North to St Vincent and St Luica

Bequia

Scott and Carla have headed off, so Sue and I are on our own for the next ten days until Andrew arrives. We stayed in Bequia for a few extra days so we could attend the Bequia Blues Festival. This once-a-year event brings international blues bands to several islands over the course of a week. The show was terrific—we didn’t even realize how much we enjoyed blues music until now. One morning we hiked up to the Treehouse Bushbar. We found out later that google maps will take you on the most direct route – not necessarily the correct route. We found ourselves at the bottom of a very steep dirt trail through the forest. We knew that the bar was on a dirt trail so Dave ventured up the very steep and treacherous path. When he emerged, the bartender said she had never seen anyone come up that path before and it is the path they send their hose down for water delivery. Sue wisely waited at the bottom and walked up the street to the correct path which was a leisurely stroll through the forest. We had a well-deserved beer and enjoyed the incredible views.

Blue Lagoon – St. Vincent

On Sunday we made the 10-mile crossing to the island of St. Vincent and stayed just outside the capital in Blue Lagoon. It’s a beautiful bay with a beach club nearby, so we spent an afternoon lounging in chairs and sipping drinks.

The highlight of our stay was a taxi tour we arranged. First, we visited a natural spring where mineral water comes straight out of the ground already carbonated. I have no idea how that works, but it was excellent—cool, fresh, and naturally fizzy.

Next, we headed into the agricultural areas and saw fields stretching along the mountains, full of fruits and vegetables. With rich volcanic soil and plenty of rain, St. Vincent grows the majority of its own produce.

We then stopped at their famous 260-year-old botanical garden. Our guide explained the trees and flowers planted during British rule centuries ago. While there, we saw the national bird—the parrot—which had a lively conversation with Sue as she repeatedly said hello and goodbye.

The tour continued to a local fresh market where residents buy their produce. We picked up several items to restock our fridge, then finished at a local meat market where we found frozen meats to get us through Andrew’s upcoming visit (he eats a lot).

Getting food down here is very different from home. There are no big supermarkets—just small shops with limited supplies. In every town, our first stop is the local store to see what we can find. We’re lucky if we get 20–30% of what’s on our list and hope the next store has what we need. Produce is often purchased at roadside markets where local farmers sell directly. It’s time-consuming, but the experience makes it fun.

Chateaubelair – St. Vincent

Our second stop on the island may have been the most beautiful bay we’ve ever visited. A recently active volcano La Soufriere (last erupted in 2021) towers over a lush rainforest filled with dramatic cliffs, endless palm trees, and dense vegetation.

The town itself is extremely poor and local youth came out to our boat on broken paddleboards and kayaks, selling fruit, vegetables, or anything else they could gather from the forest. We bought bananas, coconuts, tomatoes, starfruit, and more. Sue also gave away most of our Oreo cookies, which caused great excitement.

The next morning we took a 45-minute hike to a jungle waterfall, crossing a very questionable bamboo bridge along the way. The reward was an incredible waterfall pouring out of the dense jungle. A tricky hike higher up revealed another stunning fall. After cooling off under the water, we made our way back to town.

St. Vincent to St. Lucia

We needed to reach St. Lucia to meet Andrew at the airport, so we set off on the 35-mile ocean crossing. We timed it carefully to ensure manageable winds and waves for the seven-hour journey.

We arrived in time for me to complete the two-hour customs and immigration process, then picked up a mooring beside beautiful cliffs and one of the largest bat caves in the islands. After having a bat fly into the boat earlier in the trip, we kept the hatches firmly closed that night.

The next update will cover our time in St. Lucia and Martinique with Andrew. Thanks for joining us on our journey.