After a really nice 2 week vacation to our land home in Quispamsis, we arrived back in Antigua May 31st. On June 2nd we sailed to Guadeloupe, a 50 mile day which entailed a boisterous 40 mile close reach across the open passage between the two islands. It was probably the wettest sail we have ever had, with steep waves and a short chop, but as Pat says what he enjoys most about cruising is the SAILING. I will have to agree.
We then rented a car for 2 days. The first day was spent circumnavigating Grande Terre. It is mostly what they refer to as a chalk plateau, lower & drier than Basse Terre. We drove through sugar cane fields, past beaches and hiked along some incredible cliffs looking out across the Atlantic Ocean.
A midday self guided tour through the Damoiseau Rum Factory, which sits in the middle of a beautiful plantation, was very interesting.
The next day we were blessed with an unbelievably clear day. Most days you are unable to see the tops of the mountains on any of the islands in the Caribbean, as they are covered in clouds, but this day was a rarity and we took full advantage of it. After driving over the bridge to Basse Terre it was like immediately entering a different world. The lusciousness of vegetation was strikingly different from Grande Terre. Unfortunately, there is never enough time to “see it all” so we chose to spend our day hiking. The term in French is “Randonee”. The first hike was to Les Chutes du Carbet. The Carbet consists of 3 levels that cascade down the hillside from the Soufriere for 10 km. The first falls is 125 meters, the second is 110 meters and the third is 20 meters high. They have developed a beautifully groomed walking trail to the second falls, which takes about an hour to do the return trip. The hikes to the other falls are more rigorous and require a lot more time. We chose to do the 2nd falls mainly due to lack of time. It was GORGEOUS! (but then I have a little fetish about waterfalls). From the base of the falls, we climbed along the river bed to a little shady spot away from the main “tourist” trail and had a little lunch. Another magical moment of our trip.
To top the day off, we drove to the southern tip of the island, dipped our feet in the ocean at a black sand beach and then climbed to the Summit of the Soufriere (an active volcano), a 2 hour hike one way. The Eastern Caribbean chain was created by volcanic activity many years ago, but the Soufriere in Guadeloupe is the tallest of them all, at a height of 1467 meters. Needless to say, the randonee was breathtaking. The trail started through the rainforest and eventually went through about 5 different types of vegetation zones. Near the summit, we were virtually rock climbing to reach the top. It was a fabulous feeling to know that these old bodies could still perform. As I mentioned earlier, it was an incredibly clear day, which also meant it was extremely hot at well, so the heat and the elevation slowed us down a little. By the time we reached the top, the batteries in the camera were getting low, so did not get as many pictures as we would have liked, but took a ton anyways. I would also like to mention that the trail was very rugged and not at all groomed like the nice new trail to les Chutes du Carbet. It was 6:30 pm before returning to the beginning of the trail where we were rewarded with a swim in a great little fresh water pool.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and it was time to move on. Our cruising life is strongly dictated by the weather and since it is hurricane season we need to head south. On June 12th we sailed to Dominica (pronounced Dom-e-neeka) and that will be another chapter.
Fair Winds,
Miriam & Pat
