The weather has been mostly good to us this week, so the house is moving on. All the plywood is on the roof, the decorative Creole gingerbread is carved and in place and Caribbean Metal have measured up for the green roof and work should start on Tuesday. It should take about 4 days so next week’s picture should show more progress than the previous two. In the meantime, plasterers have been plastering and cement posts have been cast to support the wooden balustrades around the balconies. Next step is to get a painter to paint the underside of the roof and beams and then to start preparing the greenheart wood for the walls. I think this is where I am put to work and my life of lazing beside the pool and meeting new friends comes to an end. It was great while it lasted but I really am looking forward to having some input.

The summer people are beginning to leave. This really is a “Swallows and Amazons “ place. There are different groups that fly in for a few months of the year. One group we got to know well was an American diving company. They run two-week diving courses from here, for two months every year. The reason we got to know them was that they were supervising their teenagers and trying to track down the beer drinking naughty boys in the shower block, when they banged on Jeff’s shower cubicle asking him if he had alcohol in there with him. Embarrassment all round when they realised their mistake and so they bought us a beer in the bar afterwards. We saw them each time they come in to offload one group, have a day and a half respite before the next arrived and had some down time at Chateau Mygo. On their last nights here we were invited for supper on their catamaran, had a great meal, with the best brownies ever as a pudding. On the very last night we all went down to a local bar called “Fish and Tings” where we asked the chef to do his best things and we would all help ourselves. We were not disappointed; the octopus stew was fantastic. The hurricane hole bar was still open on our return so after a nightcap, we negotiated with the hotel front desk to use the hot tubs. It was bubbly but not hot so the youngsters then went off in search of the other private ones situated outside the hotel rooms. This apparently was the game of the season, to use private pools in the dead of night, avoiding detection by the night porter. Young Un’s, what would you do with them?!

That’s them off until next year and the school children are all away as well. Fi leaves on Sunday after a three-week stay and we have friends visiting St Lucia in the next fortnight that we hope to catch up with. September is the quietest month of all we are told, so we shouldn’t be too distracted by night revellers.

The Team!

Beach party on quad bikes.

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Fi enjoying a natural jacuzzi.

Hurricane Dean in full blow.

Last meal before the hurricane.

This is a story of two halves - firstly the fun side of life here, followed by the terrifying bit.

Last Sunday we set of early to the south of the Island to go on a four-hour quad bike ride. We first headed off through an old mango plantation where they grow 17 different varieties. We were able to taste lots of different fruits as our guide stopped every now and again as he spotted ripe delicacies. We quenched our thirst with fresh star fruit juice and spring water. The tracks got a bit more sporting as we headed off through the rain forest going deep into the valley. The other three were driving very fast but I chose to go a little more sedately, so he eventually changed the drive order to let them give it some wellie! We crossed a river and parked up to have a swim in the very cold water. It was so invigorating! We all took turns in sitting in the natural jacuzzi, and then let go of our grip to get whooshed away in the current. The next stop was to look at the remains of an old sugar plantation mill, waterwheel and viaduct which were constructed in UK over 100 years ago and then shipped to St Lucia and put together on site. Continuing on through a banana plantation we arrived on a beach. where we really got some speed up and everyone enjoyed. It was certainly a great day out which we will do again.

The next few days were spent in a “ will it, won’t it” quandary, as everyone discussed Hurricane Dean’s progress. By Wednesday it was looking bad for us, as the whole of the bay began taking steps to secure boats and property. More boats started to arrive from every possible direction and the mangrove was the favourite place to stick boats’ noses into, lashed with rope to tree trunks. We were fortunate enough to have organised a double berth for just such an eventuality when we first arrived so Wine Down was parked in the middle with storm chains around each pylon and 18 warps going every which way plus two anchors out the front. We also stripped her of all sails, lines and loose objects. It was a huge amount of hard work for Jeff and John and they made a fantastic job of making sure she was secure. Fi made chocolate brownies in case things got really serious and then she and I got a lift on a fast RIB up to Rodney bay on Thursday morning for last minute provisions, more chain and a visit to the Dr’s for me. The sea was already rough with a big swell and there was an eerie look to the sky. When we got back Jeff and John had done the final tying up on our boat and were busy helping out on the super motor yacht next to us. It was then time to stow away down below and pack a hurricane bag for the next 24 hours.

We decamped to Doreen’s house with our paperwork, documents, food parcels and water. The first winds arrived soon after, as did heavy rain and we were very soon plunged into darkness as the transformer outside the house sparked blue and fizzled out. The rest of the night was spent listening to strengthening winds and howling rain. We got very little sleep and at times the noise was terrifying. We had a puppy rottweiler to keep us company but he was just as scared and spent a lot of time snuggled up to Fi. Half way through the night he needed to do the business, which meant brave souls taking him out onto the back patio. It was a relief when dawn came, even though that was the height of the hurricane. We were able to look out of the kitchen window door at the great rollers smashing into properties and restaurants in the bay. An hour later Jeff and John ventured out to check on the boat and thank goodness all was well - not a scratch. The trip up the hill to see the house was a little trickier as trees were down and there was still a lot of water running off the hillside. Once again we were in luck - only one tree down and that had fallen away from the house. What a relief, as one restaurant in the bay was washed away completely and another was badly damaged. Chateau Mygo only had one plank loose and a few of the stuffed parrots had flown off, so we all feel we got off lightly. John’s flight home was only delayed eight hours although the drive to the airport was difficult as the rains were still heavy and debris littered the roads as well as some flooding from the swollen rivers. He looked tired as he left and I bet he slept all the way - we couldn’t have done without him.

We have had a big clean up since then and Wine Down is back to normal. In fact the weather is back to normal - sunny skies and a light breeze, ideal sun-downing weather! Time for a beer or two and reflect how fortunate we had been that Dean had hit us as only a Category 2. As I write she is about to hit Jamaica as a full-blown 4.

John and Fi arrived out last Friday. It was good to see them both looking so well and relaxed. It was straight into the pool to cool down, followed by an evening in Chateau Mygo renewing old friendships. Saturday was designated a day of getting over jet lag and getting to know their new roommate, Jackie. They all got along well which meant Sundays trip to waterfalls, gardens and the two Pitons was great fun. We had a wonderful walk through the rain forest after we had swum in the waterfall pool, which was freezing. On the Saturday night a crowd of us took a fourteen-seater taxi to Canaries, a small town about 10 miles away, for their fortnightly Creole street party. It was a good night, live music, BBQ chicken, fish and pork, street dancing and of course lots of beer and home made juices. John was even sporting enough to try the local delicacy, grilled pigtail, washed down with strong peanut punch, which was gross, but he and Jeff seemed to enjoy it. The local people were very friendly and welcoming, trying to get their share of the action and tourist dollar that other villages manage to attract with Fish Fry Fridays and jump ups.
Jackie left for home early Tuesday morning and that helped ease up space on the boat, which seemed to be getting smaller the more it rained.
Rain!! We have had lots of it. So much so that we have lost workdays and are having mud slides on the lot again. They were of concern but our architect, who is an engineer, assures us the house will stay put and it is just a matter of drainage. This means that once the roof is on, perhaps next week, we shall have to divert our attentions to drain excavations and pipe laying. This will inevitably put back the finish date of the house, so we reckon that Christmas on the boat is almost a certainty. Jeff continues to work hard on the lot and misses out on a lot of the fun stuff whilst the children are here. Tomorrow is a bonus day though, as we are off quad bike driving in the rain forest for four hours, it will mean an early start but should be fantastic fun – pictures next week.

Doreen, Davidson, Jeff and myself set off last Sunday for an adventure. We headed up north, stopping off at DIY shops to get bits and pieces for peoples building sites. We then visited a newly built house to check out their wooden floors to see if the finish was good enough for our house – it wasn’t, so then the real journey began. Doreen and Davidson had vague memories from childhood of being able to drive down hidden tracks to reach some of the more remote inlets on the north east coast. We bought some water and ackees by the side of the road to keep us going until we hopefully found a roadside café at lunchtime. On our way to the first beach we drove down a very rocky winding road which was lined with wild fruit trees, so we feasted on Guavas, sea grapes, hog plums and mameres, which are full of seed and quite aromatic but not that tasty. We picked sour sop, which are large prickly fruits and are generally used to make drinks or ice-cream .We then headed for Grande Anse, a beautiful long beach with big rollers coming in three different directions that crashed onto the beach. This place is famous for turtle hatching but also for dangerous rip tides that have caused several drownings, so we were careful not to go out of our depth whilst we swam in the warm water. After a while we got out and were approached by a Rasta who offered to climb a coconut tree to get jelly coconuts, which are the ones full of milk and the flesh is still young and slippery. These were great and we drank the cool milk whilst chatting to the guy who seemed to live on the beach and made a bit of money here and there if anyone wanted coconuts. The rest of the time he fished and collected fruits just as we had done.
We set of again, this time heading down a disused track to get to a place called Au Leon. This track needed a serious off road truck; we crossed three rivers, most likely the same one, as the road was very windy and steep. At times the track was strewn with boulders and fallen rocks and sometimes the whole track had been washed away. No one had been down this road for a long time but there was no turning back because we couldn’t turn round as it got narrower and narrower. We eventually got our bearings and found the right track to take us back up and away from some great little coves. At the top of the ridge, some way from the sea, we came across another group of young Rasta’s who had just walked up from where we had been, carrying large sacks of seafood. We stopped and chatted and Doreen made a deal to buy the crabs, whelks and fish. They also had illegal, out of season lobster, which she said she would buy from them in future once lobster season started in September. It is too risky for a restaurant owner to have illegal lobster as officials regularly make checks of freezer contents.
We returned to Marigot and Doreen quickly cooked the crab and whelks, which we ate with garlic butter, salad and French bread. It was the perfect ending to a great day out and we all agreed that we had to do more off road stuff and just see where the day takes us.
The house build is going well apart from the plumbers being sacked, which I am sure you were all anticipating. Jeff could not cope with them a minute longer, so he paid them off and he and the foreman will complete the rest between them and plan to get another one for the tricky bits, like the pool. As you can see from the photos the roof is starting to appear and we have a plasterer in preparing inside walls and finishing off water tanks.
John and Fi arrived yesterday and were amazed at the progress. We plan to do a bit more inland stuff with them and tonight we are of to Canaries for the fish fest that they do every month. Should be a fun weekend as tomorrow we are going back to Canaries for a swim in the waterfall and then onto the Two Pitons for lunch at The Dasheen. We also have another visitor, an American girl called Jackie who will be with us for three nights before she heads back to the States. She has just come off a dive boat where she has been instructing and looking after up to 25 youngsters. What a job! That’s all folks, please note the difference in quality of the photos, we have just upgraded our camera and I think they seem crisper.