Creole Garden Hotel Bequia

Bequai to St Vincent (the main Grenadine island) was via the regular ferry service – through very rough waters – every muscle was tensed to hang on and keep the status quo! Charlie met us on arrival and we went to the hotel (Beachcomber) to meet up with Jo, and Ben and Clair.

We were taken in a minibus along the coast and up into the interior for the volcano trek. No checks had been made as to our fitness/ability etc. and the climb was ...

... Conversely, dear Zoot was hanging on to the steering wheel with a modicum of ease - although his feet were airborne. And there we were crashing our way through canyons of black water with white, drenching, malicious crests. However, for the last 45 seconds we came into the lee of "Friendship Bay", Bequia, and we parted company with Zoot (and $300 EC), and, drenched through we wandered up the beach to find a taxi.
The Firefly hotel is unique (set ...

... than St. Lucia, but the people (Vincys as theyre called) are extremely friendly and proud. Everyone says hello to you, and not just a hello. We got a "Good Afternoon" and " Good Evening" and so forth. I can't enough about the people of St. Vincent, they are genuine. If St. Vincent and the Grenadines sounds familiar to you, it should. Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed here. The Grenadines, by the way, are a random strip of tiny islands, one of which is Bequia.....7 square miles.

... numerous desert island beaches. Regardless of how the day is spent, nothing beats swaying in the canvass Crew hammocks strung up between the ship's tall masts, digesting your gourmet lunch and enjoying the collision of a pure blue sky with a tie-dyed cobalt sea. This is the essence of The Grenadines' splendor. Slowly the dancing causes me to sober up from my wine and I become conscious of my inability to move my hips, torso and ...

... the country roads of Iowa. But here instead of a chained up farm dog there is a goat in the front yard. No need for lawnmowers! I eventually end up back at my hotel where the weekly Jump Up, an all-island celebration of steel-drums, socialization and drinking, is in full swing. The smell of grilled food and the smooth sounds of reggae permeating the air reminds me of Dubuque's block-party styled "All That Jazz". Oh look, there's beer in ...

... gently seductive Caribbean Sea. From this vantage point you also can get a good feel of the shape and sounds of Bequia. At the foot of the hill is Industry Bay, home of the oldest home on the island, which is still locally owned. From the Bay it is just a short walk to the humble Oldhegg Turtle Sanctuary. Founded by former sailor, Orton "Brother" King, the sanctuary nurses and breeds hawksbill and leatherback sea ...

... faucet in Grenada. We thoroughly enjoyed St. Lucia. One day we rented a car and drove the entire coast. We were disappointed with the Atlantic Coast because the road provides almost no access to the coast and the towns are very poor and depressing. However, the west coast was fantastic. The Pitons are breathtaking. We stopped for a mid-day drink at the Dasheen Restaurant that sits high on the hill between the Pitons. It may have been the most spectacular setting I have ever ...

Quiet day in Bequia today as we all recovered from our busy day at sea. Morning back at Liam and Zoya's favourite beach. We found a part of the beach that has a tidal pool that breaks the waves, which Zoya loved. As always, Liam was a body surfing machine. We went to the pottery studio in the afternoon before they closed. One of the owners and ...

... is on the right, and the roads are barely wide enough for one car, let alone two passing each other going in opposite directions. On top of that, cars had to negotiate all sorts of obstacles, such as goats walking down the road, cows walking down the road, the biggest lizards I have ever seen walking down the road and people walking all along the road. Naive Dianne just couldn't believe they didn't have sidewalks. I wonder why the ...

Here are various pictures of the island. Details to follow. I will be pointing out the historical significance of these as they relate to me and the story. Day one on the island. I was surprised by the airport and facilities, to say the least. When you are approaching the island for the landing it looks as though you are going to drop right into the water. The runway appears to have been cut right into the side of the mountain ...