Les Saintes to Pointe a Pitre, Guadeloupe
Hot...it's too hot and humid. Nothing was open early, so we aimlessly wndered the streets until the shops opened, wich they did in dribbles and drabs. It's interesting--at home the shops all have signs advertising that they are shps and you can determine what kind of goods they sell. Here, there are no signs and you can't even tell that a building is a shop--they are all shuttered. It isn't until they open that you know where the shops are and what they sell.
Tom and I explored the side streets and iscovered a little street that was steps. The steps took us to the top of a ridge where the crucifix shrine was overlooking the bay. The view was gorgeous and the breeze refreshing. At the foot of the shrine, people has left rosaries, small coins, and candles. What crises in their lives prompted them to do so? There was another shrine further up the hill--this one enclosed a statue of the Virgin Mary. The shrine was gated and locked, perhaps to keep the statue from being stolen?
We didn't buy anything here. Truth be told, I'm not a shopper and my idea of a good time is not combing through every single souvenir shop that we stumble upon. I'd much rather wander the town, sit in cafes, eath the food, and talk to people (if I can work up the nerve). I feel I learn more about a place that way.
The one thing that we didn't see much of on this trip is the markets, either because we weren't on shore at the right time or because we only stayed on the harborfront streets. That is a disappointment because of the varieny of fruits and vegetables and fishes and spices that are available. Before we left Bourg des Saintes, I did pass by one market--no pictures, though, because sometimes the owner doesn't like pictures being taken. But it smelled of curry and other spices and they had fruit, dried legumes, giant cinnamon bark, and a lot of things I didn't recognize.
We were hoping that we'd be able to sail to Point a Pitre, but again, the winds were too light. We put the jib out for a bit, but had to motor the entire way. And it was hot and humid. I spent most of the passage in the salon, where it was marginally cooler. We arrived at Point a Pitre around 1500h, being tailed bya huge freighter. We anchored outside the Marina du Bas Fort in the hopes of getting more breeze.
Point a Pitre is huge and very industrial. The others were hoping to go swimming but that would be a mistake--I'm sure these waters are very polluted. Tom, Kent, and I dinghied in to the marina to clear immigration (open) and customs (closed) and to see what we need to do to drop the boat off tomorrow. Tom found a number of cafes and shops (oh joy) but we didn't investigate. It's hot and the sun intense.
The afternoon consisted of desultory packing (it was too hot to move) and the consumption of beverages (both alcoholic and non-) in an attempt to stay cool. As the sun moved lower on the horizon, it became more intense and the guys tried rigging a makeshift awning using towels and sheets. It was marginally effective, based on which way the boat was swinging. Gina, Carolyn, and I fixed dinner--pasta with onion, garlic, and herbs sauteed in olive oil, with salad, and cookies for dessert. The meal was accompanied by a nice chilled Cotes du Rhone.
Then some more desultory packing--it's hot. And to bed.
Tom and I explored the side streets and iscovered a little street that was steps. The steps took us to the top of a ridge where the crucifix shrine was overlooking the bay. The view was gorgeous and the breeze refreshing. At the foot of the shrine, people has left rosaries, small coins, and candles. What crises in their lives prompted them to do so? There was another shrine further up the hill--this one enclosed a statue of the Virgin Mary. The shrine was gated and locked, perhaps to keep the statue from being stolen?
We didn't buy anything here. Truth be told, I'm not a shopper and my idea of a good time is not combing through every single souvenir shop that we stumble upon. I'd much rather wander the town, sit in cafes, eath the food, and talk to people (if I can work up the nerve). I feel I learn more about a place that way.
The one thing that we didn't see much of on this trip is the markets, either because we weren't on shore at the right time or because we only stayed on the harborfront streets. That is a disappointment because of the varieny of fruits and vegetables and fishes and spices that are available. Before we left Bourg des Saintes, I did pass by one market--no pictures, though, because sometimes the owner doesn't like pictures being taken. But it smelled of curry and other spices and they had fruit, dried legumes, giant cinnamon bark, and a lot of things I didn't recognize.
We were hoping that we'd be able to sail to Point a Pitre, but again, the winds were too light. We put the jib out for a bit, but had to motor the entire way. And it was hot and humid. I spent most of the passage in the salon, where it was marginally cooler. We arrived at Point a Pitre around 1500h, being tailed bya huge freighter. We anchored outside the Marina du Bas Fort in the hopes of getting more breeze.
Point a Pitre is huge and very industrial. The others were hoping to go swimming but that would be a mistake--I'm sure these waters are very polluted. Tom, Kent, and I dinghied in to the marina to clear immigration (open) and customs (closed) and to see what we need to do to drop the boat off tomorrow. Tom found a number of cafes and shops (oh joy) but we didn't investigate. It's hot and the sun intense.
The afternoon consisted of desultory packing (it was too hot to move) and the consumption of beverages (both alcoholic and non-) in an attempt to stay cool. As the sun moved lower on the horizon, it became more intense and the guys tried rigging a makeshift awning using towels and sheets. It was marginally effective, based on which way the boat was swinging. Gina, Carolyn, and I fixed dinner--pasta with onion, garlic, and herbs sauteed in olive oil, with salad, and cookies for dessert. The meal was accompanied by a nice chilled Cotes du Rhone.
Then some more desultory packing--it's hot. And to bed.
posted by Teri S. at 8:59 PM
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