Monday 10/2/3014.  The passage to Soufriere was again an easy motor sail.  The wind has moderated but unfortunately the rain has returned, with the order of the day being sunshine and showers.  We were met by “Gregory” some distance from the bay, who assured us he was working in collaboration with the SMMA and who helped us pick up the buoy and offered his services as water taxi, organiser of tours etc, all at prices that needed some negotiating.  We agreed to a water taxi ride and boat guarding in the morning so we could visit the gardens and Diamond Falls just outside Soufriere, but declined any other help on the grounds that they were easy walking distance from the town.

 

We enjoyed the visit to the gardens and falls and lunch at The Old Mill on the Soufriere Estate and we have not been bothered too much by boat boys or men selling fruit and local produce, but the speeding pirogues and worse, the speeding sports fishing boats have been a complete pain and they do spoil what is otherwise a pleasant anchorage.

 

     

 

The Road to the Diamond Falls Gardens and a stream in the gardens.

 

   

 

The Diamond Falls and part of the gardens.

 

We then organised a bird watching trip with “Smith” for the following afternoon, not in the rainforest as we might have chosen as the hurricane 3 years ago damaged the road into the forest and it required a four wheel drive and a spirit of adventure according to the very helpful lady in the tourist office.  We were then driven back to the boat by Gregory who had clearly decided we were a busted flush and not worth bothering with.

 

Tuesday, 11/12/2014.  Raining, raining, raining today.   So a lazy morning with some domestic chores and then a swim in a short burst of sunshine.   Some reasonable fish but poor coral but it gave the guests an opportunity to practice their snorkelling skills.  Then in the afternoon, bird watching with Smith just off the road up the steep hill behind Soufriere. We did see the St Lucia parrot and the golden oriole and the St Lucien finch, so Skipper’s wife has ticked off all the indigenous species.  It was a lovely afternoon in spite of the rain and we all felt very relaxed after a beer with Smith.

 

 

The Twitchers in Wet Weather Gear

 

 

One very wet, disgruntled St Lucia Parrot with not enough light for the camera to show his lovely plumage.

 

 

A very nice view of the Grey Trembler

 

 

Couldn’t resist this photo of the St Lucia Pewee

 

Tomorrow we will go to the Piton anchorage round the corner and hope the weather improves, although from the UK news, we have nothing to complain about.

 

Alcedo