling him by name just floored him and then telling him I recognized him from internet photos further blew his mind. We all had a good laugh. He told me Walter had sent him over since he had my shirt in the right size. Completing the deal, Sydney headed off to track down some new boats coming into anchor. Additional vendors passed by with fish, lobster, ice or beach barbeques for sale. We talked with all of them even though we were not buying. We found them all to be great people that added to our vacation experience.
Late in the afternoon we took the dingy to the beach on Baradalle to snorkel with the sea turtles. On the lee side of the island just off the beach we swam with about 10 different sea turtles which was a great experience.



With the sky darkening, we headed back to the boat. Right after taking a shower on the stern platform a squall hit which washed the accumulated salt off the decks. After the squall cleared we had a great view of tomorrow’s destination, Petit St. Vincent and Petit Martinique.

Day 4
We woke to another beautiful day in paradise. Perfect conditions for our southerly trek to PSV and PM. We had a fun romp passing between Union and Palm Island and then heading for the pass at Mopion prior to heading east to the anchorage off PSV. We set anchor just off the resort and took our time making sure the hook was set. After enjoying this perfect setting from the cockpit while having a couple beers we fired up the outboard on the dingy for a trip across the channel to PM. We were finally getting low on money and supplies so it was time to reload.

That night we woke to a building breeze and a rolly anchorage. The wind began to shriek through the rigging and the boat began to roll. We were glad we took the time to proper set and check the anchor, but unsettled thoughts still pass your mind when you listen to the wind blowing as hard as it was. Our sleep was less than ideal, but the options at that point are severely limited.

Day 5
By morning the wind had moderated, but it was still blowing hard. Our plan for the day was to stop at Mopion prior to heading off to Union Island. Mopion was one of those unique places we wanted to stop and play, however as we approached the island it became difficult to read the water due to the wind and waves. The risk of getting the boat in, anchored, and finally out just seemed too high. Oh well, better to trust our judgment and attempt this on our next time through. On to Union Island. As we entered the harbor the “Welcoming Committee” tracked us down to sell us a mooring. Attempting to be cordial, I explained that we were going to have to anchor, although a quick survey of the harbor was not giving us any open spots to drop the hook. Any hole that was available would have a mooring adjacent to it and it was obvious these mooring were not well maintained. The mooring vendors continued to track us like barracuda as we scoped out the harbor. With Darcy at the wheel we found a spot that looked good so we dropped anchor and was able to get a good hold the first time. As we cleaned the boat up and settled into the cockpit for a beverage to discuss the days itinerary I got this uneasy feeling that we were just too close to the other boats anchored around us. We were anchored behind the reef and my mind again went to the night before which found us rolling and wind screeching through the rigging. To go through that two nights in a row did not seem to be a smart thing to do. First things first, we fired the engine up again to find a spot with more room to swing. Doing another lap around the anchorage we found what appeared to be a good sand bottom close to Janti’s Happy Island. Darcy nosed the bow perfectly into location in 10’ of water and we dropped anchor and let out about 120’ of scope to set the hook. Problem was the hook never set as it turned out the bottom was very loose sand and broken coral. Nothing was going right for us and for the first time all week I felt tension. There was one more spot to try, but we had to drop the hook perfectly in place. Darcy got us perfectly in place for the drop and when I hit the button for the windlass to drop the anchor all I heard was a ‘click’. With the windlass jammed the wind caught our bow and moved us out of position. The situation was becoming quite frustrating and all of a sudden Union Island did not seem all that attractive. The anchorage problems coupled with the exposed nature of this anchorage made us discuss an alternative anchorage for the day. We’re going to Chatham Bay! Out the harbor we went. Darcy brought me back to reality when she reminded me that we still need money, beer, and that by leaving we would miss a rum punch at Happy Island. While money and beer were high on my ‘needs list’, missing Happy Island was something we could not tolerate. We spun the wheel hard to head back to the harbor and the waiting welcoming committee. We decided we would spend the day in Clifton, but we would head out by 3:00pm to spend the night in Chatham Bay. We headed for the anchorage closest to Clifton and I succumbed to the welcoming committee by having him guide us to a mooring that appeared to be in pretty good shape. It was time to get this vacation back on track and knowing we were only going to use this as a day mooring helped my anxiety. Things were looking up and we spent the next couple of hours walking around Clifton.



Now it was time to hit Happy Island. Seeing a dingy tied up to the island, we jumped in our dingy and headed over to the island. Janti greeted us and after tying up our dingy we stepped into his shelter to see what he had to offer. As he had just gotten to the island himself for the day the beer was not cold, but he offered us a rum punch.

Enjoying our afternoon libation we talked to Janti as he was preparing a meal for a group yet to arrive. He told us of the four plus years it took to build the island. While into our second round of rum punches, Janti was ready to fire up his grill. Having placed the charcoal in the pit, he waded to his little Boston Whaler where he picked up his bailer and scooped up the liquid in the bottom of the boat. Now we were curious….. He came back and dumped the contents on the charcoal and upon throwing a match it turned into an inferno. Obviously he had a leaking gas tank that he used to his advantage. We decided it was time to head out, however he had another idea. Enjoying a ‘bonus round’ of rum punch we watched as Janti began cooking.



The lid on one of the pots began to clang around, but as it turned out it was not the water boiling, but rather the live lobster inside trying to escape the rapidly increasing temperature inside the pot. What a hoot. Once the meal was complete, Janti came out to collect the pots. Using nothing but bear hands he picked up the pots and took them to the newly arrived guests for their early dinner.



We bid fair well and headed back to our boat. By 3:00 we were ready to for a quick jump to Chatham Bay. I was relieved to leave Clifton behind us and when we dropped anchor in Chatham Bay we knew we were going to get a good night’s sleep. This is a gorgeous anchorage off the beaten path.

Day 6
We were excited to get going in the morning for our northbound trip and return to Mayreau. We decided to head for Saline Bay as this would allow us to walk to the settlement. We were both looking forward to again visiting this island and spending time in the settlement. As Mayreau came into view it was apparent we were going to have a lot of company on Mayreau as a Club Med cruise ship was anchored off Saline Bay. While initially disappointed, we rationalized that everyone would be back on the cruise ship in the late afternoon for dinner and having all those people on the island would be good for Mayreau’s economy. We found a good sand patch in the bay and dropped anchor. The beach was filled with vacationers from the cruise ship and the sounds of a steel band and smell of a barbeque drifted past our boat. It was time to head to shore. We slowly walked up the steep grade to the village and decided to visit Dennis’ Hideaway for a libation. We enjoyed the outdoor gazebo and rum punch all to ourselves. Upon finishing, we decided to complete our walk to the top of the hill where we could again look out on the Tobago Cays. As we headed out we stopped to talk to a couple sitting at a table. Turns out it was Dennis himself and his cousin who was visiting from Trinidad. Dennis gave us a thumbnail sketch of his interesting life at sea which was quite fascinating. Heading out, we continued up the road which only seemed to get steeper the further we went. Finally reaching the top of the hill we were rewarded with the incredible panoramic view from that summit. Looking east the water of the Tobago Cays was majestic. To our left was a bird’s eye view of Salt Whistle Bay and behind us was the landscape of Union Island with the sun dancing on the water. What a beautiful island. As we wandered down the hill we came across two girls that were selling bags of sea shells they collected on the beach. We stopped to talk and purchase our shells.



As we continued down the hill we stopped into Robert Righteous and de Youths and was greeted by Robert at the entrance. Settling into some rum punches we again enjoyed a great conversation with Robert. We questioned him on the cruise ship, the activity on the beach, and the lack of activity in the village. He confirmed that the cruise ships rent the beach for the day and it was rare when anyone would venture to the village. You could sense some frustration in his voice and we both understood. We were the only ones in his place with a cruise ship in the harbor and both bays full of anchored sailboats. It was time for action! At this point there was a group of 8 people walking past Robert’s place and I announced to Robert it was time to do some marketing. I stopped them on the street and told them their vacation would be incomplete if they did not stop in for a rum punch at Roberts. They appeared quite startled, but after some discussion among themselves they agreed to join us and a round of rum punches kept Robert’s son busy behind the bar.

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Our new friends were Italian and enjoying a charter holiday also. Robert was in his glory. After a couple rounds of rum punches and great conversation it was time for the Italians to head out. It was apparent they enjoyed themselves as they picked up the bar tab. As it was getting late in the afternoon, it was time to think about dinner. Robert announced that we were to be his guests for dinner that evening and once we confirmed the meal would be fresh snapper we were locked in. Let it be known that Robert has an excellent cook. Robert then announced the dinner was on the house. We accepted his offer, but left a tip that covered his great hospitality. This evening Robert had a full house for dinner and we enjoyed the drums again that evening. Having our fill, we made our way back to the dingy and panicked when we attempted to get the key into the padlock in a pitch black night. While a bit of a struggle we were finally able to free our dingy of the dock and headed back to the boat for a good nights sleep.

Day 7
The anchor was secured around 7:15am as we headed off to Bequia. We decided to get an early start as this would be our longest passage of the week. We had a great sail as it was a good close reach all the way and entered Admirability Harbor around 3:00pm. We found a spot and set our anchor off of Princess Margaret beach. Having cleaned up we jumped in the dingy to check out the harbor. We crowded our way into the Frangipani’s dingy dock and carefully locked the dingy to the dock. Since it was already dark, our focus was on finding a good meal. After a bit of a search we decided to eat at the Whaleboner. Because everything is made from scratch, it take a while to get served, which was not issue at this point as we were settling into the island on our last night of the charter. Completing the meal we headed over to the Frangipani for their Thursday night jump up. The five piece steel band was great and the joint was hopping until the rain came. When one of the drummers needed to bail out his drum we figured it was time to head back to the boat. With the first break in the rain we ran to the dingy to make our get away. Darcy was handling the lock and I was trying to get the engine to fire. Darn thing…. All week long our 4 HP Yamaha fired right up and I was checking the fuel level every time we used it, but I just could not get it to start. Going through the mental check list, fuel, vent, choke, etc. nothing was obvious. Realizing the engine didn’t even fire it was apparent there was no spark. Sure enough, the kill switch retainer was missing. Oh well, guess someone needed it more than us. Pulling the switch out manually I was able to get the engine started and we headed back to the boat. By the time we hit the boat my fingers were cramping pretty hard. It was time for bed as again we wanted to get an early start to get the boat back on time and we knew we could be in for a rough ride to St. Vincent.

Day 8
Recalling our chart briefing, it was suggested to head up the Bequia coast and then cut across to Blue Lagoon. We were also informed about the current fighting the tide, especially in the area where the bottom drops off to 3000’. We were heading into on of those days. We were heading under power straight upwind with the main up and our first reef in looking for a good time to cut across. We were getting hit with some pretty powerful gusts screaming down the shoreline and it was obvious we would be in for a pretty lively ride once we headed off. Our angle finally looked pretty good and we started heading for Blue Lagoon. As I was thinking of unfurling the genoa I started to really study the seas in front of us and came to the conclusion we were going to hang with the reefed main and the ‘iron genoa’ for the near term.

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We were heading into some wild wave conditions as it became apparent the current was fighting the tide. It was as if someone dropped us into a washing machine as there was no real pattern to the 8’ seas. They were breaking, but from all different directions. The distance between the crests were about 16’ as we were just bouncing from wave to wave with wind well into the 20’s. All we could do was hang on and get through this as quickly as possible. What became apparent was this was a short term issue as a half mile away the seas were breaking in a more consistent manner. It was obvious we were in the transition between the shallow and deep water at the wrong time of the day. Finally sailing out of that mess we unfurled the genoa and had a fun blast into Blue Lagoon. Departure went without a hitch and Phyllis our taxi cab driver busted chops to get us to the Bequia Ferry on time to catch the last ferry back to Bequia for our additional three days of our vacation. Darcy and I were both excited to begin our beach vacation and get to know Bequia. Everything went without a hitch and next thing we knew we were checking into Keegan’s on the lower bay. Prior to booking the vacation we had numerous discussions regarding whether to stay in Elizabethtown or Lower Bay. With the excellent taxi service, both road and water, we decided we would prefer Lower Bay and after settling in we knew we made the right decision.

While a daily summary works well for the charter portion of the trip it is not best for the ‘turf’ portion. I’ll change format to an event summary.

Keegan’s:
Darcy booked Keegan’s on the Lower Bay for our three days on Bequia. She made a great choice as this place worked well for us. The area is quiet and the rooms are clean. The décor is minimalist, but we were primarily looking for a place to sleep and it fit the bill nicely. Messenja was the manager and he was very accommodating and was fun when he tended the bar. Keegan’s is right across from the Lower Bay beach which is beautiful and quiet. Saturday night we attended their barbeque which is attended by locals and ex-pat’s. That afternoon when questioning what was on the menu and what was recommended the overwhelming suggestion was the ‘pig tails’. Intrigued, we queried further and it was confirmed that they were indeed the tails of pigs that were barbequed. That night I enjoyed my first pig tail dinner and I would recommend them. I thought they were great. Darcy had her own opinion and decided to enjoy other sections of the pig. Served on paper plates, the dinner was more a picnic than anything else. As we enjoyed our dinner an older lady was looking for a place to sit and we invited her to join us at our picnic table. Pearl entertained us for the rest of our dinner with stories of her life at sea. Peal and her now deceased husband enjoy many years cruising the Caribbean. After his death, she continued to frequent the islands and continued to sail. It was obvious she was a special woman who understood how to enjoy life. Parting ways after dinner, we retired to the balcony that overlooked the barbeque scene and enjoyed watching the scene below.

Fat Man taxi

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After hearing about Fat Man from other Travel Talk Online reports we finally met him when we decided to head into town for the day. He is a wonderful person and we enjoyed his service. Fat Man always gave us good service with his great smile. After spending the day in town one day we were looking for him under the Almond tree in town where he said he would be waiting. Unable to find him we took another taxi back to Keegan’s. After arriving we found him sitting at the bar at Keegan’s enjoying a Haroun and talking to his buddies. Pulling up a bar stool next to him, we couldn’t help but give him a little good natured grief about having to take another taxi back from town. We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying his company where he even bought us a round of drinks. What a guy.

Rasta Market
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If you are up for an island cultural experience you have to hit the Rasta Market. We hit this produce market in the morning and knew the Rastafarian’s would be a bit aggressive and they lived up to expectation, but it was an absolute hoot. We made sure that they knew we were just looking and not buying, but that we would be back later in the day. As they showed us their offerings, fresh mangos and papaya were cut open for us to taste. We were whipsawed from one vendor to another, but it was a lot of fun. Darcy had this program pegged as she knew that in the afternoon, after their ganja breaks, the atmosphere would mellow. Sure enough, as we approached the market in the afternoon a lot of the vendors were no where to be found and the ones that were still at their stands were very low key. We loaded up on some great mangos, papaya, prickly pears, bananas, nutmeg, and some other produce that looked good at the time. While you can find all this at the local market at home, the taste does not even come close to the wonderful taste of this fresh produce.

Coco’s
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In appreciation for getting her safely off the charter, Darcy wanted to buy dinner on our first evening in Bequia. While reviewing a local flyer, Coco’s was having a lobster dinner special that night. We had heard good recommendations for this restaurant and decided to check it out. That it was located in the Lower Bay was another plus. Late in the afternoon we decided to check it out and we took a walk to find it. Arriving prior to the kitchen opening we decided to hang out and have a couple of drinks and a good Cuban cigar. The setting is great, the food is wonderful and the staff was awesome. Sitting at the bar after dinner we met Coco, the owner, and we expressed our gratitude for a memorable meal. We ran into Coco at Da Reef a couple of days later and had a chance to chat with him some more. He appreciated our kudos and informed us he was going to be moving the restaurant closer to town in order to make it more convenient to his patrons.

De Reef
De Reef is just down the road from Keegan’s and is the place to hang out and chill on Sunday’s.

Frangipani’s

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We made The Frangipani ground zero while in town. It’s a fun mix of yachties and locals. Great place for a morning Bloody Mary (their bartender Roger makes the best) and an afternoon rum punch. Hanging out there we met African, who has a water taxi. Outstanding guy with a great personality.

Whaleboner

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We had our first Roti at the Whaleboner. Roti is an island staple, typically made for lunch. It is flat bread stuffed with curried chicken or beef with potatoes. This has become our favorite island treat. While you tend to wait for the food, it’s apparent it is made from scratch and worth the wait. Ruth, the manager has some very active children to whom we gave some of the finger puppets.

Mac’s Pizza
In our search for conch fritters, Mac’s Pizza was the winner. We were there twice for this treat. Nice light batter fried to perfection with a great dipping sauce. We also had a great pizza on Sunday night when it seemed like every other place was closed.

Green Boley was stop which our taxi driver, Fat Man suggested for local food and we enjoyed yet another Roti from his establishment, while the locals watched the Cricket World Cup.

We had a great time and a cold beverage at the local rum shop in lower bay and very interesting conversations about whaling, boating, and more with incredibly warm and proud locals.

Photos of Bequia

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Seth
Seth of Barefoot Yacht Charters was an important part of our island experience as he gave us prompt answers to our questions and always pointed us in the right direction. Our last day on St. Vincent, prior to leaving for home, we spent at the apartment at Barefoot. While eating at their restaurant we finally met him in person and had a great conversation with him. We assured him we would return.

Getting off the island
Vacations always come to an end. We can’t wait to cruise this area as a lifestyle, so it never ends.



After saying goodbye to Phyllis after her taxi ride to the airport we dragged our luggage to the Liat check-in in St. Vincent. We were to fly to Barbados on Liat and then pick-up American to Miami and then onto Minneapolis. The connections were tight and we were not looking forward to playing airport roulette. Liat and Caribbean Star were merging and we found ourselves involved with our first travel glitch. The merger resulted in our flight time being moved back an hour which made our Barbados connection problematic. Questioning why we were not informed of this change earlier prompted the gate agent to inform us we should have booked an earlier flight if the connection was an issue. That we had booked an earlier flight that they moved back seemed to be lost on her. As Jimmy Buffet says, “Breath in, breath out, move on”. We had some extra time on our hands and spent it well soaking up the sun outside the airport. It was finally time to go through security. As we approached the departure tax station, which was manned by two large security personnel a funny thought occurred to me. I questioned them why it’s called a departure tax? It should be called a departure penalty. Anybody that’s foolish enough to leave this place should be penalized, not taxed. Everyone had a good laugh and somehow I felt better paying my self-imposed penalty instead of a tax.

Epilogue and Reflections
While the islands could be considered third world, the people we met were first class. Maybe that’s what is important.

Respect. It goes a long way with the islanders.


The conditions were at time difficult and the anchorages were at times rolly and windy. Sleep at times was disrupted by high wind and rain. But, the natural beauty of the island and the people we encountered will make this the first area we will return for a second time. Next year we’re going back!

Darcy and John