Friday, November 13, 2009

Tourist In Bequia



Bailey dropped us at the ferry dock and we are finally on our way to Bequia. It was an easy 1 hour ferry ride from St Vincent to Bequia. There was no shortage of cabs when we disembarked. Tha cabs are all pick up trucks with covered beds and padded seating. We felt a little strange hopping in the first time but it will become second nature in the coming days. We checked into our accomodations at Lower Bay (all of the beaches are called Bays), and headed to town for provisions on the public bus. The Bequia bus is not your ordinary public transportation, nor like any you could imagine. There are several buses that run you all over town for about 1EC (1 US dollar = 2.6 ECs). The buses are mini vans racing through the streets blaring reggae music with locals jamming to the beat inside. What a fun and unique experience. The roads in Bequia are paved, but sketchy to say the least. Barely enough room for two cars, several switch back curves, and either a sheer drop off the cliff's edge or deep storm ditches on either side of the road. Zero room for error. The curves are so bad that cars have to beep before each curve so on coming cars will know they have company.

Our walk through town was pleasant. We followed our noses (literally) to a restaurant called Brooke's Hideaway. What a gem. Brooke was there to greet us and whipped up the most amazing beef Rotis. The Curry seasoning was to die for and Brooke was such a nice hostess. We knew instantly that Brooke's would be a regular stop for us this week. Ironically, we grabbed a local newspaper and found a prominent article about Kim, the marine biologist that we met at Bay Hills Tower (Bailey's place) in St. Vincent. Kim is working with the local island governments to help map the waters of the Carribean. Thanks again Meg and Kim for all of that helpful information about Bequia. We then headed down to the local street market and picked up some fresh fruits from Sunshine. Sunshine was very entertaining.

We still had not stepped foot on the beach.

We finally headed to the beach, which was just 50 steps from our front door,and it was absolutely amazing. The views, foliage, and water were incredible. Words and pictures can't describe its beauty. It is one week before prime season in the Carribean, and we happened to be the only guests at our resort. Times are slow here and the poor economies have definitely taken a toll on the local businesses in Bequia. We had the entire beach to ourselves today.