Martinique
        
        Subject: Log 4/3/00 -4/7/00
        Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 09:15:56 -0500
        
        From: W2LSI@cho.win-net.org
        To: rudys03@ibm.net
        
        
        Today we left Anse Mitan and traveled to Anse Noir.  We dropped anchor and
        jumped in to snorkel. We saw some interesting things: a white sea snake with black
        spots (looked like a Dalmatian), a jelly fish (clear gelatin with 4 black eyes the size
        of a dime),a skate, an octopus (Rudy saw him under a rock on the bottom), a
        flounder, a blow fish and many, many small fish as though this was their spawning
        ground.
        
        After we got out to have some lunch on board, we traveled to Grand Anse D' Arlet
        to anchor for the night.  Rudy and I walked along the waterfront to see the village
        and to make a phone call. (that is the thing I miss most.. to be able to receive phone
        messages!!!) We rolled a bit during the night but not too bad. The next day we
        traveled to Petite Anse D'Arlet, a very photogenic village with brightly colored
        houses and a Church on the waterfront.  Rudy and I walked along the well built
        promenade that follows the waterfront. After buying some fruits and vegetables,
        we traveled to St. Anne.
        
        St. Anne has beautiful white buildings, a Church and a white shrine with a winding
        path straight up a steep hill.  Rudy and I watched one of the most beautiful sunsets
        and then went to dinner.  We ate at a restaurant called Les Tamariniers and I had
        the most delicious fish with vanilla sauce. (on the French islands, you don't have
        to tip...it is included. It makes it a lot easier especially after drinking their delicious
        wine!!!) We also called both Stacy and Jaclyn and found out that my April Fool's
        joke worked!!! (you'll have to ask them!!)  The next day I walked up to the shrine
        and at every turn there was a station of the cross..all in white marble.  At the top
        was the enclosed shrine with an altar.  The view from the top was beautiful!!!
        
        On April 6th, we went to Miran in the fog?!!  That is the first time we encountered
        that in the Caribbean.  We went to the Marina and took a Med mooring ( they
        squeeze you between boats using a mooring to tie your bow or stern and then tie
        the other end of your boat to the dock.  They can fit many more boats that way and
        no pilings or finger docks to deal with!!)
        
        On April 7th we did our car rental thing!  We went for breakfast in Le Diamant. (
        a mile off shore there is a huge pinnacle of rock a few hundred feet high they call
        Diamond Rock that was actually commissioned as a British War ship at one time.)
        There we had some of the best pastries ( four) we have had so far!! Then on
        towards Fort de France where we stopped in the Planation where
        Josephine(Napoleon's wife) lived and also saw a beautiful park with fantastic
        gardens and a golf course that you wouldn't mind waiting for someone like me to
        finish my hole. We then traveled across the island to the east coast and stopped in
        Le Francois for lunch. (fresh fish just off the boat) We stopped at several villages
        along the east coast while we headed north seeing pineapple fields, sugar cane
        fields and fields and fields of bananas.  So many banana fields it reminded me of
        corn fields in the midwest.  They put blue bags around the growing bananas to keep
        away bugs, holes for air and why blue you ask?...I did , it was for the right amount
        of sunlight filtering in to ripen the bananas. Then we crossed the island again to go
        to the west side and stopped at Le Carbet to visit Anse La touche Estate a sugar
        plantation that was in the process of being restored.  It was destroyed by Pelee and
        became many things over the last hundred
        years. It is now a butterfly habitat and a beautiful garden with many trees along
        with a tree that survived Pelee.  There is a greenhouse which was made for the
        purpose of making  the butterflies a happy home. Then on to the Food store to do
        some provisioning before we get to the English Islands.  (We will both miss the
        French Food!!! No one makes better bread!!!)