Una semana de despedida / A week saying good-bye

After having lunch with Luois and Charlotte we met with Christian and Marie-Laure in town to play music.

Ukulele on the water front

 The sunset was incredible, right at that moment we decided we were staying one more day. It is not going hurt, right?

Music and sunset

Our friends invited us to Ti kaz la, our favorite restaurant in town for lunch.

Philippe, owner of Ti kaz la saying hello after lunch 

During lunch a fisherman came to the beach with a little plastic dinghy full of fish, his catch of the day. I was sent in mission to buy one. 

Me fishing with the wallet

 We split up the fish and the cost, but everybody took turns to have his picture done with the beautiful Mahi-mahi.

Music and fish what a good combo

Ti bo doudou

Christian holding our catch

Marie-Laure and Mahi

Jim attracted a lot of pelicans and tourist with cameras by cleaning the fish on the beach, it was a hard task. Not very comfortable place, but less mess than cleaning it on the boat.

Cleaning fish on the beach

Another night on the park playing music with Cocotier, a popular character in town, a cruiser and Christian, little by little the place filled up with people listening to the improvised band. I was very shy, but at the end I joined them just to loosen a little bit.

The band on the park

Me joining the group or trying

Iz version of Over the rainbow for our audience

Marie-Laure and the musicians

We were definitely leaving that morning, but we woke up counting the hours and calculating how much longer we could stay and still make it in time to St. Martin. Unfortunately our friends were waiting since early to say good bye. We just got in the dinghy, offered a serenade and invited them over for pancakes.

Ukulele to anounce that we were staying one more day

Then we went to town to visit Louis and Charlotte, but we couldn't resist to buy some bbq chicken from Pollo, and some fresh fish from the fish market.

Buying bbq chicken from Pollo in the park, across from the church

Louis loves to entertain Jim, hi showed him his work on the roof and then, they got very involved into making sugar cane juice.

Jim and Louis cleaning sugar cane

Louis making sugar cane juice on his mill

Jim's turn

Straining the juice

Diane et Moi

More papayas 

Lime and sugar cane juice, what a good mix

Charlotte and I cooking a creole dish

Diane when we got to the house

Diane when we were leaving

Louis on the front of his beautiful property

It took us a week to finally go. It felt like it was time, but we had such a good time. This place has it all, the people, the water, the music, the food. It is a magic place, everybody says that about it.

AnechyNotes

Louis and Charlotte en Salty Shores

A las 10:30 del viernes, todavía estábamos hablando con Marie y Jordi (una joven pareja que conocimos el año pasado en Les Saintes). Nos apuramos hacia el bote, donde empezamos a preparar un almuerzo de al menos tres cursos. La noche anterior había exprimido las toronjas, para recibirlos con un jugo frío y natural. Como aperitivo preparamos ensalada de pescado ahumado (del que pescamos y ahumamos en casa y luego vuela con nosotros a St. Thomas). Como plato principal, debo ser sincera, compré pollo a la barbacoa en el pueblo, adobado por 24 horas, asado en un horno en el medio del pueblo frente a la Iglesia. Y como guarnición; plátano burro semi-maduro, aplastado y aliñado con ajo, cebolla, y tomillo; además de un arroz con gandules.

A las 12 en punto, nuestros amigos estaban en el muelle como habíamos acordado, arrastrando un carrito de compras. Esta pareja de 77 y 73 años son lo más sorprendente que hemos conocido. Se montaron en el anexo sin trabajo y se subieron en el bote igualmente fácil. En cuanto se sentaron en la bañera sus ojos miraban al rededor con admiración, pero en un cuarto de minuto, en lo que yo servía el jugo de “pamplemousse”, Louis se había quitado la ropa, y con su traje de baño europeo (tanga de hombres) se dispuso hacia la popa e hizo un clavado perfecto.

De la bolsa del carrito salieron toda clase de trucos mágicos, dos botellas de sidra de manzana sin alcohol (ellos no toman bebidas alcohólicas), un pomo de litro y medio de agua de coco, y un pastel de cebollas, champiñones, tuna y queso. “A nosotros nos gusta aportar algo”, dijo Charlotte, pero por Dios santo, casi que trajeron el almuerzo. Luois disfrutó de su baño y luego de su jugo. Pero siendo tan talentoso en construcción y reparaciones, lo que más disfrutó fue que le mostráramos los sistemas del barco. Los paneles solares, controladores de carga y banco de baterías; el motor, sistema de refrigeración y navegación, las herramientas y todos los lugares de almacenamiento de provisiones y salvavidas. Charlotte decía todo el tiempo: “que bien organizado está todo, Louis, aprende”.

El pastel fue servido como segundo curso. Y la ensalada de pescado ahumado fue un éxito. La comida en general fue deliciosa y después todos estaban noqueados del sueño. Louis decía que el bote era una mecedora, nadie tenía mucho espacio para postre, así que les envolví el pan de banana para que se lo comieran más tarde y Jim les hizo la especialidad de la casa: Batido de guanábana.

Antes de despedirse nos agradecieron la invitación y nos dijeron que era la primera vez que alguien los invitaba a un yate privado, y que había sido una experiencia especial en su vida: “Nosotros hemos hecho excursiones por todo el caribe y el mediterráneo en cruceros, pero no en un barco tan bonito y nuevo”. Trabajo que me costó convencerlos de que Salty Shores va a cumplir 30 años, y que casi todo ha sido reemplazado. “Pero está nuevo”. Repetía. Nuevo de segunda mano, como dice nuestro amigo Venezolano, Yonny.

AnechyNotes

Louis and Charlotte on the boat

At 10:30 on Friday, we were still talking with Marie and Jordi (a young couple we met last year in the island). We had to hurry to the boat, where we started to fix a lunch of at least three courses. Last night I had squeezed grapefruits, to receive them with a cold and natural juice. For appetizer we prepared a smoked fish salad (which we fish and smok at home and then fly with us to St. Thomas). For main course, I must be honest, I bought BBQ chicken in town, marinated for 24 hours, roasted in an oven in the middle of the village across from the church. And as a side dish; semi-ripe donkey plantain, crushed and seasoned with garlic, onion, and thyme, plus a pigeon peas rice.

At 12:00, our friends were on the dock as we agreed, dragging a rolling bag. This couple of 77 and 73 are the most amazing people we have ever met. They got in the dinghy without much effort and climbed into the boat just as easy. As they sat in the cockpit her eyes looked around in awe, but in a quarter of a minute, as I poured the "pamplemousse" juice, Louis had taken off his clothes, and on his European swimming suit (men thong); he got on the swim platform and made a perfect dive.

From the rolling bag came out all kinds of magic tricks: two bottles of non-alcoholic apple cider, a pints of coconut water and a quiche of onions, mushrooms and tuna. "We like to bring something," Charlotte said, but for God's sake, they almost brought lunch. Luois enjoyed his bath and then juice. But being so talented in construction and repairs, what he enjoyed the most was that we showed him all the ship's systems. Solar panels, charge controllers and battery bank, the engine, refrigeration and navigation system, tools and all the of storage places for supplies and life raft. Charlotte kept saying "that 's all well organized, Louis you should learn."

The quiche was served as a second course. And the smoked fish salad was a success. The food overall was delicious and everyone was knocked out after. Louis said the boat was rocking him like cradle, no one had much room for dessert, so I wrapped banana bread for them to eat later and Jim made them the house specialty: soursop smoothie.

Before leaving they thank us for the invitation and told us it was the first time someone invited them to a private yacht, and it had been a special experience in their life: "We have done tours around the Caribbean and Mediterranean in cruise ships, but never visited a nice and new boat”. It took me a while to convince him that Salty Shores is turning 30, and that almost everything has been replaced." But it's new."He repeated”. New of second hand, as our Venezuelan friend, Yonny says.

AnechyNotes

Amaneciendo con delfines

El viernes en la mañana yo estaba despierta a las siete. Teníamos mucho que hacer: chequearnos fuera del país en emigración y aduana; hacer algunas compras para el viaje el Sábado y el almuerzo con Luois y Charlotte en el barco. Y como es lógico hablar con todo el que nos encontráramos en el camino. Yo estaba vestida y lista para ir al pueblo cuando los delfines empezaron a hacer piruetas fuera del agua. Enseguida me pude mi traje de baño y me siguió Jim.

Con careta y snorkel nadamos al menos 100 pies hasta donde ellos estaban, y con tan buena suerte el agua estaba clara y podíamos verlos en el fondo jugando y también les escuchábamos hablar entre ellos. Por un rato solo fuimos observadores. Eran dos delfines adultos y dos jóvenes, uno más pequeño que el otro. Unos de los adultos miraba el juego desde un rincón, los otros nadaban en círculos persiguiéndose las colas que estaban marcadas por los dientes. El adulto que no jugaba tenía una cicatriz alrededor del cuello, pensamos que en algún momento se atascó en una red de pesca. Los otros, que jugaban en el fondo decidieron prestarnos atención y comenzaron a nadar hacia la superficie y en nuestra dirección, para en último minuto ladearse y esquivar cualquier tipo de contacto. Nadaron a nuestro alrededor, nos miraban y a la vez emitían sonidos, nosotros solo los seguíamos, era demasiado especial para dejarlos ir. Pero cuando ellos decidieron que era suficiente se le unieron al adulto solitario y se fueron rumbo al sur de la bahía. Nosotros los despedimos, con el corazón lleno de gozo.

Desde niña soñaba con nadar con delfines, pero no en la piscina de un acuario, con delfines en cautiverio, entrenados para cargar gente sosteniéndose de su aleta dorsal, sin importar el peso. Yo quería nadar con delfines libres, que eligen o no nadar conmigo y esfumarse cuando lo deseen. ¡Ah, mi corazón se llenó de gloria, por segunda vez! El año pasado entes de partir de Les Saintes a fines de Mayo, la mamá con uno de los bebés vinieron me acompañaron nadaba de regreso a Salty Shores, Jim se había adelantado, y por mucho que grité, él no me escuchaba. Otra vez, estaba con ellos y admiraba su juego, eran las 8 de la mañana, la ciudad todavía estaba tranquila, los botes de Guadeloupe no habían llegado con los turistas para alborotar la villa. Jim, los delfines y yo teníamos el privilegio de nadar sin 20 turistas alrededor. Aunque a estos malcriados les encantan los turistas, porque no importa cuanta gente vaya a verlos, ellos siempre regresan.

Cuando ya me había duchado y estaba de nuevo vestida para ir al pueblo, Jim me grita desde uno de los portillos que los delfines estaban de regreso, yo estaba en la bañera y me asomé para mirar, mientras uno de ellos, el mayor de los bebés nadaba alrededor del barco, para unirse a los otros tres que atravesaban la bahía antes de partir.

AnechyNotes

Waking up with dolphins

On Friday morning I was awake at seven in the morning. We had plenty to do: check us out of custom and emigration; do some shopping for the trip and for lunch on Friday with Luois and Charlotte on the boat. And of course talk to everybody we met along the way. I was dressed and ready to go to town when the dolphins began to pirouette out of the water. Then I put my bathing suit and Jim followed me.

With mask and snorkel we swam at least a 100 feet to where they were, we were so lucky, the water was clear and we could see them playing in the bottom, we could hear them talk. For a while we were only observers. There were two adults and two young dolphins, one smaller than the other. One of the adults watched the game from a corner, while the others swam in circles chasing tails that were marked by the teeth. The separated had a scar around his neck, we think that at some point he got caught in a fishing net. All the sudden the mother and the two babies, decided to pay attention to us and began to swim to the surface in our direction, last minute they leaned and dodge any contact. They swam around us, watching us while emitting sounds, we just followed them, it was too special to let them go. But when they decided it was enough. They joined the adult alone and went south toward the end of the bay. We said goodbye with our hearts full of joy.

As a child I dreamed of swimming with dolphins, but not in an aquarium where captive dolphins are trained to people holding on to their dorsal fin, regardless of weight. I wanted to swim with wild dolphins, who can choose or not to swim with me. Ah, my heart was filled with glory, for the second time in my! Last year, in late May, before we left Les Saintes, the mom with one baby came swam with me back to Salty Shores, Jim was ahead, and as much as I yell at him, he did not heard me. One again I was with them in the same place and admired their game, it was eight in the morning, the city was still quiet, the boats from Guadeloupe had not arrived yet with tourists to disturb the quietness of the villa. Jim, the dolphins and I had the privilege to swim without 20 tourists around. Although these brats love the tourists, because no matter how many people go to see them, they always come back.

When I had showered and was dressed again to go to town , Jim yells at me from one of the port lights that the dolphins were back, I was in the cockpit and I looked to see as one of them, the older baby, swimming around the boat, then joined the other three and swam across the bay before departing.

AnechyNotes