Post 24   Moving on...

A narrow passage leading through the mangroves to Victoria Bay where Beluga has been on anchor

The End of an Era


an illustration from my last post that highlighted the position of some of my our friend's boats...
Slug Hunter and Brise will be mid-Atlantic by the time this post hits the net. Isabella was lifted onto a yacht freighter last week and she too will be mid-Atlantic. Alex and Lourdes, who had been based on Isabella, have now moved on to Solovan which is also in Victoria bay with me and Marco. There are other boats in the bay that are more permanent fixtures, Carlito and Phil have been here on their boats for years and they too have been great friends. I really feel it's time to move on before I get stuck in a rut.

Five go Camping 

It felt just like an Enid Blyton classic adventure. With Beata driving after we'd piled camping gear, food and drink (lashings of ginger beer) into her car and set off north to San Pierre on the northwest coast of Martinique. It took us about two hours to reach the car park at the end of a steep, twisty track. 

the drenching waterfall was so blissful for us

We climbed up a narrow hilly path through the jungle and after about an hour, we reached an amazing waterfall that stretched up over 100 meters above us. There was a steady torrent of water falling, enough to cool us in this greenhouse-like jungle clearing - what a relief!


We followed a cliff path around to Anse Levrier, taking in the breathtaking views

I haven't seen so much of northern Martinique but this place will be hard to better. Wildlife that I've never seen before, incredible beaches and virtually nobody else around.

OK, I'll come clean. There's currently a ban on speading time on beaches here. But that's completely illogical, controlling and I simply won't tolerate such interference in my life. 

some of the jungle flora and fauna was full-on, both in colour and size

Everything here seems larger than life! The ants are enormous with plump red bodies, they carpet the jungle floor. Luckily there were none of these critters under the trees on the edge of the beach. After a yummy late supper of roasted potatoes, onions, herbs and garlic prepared by Beata, I slept soundly under the stars with the crashing sea no more than 30 meters from me - eutopia? It was for me.

Matt, Antoine, Dorothee and Beata about to build our campfire.

Age is just a number...

Since my last post, I have spoken with and been messaged by several friends who have asked me why am I hanging out with people half my age. Well, the truth is that most of the folks in my age bracket here bore me rigid. They ramble on about Covid and their obsession with the propaganda spouted on the world's news channels, how many vaccinations they've had... bla bla bla. Some of them even believe that the world is going to return to normal if we all do exactly as we're instructed... so naive, so sad, so blinkered.

Sorry, not for me, no way! The younger generations here are far more in tune with my thinking and are determined to continue living life to the full despite our shepherd's unwelcomed interference.

A bit of cooking


fried onions, garlic, aubergine, leak and haricot beens with chili and curry powder
Food is particularly expensive in Martinique and for things like dairy products that are imported from France, the price is typically two to three times higher than in Europe. I've been cooking with local vegetables such as lentils, beans, etc. They're becoming a staple part of my diet and I've enjoyed trying out new ways to eat them - now I just love them. I still enjoy cooking and eating meat and fish but they are no longer an everyday fixture for me. Such food as pictured above, can be prepared in next to no time and with just a few herbs and spices. And deliciously filling for just a few euros.

Breaking News...


I've just waded through a mountain of bureaucracy to hopefully enable Porky and Beluga to leave Martinique and sail down to Carriacou, a small island due south. Carriacou is part of the Grenadines and is a favourite destination for many sailors from within the hurricane zone. We've had a free PCR test in the marina, l'm sailing with Dorothee, an experienced watch leader and total nut case. She's lovely and we get on great. We'll be sailing in company with another boat called La Vida, skippered by Lucia, whose sailing with her father and Beata.

Lucia is another Slovac and is a film director. She has recently completed a documentary called The Sailor. It's about a local sailor called Paul Erling Johnson. who has lived in Carriacou for many years. She will be showing her film to this 85-year-old veteran seaman and some of the island's small community before it goes on general release.

It's about a 30-hour sail so I'm pleased to have a competent shipmate. We will leave on Sunday morning to hopefully arrive in daylight on Monday afternoon in Harvey Vale.

I'm so looking forward to seeing a new island and Carriacou's reputation amongst the sailing community here, without exception, is rated very highly. 

Thanks for reading my blog, I hope you found it interesting and watch out for future posts from Carriacou ..

God bless you and please take care... x

Comments

  1. Kerry16 May 2021 at 23:18

    Good to hear you’re having a change of scene Jeremy and even better that you have discovered the joys of hiking in new and remote places - standing under a waterfall after a tough walk sounds a perfect way to me to rest tired muscles. Hope Carriacou ticks your boxes 😎.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown23 May 2021 at 06:46

    Lovely read 👍👍👍

    ReplyDelete
  3. akeishasclarke@gmail.com9 June 2021 at 06:19

    Another Great read, I do hope that you enjoyed Carriacou and I am quiet certain that you enjoyed our little gem next door, Petite Martinique. I look forward to reading your next Blog about the island of Carriacou and more so Petite Martinique

    Keisha

    ReplyDelete

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