Whar de sun gone mun?

Oriole
Sun 30 Nov 2003 14:43
There is a variety of views about what happened to our weather this week,
but an upper level high trapping moist air beneath it seems to be the most
likely explanation for two or three days of wet and squally weather.  Our
imminent Scottish implant will be reassurred that things are on the mend. We
sailed back from Bequia on Monday and spent a couple of days in
comparatively deserted Tobago Cays.  The snorkling on the Horseshoe Reef
with nothing but sea between you and Africa is a strange sensation. 
 
Baradel Island, Tobago Cays.
 
The wind generator has free access to what ever is going and our batteries were
topped right up.  Saline Bay on Mayreau provided us with our first lobster,
but the swell creeping into the bay drove us to Chatham Bay on Union Island
yesterday.  This must be one of the lovliest anchorages in the Caribbean
with nearly a mile of pristine sandy beach without a building in sight
except for a couple of fishermen's shacks.  Yesterday we walked 6 miles over
to the main town Clifton starting with a near vertical goat track out of the bay. 
On the way we passed some fascinating sights.  The first was four ladies varying
in age from about 16 to  70 breaking up stones in a quarry by the roadside with a
variety of back breaking tools.  Whether this was normal commercial activity or
part of the Union Inland penal code we dared not ask, but we thought the ladies
of Newton Ferrers would prefer their bridge and flower arranging. The second was
an old man making steel drums.  Chris took a lesson from this well travelled
craftsman who unusually can make drums in all keys from sopranno to base,
and travels worldwide to tune them.  When asked how often a drum needs tuning
he replied "It depends how hard you bang him, man.  If you have de light touch he
will last for ever, but if you bang 'im heavy he needs tuning tomorrow".  It looks like
a suitable craft for Gunsey Lane, perhaps others might judge!  If Andrew T would like
an introduction, it can be arranged.
Diving is taking a back seat for a week or two while we lick our financial wounds.
At £20 for an accompanied dive, and we have now done 10 each, it soon mounts up. 
But the dive guides have been great and I am sure we would miss a lot of what they
show us and we do not yet feel ready to dive independently. 
Please keep the emails coming, we would not like to feel we are out of mind as well
as being out of sight. We cannot however receive attachments or photographs.