Mango Bay Martinique

At Mango Bay, the bar with Internet in Le Marin, Martinique. Forgot the computer with the photos from the last few days, so we took a picture of us. Cheers!!

Arrival in Martinique

After a long night crossing from the northern tip of Dominica
southbound across the channel to the southern tip of Martinique...
Everything went well and we had some great sailing and some smooth
motoring in the lees.

By the end of my sunrise watch I was bored and figured out I could
take photos through the binoculars!

Safe and Sound in Martinique

Chillin in Martinique for a few days. Had an amazing dinner last night at Ti Toque in Marin. Pics soon!

Dominica Waterfall

Tara woke up to a rainbow as she was making pancakes for breakfast.
We drove around the island, saw some of the local handiwork (canoes
and steeped rums) and swam in a clear, cool waterfall in the
rainforest!

Grow'n Crazy Down Here!

Our new friends Friday and Lawrence do breakfast with us before they send us off for a full day tour of their island!

Coffee just off the tree! Local coffee for local consumption- you gather the seeds and lay them in the sun to dry out the soft outer layer. Then you roast and grind them to make a very strong cup o java!

The largest export of Dominica is bananas. Before hurricanes took out a number of fields they were sending 200 tons annually to the European market. The blue bags are placed over the bunches when they are young to keep the birds and bugs away. One scratch on one banana means the entire bunch won't make it to market.

Carib Territory means local crafts and foods. This boy is showing us how they break down the Cassava root to make bread. Very labor intensive but a trade that has been passed down for generations.

Hiking through the rain forest offers a chance to find more interesting fruits and seeds-- this place is crawling with life! It is said on Dominica that if you stand still in bare feet too long, you'll grow a few inches!

It's got me!

Home made rum raisin ice cream! (not made by me)

The only way to get what you want at the Saturday market is to get there early-- between 5&6 am!! Locals usually stay out all night, then do the market, then go home and sleep. It's amazing what all grows here! Not including the usual tomatoes, carrots, herbs, cucumber, etc that people farm to round out their diet this island is packed with cool foods! Here's my list from one day of driving around: pineapple, coffee, cinnamon, avocado, bananas, tangerines, grapefruit, breadfruit, star fruit, sugar cane, callaloo, guava, passion fruit, papaya, vanilla, coconuts, almonds, nutmeg, plantains, lemongrass, cherries, bamboo, cassava, mango, sugar apples, genips, and dasheen. There have got to be more out there-- you almost feel like you are in Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory, but the slightly more healthy version! The most amazing thing is that most of these fruits are growing wild by the side of the road!

Dominica

Our local guide "Friday" took us on a tour of the Indian River
yesterday. Today he is taking us on a tour of the rainforest where we
will see some of Dominica's 365 waterfalls. Tara and I went to the
local market this morning for fresh eggs, fruits, and veggies, and of
course johnny cakes!

Scooter Rides in Les Saintes

Rented a scooter today to check out the rest of Isle Des Saintes. We covered the whole island in about 3 hours. There is a lot of fishing going on here so just about every beach is littered with brightly painted yolos and fishing nets. There are a ton of forts here, too-- great history!! Really enjoyed our adventures here, very quaint and safe!

Ed's Birthday

Uncle Ed celebrated his birthday with us! We roamed town and watched the sun set, then went to dinner on shore. The waitress even played along and sang happy birthday in french (Isle Des Saintes is a french island).

Sunrise in Guadelupe

Sunrise over Port Louise, Guadeloupe. Another great night sail, smooth seas and lots of wind for the sails. Iggy greets the morning with us, then heads into town to look for fresh veggies, breads, and fish!

Pictures from Antigua

Good drinks, great food, tranquil anchorages.