Isles des Saintes to Deshaies, Guadeloupe

Lie in?  What a dream!  I wake up at 6am.  Luckily Mike also wakes up, so early as it is, I don’t have to wait long until my tea arrives.

As we are still unable to get internet connection, we move the boat to the other side of the bay and hey presto, good connection.  We do our urgent stuff then go into town to explore a little.

We have been here before, but it’s easy to forget how lovely some places are when you go to so many.  The Saintes were never agricultural so no slaves were imported, just like St Barts.  It is like being in the south of France but less chic, and less expensive.  There are nice touristy shops rather than the usual tat but no designer names.  The town is beautifully clean and there are flowers everywhere.  It’s just beautiful.

Photo:  The ferry dock in the centre of town

Photo:  Jeannius anchored at Bourg des Saintes with Guadeloupe in the haze behind

  Photo:  Making bread at a local boulangerie

We do a little shopping.  Mike manages to replace his favourite t-shirt bought here at Le Gall, where everything is designed by a local artist.  I try on a dress which the rather charming man announces fits me perfectly.  All I can see is my fat stomach, which has become fatter as of late so I don’t buy it.  We wander around and buy some unfortunately rather disappointing pain au chocolat, which will no doubt add to the size of my tum!

The houses are beautifully kept, some surrounded with white picket fences and flowering bushes.  Most are freshly, and brightly painted.

 Photo:  Beautiful local house on the beach

 

Photo:  Even the Mairie looks charmingly picturesque

One of the houses has been designed to look like a boat that has been pushed up onto the rocks.  In fact, the first time I visited here I thought it was a boat.  Today we look more closely and discover that it is a doctor’s surgery although I’m sure he lives here too.

 Photo:  Bateau des Isles

Photo:  Beach at Bourg des Saintes

We leave around midday, bound for the north west end of Guadeloupe.   It is an incredibly boring journey.  There is not enough wind to sail although Mike tries various combinations of sail.  The engines go on for half an hour, then a bit of wind comes and they go off again and five minutes later, the wind drops and the engines come back on again.  This is repeated all afternoon as we need to keep up a reasonable average speed to get to our destination before dark.  The wind comes from directions it shouldn’t ie the north which is frustrating and very unexpected.

We eventually arrive in Deshaies just before 6pm – that’s 30 miles in nearly 6 hours.  We need to do better than that tomorrow.  As we choose our anchoring spot, all we can hear are tree frogs.  The noise is unbelievably loud, a cacophony no less!  They are either extremely big or there are thousands of them!

Deshaies is a lovely working fishing village with lots of restaurants and a few useful shops.  They don’t really cater for tourists here but you can get everything you need.   

Photo:  Deshaies waterfront

Photo:  Local homes, some deserted, some not

Photo:  Mist hanging over the hills covered in lush vegetation

It is a beautiful evening.  The sea is completely flat again and the only noises we can hear are those tree frogs and splashes made by fish jumping.  There are so many leaping around that I am almost tempted to put the line out but the thought of having to bludgeon a fish to death in the semi-darkness puts me off!  There is yet another beautiful sunset and I wasn’t going to take photos of it as every day seems to have a sunset photo but it was soooo beautiful I just can’t help myself.  Unfortunately in my haste to take the photographs, I step from one part of the boat to another, landing on one of the few areas that is not non-slip.  It is wet and I am barefoot.  My left leg goes over the side, my right stays on board, and with a scream, I am left straddling the back of the boat.  It really hurts and I demand Bailey’s on ice for my pain.  I get the photos though!

Photos:  Almost worth the pain!

All joking aside, my slip is a painful reminder of how quickly and easily you can get hurt on a boat.  I know better than to walk barefoot when the boat is wet and I am always telling other people not to run or jump. 

It’s another early start tomorrow.  We need to get to at least Nevis if we are to arrive in St Martin again on Saturday.

I just hope I can get into bed!!!