Sunday, February 18, 2018

Leaving Dominica

We love having internet and it is really annoying when we don't. But it is awesome when you find it in some unlikely place, so here we are at an empty restaurant, catching up.

Great internet!!!
We've come up from Dominica in a weather window that gave us howling wind rather than gales. Now we are going to sit here, waiting for the next window before heading to Antigua.

In our last couple of days in Dominica we went on another tour, this time all Canadians and two token Americans. And we all spoke English. Had a great trip about 2/3 the way down the island to Spanny Falls and then up the east coast to see the consequences of Maria.

Fun trip with fun people.

Too late at the PAYS BBQ

Lots of squalls, lots of rainbows

Up to Spanny Falls

Pam says this is our Christmas card photo 


Coooooool and refreshing

Out of focus, but proof Pam was in, too.
Dominica is a mess. The east coast is more of a mess. The photos don't do justice. Everywhere we went folks were hammering, digging, toting, picking up. They are like busy ants, trying to recover from the damage. We stopped for lunch at The Islet View Restaurant, a mountain-top place some of the group had been before. The food was delicious and inexpensive... great presentation and service.

Nice place!

They were cooking with gas and had a generator running for electricity... to keep my beer cold! They said they've been told expect power in April. They aren't holding their breaths.

East coast mess

Crashing waves

Lots of blue tarp roofs

Greening up

More Maria mess

Buy a bottle of herbs and spices, add the local rum... be careful!!!

What a mess!

Lost the drive shaft... not a problem!
Next day, Pam and I decided to find out where Brianna was staying so we took the bus from town up to the college. Walked around and asked until we found "Fletchers Apartments." They seem to be recovering. The roof is back on and windows and doors are being repaired. We talked to the local manager and she showed us a photo of the people who were staying there. Smiling back at us from the photo was Brianna. So mission accomplished!

Brianna's apartment

Following Brianna's path to school, until I slipped on my ass in mud.

Culvert water works for cleaning mud, who knew!
 Brianna did a "Go Fund Me" to try to help out victims of Maria on Dominca. She was able to help some folks but had some funds left. She asked us to look around for targets for her remaining funds. There are a number of "yachties" staying around, helping out with various projects. Clair and Magoe Menning are on the yacht "Macario" and have set up a local charitable society. One of their projects is Lamb's Feast, a group of volunteers who work out of an old house to prepare and then deliver meals for the homebound elderly. They've fixed up the walls, repaired the electricity, fixed the stove and have almost completed the roof. The refrigerator was destroyed and they were looking for ways to raise funds to buy a new one. A new one costs a lot and Brianna's left over funds will help get them there. If you feel like helping out, check out MacarioAdvantage.

Lamb's Feast
We had a wild sail up to Basse Terre, Guadeloupe. Not the blissful kind that Pam prefers. So we will enjoy the west coast of Guadeloupe until that memory fades and she is ready for the next jump.

More coming soon while we have good internet!!!

Ciao.

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