CELEBRATING THANKSGIVING IN THE ISLANDS

To be perfectly honest, we almost forgot about Thanksgiving this year. We're visiting islands that do not celebrate this exclusively American holiday, so we had no reminders. A few days before, we were talking with new friends Bobbi and Craig Brown on a 40' Catamaran just like ours, and realized it was only a couple of days til Thanksgiving. We decided to celebrate island-style. First we hired an open-back taxi truck for an island tour of Bequia. Here's a photo taken from the Hamilton Fort.  

Our Thanksgiving lunch was a far cry from the normal turkey and dressing with pumpkin pie for desert. We chose to have lunch at the beautiful Firefly Plantation Resort in their excellent restaurant that grows much of the produce used in their kitchen. The 30 acres still belonging to this sugar plantation were beautiful, and after our delightful lunch, we enjoyed a tour of the plantation. We sampled fruit from many of the plantation crops, including sugar cane, coconuts, tamarinds, almonds, oranges, limes, pomegranates, soursop, apples, pumpkins and various herbs. 

I ordered something I've been dying to try, Coconut-crusted Lion Fish, while Ricky ordered Chicken Roti with breadfruit. Roti is a wrap of chicken with potatoes baked in plenty of curry. 

 
 Ezra gave the plantation tour!

Toasting our beautiful tropical Thanksgiving Day with Bobbi and Craig drinking fresh coconut water right out of the rind. 

Now that's the way to end a great day in Bequia!

Ricky cleaning his fresh catch of the day-Barracuda, my favorite.

LEARNING ABOUT NEW LOCAL FOODS

COOKING CLASSES AT TRUE BLUE RESORT

Friends Mike and Roycelyn invited us to attend cooking classes every Thursday afternoon while we were in Grenada so we could learn more about the local cuisine. They didn't tell us it was also a comedy routine of sorts with larger-than-life OMEGA (between me and Ricky) and her partner ESTHER   Not only did we learn how to make Cou Cou, but we fell in love with these amazing ladies and the friendly staff at the resort. First they fried Barracuda in a nice batter, then set it aside. They threw together what looked a lot like our Ettoufee with tomatoes, bellpepper, onions, garlic, etc. After the "gravy" cooked a bit, they added the fried fish back to simmer in the rich, creamy sauce. It was wonderful!!!

I'm a very lucky girl to have a husband who likes to make breakfast, not just every once in a while, but EVERY DAY!!! He fixes my coffee at 7am to sip while I read my Bible, then we usually have breakfast at 8am. The photo above shows pancakes with turkey bacon and fresh mango. He switches up between pancakes, oatmeal, fried eggs and granola, and always serves fruit on the side.

PUMPKIN SOUP

We have really enjoyed Pumpkin Soup at local restaurants, one of the specialties of the Caribbean Islands. As I looked over fresh fruit at the market, I decided to buy some pumpkin and try to make it on the boat. Turned out yummy!

Basic Recipe:

Peel and cube Pumpkin and boil in chicken broth (I used Chicken Bullion Cubes) with onion and garlic until soft enough to mash. Season with salt and pepper and parsley flakes. Be creative with different spices.

Passion Fruit is one of our favorite new fruits
Sweet and sour at the same time
Allow the skin to wrinkle first

It's fun to browse the local fruit stands!

I was reading another boater's blog who mentioned how much they liked Roti. It was on all the local menus, but I never bothered to ask what it was. Turns out to be very good!

Chicken Roti is popular, pictured right. It's chicken and potatoes baked in a flour tortilla wrap, and it's served with a sweet mango chutney. It reminds me of pot pie, and it's very filling. Some people use other meats and vegetables.
(Photo doesn't do it justice!)

FRIED PLANTAIN CHIPS
We visited local waterfalls and the care-taker offered us some plantains he had just fried in coconut oil. It tasted like candy, so I had to try it on the boat. It's now one of our favorite healthy snacks. Plantains are very similar to bananas, in fact I bet you can use bananas as well.
Simply cut thin chips using a ripe plantain. Get oil hot and drop pieces in, turning when browned. Drain on a paper towel and wait a few minutes to taste so you don't burn your mouth. So good!

Yesterday at the market I picked up a large yellow "melon" to inquire what it was, and was told it was papaya. I'm sure I've had papaya before, but this is the first time I've ever bought one.

This morning we scooped out the seeds and peeled and cubed it, and were very pleasantly surprised at how good it was. Reminds me of a cross between watermelon and cantaloupe.

WE HAVE OUR FIRST GUEST ON THE BOAT!!!

 It's always exciting to have family and friends visit us while we sail the wild, blue yonder. My precious niece, Rebekah Phillips, joined us for 10 eventful days. We picked her up in St Vincent and sailed straight to one of my favorite small islands, Mustique. Very few of our friends have heard of Mustique as it's a privately owned island in the Grenadines where many of the rich and famous own properties, including Mick Jagger and Princess Margaret. Needless to say, it's manicured and fabulous, yet full of friendly folks. We took a 2 hour island tour with "Slick" who told us stories of many well-known personalities that he's had the privilege of meeting while working on Mustique the past 15 years, Janet Jackson and Denzel Washington to name a few. Needless to say, we had a very good time while driving by beautiful estates and dreaming of seeing Reese Witherspoon or Raquel Welch or David Bowie....  

We spent the rest of our time on Bequia. Unfortunately Hurricane Matthew sent us heavy rains and high winds for three days, so we stayed at the small Gingerbread Hotel/Restaurant (only 10 rooms) right on the beach where we could keep an eye on Always Sunday. Our rooms were  spacious with huge king-sized 4 poster beds complete with mosquito nets, which we gladly used, and kitchens, large bathrooms and a huge porch. We just brought our groceries from the boat and cooked in our room. It was very restful and I would recommend this place to anyone who loves the beach and wants to just relax. The diving is some of the best! I think Rebekah loved the snorkeling the most and was like a little fish, swimming for hours. We saw octopus, trunk fish, sea urchins, turtles, plus a lot more.

Rebekah is driving the boat!

That's an octopus in the center with two bulging eyes. The open shells are a sure giveaway that an octopus lives here. 

Rebekah is ready for the Mustique  Island tour.

Wild flowering vine seen along the roadside.

View from "The View" restaurant where we had a great lunch!

Old sugar mill ruins to the right at the resort.

Photo of the eastern side of the island where you can whale-watch in the spring.

George - just one of many box turtles roaming free.

FINALLY, BACK IN BEAUTIFUL GRENADA!

It's been 4 years since we were last in Grenada. Actually, it was our last family vacation with Danielle, and it was so special. We left on Christmas Day in 2012 with our niece Sharon (Danielle's other half) and the four of us spent an awesome time aboard a 45' leased catamaran with air conditioning!!! And so returning to these lovely Grenadine Islands has been bittersweet as all those wonderful memories with Danielle and Sharon come flooding back; watching them swing in the red hammock on the front of the boat, playing Banana Grams at night, snorkeling in the crystal clear waters, enjoying God's fabulous creation.....

We needed to give Always Sunday some special attention, so she was hauled out at Spice Island Marine Services to have her bottom painted and some additional repairs done. When you live on a boat, there's always something that needs work. Instead of camping on the boat out of the water, which is not very pleasant, we checked into The Grenadian Rex Resort for a long weekend and rented a car so we could check on boat repairs daily and buy provisions, and go to church on Sunday with our new boat friends Mike and Roycelyn Bowman from West Monroe, Louisiana. We loved being at the Rex with all meals included and afternoon tea and sandwiches. The staff was top of the line, the food was really well prepared, and I'm sure I gained a few pounds with desert 4 times a day. Who can pass it up when it's all inclusive!  

Downtown Granada where the cruise ships come in.

Beach at the Grenadian Rex - it's off season so we had this all to ourselves! 

Always Sunday going back in the water after her paint job.

It's always great to meet fellow Christians and Louisianians - Mike and Roycelyn

HIKING IN THE HASH - CARRIACOU IS BRUTAL!

Carriacou is one of our favorite islands. The people are warm and friendly, and the landscape is breathtaking. We met several new boating friends who invited us to go "hiking" with them. Boy, were we surprised to show up where about 200 people had gathered for an event that happens every 3 months in Carriacou, and takes place on other area islands as well. Runners and walkers get together more for fun and exercise than to compete, and we, as visitors to the island, were included in the festivities. The trial changes each time, and this one snaked around the island through newly-cut trails up the mountains, through the beautiful countryside on footpaths, and on unpaved roads next to pastureland and gardens. It was a wonderful way to see more of the inner island and to meet new friends along the way. It took us over 2 hours to complete the course, and at times I wasn't sure I could take another step uphill. We dug our fingernails into the dirt paths and grabbed tree roots to keep from tumbling backwards. Would we do it again? I think so..... once the poison ivy and blisters go away, maybe...

We survived!!!

Look at those views!

We're only about half way.

Sandy Island is one of our favorite anchorages. The snorkeling is awesome.

Ricky takes sunset photos every single night!

PETIT ST VINCENT IS AMAZING!!!

The beautiful private island of Petit St. Vincent was probably the very first Caribbean boutique island, opened in the late 1960's. The grounds, cottages, restaurants, beautiful sandy beaches and areas left untouched for wildlife make this a fun place to explore. We arrived during the season that they are closed (mid August - October), so we missed eating in their restaurants, but were granted permission to hike to the highest peak for grand views of the island and looking across to neighboring Petit Martinique. We also toured a few of their cottages so we can recommend them to family and friends looking for a place to be pampered in paradise!

Resort at PSV

Shy Porcupine  "Puffer" Fish

Photo of our boat taken from mountaintop with Petit Martinique in background

 

Rugged side of PSV

Moving through the many islands of the Grenadines...

Iguanas hoping to share our lunch at Palm Island

After lots of diving in Bequia and visiting with new friends, we decided to escape to a secluded place for a slower pace. We anchored with only two other boats in sight in Tobago Cays. This is a group of small, deserted islands protected from the sea by a huge reef called "Horseshoe Reef." We loved snorkeling with the many turtles who let us get pretty close without making a hasty retreat. We also saw many large Southern Rays there, as well as a few Reef Sharks and Nurse Sharks.

Look closely at the top right corner and there's part of a pretty large Nurse Shark. 

Turtles everywhere!

This was our backyard for several days.

Map showing St Vincent down to Grenada

 Our next brief stop was to Mayreau, where we stayed one night in Salt Whistle Bay.

Our friend, Heiko, from S Africa is kite surfing

Amazing Diving in Bequia!!!

Ricky and I have recorded almost 100 dives in the Caribbean, and we're always looking for great diving when we visit the islands. Unfortunately hurricanes in the past few years have reeked havoc on the coral in most of our favorite dive sites. Well, not so in Bequia! We dove 4 different sites and were pleasantly surprised. My underwater photos aren't great, but here are a few...

French Angelfish watching me watch her

Sunken Ship at Devil's Table - So Many Fish!!!

One of my favorites, Smooth Trunk Fish

Baby Drum swimming over Brain Coral

 Most of our friends have never heard of Bequia. It's near St. Vincent, and is still somewhat of a sleepy fishing village, isolated enough to be unspoiled. The fishermen still have a whaling season and hunt the whales in open sailing boats with hand-thrown harpoons. They also build traditional wooden fishing boats on the beach under the palm trees.

Admiralty Bay

Typical style cottage

Rather isolated community of Moonhole, founded by late American architect Tom Johnson, originally built under a natural arch known as "Moonhole." It was abandoned when a large boulder fell and crushed the ceiling, landing on the empty bed. Other houses have been added over the years with similar style: no straight lines or right angles, no glass in the windows, lovely outdoor patios, huge arches, and fantastic views. It is now a vacation destination.