Grand View Beach Hotel St. Vincent

... its beauty. It is one week before prime season in the Carribean, and we happened to be the only guests at our resort. Times are slow here and the poor economies have definitely taken a toll on the local businesses in Bequia. We had the entire beach to ourselves today. <br><br>The evening was quiet. Ordered lobster pizza from Mac's Pizza. This is a must when visiting Bequia. There was at least a pound of perfectly cooked lobster on the pizza.

... to say the least&#8230;.the guide led us at a steady pace as we passed through the rain forest with towering bamboo etc. providing much needed shade. A stop at a flowing stream was very welcome too &#8211; but when we were told this was a quarter of the way up &#8211; I nearly gave up! But pride is a marvellous motivator, so it was onward and upward, and upward, and upward, until the half way point, where we met a party on the way down who looked shell ...

So I blew off French Guyane all together, given the fact that it's not a real country anyway- merely an overseas department of France- complete with French prices. Add to that the fact that every mile traveled out means another mile I must travel back- the motto after all IS 'backpack, don't backtrack'- since interior roads are few and far between in this undeveloped wilderness. So I decided I'd maybe just go to the border and make an unofficial crossing ...

... northwest end of the island where the road ends and were going to walk the path to a beach to snorkel. We tagged along, and had a lovely chat with the Scottish duo. When we got to the beach turn off (a rock painted with a red dot), they said that the road continues around the north part of the island with gorgeous views of Petite Martinique, Petite St. Vincent and Union Islands before it reconnects with the bus route. We continued on alone ...

... boat (one of the 75 that sailed from Virginia to Tortola with us) that we caught up with when we were anchored in Les Saintes several weeks before. They met up with a friend of theirs who had just completed a circumnavigation. He started out in St. Lucia but was from New Jersey. Guy and Hanna invited us over to meet him that evening. It was bound to happen -- sooner or later -- nothing to write home about, but embarrassing just the same... We had just tied off to the ...

... King started the project when he was camping on the beach now located next to the site. While sleeping under the stars he was awakened by the unsettling feeling that someone was throwing sand at him. As he cautiously came out of his slumber he saw a mother sea turtle laying her eggs at his feet. Fascinated by the creature, he built his home here so he could watch the turtles hatch. Inspired by this event, Mr. King eventually ...

... fort guarded by sea-worn cannons. It provides a scenic and quiet place for an afternoon picnic retreat. Both Cinnamon Garden and Mount Pleasant offer shade and secluded gardens with panoramic, natural views. Paget Farm, a small fishing community and home to the lovely Banana Patch Studio, is another worthwhile destination. Best Unusual Attraction: Moonhole A magical, if not eerie, mix of Frank Lloyd Wright's ...

... and the cruising community is in constant contact here. We met Denise and Byron on the Island Spirit 400 South of Reality. Our visit was short but delightful as we compared notes. They headed south the next morning when a weather window opened. We had a lovely evening with Sharon and Gary on Elusive asking tons of questions about their 10 years of cruising. What a plethora of information they are! We made a quick trip to Mustique to pick up our bosun's chair...remember the ...

... and mainsail to steering and navigating. Everyone loved the trip from the start - there's nothing like sailing, especially with beautiful Caribbean sunshine and breezes. Other than one student who got seasick (very seasick), the 4-hour sail to Mustique went off without a hitch. Upon arriving in Mustique, we spent the day snorkeling and relaxing on the beach, then went onshore for a nice seafood dinner.

Day trip with stops for swimming at the base of the Falls of Belaine and snorkelling along the coast of the island.  Saw part of the set for Pirates of the Carribean. After dinner was a pyjama party on board, complete with birthday cake for me (someone spilled the beans!).