Sally has gone now and we are awaiting the arrival of Pat this afternoon. Sally’s departure was a little fraught, just as we saying our goodbyes we noticed from the quay that RT was lying a strange angle. We immediately jumped into a water taxi and shot off to see what the problem was. We were beach moored with an anchor out fro’ard  and an aft  line to a coconut tree. The anchor has slipped and we had drifted sideways. We sorted it out with only a little bit of trouble. Anyway after that scare we decided to abandon the beach and go back onto a mooring in the north of the Soufriere bay for peace of mind. There is hardy a minute when you can totally relax.

 

With one day to spare I decided to climb Petit Piton. Its about 2500’ and rises straight out of the sea. I recruited a guide and we set off from the beach across from our mooring. The first bit on the road was steep but easy, after that it was into the bush and that’s when the realisation struck. For the next 2200 odd feet it was unrelenting verticality, roots, rocks and fixed ropes. I don’t think I am as fit as last year, maybe that bump on the bike has left we weakened. Anyway I hung in there and made it to the top. The top was surprisingly pleasant, nice and flat and grassy in complete contrast to the ascent. The view spectacular. I returned to RT and advised Norm that he may not have liked the ascent. Definitely not I think. I lay out on RT and went to sleep. I was totally dehydrated, I had consumed two litres of water on the ascent and couldn’t drink enough to get  through the thirst.

 

We had pretty well eaten ourselves out of house and home and so a trip to the shops was in order. The duck was looking a bit sad, seems to be a recurrence of the problem we had in Grenada, a leaky over pressure valve which we had ‘cured’ with araldite. More araldite required so we set off to the quay with all the bits we needed. There was lots of help from the collection of boat boys on the quay. Actually on this occasion they were very helpful. Fingers crossed, the araldite seems to have worked again.  We returned to RT loaded up with shopping.

 

 

Traditional Houses in Soufriere

 

 

Our Favourite Restaurant in Soufriere

 

 

My Guide Garfield on Top of Petit Piton

 

 

Bennies Bar hidden in the trees

 

The Duck looking a bit deflated