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S/V MANDALAY TRIP REPORT ANTIGUA to GRENADAText & Pictures © by Edie Van Hees |
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Friday, May 14th Flew out of London, Ontario to Toronto at 6:30 and from Toronto to Trinidad to arrive at 3:00 AM in the morning. My connector flight to Antigua didn’t leave until 9:30 AM. I arrived safe and sound in Antigua at the Barrymore Beach Apts on May 15th at about 1:30 PM. I immediately changed into my swim suit, walked out the door and gazed upon a beautiful sandy beach. It was a site to behold with all the different blue/green hues. I felt like I had died and gone to heaven and jumped in for a swim. I took a little walk down the beach to have some lunch and chatted with some young Brits who told me they were on a six month assignment as a part of the British Naval Defense ship. Now is that a hard posting to take. I asked what they were defending and they explained their drug busting assignments. A very interesting bunch of lads that I ran into a couple of more times on the island. They seem to spend their off days at the beach and imbibing a little too much. Oh to be so young.
Sunday, May 16th Took the taxi to Heritage Quays and loaded my luggage onto the ship. We couldn’t board until 5:00 PM so I walked around a bit. But it was Sunday and everything was closed. I stopped at a little bar/restaurant and immediately met a fellow passenger.
Monday, May 17th Spent the morning walking around town looking for a replacement camera. Not sure how, but mine was gone. I repeatedly tried to call the taxi I had been in but the driver was out. No way was I going to be on vacation for 13 days without a camera. At 12:00 we had lunch and around 1:00 hoisted the sails for the first time. There are no words to describe the feeling. The pipes are playing Amazing Grace and crew and passengers who wanted to participate assist in hoisting the sails. Soon we are off. The weather is perfect and the captain has cut the motor and we navigate until about 9:00 PM under full sail. Time is spent meeting fellow passengers and having a few cocktails. I hit the sack early that night.
Tuesday, May 18th We anchor about 8:00 AM in the bay of Isle Des Saintes. Every morning after breakfast, we spend about 30 minutes on the top deck for Captain’s Story Time. It is an informative and humorous history of the island we are visiting. The Captain also tells us of some optional tours we can choose from or what we can do on our own.
Wednesday, May 19th We sailed through the night and found ourselves today anchored outside the main city of Rouseau. Approaching Dominica you cannot help being enticed by the lush greenery, high mountains and sharp ridges along the coast. In the morning I venture off by myself to explore the city and find myself a good roti shop. I decide against an organized tour until I run into Larry Love, a local young man with an entrepreneurship that I cannot resist. My first impression turns out to be a good one. Larry is planning a 3-1/2 tour for 1:00 and I tell him I may take him up on this and will meet him back at the dock if all turns out. He waits for me to retrieve my bathing suit, towel and camera from the ship and off we go to Trafalgar Falls, while he gives me some history of his island and points out that Dominica has 365 rivers (as opposed to Antigua who claim to have 365 beaches). The drive through a rain forest brings on a relief of cooler air and we park and start our trek to the falls. I do not tell him I have been here before and he continues to be a helpful and gracious host as we make our way across the boulders, reaching out a hand to help me traverse the tricky passageway. It is a beautiful site to see and we refresh ourselves with a swim in the pool formed by the cascading waterfall.
Thursday, May 20th The next island we come upon is Martinique. Like Isles des Saintes, this is a French speaking island and very populated in the city of Fort-de-France when we once again anchor. I was looking forward to pulling up to a dock rather than using the launches but I guess that is still not available to us. Martinique is bustling with people and traffic and I amble around the city, in quest of a good bottle of French wine.
Friday, May 21st St Lucia is our next stop. In the morning we dock at Rodney Bay and I immediately head out to the beach while fellow passengers partake in a number of excursions being offered. Later in the morning I meet up with Sandy, John, Sandy and Howard. We kick back for a few more hours. Sandy 1 and Howard rent a kayak while Sandy 2, John and myself decide to parasail, however 3 hours later the operator still has not shown up so we head back to the launch. In the evening a number of us decide to head out to the Friday evening street "Jump Up". All the streets in the town of Gros Islet are blocked off, people are grilling food for sale as well, beer is being sold out of coolers. Live music is playing with the bass so loud I can feel it in my chest but it doesn’t take long to get into the swing and before you know it we are all taking part in the Jump Up. Dave becomes my surrogate husband. He is 6’3 or 4 and when a local doesn’t understand my "enough is enough", Dave nicely gives him the word and off he goes. The evening was great fun but the last launch is at Midnight. So at 11:30 we are off for the ship and a good night’s rest.
Saturday, May 22nd We set sail about 4:00AM this morning to the southern part of St. Lucia to a town called Soufriere. It is Saturday and the street market is bustling. The town is not very busy, as in most, as the cruise ships are becoming more infrequent due to the time of year. It is a good thing as it allows us more space to meander around. I come upon a little bar with a TV with CNN and stop in briefly to see if I can pick up any hockey scores. I am not successful but buy a pop anyway and have a little chat with the some other patrons as well as the locals. They are hot and heavy into the World Cup Cricket Matches. The rest of the day is spent a short walk north of the city at a beach by the Hummingbird.
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Everyone who arrived on Sunday stopped by this place so I had the opportunity to chat with a lot of people prior to boarding. Saturday evening, after settling in, we were given dinner followed by a steel band with an amazing female vocalist. She performed Celine Dion songs quite well. I danced like a fool. I was tired but managed to stay up until the band left and went to bed. As I stepped into my cabin, a friendly hello greeted me.My roommate Sandy from California extended a hand of greeting. (BTW she was really nice and our routines were quite opposite so everything worked out quite well)
The launches set out to the dock about 9:00AM and our only instructions after that are launches run back & forth from the ship on the half hour and don’t miss the last launch which was early evening sometime. I decide to tackle the hill to Fort Napoleon. I almost died from the heat and the steep hill but once to the top all is forgotten when I checked out the view. The main mode of transportation around the island are motorscooters, however, I elect to keep both feet on the ground and walk around town, and down to the post office to buy some stamps for the post cards I have picked up. In the evening, after dinner, the Purser, Laura Jo, leads a group back into town for an ice cream run.
After drying off somewhat we return to the van and make our way to Soufriere, passing through some seaside villages. We pick up a couple of girls from England and deliver them to their Grandmother’s house enroute. Larry has roots in this town and is greeted by many. He says he is taking me to the sulphur springs to bathe in the healing waters and it will make me feel relaxed. Little does he know how relaxed I am already. During the drive Larry and I converse about many things, including his hopes and dreams. He is a young man his parents should be proud of and I wish him all the best and tip him well. In the evening a singing/dance group entertains us and we participate (to the best of our awkward abilities) in the song and dance.
Tonight, for swizzles and snacks, they have asked us to each purchase a bottle (which on the French islands is quite cheap) and the Purser will pick up pate, cheese and baguettes to make up a wine amp; cheese tasting party for 5:00 PM. It was quite an adventure. I pick up a little leather carved face ornament and my wine and stop for an expresso. I return to the ship in the early afternoon and am happy to perch myself on the deck with a bottle of carib and enjoy the sea and breeze and think about a costume for the PPP party this evening. Everyone is asked to dress up to resemble someone or something that begins with a “P”. There are some really creative juices flowing amongst the passengers and almost everyone participated resulting in some good laughs.
There are a few locals swimming and myself, John and Barry. These people are very friendly and the two little girls are wanting to touch my straight blonde hair. We have some nice laughs with them and then head out to have some West Indian food rather than going back to the ship. At 4:30 we sail a short distance out to have swizzles and snacks, smack dab in front of the impressive Pitons. The Petit Piton is 750 m and the Gros Piton 798m high. We watch the sun set tonight in this wonderful location.
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Sunday, May 23rd We arrive at St. Vincent. St. Vincent and the Grenadines will be our "stomping grounds" for the next four days. It is Sunday morning, we are anchored at Blue Lagoon Bay in the South and as is the custom in the islands, nothing is open. A number of people decide on a boat trip to the Falls of Beleine located on the north and some to the Botanical Gardens, the oldest gardens in the West Indies, established in 1765 and lays claim to a breadfruit tree that was grown from a sucker of one of the saplings brought to the island in 1793 by Captain Bligh. St. Vincent is a very beautiful, lush & green island. The morning brings with it showers and some heavy rainfall. I decide to go into the village and try to find some postcards and walk around for awhile, dodging the rain. I stopped by a resort which did have postcards and also a covered patio so I decide to stop for coffee. The owners here are Canadian, from B.C. and have been full time residents for three years. I have an interesting chat with them as we watch yet another cricket match.  Upon returning to the launch I run into Stephanie and Sy who have decided to try their chances in visiting Young Island, a privately owned island that has been turned into an exclusive resort. I join them on this venture as we take our chances in trying to get access. We are lucky and no one asks us to leave and in-between rains, we swim in the crystal clear water. In the afternoon I decide to take the boat out for a snorkeling trip and spend about two hours discovering the beauty of life under the sea. Just an hours sail away is Bequia and we leave St. Vincent late in the afternoon to reach Admiralty Bay and anchor in Port Elizabeth. Tonight the sunset is breathtaking. A large crowd have opted to eat at Coco’s tonight, a local restaurant and "disco", located up the mountain with a fascinating view of the bay. Coco, a very interesting and energetic man has arranged for a band to entertain us as we eat a scrumptious meal. Taxis, which are basically pickup trucks with benches, take people back to the ship as the evening progresses. Yours truly, of course, stays until the last, dancing the night away with fellow passengers, crew and locals. As always, Coco’s is a blast.
Monday, May 24th We will be staying in Bequia all day today and I am disappointed to hear that the Catamaran trip on Passion that I was looking forward to has been cancelled as the Passion has been undergoing some repairs. Laura Jo, our purser, advises that they have secured a replacement, Friendship Rose, a Bequian-built wooden schooner that has previously served as the mailboat between Bequia and St. Vincent.
Tuesday, May 25th Tobago Cays is our next port of call. This is strictly a swimming, snorkeling day and a welcome reprieve from all the activity. T-shirt trees, set up by vendors from Union Island are the only commercial activities and everyone enjoys a lazy day. The crew have brought lunch onto the beach and as always, Jackie or Mash-Up have the beach bar available all day long.
Wednesday, May 26th Mayreau is the island we will be visiting today. It is a small island, 2.5 km in length with a population of just 200. The captain announces in the morning he will be leading a walk across the island to Salt Whistle Bay. We trek up the very steep, but paved road up to the village. It is hot and we are huffing and puffing. Doug and I decide to stop for a cold one at Robert Righteous and de Youths Restaurant Bar before forging on. At the top, there is a school to visit and the children greet us with happy faces. Each of the Windjammer ships has "adopted" a school to sponsor throughout the year and this is Mandalay’s school.
Thursday, May 27th Carriacou. We are now at one of the three islands belonging to Grenada. I take a tour of the island this morning. The driver’s name is Lincoln and he gives us a good history of the island as well as pointing out various sites of interest. Carriacou has recently installed lights on the runway of the very small aircraft airport and Linky tells us that prior to this, if there was a health emergency in the middle of the night and transportation to the Grenada hospital was required, the local cabs would be called upon to act as runway lights. Carriacou is known as a ship building island and we are fortunate enough to see, albeit briefly, two boats in the making. In the afternoon I take the launch to Sandy Island for some more swimming and snorkeling. Tonight we are entertained by a local band at swizzles and snacks, playing some real oldies and later on an excellent steel drum band.
Friday, May 28th As we make way for Grenada, we are greeted by a large school of dolphins frolicking in the water beside the ship. Everyone runs for their cameras and some are lucky to get pictures before they disappear. I am not one of them, as I don’t want to miss a moment of this sheer enjoyment. We are escorted through the narrow channel into the Carenage in Grenada around noon.
Saturday, May 29th I get up early just in time to wave goodbye to the passengers leaving on the early AA flight back to Miami. There are about 20 of us who will be staying in Grenada for 1, 2, 3, or 7 nights and we are moved off the ship at 9:00AM to allow the crew to make ready for the next sail. Since the itinerary has been changed to Venezuela and since we did not take on supplies from Amazing Grace, we must depart earlier than usual to allow the crew to make ready. I had an amazing time on this cruise and both crew and passengers were absolutely great. In addition to all of the above, we participated in horse races, crab races (both with pari-mutual wagering) and a charity auction that will see the proceeds divided 50-50 between the school on Mayreau & the families of the crew from the Fantome disaster. It is a vacation never to be forgotten and simply whets my appetite to save my loonies and twoonies so I can pick another ship to sail on next vacation. P.S. I spent three wonderful, glorious days in Grenada at a little place called Windward Sands. The owner invited me to join him, his sons and friends at a concert at the Trade Centre, which was followed by an island style "tail gate party"; after this we went to Fantasia where some of the crew from Mandalay were. We partied until 4:00 in the morning. Days were spent at the beach or visiting with old friends and Sunday night I had the opportunity to join the Yankee Clipper pre-sail party. Mon, I love Grenada and it’s people.
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I decide to take the trip to Mustique, a privately owned island that is a retreat island for the rich and famous ( i.e. Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Princess Margaret.) The 12 kms, three hour sail is one of the highlights of my trip. We arrive with boxed lunches and try to arrange to eat at Basil’s Bar but, even though there is hardly a soul there, we are asked to leave so we find a spot under a palm tree and give our beverage business to a small shop across the street. It is dastardly hot this day and although a tour of the island would be nice, we decide to spend the afternoon at the beach. Once again the waters are crystal clear and very refreshing. At 4:00PM we all meet back at the boat for our trip back to Bequia. Someone has picked up a brochure of the mansions available for vacation retreats and I roll my eyes at the $15,000.00 U.S. per week villa costs.
Next we take a goat path down to the other side to the beautiful beaches of Sea Whistle Bay. We cool off and proceed to the Sea Whistle Bay open air restaurant where Sandy and I perch ourselves in a hammock under the shade to rest for a awhile. I think I am in heaven once again. We take a water taxi back to shipside and spend another lazy day at the beach. In the evening we are treated to a barbeque on the island. The crew has gone to a lot of trouble to set this up, complete with beer bottle patio lights and entertainment. After dinner, those who are ready assemble for the evening’s pub-crawl. Climbing back up the hill again, we stop at four bars visiting with everyone. When the night is over, our path back to the ship is illuminated by the full moon. At the pier we howl to the moon as the launch picks us up. Another wonderful day in paradise is had by all.
Once again we will have to anchor and take launch boats onto the dock. There are tours available but most everyone chooses to hoof their way around the city of St. George’s. I make my way to visit with a friend and share a couple of beers with Gerry and Veronica and talk about life since I was last here two years ago. The captain’s dinner is the activity of the evening. After taking a short nap I go to the late sitting where we are entertained by Pat, the Chief Steward, who dazzles us with both her Caesar salad and flambé. After dinner there is a draw for some sea chest articles and I am fortunate enough to win one of the T-shirts.
