It was Wednesday - day 5 on the boat. We ate breakfast and set sail for Gustavia - the capitol of the French island St. Barths. Saint-Barthelemy is a volcanic island, 8.5 square miles in size, surrounded by coral reefs. It is known for being a favorite vacation spot of the rich and famous (many celebrities can be spotted here) and judging by the size of the yachts we saw in the harbor - we knew this to be true.
See the tiny sailboats in the distance? Those are mini-sailboats used to teach kids how to sail.
Super yachts lined up in Gustavia harbor
Look at that black and white one on the right. It was huge! A super - duper yacht!
We anchored in the bay and decided to snorkel in a nearby reef. The main goal of the men on this trip was either to catch or spear (with David's spear gun) something that we could eat! So while they went hunting - we snorkeled around and saw some beautiful fish and playful squid. When we finally met up again with the guys - lo and behold - they caught something! They speared two colorful parrot fish and brought them back for lunch.
Watch as Reid carefully times his shot just right...keep in mind he is snorkeling so when he dives down he is holding his breath.
This is a video of the guys heading back to the boat in the dinghy with their kill. You can see in the looks on their faces how happy they are! Even David is excited! (David does not approve of killing animals for sport - only if we were going to eat it.) The area where we were snorkeling can be seen behind the dinghy.
The two parrot fish - ready to be prepared for lunch.
They really are beautiful fish.
David and Alena used fresh herbs from their small herb garden to prepare the fish (it looks like they are also growing a tomato plant!).
It was absolutely perfectly prepared with herbs and lime - it was fresh and delicious! Well done!
After lunch we spiffed up in preparation to spend some time on the island and enjoy a dinner out. Vanessa and I are wearing the same shirt - just different colors - and David is photo-bombing.
Gustavia was a quaint little town with fancy shops and restaurants.
Peeking in on somebody's yard.
Looking down the palm-lined street.
The guys waiting for the gals.
We ate dinner at this lovely Italian restaurant called L'isola.
After dinner we wandered around as the town came to life! Most of the shops were closed but the restaurants and bars were bustling with people. While we waited for David to come get us, we observed the yacht culture. Vanessa visited with one of the yacht crewmen and tried to get us a tour and then a couple of drunk men from Canada stumbled by and tried to make conversation. It was all very entertaining.
After we settled in for the evening - Wes and I stayed up talking with David for a while. It was interesting to hear his life story and his adventures in travelling the world - I wish we could have heard more. I remember him saying after telling us about his family, etc., "you know, just an ordinary life." I said, "David - you have an extraordinary life!!! Our lives seem so ordinary compared to it."
1 comment:
More! Can't wait for the next post! Love it. Thanks for sharing.... What a trip!
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