Bequia, Island within St. Vincent & Grenadines & Site of Moonhole

Monday, December 5, 2011

Finally Fun at anchor -to the Right of the Cactus

A good few days at anchor in Bequia, catching up with friends, catching up on boat chores and just ‘limin’, waiting for the weather to improve so we can head to St. Lucia.

Bringing fuel & water to sailboats - Finally Fun's tanks are larger than this boat

‘Been here, done that’ on this island on our way down the island chain, BUT this time we did take an island tour around via taxi with Rich and Margaret and did go snorkeling off the cave and the beach.  

Overlooking the northern side of the town of Bequia

 

There is at least ONE Fort on every single island!!

So pretty

Our boats are below in Admiralty Bay.   Rich, Margaret, Andy & Sharon

Original whale rendering plant on Petit Nevis, off Bequia

 Whaling is still done off Bequia, as part of their heritage.  Local whalers are allowed 4 whales a year during the February - April season, when the whales are heading south to mate & bear their young.  Only a few old timers still whale, using an open small sail boat and hand thrown harpoons.

Colorful fishing boats

Two whaling boats in Bequia

This is the one that the boulder crashed through

Taking the dingy with Richard and Margaret aboard, we bounced a couple of miles out to Moonhole, on the southern tip of Bequia.

This strange looking community of rock houses, perched above the water, was built by the late American architect, Tom Johnson and are used as vacation homes for those wishing a natural experience of some kind   The first home was built under a natural arch rock, called “Moonhole” ....duh, hence the name. 

See the sky poking through above

The original “Moonhole” home, built under the arch, was abandoned when a huge boulder let go, crashing through the home into the bedroom, crushing the bed.  (No one was sleeping at the time.)  I’d say that slowed down the demand for a natural experience!

Dingy was REALLY bouncing about with us in it!

The rest of the community

 The other homes are built on and out of the rocks there  with strange angles & few straight lines.

There are arches, no glass in the windows, no electricity, but each obviously has a great view and good breezes.     

Actually, pretty creepy

And you have to pay money to say here.....

I can imagine ghosts floating out of the windows

Another house tucked back behind the tree

De Reef's favorite beers

Catching up with Port Louis Marina friends on Sunday, we all enjoyed the music at a local beach hangout, De Reef, drinking beer and watching locals with their families  play what looked like a game of cricket.



We watched children race prams, families enjoying picnics in the shade of the coconut trees & in general, just have a good family day at the beach. 

Our dingy took off from this beach in front of De Reef

Always beautiful - Local boats

Kids racing

One kid came up in his pram to our friends coming in to shore in their dingy.  The kid wanted them to tow him out to the race, he was so far behind his peers!

PS...He got told NO, and You Will Get Better At This!!

Locals in their colorful boats

Think this is a cricket game

Fun at De Reef - Note Andy at end of the table

Margaret & Rich can REALLY dance

The group doing some line dancing!  Locals loved it.

We decided he had too much weed

Totally into himself!!!

Andy, as long as your knot holds, that dingy is going NOWHERE with that tree stump!

Our dingy, now that she’s experienced a taste of freedom, launched herself OFF the beach when a big wave hit (thought we dragged her far enough up the beach away from the water to avoid this kind of event!)  and was headed out to sea when the local kids grabbed her.   With help from a number of folks, our dink was safely brought ashore before we could even race to her rescue. 

The end of another beautiful day in the islands