Progress in St Lucia

We have been here just over a week now recuperating from the crossing and catching up with all those chores that can't be done at sea. Washing for a start, 4 loads in the laundry 200 EC dollars plus all the other stuff I washed myself like cushion covers for the cockpit, bedding for the forward cabin, tea towels, towels and normal everyday clothes mind you the constant warm winds  here do dry things very quickly.

Rodney Bay marina

Nice properties with their own moorings, very nice! 

The sides of the hull are shiny now and the stainless is almost clean, the fridge has been defrosted and cleaned. The cooker was removed, cleaned and behind and the sides of the cooker were scrubbed which took away the eggs that escaped on the passage. Thanks Don xx

Don loves a Sunday lunch, It was very good

Sunday 10th Feb: We had our lunch out, couldn't believe the sign which said traditional sunday lunch 39 EC dollars, roughly £8.50  it was quite good, roast potatoes, mixed veg, 2 huge yorkshire puds and gravy, I only ever manage 1 and part of that I gave to Don.

In fact most of our meals out have been very good, the steakhouse did 2 lovely steaks which were big and juicy, in fact there was no room for anything else. That was Friday night the plan was to go to the "Friday night jump" after dinner was aborted due to the downpour of rain, maybe the rum punch was responsible  for me falling asleep at the table so we called a taxi and returned to the boat.

  

Rum punch, full of vitamins, its fruit juice really!

Well we took the dinghy out together for her maiden voyage. I was only wet when Don was at the helm, I stayed dry when I was in charge. Went for a spin to the mall which is through the area where people stay at anchor or on bouys. Then out of the marina into the anchorage which is huge then past one of the Sandals resorts which doesn't look that exclusive mind you we didn't try to go in.

A very enterprising guy, Fruit and veg delivered by boat, I think some of it falls overboard as the boat rocks and rolls.

Exploring St Lucia: The place is much more commercial than we thought, the supermarkets are very American and British you can buy just about anything, at a price! I wish I had taken the camera, yesterday I even saw a christmas pudding.
So far on the bus we travelled to Castries the capital, passing Sandals in the south then caught a bus our to Soufriere. Our friends had sent an e-mail saying they had sailed there and as we heard it was nice to see so on the bus we went. BIG MISTAKE!

This sign on the wall was taken at the bus stop

Oh we do wish someone had warned us NOT to travel by bus, when we asked a bus driver he said the journey would take just over 30 - 35 minutes. He was not the driver to Soufriere. Ok we board the 15 seater minibus, we had to sit at the back and they only leave when they are full so after roughly 45 minutes we were on our way. Heading out of town the road started to wind up very steep hills at breakneck speed then down the other side round hairpin bends, swerving from side to side trying to miss holes in the road, to be fair he did miss most but the springs at the back must have failed at some time because we felt every bump. Travelling by bus both there and back which was in the dark was one of the most scary journeys EVER, even Don thought our time had come when the driver while on his mobile overtook a truck on a bend. The roads are narrow and lots of hairpin bends through the mountains with huge ditches on one side and no barriers on the other at all there is is a drop.
The journey took 65 minutes each way, never again we asked someone is there a ferry to Castries, nope busses or taxis, a taxi costs 250 US $ one way.
Ok Soufriere is on the West coast, stunning views but I think it must be much better from the sea, there is a "cathedral" and there was a funeral going on at the time so we didn't go in.  No picture I didn't think it was fitting.

This was taken from the restaurante looking at part of the anchorage                   

Looks pretty from here, the town is very different

We saw a concrete slab in which on it was written Queen Elizabeth stood on this spot in 1966 I expect she didn't go by bus! it was the first time she had set foot in the Caribbean.

Local police station, the police have very colourful ties but didn't ask to take their picture I didn't fancy being arrested. 

The local post office

If you google Soufriere check out its history, way too much info for me to write. http://www.stlucia.org/tour/history_soufriere.asp

The Pitons, Dramatic! to think we drove through mountains almost like that

We ate in a seafront place, Don ate "yard bird" with vegetables, the waitress said it was local chicken,  it took a little while to come and I did wonder if they had removed one of the legs from the chickens walking in the gutters in the street, so if you go there and find a chicken on crutches thats maybe the one Don had. I stuck to chicken roti, very nice.

Why did the chicken cross the road? easy to stay out of the pot

Its Wednesday now, here much later than we intended to stay but we are cruisers now and are not in a hurry yet. So today the boat will be prepared for sea again, trying to avoid things from rattling and then hopefully the next blog will be from Martinique, a short sail between the islands, we plan to be at anchor so there maybe no internet for a little while. I tried to buy a dongle but the guy in the pc shop had never heard of them.

BFN
Agua Therapy
Don and Glenys