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| Ant in his Calvin's |
After the excesses of Xmas Day, we decide to be a bit more active and adventurous and take a look around the island. It’s not that big, but you certainly get a workout. Everywhere is up hill and down dale with the roads all at high level and the beaches, (fairly obviously……) much lower down. The first beach we found was Lower Bay, down what felt like a vertical road, but worth the effort. A beautiful pale crecscent with the amazing turquoise sea lapping gently on the shore. A few yachts moored out in the bay gently bobbing away. There are a few little beach bars dotted along so we stop at the colourful Bee’s Café for a fruit juice (no rum added – honest!). But our sartorial planning had gone adrift, neither of us had brought cossies, but that has never stopped Ant, in he goes in his Calvin Klein’s….
The thought of the vertical hill back up defeated us both so we managed to hop in the back of an open backed jeep for a lift up. On we go down yet an even steeper, and very much rougher path to get to Princess Margaret Beach. It used to be called something else until she took a dip in there many moons ago and they renamed it in her honour. Only one bar there called Jack’s Bar, a really nice place. More pale sand and blue sea and even more yachts moored out there. It’s the next beach round from the town but still feels isolated as the only way in, and more importantly out, is the very steep path. We liked it there and will return in a few days. Ant’s Calvin’s made their second appearance of the day, not sure the Princess would have approved…. But we had jobs to do in Port Elizabeth so had to press onwards and upwards. Ant made a very good job of the hill with Gill lagging a little behind until a good Samaritan appeared in a four wheel golf buggy and gave her a lift to the top.
We then walk into the town, Port Elizabeth. A tiny town even by Caribbean standards but very pretty with wooden fronted house, a lovely little white and blue church and a few, and I do mean a few, shops. The supermarket was great, like an old fashioned grocer’s with an eclectic collection of merchandise from baked beans to paintbrushes. Two things were missing. The first was the sound of the “beep” as you pay. No modern technology here, it was all written out longhand before being added up. The second thing missing was anything resembling fresh food. The odd bit of frozen in the steamy freezer, but the rest was packets and tins. Not a vegetable or piece of fruit to be found.
But we wander past the ferry dock and find to our (and as it turned out, their) delight, the local Farmer’s Market type setup. Piles of motley fruit and veg were displayed on wooden tables. It was like Posh and Becks had arrived although we can understand that mistake… We were surrounded by interesting people proferring pineapples, carrots and various other items we didn’t recognize… But they were so charming we bought lots and at prices probably twice what even M&S would charge… Their change system was interesting too – they don’t have the $3 they need to give you so give you a grapefruit instead… can’t see that catching on in Tesco. The tomatoes were ok once you cut the black bits out but the pineapple was really sweet and the basil had a fabulous flavour. The lime juice we bought for our in villa rum punches is also a very painless way to up our Vitamin C levels…. No danger of scurvy here!
Another day we walk in the other direction, with yet more hills towards the airport on the South West corner of the island. Although “airport” is perhaps pushing it a bit…. The airstrip, which look remarkably short, is built out to sea and I can’t believe that is our way off the island in a few days… The walk took us along the coast through a more local part of the island through the tiny boat building and fishing area. The houses here are still lovely, in ice cream colours dotted about the hillside and everyone you walk past says hello. Lots of goats tethered along the way and fantastic views over to Mustique and other islands whose names we have yet to discover. We go past one of the great attractions of the island, the much vaunted “Bequia Whaling Museum” – it looked closed down thankfully. Although Bequia is allowed to take still take two whales a year as it is such a tradition, and the meat is divided amongst the islanders.
We’ve had some good meals too (but not whale….) down in the town at Frangipani, Mac’s Pizza and last night we went to Tantie Pearl’s, supposedly the best local food around. It was yet another almost vertical climb to get there, but at least this time we had four wheels propelling us and not our two legs. Sitting at the top of the hill and built into it, it was really “dining on the edge”. Plastic tables and chairs with Philip Starck table and chair prices, we dined on shrimp and lamb. Fab view over Admiralty Bay which is heaving with yachts, but not sure the food lived up to its billing of the best around. The rum punches were pretty good though….
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| Dinner at Tantie Pearl's |
