The Waiting Game

Quest
Jack and Hannah Ormerod and Lucia, Delphine & Fin
Thu 2 Feb 2017 13:21
Position: 18:25.29N 64:36.49W 

Quest has baptised Alicia.. Arrgghhhh! We now call our new crew member, 'Pirate Black Toe’.. 

We were thinking it would be a quick visa extension stamp at Immigration in Road Town... five hours and one interview later.. Turns out everyone wants to be in the BVIs; bankers, other Caribbean Islanders, a lot of people who speak Spanish. A couple of bedraggled yachties.. Despite the fact that we don't want to work here but just spend money, we still had to wait our very long turn. Some weren't happy. They paced the waiting room, sighed a lot, their hair went clingy. Personally I don't mind waiting. I got it back when Lulu was a toddler and cracked her head. She ran into the corner of a shelf. We ran off to A&E, they fixed the bleeding and then they made us wait. Just wait. They watched her and us and nothing happened except we became calm again.. Since then, I’ve become rather a fan of waiting. 

The locals stood out yesterday since they were the only ones who said, 'Good Morning,' and later, 'Good afternoon,' to the room as they entered. The immigrants mumbled our replies. The Immigration Office had that strange nowhere feeling, not quite in the country but neither out. I watched the people in uniforms bustling around. If the Senior Customs Official had been efficient the day before, for my interview, I rubbed my eyes at the Senior Immigration Official. Surely even teachers must be scared of this lady. 'Move away from the desk,' I heard when I moved the chair forwards. She didn't even look up. I gulped and shuffled back again. Not a strand of hair on her head was out of place. 'What can I do for you?’ she said. My mind froze. Was this a trick question? I'd waited four hours and filled out all the forms. She was staring down at them! I mumbled something even I didn't understand. She looked up sharp as a stick. Don't mess with me. 'How long would you like to stay?’ Oh, I thought! Duh. That was a very good question.

Oh and for us this is a happy Atlantic crossing day! A year ago today we spotted La Desirade sitting like an overturned boat by its big sister, Guadeloupe. We’d made it! Here’s to you, Mr. Perry. You were with us. 

Love from Quest and her crew xx