Those pesky little digits
Irie
Sat 2 Feb 2008 22:05
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Position: 17 08 97N 62 37 84W Off
Charlestown, Nevis
Saturday 2nd February
Once again the fickle finger has struck, this time
placing us smack in the middle of Africa - amazing how Irie gets around so
rapidly and remarkable that it all looks so similar - also that we
actually manage to navigate anywhere. A number of our log readers have
been very quick to point out the error, though by far the greatest amount of
surprised correspondence has been generated by the picture of me with a
Telegraph in my hand - enough said.
It was pretty lumpy Tuesday night and though the
pilot says Oualie is sheltered, there was so much north in the wind that it
actually became quite exposed. It was quite a relief to exit the boat on
Wednesday morning and head for the shore where we caught a local bus into town,
all for the price of EC$ 3 per head, about 60p. Charleston is a very small
and very attractive capital. It's about the size of Wedmore and full of
pretty houses with stone bases and wooden, balconied tops. The whole
island has a total population of around 12000, and also feels very up
together, yet extremely undeveloped. Cruise ships don't seem to come here,
there's only one largeish hotel, the Four Seasons, and much of the rest of the
accomodation is low key, based round old plantations, or good quality rented
villas. Charlestown is the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton, an
illegitimate son of a landowner who made good, becoming the most powerful person
in the US never to become President. Leaving the island at the age of 12, he had
a successful military career, becoming a colonel in the American
Revolutionary Army and then the First Secretary to the Treasury following
independence. He was very influential in the creation of the Constitution,
finally dying in a duel at the great age of 47. The museum commemorating his
life is fascinating and conveniently just by an attractive cafe for a refreshing
juice and injection of coffee.
After the history, we tootled round town,
dipped into the market for some fruit and veg, and then drifted along Pinneys
beach away towards the north. This is a wonderful
stretch of sand some 2 miles or so long, with a few bars and restaurants and the
Four Seasons. Sunshines Bar and restaurant looked a good spot for lunch,
and Sunshine recommended a mix of grilled snapper, wahu and mahi-mahi -
excellent, a perfect light marinade and moist, lightly grilled fish. Afterwards
we wandered through the big hotel which was very smooth, but a bit overdone and
fairly empty, before admiring the PGA golf course on the way out. Back on the
bus and then some fun timing the swell to climb onto the cavorting
boat.
Thursday was Neville and Eileens last full day, so
we set off for Charleston early, dodged the showers round town, took in Nelson's
museum (he married the widow Nesbit here) and then boarded a bus driven by
Fangio in dreads for a hair-raising ride out to Golden Rock Estate. This is an
old sugar plantation over 1000 feet up on the side of the mountain,
developed out of the old stone processing and
storage buildings and with a number of small villas in the
grounds. There's good walking on Nevis, so 45 minutes round the nature
trail preceded a swim in the pool and then lunch. We ate outdoors in a sort
of gazebo with wonderful views to Redonda, the smoking peak of Montserrat, and
up to the east the outline of Antigua - brilliant. There are heaps of green
velvet monkeys here, but only one appeared, sauntering across the road as we
descended once more for the bus - Fangio again. Back on the boat we left Oualie
bach and made for Majors Bay, banking on the flies disappearing at dusk. After
several goes at digging the anchor into the hard, weedy sand, we settled down
for the evening. Around three, the anchor alarm sounded as we'd gently ploughed
a small furrow across part of the bay, but it then semed to have caught and the
wind had died, so all was peace again.
In the morning we motored our guests ashore and saw
them onto Ashton's Quality Time Taxi for the trip back to the airport. It's been
great fun, and they're both remarkably boat tolerant. We've enjoyed new islands
and cultures, and the bridge evening class has taken us through German whist,
hearts, and partner whist, via poker and liar dice, lubricated by a drop of rum
and some excellent rose - a heady mix.
Golden Rock, after a tincture or two
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