Saturday 6th March (Lini’s Journal)

Brindabella's Web Diary
Simon Williams
Mon 8 Mar 2010 13:54
Si the insomniac was in his usual position, reading in the cockpit,
when I staggered from my deep sleep this morning. There was little
chance of us getting ashore for 8am as planned if we were to have
breakfast first. It felt most strange to be back in Rodney Bay after
all our adventures since. Si headed off to collect his ordered
salinity probe and I headed for Café Ole for coffee and hopefully
wifi??? It’s a hard life being a girl sometimes! I was overjoyed to be
able to speak to Daniel after such a long time and in the absence of
anyone else online he was able to relay news of his siblings. For a
change the signal was strong and we were able to use the webcams for
the first time in ages: It was so good to see him. Unfortunately
though I was unable to send my emails before my battery died. Si
returned with a bag of new toys and while he fired up his laptop over
more coffee I used the time to browse through the phrase book with
French Martinique our destination tomorrow.
We dumped our bags back onboard and after some passage planning and
boat/housework we jumped back in the dinghy and at last paid a visit
to Pigeon Island. Today however, far from looking quiet and peaceful,
none other than ‘Wind Surf’ was anchored just off the island spewing
zillions of large bellied lobsters ashore. Memories of Mayreau came
flooding back and I chuckled at the thought of naked passengers
running round the fort and sprawling for naughty photos on the
cannons! The average age of today’s passengers was around eighty five
though and far from shinnying up hills these sandal and beany hat clad
crew were quite content just to fill the tiny little restaurant we’d
planned for lunch. After paying the National Trust fee for entering
the area it was some time before they were ferried back to the ‘Lurve
Ship’.
Simon and I made good use of our time waiting for a table and
reacquainted ourselves with Piton, the beer of St. Lucia! Eventually a
table was vacated in the corner of the ramshackled terrace and we
shuffled round the rustic, hand carved furniture to another stunning
view through trees to blue water and pretty boats. Beautiful! Green
glass spheres in macramé holders hung from wooden beams above us and
carved wooden screens and stools gave real character. Simon finally
got his chicken roti which smelled divine as I tucked into a green
salad! Oh I was tempted! The view truly made up for tasty food
however.
Fed and watered we went off to explore the fort, climbing the bone
dry hill. Pigeon Island was no longer the lush green I remembered as
we approached it back in December and the scorched grass had all but
vanished. Yesterday we’d noticed how brown the hills were looking
along the mainland compared to a few weeks ago and we wondered whether
the fires we saw in a row along the hills was the work of farmers,
nature or an arsonist. Everywhere is so in need of sky juice. We
walked back round the other coast looking in on a small museum in the
old officer’s mess. I children’s party was talking place and under
some trees a wooden pergola was roped off with a sign saying ‘Private
– Weddings Only’. This was obviously where couple from the Sandals
Resort come to tie the knot. Personally I thought the secluded
beautiful old stone ruins looking out over crashing waves on rocks far
more attractive. Back on the National Trust beach some of the more
junior passengers from ‘Wind Surf’ were engaged in a beach party
(clothed I’m glad to report) with an enthusiastic steel band playing
and rum punch flowing they played on inflatable toys and sprawled on
loungers slowly turning lobster pink. Our curiosity quenched we
returned to Brindabella; I don’t know how we stayed so long here
before and never got round to seeing the island.
Simon was so stuck into book two of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium
Series he even missed his sundowner this evening. He barely put the
book down for dinner then read way past our bed time. It must have
been well after ten o’clock by the time he announced another book
finished and commenced another night of minimal sleep. At least he is
finally relaxing though and it is a delight to see him totally
engrossed in something other than stressful boat repairs. Yeehah!!!!