An Up To Date...

lle Fourchue from Colombier Bay...St Bart's...St Martin can be seen in the far distance.From Colombier Bay, St Barts....a rainbow .... lle Fourchue...masts in the middle where the protected anchorage is.This is where we are (were)....Gustavia Harbor, St Barthelemy, French West Indies. And these are the only planes that can land on the dinky airport on the other side of the hill! So there are maybe 15-20 flights a day in and out!The map below shows the nature reserve areas...and yes, the map is in French. Some say that visiting the French West Indies...is just like, well just like visiting France...even down to the 220v. So just for a moment...I will give you my "aside"...my observations...about visiting "France". When in St Martin, we took a taxi from the French side to the airport (to get my luggage) and the taxi driver (who was an islander AND French) told us that the "French" were notorious for wanting something for nothing. He told us this after a gentleman flagged him down...the taxi driver pulled over and the gentleman proceeded to tell him in French why he should have a ride and not pay the taxi driver anything. Another taxi ride was a shared taxi with a French gentleman...yes, they do know...they do have the best pastries in the world...and they are very proud of that...even the French West Indies. I was VERY impressed with one taxi driver when in a traffic jam (which are constant in Merigot) he turned the radio on to a talk channel - and the talk channel was about the POLITICS of the island...THAT was pretty cool...I enjoyed listening to what struggles they are having (one of which is illegal immigration and one is with their health care system and the illegals taxing their system)! When I was in the airport in line at customs and immigration...a French couple were behind me. They were speaking in English about how awful the French work ethic and therefore their customer service was...perhaps that is why they live and work in Korea...AND why they were vacationing on the Dutch side. And, then to St Barts - there just doesn't seem "to be a clue" with those locals that we came into contact with (the bartender - see below, the grocery store checkout persons, the retail clerks) ...nor do they seem to care...I found it very interesting...but enough of that...and now my "aside" aside...on to more of St Barts.....

We went into town and took a walk...I wanted to walk to the other side of the little inlet/anchorage area to see the dive shop.We got around to the end of the inlet and Paul's hips had had enough from the very bumpy dingy ride (too many tenders from too many boats making too many trips into town)...so he stopped and had a few beers...one of his least favorite things to do!!! He asked the bartender about the New Year's Eve Regatta Race that we had read about the previous day in a beautiful, very well done tourist magazine, and he did not know anything about it...then he said...maybe it was New Years Day.... Anyway, I went for a walk to see what I could find...up the hill...down the hill...got some pictures...From the top of the hill...Saba in the background....back to Paul...and back to the boat...

This is not looking into the city of Gustavia at night...but looking out into the harbor anchorage...a floating city of its own...We had to eat here one afternoon...famous from Jimmy Buffet and Cheeseburger stuff...New Years Eve day morning...we waited in the cockpit all morning watching a few dingys bring crew out for the New Years Eve Regatta...but it turned out to be a non-event...at least as far as we were concerned. Perhaps it was a timed event only as there was no rush for the starting line...and...no "hoopla" when they returned...there were only 6 sailboats that participated. The magazine that we read had really made it out to be a grand event....Of course I did enjoy getting some pictures of the sailboats in the "race"...as they sailed through the anchored boats and then tacked back out...Beautiful boats (not the 100 footers the magazine had said would be racing but there were 65-75 footers)....but...perhaps that was why the bartender didn't know anything???? Not worth the hype we gave it (or the hype that the magazine gave it)!! We did enjoy the fireworks at midnight New Years Eve at St Barts...set off from the fort above town...and then all of the horns...every boat has a horn that sounds different...and that went on for half an hour or so! On the first we relaxed...and on the second...went into St Barts... in the morning for one last baguette run (two) before heading out in the afternoon. Wind on the stern...so we sailed wing and wing...very rolly (neither of us slept well when not on "watch")...and a bit too fast...so this morning we had to slow down so we would arrive at St Croix in the morning daylight because of the reefs surrounding the island. We fueled up and watered up (I'm sure Paul will blog on the watermaker later) and are now anchored off of the main downtown area of Christiansted. We are "gleening" internet from a local hotel (thank you very much) andTHIS is our seven o'clock wake up call! I have called my PADI Scuba IDC (Instructor Development Course) instructor and we will be meeting with her on Monday evening making sure I have everything I need when we return on the 16th of January for my 7 days of intense training!!! I'm excited but nervous!! Tentative plans: Tuesday sail to St Johns - Lamshur Bay to clean the bottom...then to St Thomas late Wednesday or Thursday to meet up with some friends. Although even these tentative plans...are, well, tentative as this morning we are considering cleaning the bottom here in Christiansted...then heading to Puerto Rico so we can go to Sam's (yes, the same Sam's Club that are in the U.S.) so Paul can exchange some batteries...and maybe meeting friends there as he needs batteries too...so stay tuned...