We needed to find some reliable WiFi so we headed over to Store Bay. Tobago and especially the Store bay area are popular placed for the folks from Trini to come for a vacation. There are some grand public beaches and resorts catering to the vacationers. We took walks around the area and got our first taste of a local delicacy called a Double. It is a delectable bit of fry bread stuffed with a curried chick pea and vegetable mix and a spicy tamarind sauce. We picked up one of these along with what is commonly called a pie, similar in texture with a slightly sweeter flavor. Both are fantastic. The roadside stand was on the way to the grocery store and we found ourselves stopping again on the way back to place a second order. We spoke with the young entrepreneur about her schedule for making these wonderful breakfast treats. It is a labor intensive process and she is up at midnight beginning her preparations for the following day’s sales. We also have a good idea of why they are called Doubles. Perhaps it is because they could easily adopt the Lay’s chip slogan of “No one can eat just one” or maybe it’s because if you eat them daily for a while and you will double your size in just a few weeks. Either way we will be returning to place another order in the very near future.
Category: Travel
Goat Racing in Surf City
The bay here at Mt Irvine has an amazing break. We were able to enjoy watching the exploits of both local and visiting surfers enjoying the 6 footers right from the boat. The waves wrap around the point and break as they come into the reef. Not a place for the inexperienced. Those brave enough to catch these waves were treated to some great rides. Mike took Mighty Mouse and his camera out to catch some of the action to share with you. Our group of four boats took our dingies around the southern point and over to the town of Buccoo Reef. We pulled alongside the jetty and proceeded to tie off and lock the dink, whereas I promptly dropped our lock into the water. I fortunately, had on my swim suit under my clothes, so over the side I went to retrieve the lock. So much for arriving gracefully. My mother used to refer to me in situations such as these as “Her daughter, Grace” Michael has taken this and run with it in his own fashion and just refers to me on such occasions as “Miss Kelly”. After a fresh water shower from the spigot on the dock, we walked around town and admired a fancy new facility in its final stage of construction. It’s façade was quite ornate and it’s grounds manicured. It was obvious that no expense was spared for this amazing project……It must house something of great importance and social significance……Whatever could it be? As the pungent smell from the far side this lovely building reached our noses we were able to decipher the purpose of this grand structure. No, it wasn’t a government building, it was the Goat Racing Stadium…….What Else! There were no races that day but by the looks of this place, it is a popular event. We meandered around this small town and as we watched the storm clouds gathering, our group ran for shelter. (It did not much matter to me at this point as I was still drying out from my lock retrieval swim.) We enjoyed the company of good friends as we sipped our beers and waited for the squall to pass.
Birthday Rain
Sept. 2nd, 2010
It is pouring down rain. This can only mean one thing for the Gillich’s, It’s a special occasion. That’s right, Wedding Day, Anniversaries, Birthdays…..all are continually blessed from above. Today is Sept. 2nd, my Birthday. We awoke to a downpour and it has continued off and on all morning and just for some added excitement the boat decided to drag anchor. We had moved from Great Courland Bay down to Mt. Irvine Bay to try and escape the swells. It is a little better here but still pretty rolly. We found ourselves snuggling a little too close to S/V Asseance and so after breakfast we reanchored. The swells, combined with the tides and light winds have had the boat turning nearly 360 degrees on anchor and so we have set a second hook just to be safe. The grey clouds that surround us rumble their intentions along with their light shows. We are watching the continued formation of a line of what looks to be a very active hurricane season. So far we have monitored the formation and progress of Bonnie, Colin, Danielle, Earl, Fiona, and now Gaston. There is another forming off the coast of Africa as I type this. With so much unsettled weather I can only assume we are in store for many more rainy holidays or special occasions. But in true cruiser fashion, Michael conspired to make my birthday memorable with a party aboard DD. Mark & Max(ine) from s/v Blue Beyond, Don & Heather from s/v Asseance, and Rob & Cathy from s/v Quatico all arrived with arms full of tasty dishes. Cathy had even baked me a wonderful chocolate Birthday cake. It was a lovely evening filled with the gifts of good friends and laughter. Thanks go out to all of you for making my rainy birthday so wonderful.
Bay Hopping
Aug 26 – Aug 31
After spending a number of days in Pirates Bay, we went back in to customs and immigration to request a cruising permit to Bay Hop down to Chagaramus, Trinidad. We only had to deal with Dave at immigration as the fellow who had given us such a hard time at customs was not in. He telephoned him and stamped our cruising permit by proxy. This will allow us to take our time before arriving in Trinidad. We traveled to Anse Bateaux and spent a number of days exploring the reef around Little Tobago and Goat Islands where we found a number of small rock lobster, tasty!, We also walked the trails above the Blue Water Inn looking for Birds. Don and Heather from s/v Asseance had walked this same remote road the day before. They were met by a black dog and then heard someone calling for help. They came across a elderly local man who was lying beside the road. He lives in a shack on the next bay and was trying to reach the Inn to call his nephew for help but was too weak to make it. Don and Heather checked to make sure he wasn’t injured and then made him comfortable and walked back to the Inn to get help. His nephew came for him and took him to the clinic. He was home the next day and we stopped at his shack on our walk, he was feeling much better and asked us to tell Don and Heather, thank you. As we had explained before, our provisions were a little scant especially for fresh fruits and veggies. We were fortunate to have a visit to the bay by Andy who has lived in Speyside for 45 years. He yelled out to s/v Quatico who was anchored closest to the Inn that he had He brought a large bag filled with mangos, limes, avocados, papaya and lemons for sale. Quatico relayed the in nd After a few days in Anse Bateaux we all had a lovely sail around to Great Courland Bay near Plymouth, Tobago. On the way we were treated to the company of dolphins riding our bows on 4 separate occasions. The other boats we were traveling with did not have them come near them but could see them around our boat. Dancing Dolphin, lived up to her name once again. They crisscrossed and played in front of the bows and between the hulls and were a delight to watch. The last few days we have explored the town of Plymouth and been entertained by shrewd and modified fishing techniques employed by the local pelicans. They have had to add spinning while swallowing their catch. The laughing gulls will actually attempt to land on their heads when they come up with a bill of fry and peck at them, waiting for them to open their beaks to swallow, thus the spinning modification. Mike and I went for a walk the other day and stopped off at Turtle Beach Resort. I had my swimsuit on under my clothes and enjoyed the luxury of immersing myself in their fresh water pool. It was warm but it felt really great to sip a cold beer and relax in their lounge chairs under the shade of an umbrella and air dry without feeling salt encrusted. Michael has not been able to swim for the last few days as he has a deep gouge on his right heel from one of the protruding metal lock snaps that hold part of the cockpit enclosure we rarely use. I have insisted we take the precaution of not introducing any bacteria that may be lurking in the bay as there are numerous small polluted streams and rivers that empty into it. It has been hard on him to not have an avenue to cool off other than the solar shower which is usually warm to hot water. It is healing slowly. We have been very protective and fortunately it shows no sign of infection. The last couple of days we have felt the effects of Earl and Fiona. The swells have gotten bigger and are coming from the North which makes for uncomfortable sleeping. As bad as we have it…..we really feel for our friends aboard the monohulls as they rock and roll much worse than we do. We really cannot complain as our thoughts and prayers are with those people who are in the paths of Earl and Fiona. We have monitored their trials and tribulations via blog posts made with their cell phones and hope they all remain safe.
To Tobago………Today!
August 17 – 25
That’s how it came about. We had moved DD back around to Hog Island. Michelle from S/V Daniel Storey and I went for a walk around Hog Island in the morning and we talked about the other hikes we would like to take around Grenada. But by 10:00am plans had changed yet again. We knew that there was a group of boats headed out that afternoon for Tobago. Mike had just finished reinstalling the repaired alternator which was now working well. Mike said to me, “Why don’t we head out for Tobago and on to Trinidad with the group leaving today?” I expressed some concern about making the overnight crossing to Tobago without an Auto Helm. Mike did not seem too concerned, it was not an insurmountable problem…..we would just take shorter watches and hand steer. We contacted Don and Heather on s/v Asseance and asked them if they would mind if we tagged along. They said we were welcome to come if we could stand hanging out with 2 Canadian Boats and a British Flagged Vessel. I replied that it would not be a problem if they didn’t mind being seen with an US Flagged Vessel. We gathered our paperwork and headed over to customs and immigration to check out of Grenada. We also picked up a few groceries at the little convenience store at the Marina. I would have liked to reprovision the boat a little better before leaving, but there was no time as the Armada was leaving at 4:00pm that day. The journey down to Tobago and Trinidad is safer done in a group as the closer we get to Venezuela there is a higher incidence of Piracy reported. We dashed about and hauled Mighty Mouse onto the Davits. Said some quick goodbyes to friends staying in Grenada weighed anchor along with s/v Asseance, s/v Quatico, and s/v Blue Beyond. Dancing Dolphin is the only Catamaran but they didn’t hold that against us. We had an uneventful motor sail across to Tobago and arrived in Man O War Bay near Charlottesville at around 9:00am. Tobago is a nature lovers gem. It is what one might imagine looking at photos of a tropical paradise. The verdant rainforest covered hills spill steeply down to the deep water bay rimmed by gold sand beaches and palm trees that surround the sleepy fishing village of Charlottesville. Colorful Open skiffs dot the natural harbor each sporting either mounds of nets for seine fishing or pairs of bamboo outriggers, which look like the feelers of the lobster the fisherman occasionally return with in addition to their tuna and snapper. The small fishing fleet has priority and the yachts must stay well clear and not anchor too close to the beach, so as not to interrupt their livelihood. We tucked into Pirate bay on the northwest corner of Man O War Harbor. We caught a couple of hours sleep before checking in with customs and immigration. The customs agent told us we would have to pay an overtime fine because we had entered Tobago waters before office hours. We asked him how far out the waters extended so we could estimate the time we came into them. He then berated us for not checking in immediately upon arrival into the bay. We explained that we had been up all night hand steering as we did not have a functional auto helm and so we had slept for a bit before checking in. He then looked at us sternly and began chastising us for sleeping and not respecting the laws of Tobago. We should have known something was up when he tried to get the puzzled looking immigration officer to confirm the overtime fees. He had kept a straight face the whole time and when we finally began apologizing for sleeping and not knowing where the Tobago waters line was……he smiled and said he was just pulling our leg. We paid the usual check in fees and promised him we would bring him a present of some rotten fish for pulling off the prank so successfully. Which is not hard to do with us sleep deprived gullible Americans. We have spent the last week snorkeling the coral reefs around the edge of the bay, fishing, & hiking. One day, we took a scenic, air conditioned bus ride to the other end of Tobago to the main town of Scarborough where we picked up a few fresh fruits and walked around the botanic gardens in the center of town located right next to the next to the noisy smelly power plant. Who is their town planner? There is not much here in Tobago in the way of a grocery stores or fresh veggies most of what is sold is offered in small stalls or storefronts and offer a random sampling of commonly used consumer goods. We are trying to get creative with the last of our frozen goods and canned provisions. What Tobago lacks in conveniences, it more than makes up for with its abundance of natural beauty. We have marveled at the diversity of flora, over 220 nesting species of birds, 16 species of bats, and the wonders of a rainforest to walk about in. There seems to be mixed feelings in regards to tourists visiting Charlotteville, as the local population would like to keep their quiet village lifestyle intact. We have been met with both warm receptions and quiet indifference in our wanderings around the town. We have enjoyed the camaraderie of our traveling companions Rob & Cathy on Quatico, Mark & Max on Blue Beyond, and Don & Heather on Asseance as well as getting to know a number of other cruisers who are enjoying the exotic and isolated beauty of this wonderful Island. We are awakened in the mornings by the sound of hundreds of orange winged parrots and Chachalacas screeching as they fly in and over the forest. Frigates, Pelicans and other seabirds fish the waters around the boat. Schools of small fry hover in the shadow of our boat and the other day we watched as the waters around the boat boiled where schools of larger fish were forcing the fry against the hulls and enjoying a fine meal. I could literally reach down and scoop handfuls of silvery fry from the surface of the water. Iridescent butterflies in a variety of colors flutter out over the water and across our bow to bless our boat daily. We have had a pretty even mix of sunny and rainy days. Most of the showers that pass through do not stay long and give us all a welcome relief from the heat. Walking through the streets of Charlotteville finds people enjoying the beach, or gathered on front porches and sharing shady areas with the local dogs. Chickens have free reign to wander the streets and a large flock can always be found upon crossing the local football field enroute to the well used (air conditioned) local library where we can access free WiFi. Life here is definitely slower paced, farming is subsistence based. Local vendors sell homemade Ice Cream….sherbet. We purchased a CD of music composed and recorded by a local calipso musician, Squeezy, who was happy to sell us some grapefruits as well. We watched a group of dolphins come into the bay the other morning to play and fish. We continue to appreciate the numerous beautiful sunsets and sunrises. I still have to pinch myself some days.
Monday Night Mas
Monday evening the DJ Trucks cranked up the music and energy to extreme levels and again took to the the streets of St. George around the Lagoon and Carenage for the Monday Night Mas . We could hear these Trucks all day even on our boat anchored outside the harbor so by the middle of the day we too could sing along with most of tunes. This Mas is comprised of different bands of revelers who have purchase packages to participate in this unique nighttime parade. Packages can be purchased from local business sponsors, by anyone for about $75 EC. Packages include, a commemorative cup or drink container, all you can drink beer and rum from the bands bar truck that drives along with each group, a glowing wand or saber as well as a Band T-Shirt and an Illuminated Hat and other glowing accessories. The DJ’s riding atop the trucks keep the energy of the slow moving throng up by singing along and shouting directions to syncronize the mass of light saber waving revelers. It was a spectacle that was difficult to capture on film. A number of cruisers purchased packages to participate in this glowing high energy Night Mas. There was a bit of a damper put on the evening for some of these participating cruisers when they discovered they had become victims of a ring of professional pickpockets. One of the cruisers even had the side of his pocket that he had his hand over, cut with a razorblade to gain access. They were lucky to have come away with only the loss of a small camera, a phone, and a little cash. The police and the participating business that sponsored the MNM were very professional and went out of their way to see that the lost items were reported and some were even replaced at a substantial discount. The police later that night busted what turned out to be a number of the pickpockets and found them to be affiliated with a professional ring out of Guyana that follows the Carnival circuit around the Caribbean. Everyone who heard about the thefts was appalled,saddened, and primarily concerned that the incident not reflect badly on warm and caring reputation of the Grenadian People. After a day that started at 3:30am, the evening ended for us around 11:00pm as we drifted off to sleep with the memory of the vivid colors of everything from body paint, to feathers, to light sabers, the sounds of the Songs Mo Mas and Tornado ringing in our ears, and a little buzz from spectacle of the day topped with a few beers and rum.
Pageant Mas
After a nap we returned to town around 1:00pm to watch the next Mas. The Pageant Mas reminded me a bit more of a high energy home town parade. It again involved the massive sound systems of the DJ Trucks playing a mix of the same 4 songs, followed by extravagantly costumed groups singing and dancing and representing different themes. This parade is also open to anyone who would like to purchase a costume and join in with one of the bands. A number of cruisers, who were staying at the Port Louis Marina, did just that. We walked the parade route and took quite a few pictures before settling down at a spot near one of the judges’ stations along the route. We were dazzled by the creativity and vibrant colors of the costumes some of which are quite elaborate. Everyone including small children walks the entire parade route in the same rhythmic small steps stopping to shake, shimmy, and gyrate along the way. Some of the women did this all in high heels, Yikes! The atmosphere was festive, the people beautiful, and the entire performance was repeated again the following day for the final judging, in even higher heat, with many of the previous days’ high heeled beauties now sporting tennis shoes. I wondered how long they could hold out!
Jouvert Mas
On Sunday morning we stocked up on a few groceries as stores all shut down for the last 2 days of Carnival. Ester, the clerk at Foodland, asked us if we would be attending Mas……now to me I did not think Carnival was affiliated with the Catholic Faith so I asked her what it was. Mas as it turns out are parades and street parties that take place during Carnival, Grenada’s summer festival. Flatbed trucks are outfitted with enormous sound systems, followed by roving bands of people singing and gyrating to thunderous rhythms. Each band is sponsored by different local businesses. We were informed that the first of the Mas Parades began at 5:00am on Monday morning. We set the alarm for 3:30am and put on some old clothes. We joined others in the streets some of who it was obvious had been up all night. We grabbed a couple of beers and downed a shot of rum. This has to go on record as the earliest in the day I have ever started drinking! The DJ trucks were keying up the music followed by pickups carrying large vats of different color body paint. Each band of Jab Jabs was represented by a different color. The Jab Jabs (or devils) main goal is to catch unsuspecting persons and smear them with paint, hence the old clothes, or in some cases used motor oil…..we tried to avoid those guys, we were only partially successful. The crowds were an amazing, sometimes hilarious mix of party goers all enjoying themselves and happily mugging for the camera. After the first couple of smears of paint, I took the old point and shoot into the crowd and tried to capture some of the spirit of this high energy event. After enjoying this Halloween Rave on Steroids the sun peaked over the island and the end of the parade passed us by. We made our way back to DD for a swim and a scrub with the loofa to erase from our bodies but not our memories the experience of this unique introduction to Carnival Mas.
Back for Carnival
We reluctantly left our new friends Ellen and Jim from s/v Boldly Go….sitting on the hard at the Carriacou boat yard to do repaint the bottom of their boat and do all those out of the water maintenance issues. We feel for them Yuck! But we had to return to Grenada after all….Carnival was happening. We made our way down the leeward coast of Grenada and anchored just outside of St. George where we will stay for the duration of Carnival. We contacted the Al Bernadine and dropped off our Alternator for repair, yet again, and then called and checked on the status of our Auto Helm. Herve the Service Tech here on Grenada says he is expecting the parts by the end of the month at the latest but is hoping they will arrive by next week. There are a number of events that take place over the days leading up to Carninval, a beauty contest, as well as Soca, Calypso, and Pan competions. We attended Pantastic, the Steel Pan Competion on Saturday Night and enjoyed a number of talented bands comprised of both young and old as well as Vocals by The Black Wizard a local popular musician.
A Carriacou Birthday
While we were in Carriacou we met and were befriended by James T and his wife Ellen…..capitan & crew of the S/V Boldly Go (Trekkies?). We spent quite a few evenings getting to know each other and found out that Ellen and I both grew up in Orange County, CA. She went to Corona del Mar HS and I to Tustin High. Our fathers both worked for the same company, Autonetics that became North American Rockwell and spent a lot of our teen years along the beaches of Newport and Corona del Mar. Small world. We also met JT and Jayson, at a local birthday celebration. They are father and his young son who had sailed over from Trinidad aboard S/V Stillawa to enjoy the regatta. They had lost their dog a couple of days before and everyone had been on the lookout for her. She turned up that day and they were as delighted to have her back and she was to be back. I spent a little time showing Jayson the hand slapping game of Over the Top and how to Thumb Wrestle and we became good friends. The Birthday celebration was in honor of, Cigarette…..yes that is a nickname. Owner along with his son, of the Lambi Queen Restaurant and Bar. There was food and drink in abundance and everyone was having a great time. We enjoyed the music provided by a local DJ and after singing the traditional birthday song, it was time to……as they like to say, Stick the Cake. This is a fun local tradition of raising money to help pay for the party. It is something like a cross between the dating game and a wedding cake cutting ceremony. People pay money to nominate who will have the honor of Sticking the Cake. That person has to stand in front of the cake and other people then pay to nominate who they think would be the best match to share the honor as well as the first bite of cake and a kiss. There were a number of changes to both the female and male participants over the course of about 20 minutes along with much laughter and banter back and forth. At one point a gentleman teasingly nominated a very young teen girl who seemed more mortified than delighted to be nominated for the honor. In the end the Birthday Boy and his Ex-wife were left standing together to Stick the Cake. Amidst howls of laughter, they shared a bite of cake but the kiss was conspicuously absent .
Living the Dream 