Crusing the Carabean

First thing. My last text was a bit messy. There were so many things I wanted to say and some of them I wasn't quite finish thinking through. The thing about crossing the Atlantic... It was cool and for sure a trip I'll never forget but after talking to some guys who also crossed I came to the conclusion I would not do it again. After all it's "just" three weeks on the sea -just transport. If I got my own boat and I wanted it in the Carabean then no probleme. But now: been there done that. Right now I would rather spend the three weeks here on these beutyful islands.

Bequia
After Barbados we went to Beguia (or how that is spelled). Celebrated New Year here on the beach. Wierd. New Years eve and BBQ on the beach. It was great. Somebody (I don't now who) had arranged some local food -yammi! Bernd, The Crazy Sweed got charmed by the chefs daughter. No wonder.

I walked the whole island on a couple of days. On the north I found a Sea Turtle Farm where I petted on of the turtles. I haven't seen one in the sea yet but still hoping...
On my way back I meet Joe which I met earlier on Barbados. I guess the Carabean is not that big. Anyway we decided to explore one of the peaks. Half way up we ran out of tracks/paths. No problem: Joe had bought a machete unfortnunately it wasn't sharpened yet so it was not that helpfull. But it looked cool! So from now on Joe is known as Jungle Joe. As we finally reached the top -got though the bushes and "funny leaves" as we called the thorned leaves which were everywhere we sad and taked 'bout smaller things as life. For example -if you should use one word describing what's most importent in your life, what would it be? By the way Jungle Joe found out later that "the funny leaves" (as we named them) was poisonous, but I guess we are to tough to kill!
The reason Jungle Joe bought the machete was we found some coco nuts and we had our difficulties opening the things... We sat and slammed the nuts against a sharp rock while the locals passed and laughed a bit (so next time they'll get the machete). But we got our reward, though -coco milk.

The next day I headed south. I walked path and small road which wasn't on my map and offcause I hit a dead end with a big sign saying "private proberty". Then I talked to the landowner who was laying in a hammock and enjoying his view of his land. Ofcause I got premission to walk his land. It was so such a cool place. The landscape was kind a rough and it was very windy as well 'cause it was in the south east and the tradewind was blowing constant. Nearly as back home in windy Denmark. just more sunny... And if I saw some of his sheep I should let him know. They had run away a while a go and he had no clue where they were.
The guy also offered me a job as a tractor driver. He had some land he need to clear. It looked very interesting as it was on a very steep hill! I didn't take though.

On one of my other hikes I met the land turtle Speedy. First he was a bit shy but after I shared my water with him I made a new friend!

St. Vincent
We only made a few short stops at St. Vincent. We saw the bay where Johnny made "Pirrates of the Caraben". Lots of plastic and glasfibre. Everything is thin and fake and now just left to be a turist attraction. There was a bounch of local poor people running around a telling they were acting in the movie as well as their boat was in it. Fun to see the set but not as much fun to face the fact that these local people are trying to make a living of this abandenned million dollar movie set...

I found a cool place. Tropical rainforest with water fall and shit. I was walking 'round by my self and it was a bit interessting. These small track which were very steep and slippery. I felt like I was in the middle of nothing. There were nobody around -which I found a bit exiting. Parts of the tracks were steams. Awsome!


St. Lucia
Now we're at Castries which is the capital of St. Lucia. It's not that big and I think I have seen much of it allready. The people are in gernel friendly and it's way more civilized than some of the parts I saw walking around on the country side -outside the turisted bays. There are a lot of beggers here and the have no probleme trying to make you feel sorry for them and guilty if you're not giving them anything. The funny thing is that you feel like you are beeing rude when telling them off because you have to be so direct but they aren't effended. I found myself able to get a "respect" when I'm just talking a couple of seconds with them.

I've been walking some of the bad nabourhoods. Many came up to me asking if I wanted to buy "som good shit". When I told I was just walking around "chilling" I got another "respect". But maybe I was pushing it. I walked down an alley -not a very nice one. I passed an elderly lady which was on her shattered portch. I said "evening mam" and continued. I came to a cross section 50 meters down and I was spending a couple of seconds deciding: left or right. I also to some water when I realised that the woman was waving at me. I went back to her and she asked where I wanted to go. I told her "just vandering". She looked at me, thinking for a sec and told me she thouhgt it would be better if I vandered in the other direction = the way I came from and added I was heading for a really bad nabourhood. "The will guide you to a place where they'll take what you got" she told. Must say I got a funny feeling in my stomic. Maybe she was just beeing precausious, maybe she was wrong but I took her advise and turned a round. She even got her son to follow me back to the "turist highway". Then I passed the church and I went in. Sat there and chilled there for a while... I was seeking limits (as a child) and I think I found it...

Talking 'bout being direct. Here in Castries they are quite honost about us men are a bit dangerous to have a round...

Now I'll see if I can find a place to take a deasent bath. I just realised we haven't had a real bath since before Christmas -actally my last shower was the 3rd of december on Gran Canaria. From then till now I've been swimming the sea/bay's where we were anchoring. Actually that is more than fine but it's a problem when we are anchoring in a industri dock as we are here in Castries. The water is not that nice in the habour...