TravelTalkOnline Forums Trip Reports (Read Only) Trip Report and Photo Archives Day 36 Kingston & Farewell to Billy The Kid

Dec. 27 Kingston, St. Vincent
David was the first one off in the morning, he was on his way to climb La Soufriere volcano, I showed him the pictures from our climb two years ago and it convinced him it was something he wanted to do while he had the opportunity. It really is an amazing hike and I would highly encourage anyone with the physical ability to do it when they have the chance. The others had arranged for a four hour taxi tour, with the main focus being the Botanical Gardens just outside of Kingston. I set out on the bus around eight, my plan being to spend the day getting to know Kingston better and picking up a few gifts for a friend and his daughters in St. Lucia. I no sooner got to the road when the bus stopped just up the road, where Doddsie got on. I was the last passenger there was room for on the crowded with people on their way to work and shopping. There were nineteen of us crammed into the bus the way I cram my tee shirts into my luggage on the way home, even someone with years of yoga practice would have a hard time finding a comfortable position on in the tangle of humanity. About halfway there the bus started to shake and made a sound like it had a flat; the driver pulled over and the conductor got out to see what the problem was, the tire was fine and the trouble seemed to be coming from the rear end. We all disembarked and it wasn’t long before a replacement bus arrived, having been called by the driver. Soon we were on our way again and shortly pulled into the waterfront bus terminal in Kingston. I said goodbye to Doddsie and then as I got off I noticed a woman with some snacks in one of the plastic boxes you see them selling food out of around the islands; I was elated to see she had some proper saltfish and bakes, of which I got two. I made my way to the market taking note of the different turns so I could find my way back later. I picked up some sorrel and a coconut pastry at one of the food stands in the market in a section I hadn’t been to before; but that was the purpose of my sojourn, to get to know Kingston better. I went a couple blocks beyond the market where food vendors set up shop for some fresh squeezed fruit juice, I had to pass on the pigs foot souse, being full from my saltfish breakfast. Kingston is a busy city and the sidewalks serve as a sort of continuous flea market, with everything imaginable for sale from fruit to household products.

Vendors near the market in Kingstown
I found the gifts I was looking for, some crayons and coloring books for the girls and a pair of sandals for my friend, the sandals were marked down to 10 EC because they needed some stitching, but the woman told me I could find a shoe repair man at the market to do the job. I dropped off the sandals after agreeing on the price then took a bus to the French Veranda restaurant at Young Island cut for coffee and internet. The quiet and poshness of this fine restaurant were a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. After finishing with the wifi I grabbed another bus back to Kingston for more exploration and some lunch. I went up to the rooftop bar at the Cobblestone Restaurant near the market, the view isn’t spectacular but it is breezy and the food and drinks are reasonably priced. As I was finishing my lunch Rodger called, their taxi driver had taken them to a restaurant nearby for lunch, so I picked up the rum order and some of the fruit to have them take it back with them in the taxi. I went back to the market for the rest of the produce on the list Dan had given me, and also stopped for a couple beers at the nearby bars and stands. In one bar near the waterfront where I stopped for a cigar, a gentleman I spoke with expressed great pride in his country and said the people want visitors to have a good time so they speak well of the island and return for more visits. It was then back to the bus terminal for my ride back to the boat. The first bus I was directed to had radiator fluid pouring out from under it as the driver added more to the reservoir; I opted for the next one I line that was nearly full anyway. They get four people in a row regardless of the size of the passenger, the woman in front of me was twice my size yet some poor woman had to wiggle herself into the tiny gap available, two dozen eggs in her hands. When I finally made it back to the anchorage Dan and Em were gone to customs in Wallilabou Bay so I found the other guys at mojitos awaiting sunset.

The boys out on another pub crawl

Dinner that night was to be a special treat; we once had Mama Elma do a pig roast on the beach for us, but the pig was a little fatty. I had seen a program on the travel channel where they cooked a goat in a pit on the beach; I mentioned that to Dan yesterday when he mentioned the pig roast. The wheels started turning and soon he had arranged for Mama Elma to cook a goat for us. The small goat was picked up from the farm, “prepared” for cooking and then she made half as a curry and roasted the other half. Some of the crew hadn’t eaten goat before but Dan persuaded them to give it a try. After another pub crawl we ended up at Mama Elmas just as the guest of honor was presented. The curried portion was tasty and tender, the roasted part was good but a little tough, goats apparently need long slow cooking or stewing. It was served with sides of rice and mixed local veg, both served family style.

Now that's a meal!
We ate our fill, and there was still a lot left which we left for the restaurant as the charter is nearly over. The total cost for this feast was $300 EC, about $120 US, between us. Next time we will get half curried and half stewed in a Creole sauce. After returning to Skyelark Dan made bananas flambé with the bananas I picked up earlier from the market.

Dan whipping up a batch of banans flambe'

As usual we closed out the night with some rum on board, El Dorado 15 year old courtesy of Mike. I slept in the cockpit until the rain sent me inside.