December 29
Christmas was very different this year than last year. Last year, in the Bimini Islands, Bahamas, we celebrated with 4 other boats from Quebec: happy hours, potlucks, etc. This year, it was just the two of us, which was great too. We had a Christmas lunch on the 24th where we had a chance to chat with another couple of friends we had met a week before. On the 25th, we were so happy to see all of our families in video chats: Justin and family, Frankˋs sisters in BC and Germany, the Bouret clan (14 of them) in Quebec City.
On shore in the days leading to Christmas, I found it quite funny to hear locals sing "Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh ...". I'm pretty sure many of them have never seen snow. I also heard country music among the palm trees on the beach. It felt kind of weird in a way.... As Christmas here, like in Canada, is celebrated among family and friends, the day was quiet on the main streets: stores and bars closed, no tourists, even the bank machines were closed (no money left).
On Facebook, there's a group site called Carriacou Cruisers. On this site, cruisers put information and comments about upcoming activities, post requests for help with some boat problems, etc. This is where we found out about a cruisers jazz/blues band that will be playing at a beach bar tomorrow night. The bar is in Hillsborough, next bay over. I happen to have booked a pedicure mid afternoon nearby. So we'll stay in town for the concert at 6:00pm. We heard them play for hours on a boat beside us a few days ago. They were very good. Can't wait for tomorrow night!
With the couple we saw on Christmas eve (Al and Sally on Artemis), we went for a long walk following the shore mostly, towards Hillsborough. We walked through a mangrove where we needed to go over and under tree branches and sometimes run a short distance between two waves crashing on shore. We loved it. After a few kilometres though, Al wasn't feeling well: heavy sweat, dizzy, fatigue. Sally told us about his blood pressure problems lately. But his condition now was alarming. We had stopped at a picnic table on the beach across from a small restaurant. The owner called the ambulance for us. In the meantime, the vet next door came to take his pulse and make sure Al doesn't pass out. The ambulance brought Al and Sally to the hospital. That was three days ago. Al had an atrial fibrillation. He is now released from the hospital and waiting to see a cardiologist in Grenada.
We rented a double kayak yesterday to explore the nearby mangrove. It is protected from the winds and waves. We saw birds (herons and egrets) and a lot of fish. So calm!
I posted a short blog on Facebook about last night. I made a spaghetti sauce for dinner - and 3 other meals. It was really delicious; besides my usual recipe, I added a pinch of cumin and lots of callaloo. Even though I promised myself a typical spaghetti sauce, I couldn't resist adding a local touch. With it, Frank opened a nice red wine. After dinner, the moon appeared from behind the mountain. We sat on deck and looked at its progression. We opened an app to see the map of stars above us. Just above the moon were Castor and Pollux, Gemini above them and Orion nearby. On the beach, a music band was playing a Carribbean beat. It was perfect!
We're going to leave Carriacou on the 2nd or 3rd of January. Our plan is to sail to Canouan, where the snorkeling is supposed to be the best. Last year, we only stopped for fuel. This time, we intend on staying a few days at least, before sailing further North.
