The winds are becoming increasingly gusty; one minute it is calm, the next it gusts thirty knots. Today was overcast and showery too. It soon cleared though and today after Si finished his book we jumped in the dinghy and went ashore to Port Elizabeth, the capital of Bequia. Colourful wooden boats bobbed about on the turquoise sea and to the side of the dinghy dock a ferry and a couple of supply boats were moored. The town was very sweet. If only I had the time and talent to capture the colourful scenes with my palette. Every shop was painted a different colour with vibrant flowers and foliage adding more life. As we walked the short distance to the end of the bay I was torn between taking photos to capture the atmosphere and not invading people’s privacy. The lady shopping with bright umbrella to shield the sun; the Rasta with crocheted hat arriving at his shack with religious messages painted across the front; the guy sprawled out on a table with head on ghetto-blaster, beer in hand and tyres everywhere; the fat mama in floral dress singing while yeaning out of a bright shuttered window; old men with deeply wrinkled faces sitting along a bench under the trees; the row of open backed trucks with canopies used as taxis; the numerous stalls laden with tropical fruits. None were captured and will only be images preserved in my head. Oh for a BIG zoom lens! We bought bread and fruit then stopped for lunch in a waterfront café. The local cold beer and spicy chicken rotis went down a treat.

   We were just preparing for a BBQ on the beach when Liberty arrived and anchored not too far away. We spoke on the VHF and hoped they would join us for a drink later. The sun was just starting to lower behind the boats as we unloaded the dinghy and dived into the sea for a game of frisby. A large sun bleached log was perfect to set the blanket by and I toasted garlic bread while Si had a lengthy fight with his pressure lamp. It seems nothing works for him at present. He was not happy and the rest of our BBQ didn’t exactly have the atmosphere that was fitting a moonlit beach BBQ in paradise! I singed dinner by torchlight!