#mce_temp_url#<\/a><\/p>\nBut because the project demands some continuous, though slight effort
\nfrom recipients, it’s presumably discarded only because it’s not
\nconveniently, submissively packaged as rapid, received ‘critical’
\ninside-fodder-dissemination for the Artworld acolytes. Well,Yes , I
\ninsist that you at least begin to understand the work before you open
\nyour mouths and develop your hideous institutional ‘careers.’
\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/pc5.gif\")
<\/p>\n
Somali pirates of the Caribbean. I really wasn’t sure if it was a cop or
\na just-released prisoner who accosted me outside the police-station this
\nmorning: he was wearing a Grenada do-rag and tank-top and shorts, and
\nsaid something-something-island? I stood my ground and said “excuse me”\u00a0and made him come to me. Drunken locals, beer bottle-in-hand, wander-into the precinct to shoot the breeze, but “foreigners” are treated
\nsomewhat differently. I plan o becoming increasingly discourteous as my
\ndeparture date arrives. Wouldn’t mind visiting Union island and taking a
\ntour of the Tobago Keys, but moving around these parts is expensive. The
\nhelicopter is in the air. But here’s the thing, I usually have similar
\nfeelings on every island to some degree. I have this 10-10 flexible,
\nexponential axiom: if it takes 10 days to be acknowledged, then it’ll
\nlikely take 10 years to be accepted, so this is likely a 20 year island.
\nYet I suspect that I’m drawn to islands to in some way determine why I’m
\nroutinely excluded, or why societies are apparently always based on
\nexclusionary principles. This is institutional logic, where the
\noverarching pseudo-precept preempts everything else that even dares to
\nattempt self-definition. I’m not the least bit surprised or alarmed by
\n~terrorism,~ just another name for ~freedom fighters~ what the hey….
\ndisplace, essentially-prolong and hopefully disrupt more of the same
\nprivileged pointlessness. If there’s actually a God, beside deserving a
\nswift kick in the ass, his name should be Oblivion — unfortunately He’s
\nreally not around any time soon. Listened to an Irish pastor (who’s
\nlived in Kenya) preach about the Potato-famine without once implicating
\nthe government-of-the-day for needlessly causing its citizens to
\nstarve-to-death. Why does corruption continue to usurp commonsense?<\/p>\n
Had a big brown with speckles fish, interested in my lure, had to drag
\nit by him several times before he snapped at it. Must review my
\nfish-hook tying technique… have now lost all my lures! And as this is
\na community of fishermen, who don’t tease the fish… there won’t be any
\navailable here. as E said, fishermen use what they know works – bait –
\nNow he wants to charge me extra for electricity because I apparently run
\nthe fan a lot. It’s necessary to keep the mosquitos at bay. The
\nCaribbean is starting to feel more and more like a rip-off for this
\nlittle fish. The goats are usually tethered from front ankle to stake
\ndriven in the ground. Inevitably, they wind the cord around and around
\nthe stake until they’re on very short tether. The herd from the house
\njust below, is sometimes stacked-out but today they were everywhere…
\ndown by the school and the harbour and up above the house here. Maybe
\nthey need to be tied-in-place once in a while so they (or their owners)
\nknow where home-is. They’re horizontal irises make them seem
\notherworldly, but always skittish and agile. Hope to include little
\nposterized folios of their heads for the GIP book.<\/p>\n
Batteries are always an issue… I suspect it has something to do with
\nthe 220V power-supply. My rechargeable AA cells which I use for my SW
\nradio no longer seem to enough of a charge to power the radio — same
\nstory for the gumstick batteries for the Minidisc recorders…. despite
\nmanufacturers claims of no-memory effect, the retention capability just
\ndwindles to nothing. Fortunately, the add-on AA battery pack which I
\nload with lithium cells helps-out. The battery-problem used to be worse
\nwith the Fuji camera (I’d have to carry a few sets of AA’s with me
\neveryday); this new Nikon Coolpix runs a very long time on 2 AA
\nlithiums.<\/p>\n
They somehow blow conch shells to announce the selling of fish on the
\npier. Only Jack fish (mackerel I think: not so tasty) yesterday, so I
\npassed but E presented me with one this morning probably to appease this
\nrent\/power increase. Even deep-fried, these fish are mealy… I may just
\ngo or threaten to go, to Union Island… but that would cost a couple of
\nhundred.<\/p>\n
Surprising how often guesthouse owners will tell you that it’s quite
\nsafe and unnecessary to lock windows and doors… but, when _they leave
\nfor the day, you always hear the locks.
\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/chief.gif\")
<\/p>\n
BB’s travel-tips: apply your DEET (I use Ben’s 100%) _after your
\nsunscreen… also provides an especially curious sheen to your skin.<\/p>\n
Purchase an extended-shank bicycle lock to secure common wardrobe closet
\ndoors. I also travel with a heavy cable and Brinks key-lock for securing
\neither a bicycle or room. Third-world locks are not reliable and
\nkey-copies circulate, especially on islands, despite there being an
\napparent absence of locksmiths (?) Usually the locks are pretty-much
\ninsignificant anyway as other points of entry are facile. Freaky! Only
\nbecause the prospect of recovering a PP\/greencard is hellish within the
\nvisa constraints.<\/p>\n
I use a large Otter-box with miniature padlock, in combination sometimes
\nwith a Pack-safe cable-mesh enclosure locked to something substantial to
\nsecure passport and cash and electronics.<\/p>\n
Copy of passport\/greencard online and on mp3 players.<\/p>\n
Never tell anyone the exact day of your departure as this when robberies
\nare most likely to occur — when you don’t have time to report the
\nincident.<\/p>\n
Bring a short extension cord, multi-tap receptor, lightbulb socket
\nadaptor, sink sealer, rubber doorstops, duct tape, and laundry line.
\nYou,ll use at least one of these everytime!<\/p>\n
Tourist offices are often a good source for free postcards — a
\nsignificant savings if you send many.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/bequiaferry.gif\")
<\/p>\n
New Years Day<\/p>\n
After much stress and anxiety I decided to leave the “bug house” on PM.
\nAlso picked-up a nasty centipede bite below my right eye and on my ear.
\nHappened at night while asleep under my mosquito net. I awoke to see my
\nswollen face in the morning, never saw the long black bugs with many
\nridges that routinely invades the house. E told me they didn’t bite. At
\nfirst I thought it was a rash of mosquito bites and although opinion
\nseems divided, E thought it was a centipede (there’s a local name for
\nthem which I forget.) Looks infected and swollen; applied Neosporone and
\ncleaned with rubbing alcohol. Hired a speedboat to take me to Union
\nIsland (100EC – a little expensive I think) Went to the medical clinic
\nwhere they gave a free shot of hydracorasone. May go back again to have
\nthem reexamine. Also will try the pharmacy for some penicillin ointment.
\nStaying at an apartment in Big Sand. (1100 EC per month plus power – I
\noverpaid $440US, which I’ll have subtracted from the power bill or next
\nmonth’s rent. This is very different island, with a different accent and
\nmore relaxed attitude, popular with many visiting yachties. About 5000
\npeople – more than 5 times PM population. Feels very peaceful with big
\ngreen waves crashing on the beach. Not so many mosquitos and the
\napartment has window screens but I,ve setup my net this morning after
\nspotting a couple of bites from last night.<\/p>\n
Sandflies here in the morning too. Picked up many new welts while
\nchatting with the Rasta who lives across the way. He says that I can go
\nto St Vincent and then to Beguia by ferry and that his sister has a
\nguesthouse in SV which apparently has the largest botanical garden in
\nthe western hemisphere, which I’d sure to visit. Bequia is a whaling
\ncommunity. We talked about snow and other natural disasters.’There is a
\nvolcano in SV that is set to go. He recommended the movie 2012. Pretty
\nmuch everyone here on this street seems to be related. A neighbour’s dog
\ntook one of my shoes from the porch, but I found it. Walked into Aston
\nthen back over to Clifton where I got some Fucidin H antibiotic from the
\npharmacy for my inflamed facial centipede bite. The pharmacist said if
\nthis doesn’t work I’ll to take an oral antibiotic.<\/p>\n
I’m looking forward to my eating-day tomorrow. I cooked some rice and
\nbeans with lentils and carried back some curry, hot sauce, box of
\nmatches, tiny green peppers like I had in PM, tin of cocoanut milk,
\nsardines, three tomatoes. postcards, and a sitting shelf figurine made
\nin Haiti for V. I.ll probably spend much of the sitting in the sun and
\ndrinking overproof PM rum, on the private pier out behind the apt.<\/p>\n
Post office was closed today for inventory but while in Clifton I heard
\nthe sound the sound of a conch shell being blown and knew there were
\nfresh fish being sold, Bought a nice yellow fin tuna (4 lbs @ 8EC per)
\nCarried it home and cleaned it on the beach then fried it on the propane
\nstove in my apt, I broke my fasting rule but only meant to have a small
\nsample taste, Oh, is it ever good! Still plenty left for a few more
\nmeals. The dog who stole my shoe has become more friendly after
\nwatching me with the fish, Put a few scraps of my fish on hooks dangling
\nfrom the pier. A lot of wave action and rocks but there were little
\ngreen and yellow striped fish nibbling at the bait so maybe some bigger
\nones will show-up.<\/p>\n
Union Island History (from a sign on the island):<\/p>\n
The first European settlers to arrive on Union Island were Frenchmen.
\nJean Augler and Antoine Regaud, who settled here as early at 1763 with
\n350 slaves. Twenty years later, following the Treaty of Versaillies in
\n1783, Union Island like the other Grenadines Islands was placed under
\nthe control of England, with Samuel Span and his family becoming the
\nfirst owner of the island. To this day there remains a reminder of this
\nfamily, in the form of a family cemetery in Ashton. In 1850 the Spans
\nsold Union Island to Major Collins from St Vincent. He in turn leased
\nthe island to a Scotsman, Charles Mulzac in 1863. The lease was 150
\npounds per annum. Along with some of the other Grenadines, Union Island
\nproduced an exceptionally fine strain of cotton, known as
\n“Marie-Galante.” On his father’s death in 1893, Charles Mulzac’s son
\nRichard took over the lease of Union Island. His tenure was short. In
\n1898 a hurricane, coupled with a poor cotton harvest, forced him to sell
\nhis interest in Union Island to a Vincentian, Mr Richard. Twelve years
\nlater in 1910 the British Crown bought the island in what was known as
\n“the Union Island settlement scheme.” They parceled out 2 acre and 4
\nacre plots for the local population at favourable credit rates. In 1969
\ncolonial states yielded to “Associated statehood” and ten years later in
\n1979, St Vincent and the Grenadines became a sovereign independent
\nnation within the British Commonwealth.<\/p>\n
Getting a little annoyed having to leap off the road every time a car
\nraces past.<\/p>\n
Went to the Tobago Cayes Marine Park office and Tourist Bureau and
\npicked up a big pile of brochures about SVG and conservation efforts, as
\nwell as a weekly copy of the Vincentian newspaper (1EC) Headline for Dec
\n31 reads: “Eight Murders remain Unsolved.” Also some old copies of
\nCaribbean Compass monthly boating tabloid – very interesting to read
\n(boaters are being attacked and robbed at various Caribbean night
\nmoorages) and reminded me to look around for Latitude 41 when I get
\nhome, although maybe I should resubscribe to Freshwater News too.<\/p>\n
Now the bottom of my right eye is red, don’t know whether some
\nantibiotic ointment travelled there or whether it’s an eyelash or
\nsomething wedged in.<\/p>\n
Also had a look at the fancy yacht complex and airport runway next door.
\nTold Hazel, who runs a clothing shop next to the Clifton Beach
\nrestaurant, that I had paid too much in rent (44EC or 76EC if you use
\nthe 2.67 bankrate — I’ll be paying in EC next month) and that Y(?) her
\nsister (who runs the hotel I think and my apartment, that the excess
\ncould be applied to my electricity bill. All the dogs are excited about
\nsomething outside but it’s usually very peaceful out here. And even i
\ntown while you occasionally hear loud music, it’s nothing like the loud
\ncacophonies of PM.<\/p>\n
Went into town this morning after a big breakfast of more tuna,
\ncocoanut-curry rice, and red and black-eyed peas with lentils along a
\ngood wallop of hot sauce (sometimes I guess that peppery foods repel
\nmosquitos…], to mail postcards. ($1EC) While waiting for the TC
\nMarine Park office to open I purchased an expensive small glass of fruit
\npunch ($10EC) Apparently I can catch a ride with the park rangers if I
\ncome to the office at 8 am tomorrow morning. There are fairly cool
\nT-shirts for sale down by the wharf, various colour combinations with
\ntwo sayings: Sail Fast\/Live Slow or Sail More\/Work Less — rather pricey
\n@45EC but if I get a free ride tomorrow I’ll get one. Likely blue on
\norange. Not wanting to waste the 25 minute walk back home (although I
\nhave found a dirt road shortcut), I purchased three boxes of juice (two
\npineapple and one fruit punch) @ $9EC — much more expensive here than
\nPM, which implies that they really are avoiding taxes\/duty or something.
\nThis is very obvious with liquor prices. Also spotted a guy wearing a
\nScaramouche crew T-shirt and asked about the traditional sailing
\nexcursions to Maureaux, and I forget where else (200EC including lunch
\nfor the day.) Saw a brief spiel about the ship on the TV tourist channel
\nbut looking at it in the harbour from a difference she didn’t really
\nlook all that special, assuming that I was looking at the correct boat,
\nshe was flying a Canadian flag off the stern. The owner was sitting
\nastride a motorcycle next to the crew member and finally piped up to say
\nthat they may or may not depart Thurs, Fri or Sat. Captain Yannis
\ncruises is another cheaper possibility but it’s just a big fiberglass
\nmultihull. I’ll start with the rangers tomorrow. There’s a ship’s
\nchandlery shop in Clifton which I somehow associate with the owner on
\nmotorcycle, that sells even more expensive and foreign groceries —
\nfrequented by yachties in the morning for coffee and croissants; on
\nparle francais. Maybe one day. Very breezy this morning out on my
\nessentially private pier; big rolling green breakers. .. The dogs are
\npretty bored (they like to chase the horny rooster that I hear every
\nmorning), but they sit together and stare wistfully down the beach,
\noccasionally going for a brief dip in the sea. The old billy-goat is
\ntethered in the middle of the yard and will be under the picnic bench by
\nmidday. I am beginning to discern the differences between goats and
\nsheep, at first I thought they were all goats on PM until Pam (along
\nwith her partner Bill, originally from Minnesota then living in Be…for
\nfive years until they were deported, informed me that there were sheep i
\nthe mix. They look very similar, the goats a little more sinister.<\/p>\n
The only edible tropical orchid, Vanilla planifolia (also known as
\nfragrans), which was originally cultivated around the Vera Cruz area of
\nMexico, produces 99 percent of the world’s vanilla. Another genus,
\nVanilla tahitensis, cultivated in Tahiti, produces beans with a stronger
\naroma but weaker flavour. Vanilla pompona or Antilles Vanilla is
\ncultivated in the West Indies. Only saffron and cardamom are more
\nexpensive spices than vanilla — the world’s most labour intensive crop.
\nVanilla orchids are now grown in many tropical climates with
\nthree-quarters of the world’s supply coming from Madagasgar. Because of
\ndemand and expense, 97% of vanilla used is synthetic.<\/p>\n
Well, I’m no longer interested in a Tobago Cayes T-shirt! The Marine
\nPark office repeatedly lied about the ride over with the rangers being
\nfree. Turns out they want a “tip.” At first 80EC then finally 50EC and
\nthey lied about taking me to a few islands and swimming with the
\nturtles. I just got dumped off on an island with rich tourists from
\nneighboring yachts willing to pay $120EC for a lobster dinner. Was
\ninteresting to listen to the stoned ‘cooks’ carry-on amongst themselves
\nwhile playing dominos. I guess I was expecting a more pristine
\nenvironment, less trash, and something more than a yachters’ picnic
\nsite. The water’s a nice colour. The ride was ridiculously ‘bumpy’,
\nslamming repeatedly down from wavecrests, really poor boat handling —
\nthey probably wonder why their boat takes on so much water. Saw the
\nCap’n Yannis catamaran over there and am no longer interested in that
\ndreadful tour either. I’ll just take it easy tomorrow, maybe visit the
\nfort in the morning or the next day. The parrot fish are brilliantly
\ncoloured and have beak-like mouths; you can hear them too, They scrape
\nalgae from the reef and pulverize the coral with their powerful jaws.
\nWhat they don’t need as nutrients passes through them as sand — an
\nadult parrot fish cam create a ton of sand every year.<\/p>\n
Visited the fort today; quite a climb to see a pretty unremarkable
\nremains of a 16th C French fort. Why do we seemingly cherish contiguous
\noppressive military refuse? Nice view though, I can now identify all the
\nislands within sight.<\/p>\n
Basin Pond: (another sign)<\/p>\n
This pond is part of the most extensive complex of 18th Century ruins on
\nUnion Island. It was built between 1750 & 1763 by Jean Augler, one of
\nthe island’s first French settlers. Basin, the largest of the island’s
\nponds, stored and provided water for plantation slaves. It was entirely
\npaved with local stone, and cemented with heated coral and conch shell.
\nAfter emancipation in 1834, Basin Pond continued to be a main source of
\nwater for local people. Up until the 1950s it was still used for washing
\nand watering animals.<\/p>\n
Went down the road (none are named in these parts) to Gordon’s Bar and
\nGrill (there is no grill). actually a pretty spiffy green and yellow
\nplace on a nice sandy beach with additional little cabanas and music by
\nSam (who I’ve met but not heard yet) on Sundays. Other than that it
\nseems pretty much deserted, so I practised my snorkeling and made some
\nmovies with my tiny, underwater ankle-cam, and collected dozens of
\nintriguing coral bits which I photographed back at the apartment. This
\nimagery may be intercut with the ankle-cam films and possibly outlined
\nand used as folios for my GIP book.<\/p>\n
Then I went into Clifton to pick-up some more free postcards from the TC
\nMarine Park office — they visibly stiffened as I came in the door ;)
\nWas also looking to buy another fish and possibly record the conchshell
\nor pan music (Saturday’s probably a better bet for that), but instead,
\nmade some fairly good, surreptitious recordings of domino games: lots of
\nslamming, shuffling and swearing in some patois I only partially
\nunderstand. No fish though, so instead I bought some bacon ($13EC, from
\nWisconsin and frozen probably many years ago) at a little shop that’s
\nquite close to where I live — along with a big bottle of Mauby
\nconcentrate, and a jar of SVG peanuts ($9EC). Her prices might be a
\nlittle better than in town where the rich yachties shop. Cooking the
\nbacon drove the dogs wild — especially when I poured-out the bacon
\ngrease into the sand.<\/p>\n
So for breakfast (my major meal), I had a fried egg, cheese, tomato
\n(very good here), bacon toasted sandwich followed by fruit-punch, my
\nrice and beans\/lentils with hot sauce, and a nice cold glass of Mauby.<\/p>\n
Had a little nap, maybe too much food all of a sudden and the rain this
\nmorning.. Very dry here year-round; all the islands are really quite
\narid — cactii are common. Thought to try and get a postcard to William
\nand Pam, originally from Wisconsin (did I cover this already?) who are
\nstaying at the Millennium Guesthouse on PM. Will try to visit St Vincent
\nthis month but I’m a little nervous about possible immigration nonsense,
\neven though it’s the same country. Sky has now brightened-up, typical
\ntropical downpour.<\/p>\n
“ginger ales are 10c a glass if you don’t like that, you can kiss my
\nhairy ass”<\/p>\n
went into town this afternoon and did some more domino recording…
\ngradually I’m being acknowledged there, but buying a couple of guiness
\nstout ($6EC) when hardly anyone buys anything, probably helps…
\nwandered back home and thanked the pharmacist for her help… people
\ndon’t recognize me easily when they see my haircut instead of the Tilley
\nhat… it does keep me cool and doesn’t blow off (interesting design
\nthat flexes with the wind, but somewhat squeakily…)’but it may be too
\n‘dorky.’unless I can batter it up a little, Another person I passed on
\nthe road was surprised that I didn’t recognize him from PM , but with or
\nwithout my hat I’m bound to be more identifiable than local folks. I’m
\nalso wearing my red mesh tanktop today (and all this week) which may be
\nsignificant. I see red flags flying at houses and hear of socialist
\ntendencies.<\/p>\n
Different newspaper this week: Searchlight — purchased from the
\ntaxi\/minibus “Messenger.” Headline for Friday January 8 reads: Storm in
\nBike Crash (Prime Minister’s Son undergoes emergency surgery in
\nBarbados) Will mail this big pile of postcards today. No music at
\nGordon’s last night. The barkeep was asleep in a lounge chair. No
\ncustomers. The big white place with columns next door (Big Sand Hotel)
\ndoesn’t seem to have any guests either.<\/p>\n
Mailed the cards after waiting 20 minutes for the postmistress who
\nfinally called to say she was at the clinic… and someone who was there
\nall along sold me the stamps. I guess civil ‘servants are the same
\neverywhere. The pharmacist passed through and said hello. They were
\nselling those little silver fish with the big eyes again. All you can
\nreally do with them is deep-fry them whole — not especially tasty. Took
\nsome pictures of the con\/hshell blower and fish transactions and bought
\nsome lettuce. 8 small tomatoes and a papaya ($19EC); vinegar from
\nLambi’s ($6EC — there’s laid-back and then there’s arrogant
\nindifference that’s becoming too apparent there) Then back home stopping
\nat “J’s” for 3 boxes of pineapple juice (just $7.50EC there; and 3 eggs.
\nMy hat frightened the little girl there I think. Made a simple salad
\nwhich I’m eating now.<\/p>\n
(sign in Ashton):<\/p>\n
You are now in Ashton, the second major town on Union Island. Union
\nIsland (13.7 sq mi) is located 44 miles south of mainland St Vincent, It
\nis the second largest and most southerly of the Grenadine islands. Mount
\nTabor, its highest peak, rises to 1000 ft. The island’s population of
\napproximately 2000 people is concentrated within the 2 main towns,
\nClifton and Ashton. Union Island Island was settled as early as 5400 BC
\nby tribes from South America. However the present population is a
\nmixture of African and European descendants. The French were the first
\nEuropeans, arriving before 1763. They were followed by the British, to
\nwhom the French ceded the island in 1763. Slavery was abolished in 1834.
\nThereafter some residents continued to cultivate the land, growing
\nmainly corn and peas. Many however, beccame seafarers. Today this
\ntradion continues and is supported by the island’s fishing and tourism
\nindustries. Do enjoy your stay on our beautiful and friendly island.<\/p>\n
Radio reception is poor here, even with the amplified antennae, which
\nI’m beginning to wonder about… of course, on PM I was way up on a
\nsteep hill. Trying to listen to Radio Paradise 820 AM from St. Lucia.
\nTook another shot out my front door toward B’s (cute girl from St Lucia
\nand her aged US husband). On PM the repeated shot was toward Union
\nIsland. Did I mention that the papaya was very good? Saved the seeds in
\norder to try and propagate at home.
\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/pc6.gif\")
\nThe icecube tray shattered into a dozen pieces as I tried to extract the
\ncubes. The PM place had much better culinary tools but E was the cook at
\nhis restaurant. I’ll head down to the pier and work on the watercolors
\nshortly. There’s no plausible reception point for any of my artwork so
\nit’s really an ongoing process, much like my 12hr-project. I’m starting
\nto overpaint (usually not a good idea for watercolours) the work from
\nNicaragua. Some look pretty good; I’ll just keep going as much out of
\nspite… Had some sardines in tomato sauce and fed the remainders to the
\nlittle dog next door — surprised to see that the aggressive dog made no
\nmoves, as he did with the bacon-grease. A=mazed at the sound this made
\nacross the concrete deck… I’ll try to record something like it… A
\ncoupe passed-by accompanied by the dog-chorus… no response but I was
\nwearing a miniscule swimming outfit.<\/p>\n
Made some films of my pocket-kite flying off the pier. Wandered down to
\nJ’s for a couple of Guinness Foreign Extras and seeing as they were out
\nof peanuts, I settled for some junkfood: cheeseballs and Pringles. This
\nmorning (breezy and overcast: rain seems more likely in the early a.m.)
\nI made some more cocoanut-curry rice, this time I used canned c-milk but
\nhad to add a little water at the end. Took a couple more pinholes from
\nthe pier and one of B’s house (more seagrape foliage in the foreground
\nthan house) before the sandflies drove me inside. Will look for some
\nmore salad ingredients today. >> sudden brief tropical downpours >> the
\ngirl in the Let Me Go bar and shop told me that the rainy months are
\nSeptember and October and that the community library might open at 3
\np.m. >> small bag of green beans (to add to my tossed salad), giant
\npapaya, small different kind of cantaloupe, onion (which I,ll use in an
\nomelette tomorrow), and cucumber (that I sliced-up and made into a
\nseparate salad) = $21EC Y came by in a shared taxi and the driver
\noffered me a free ride the rest of the way home but I thanked him and
\nsaid I liked the walk, even though the one section of dirt road turned
\nout to be quite muddy. Went out to the pier and started to work on the
\nwatercolours but quickly turned very windy and the rain started-up
\nagain. Photographed some hummingbirds but stayed inside mostly listening\u00a0to Radio Barbados and reading tourist info on St Vincent. Y loaned me a\u00a0book on early Union Is entrepreneurs (augustus king mitchell… by
\nGloria Stewart Morgan) and newspaper clippings. Apparently the
\ncourthouse and historical records were set afire by two men awaiting
\ntrial in 1979 — a small park in Clinton is on the site. Adjacent to it
\nis a semi-circle of brightly-painted vegetable stands. I’ve been buying
\nmy produce from an older stand farther down the road, thinking it might
\nbe cheaper there. I was surprised to learn that even here where the soil
\nis good, all the produce is imported from SV! The economy has been
\nWesternized I guess, as people used to grow most of their food.<\/p>\n
Am wondering if my facial bug bite, which is nearly all healed was
\ncaused by a scorpion. There’s a huge brown bug with long antennae that
\nlives behind the kitchen splashboard. He ‘sings’ a cricket-like song; at
\nfirst I thought it coming from outside or perhaps some squeaking part of
\nthe refrigerator. Very sad news about the earthquake in Haiti. Being
\nBlack and French I doubt much aid will materialize from the West.<\/p>\n
Tried to exchange some money ($1000 US) at the only bank (big
\nflat-screen TV playing CNN ‘news’ about Haiti); they wanted ID and
\ndidn’t accept a copy of my passport. I’m concerned they may notice
\n(perhaps needlessly) the absence of SVG visa-stamp, so maybe I’ll do
\nthis in SV. I should probably carry that much cash anyway in case
\nsomething goes wrong, as it always does. Having waited in line for 40
\nminutes, I took my time putting away my ID and then tossed their
\ncalendar back in the pile; did a good eye-roll and left. Why ask for ID?
\nI’d save about $70 on a grand with the bank rate. Saw Sam walking with
\nsome white girl, he called me by name before I remembered who he was —
\nbut I’m probably more distinctive than most here. (There are some pretty
\ninventive DIY haircuts here and sometimes they acknowledge mine.) In
\ntourist literature they say the locals have a good memory for faces,
\nmaybe it’s true.<\/p>\n
Put out the laundry for Shirley to pick-up. Exchanged money with no
\nproblems. Called the MV Barracuda but it’s in the shipyard ’til maybe
\nnext week. Will try to visit SV then. Happened upon a brief Big Drum
\nperformance by primary and secondary students, intended for US PBS
\ntravel programme. Shot some films and stills with the little Nikon. The
\ndance was performed for rain and courtships. Interesting to see how
\npleased the locals were – some older folks were dancing off to one
\nside… PBS was so focused on their commentator they missed it. Topped
\nup my cellphone at the LIME office in Clifton.and got a SVG phone
\ndirectory. Bought some bread from the central market $3EC and some more
\npineapple juice, Sunset Rum (84.5% alcohol). and three more eggs from
\nJ’s ($32.50 EC) Looking forward to shopping in Kingstown; should be
\nmuch cheaper, Hope to buy some bootleg CDs of tinpan music, a pair of
\nlocally fashionable, shinney white sunglasses with black lenses,
\ngroceries and rum. Sat out on the pier again and worked on the
\nwatercolours this afternoon. Walked into Ashton by way of Baddu (much
\nshorter) and bought popcorn, salt-fish ($12EC\/lb), and onions. Inquired
\nabout the BBQ but it’s not happening this week. Soaked some of the fish
\nfor an omelette in the morning. Will take a shower now and make the bed,
\nthen read more about Union Is entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n
Followed the road and the a ‘track’ along Richmond Bay past a couple of
\nhouses’ and a gated passageway toward the higher Zephyr hills. Saw some
\nprobably abandoned, ransacked guesthouses and another mini-fortress with\u00a0no apparent entrance that is only identified on one map as a ‘ruin.’ Got
\ntried of avoiding being scratched, scraped, and stuck in the overgrown
\nbush (‘burn bush’ and cactii) so didn’t proceed any farther — not
\nlikely too much to see as the power poles didn’t continue either.
\nWandered back home for rum punch and watercolours. Took some hour-long\u00a0pinhole photos of the sky initially (too cloudy to see the circling
\nstars; another night) and the fanciful architecture across the way.
\nWatched a few installments of ‘Cash Cab’ on TV last night – still an
\nintriguing programme. The Rasta brother was chanting and rattling
\noutside. New Moon. Will attempt to see Mt Olympus and maybe the Chatham\u00a0Estate today (a non-eating day: some Spice Black tea (with lime) that I\u00a0packed.)) Next year I’d like to visit Netherland’s ABC islands (Aruba,
\nBonaire, Curacao.)<\/p>\n
Belmont Salt Pond sign:<\/p>\n
This wetland has provided Union Island with salt since the times of its
\nearliest ancestors. During the 1700s, its “white gold” was also shipped
\noff to Europe by French & British colonizers. The island’s climate is
\nperfect for saltmaking — low rainfall, a warm breeze and lots of
\nsunshine for evaporation. High temperatures concentrate the sea water in
\nthe wetland, forming layers of salt on its surface. Salt is usually
\nharvested from March to the beginning of the rainy season. In a good
\nyear, thousands of pounds may be collected by hand. The wetland is a
\nnursery for many young fish and other sea creatures. It also provides an
\nimportant habitat for local and migrating birds, including herons and
\nducks. Please help us to keep this wetland clean, and maintain its
\ncenturies-old tradition.<\/p>\n
Another Rasta from the same building has a big Isuzu truck and I asked
\nhim if he could bring me a case of Guiness sometime but he says it will
\ncost nearly $100EC for 24 including deposit, so that’s about $4EC each.
\nNot a big savings over buying one at a bar for $6EC. Somehow I managed
\nto walk to Chatham Bay. The maps suggest this is not possible. It’s not
\neven mentioned in any guide book, even the local ones, but it’s easily
\nthe most stunning locale that I’ve seen thus far on the island!
\nBeautiful beach and water with only a few beach bars, half a dozen boats
\nanchored close to shore, pelicans, and very quiet. At the far end of the
\nbeach there’s this totally unexpected, very fancy, open-air
\nbar\/restaurant complex that’s more than a little incongruous with
\nswimming pool and white pleather sofas! Amazing! I might go there
\ntomorrow for a BBQ and hear Sam’s music but it’s a fair, hour’s trek
\nover there and I’d have to head home before it gets dark. I doubt the
\nso-called dollar buses (a charter trip is $20EC) go there, you’d need a
\nfour-wheel drive to make it down the rutted steep decline. There’s a
\nshort cut through the bush following a dry watershed, but it’s pretty
\narduous – going up at least. Thankfully I had my walking stick. Noticed
\nanother road that might go to Bloody Bay, but someone told me that it
\nwas “bushed over,” and accessible only by boat. Also a “track” that
\nmight go to Mt Olympus. The island is quite bristling with 12hr imagery.
\nI’ll keep taking them but will likely wait for a few years before
\nprocessing them. I’ve already scanned over ten year’s worth and many of
\nthe prints have still not been scanned even once. I can insert new
\nimagery with the “+” designation. Delaying processing will only decrease
\ncontrast which is what I’m after anyway. There are gravel makers here
\ntoo, like in Thailand.<\/p>\n
(another sign): Union Island, like its neighboring islands throughout
\nthe Caribbean, has seen a succession of inhabitants in pre-colonial
\ntimes. The earliest evidence came from petroglyphic drawings found in
\nthese areas (Grenada, St Vincent and Canouan), which indicate that the
\nCiboney people were here as early as 5400 BC. They used primeval boats
\nof raft kind and made progress gradually into the Caribbean from the
\nSouth American coast lands. Their out-at-sea canoes exceeded 20 metres
\nin length. It is only much later, in the centuries preceding the
\nChristian era that other migrating waves of Amerindians, Arawaks and
\nCaribs followed in the path of the Ciboney people. The Caribs and
\nArawaks originally came from the Orinoco Basin and traveled as far north
\nas Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n
This bought vegetables from CJ’s stand in the square. Better prices I
\nthink: several small tomatoes, cucumber, papaya, grapefruit, for $15.
\nAnd more Sunset Rum ($28EC this time), peanut butter (Marouks from T&T:\u00a0$10), and crackers ( Crix also from TriniD $3.50)<\/p>\n
Sitting on the porch ledge and suddenly bitten by some sand flies just
\nas a sudden shower started. Didn’t last 60 seconds. Earlier I layed in
\nthe sun and had a swim in the third little beach down from me, but
\nwashed all my Deet off. Brought the air mattress down but gave-up trying
\nto inflate it by mouth. The gasoline vendor in Clifton has a compressor,
\nso I’ll have to bring it over sometime. Made some ankle-cam films
\nincluding one of a little yellow crab with delicate white pincers. Not
\nat all like the bigger, crusty dark crabs that you see on the shore
\nrocks. (Not sure the camera is capable of focusing that close.) If you
\nsit very still they will eventually emerge from their sand burrows. This
\none could walk forwards as well as sideways.<\/p>\n
Another onion, tomato. cheese omelette with salt-fish. A little tired
\nthis morning, maybe it’s all the food. Making another …<\/p>\n
Spent the day working on the watercolors; using both sides of the paper
\nso they’ll be 100 when I’m done. Will scan their current state when I
\nget home and post an album to my websites and facebook. “Waters.” Many
\npeople at and just down the road a bit from Gordon’s — it being Sunday
\nnight. Making another Big Sand recording and will see how close I can
\nget to Bloody Bay (site of master\/slave massacre), this morning, once
\nthe threat of rain diminishes. Should try and pick up some groceries too
\nalthough I have plenty of cooked rice and beans, a still a little salt
\nfish and cucumber salad to eat tomorrow.<\/p>\n
OK, I walked around Mt Olympus the other way (counterclockwise). past
\nBloody Bay and Chatham Bay — up quite high so could see the rain coming
\nin finely veiled curtains across the water and hillsides. Saw Sam making
\nhis way back from the Chatham beach bars, guitar slung over shoulder —
\napparently he played for some people aboard a big white catamaran last
\nnight and then slept on the fancy sofas in the big Italian bar. Spotted
\na big land tortoise and walked part way down a track that might go to
\nRapid Point (Sam says it’s a deadend at a quarry, but then he’s never
\nheard of Bloody Bay), before it turned overgrown. Walked and walked and
\nwalked through Ashton and way out to the western end of the island along
\nan excellent concrete road, financed by the good ol’ Canadian gov’t,
\nthat just suddenly ends. No one seems to live alongside it for some
\nreason — it is pretty windy — and other than an ancient French
\nplantation-era, unused pond\/reservoir and the rusted remains of some
\nsort of quarry machinery, there were no other structures to be seen. The
\ntourist map indicates a Miss Irene bay or beach and a Miss Irene point.
\nI’ll have to ask Y who she was\/is. So, back through Ashton where I
\nbought popcorn, kidney beans, fruit puch in a box, 4 eggs (they’re a
\ndollar each!), and a box of matches = $20EC<\/p>\n
The Barracouda, MV Rita, MV Gem Star, Bequia Express, Admiral, Geronimo\u00a0and Glenconner are mostly family-owned ships. I had just read an article\u00a0about the Barracouda mailboat and its continual, reliable service for 15\u00a0years with only two mishaps, so I was disappointed to hear last week
\nthat she was in the shipyard. Hopefully I’ll be able to take the 5 hour
\ntrip this Friday morning (6:30 a.m.) I may walk around Kingstown and the
\nbotanical gardens for a few hours and then catch another ferry to Bequia
\n(Carib: land of clouds) and stay there overnight, catching an early
\nmorning ferry back to Kingstown in time to pick-up some groceries and
\nboard the Barracouda to Union Is. Did some more w\/c on the beach but the
\nfine, sticky sand is getting in my paints, and all over me as well.
\nInteresting to see the wind create turbulence across the surface of my
\nw\/c water, just as it does across the sea.<\/p>\n
“Cuba before 1959 was a land of plenty for a handful of people and
\nmisery and extreme indigence for the vast majority. It was a playground
\nof the mafia.” – Gonsalves SVG PM<\/p>\n
Watched ‘Rabbit-proof Fence” on IFC again while waiting for the skies to
\nclear a little. Went downtown in search of Callicou soup but ended up in
\nthis little unnamed place off the main street for a “little lunch”
\n(EC$10 + 3 for a 500ml Sprite), quite good chicken plus salad, rice.
\nInadvertently followed the owner to the jetty where I bought some
\n“dolphin” (bares little resemblance to what it is commonly called) and
\na slice of *Kingfish” for $10EC. Only tourists apparently like tuna
\n(that would be me); the dolphin is much sweeter — we’ll see on
\nThursday. Headlines from the last copy of the Vincentian this week:
\nAnother Pit Bull Attack! – big purple letters: “Mr Raleigh Baptiste, a
\nwelder of Gibson Corner, was in his yard picking tangerines…” Met
\n‘Sam’ but apparently that’s the bartenders’ name, really it’s Raphael
\nSocony Holder, and his CD which he now reluctantly sold me for $10EC
\n(and refused my GIP card) is called “Which Part Don’t You Understand?” I
\nhave no way of listening to it now and really have no idea if it’s good
\nor not. He seemed so flippant about the transaction that it could mean
\none thing or another… earlier I went into the Kash & Karry mart to buy
\nbuy some more funny peanuts in the glass bottle and the decided to buy a
\nGuiness Foreign Extra Stout — gosh, it’s really tasty… that got me
\nchattering to the proprietor about Island history which was going pretty
\nwell despite his recalcitrant nature, until I fumbled the name of the
\nmost western point… Janet? N? ok, yes it’s haha Irene Point. Bye-bye
\nand thanks.<\/p>\n
Will try and see if the libraries are open today and maybe record the
\nchildren at the primary school.<\/p>\n
Memorial Plaque:<\/p>\n
This plaque is erected to the memory of all the African Slaves that died
\nin Union Island during the time of slavery. This Plaque is also
\ndedicated specially to the 53 slaves who died during a period of months
\n(Sept 1737 – July 1738) as a result of the harsh living conditions amd
\ncruel slave drivers of that time. This was the same period wehn cotton
\nproduction increased one hundred and twenty percent and the time of
\nmajor infrastructural development. May they rest in peace.<\/p>\n
Ended-up walking around the second higher tier.. almost to the top of
\nthe radio-tower hill but was dissuaded by dogs whose barking echoed
\nominously off the rocky cliff-face. Walked through the village of
\nDonalson and then back into Clifton past the government school where I
\nheard singing at about 9 a.m., so will bring the recorder one morning at
\nthat time. Bought some fish seasoning and I have one lime left for my
\nmeal tomorrow. Thought about buying a bottle of red Ju-C (Big 16 (oz)),
\nprimarily to photograph, but didn’t want to carry it about. Will check
\non the Barracouda tomorrow, if it’s running I’ll be able to buy
\ngroceries economically in Kingstown Saturday. Sat in a few places
\ndowntown and watched the goings-on; read the entire issue of January’s
\nCaribbean vegetable sellers has a great singing voice, so I’ll try to
\nrecord her one day as well. Tried to have a little nap as I was up late
\nwatching some movie (an old Jack Nicholson I think and a young girl
\nreturning to a little-known family homestead and unearthing the
\nreluctant past…) on IFC. Wandered down the road to the Big Sand Hotel
\nwith this Zaurus device to see if there was free WIFI signal — but no.
\nNow sitting on the pier writing this, the dogs come-up hoping to be
\npetted but I learned my lesson in Thailand.<\/p>\n
“Let our quietly attentive staff infuse your sojourn with seamless grace
\nand gentle discretion…” Canouan resort<\/p>\n
I like how the Vincentian newspaper runs their headlines into adjoining
\npictures, sometimes reversing or coloring the type in the image-space.
\nThis style wouldn’t have been feasible in the pre-digital typesetting
\ndays, as too much of the picture would have been obscured. The roosters
\nare ‘crowing.’ The dolphin was good; the kingfish unremarkable.
\nFinished-off the cocoanut-curry rice, will make some more once I hear
\nabout the Barracouda today. New maximum price for gasoline is
\n$11.15EC\/gal.<\/p>\n
Walked over to Chatham Bay and at first sat on the comfy lounge chairs
\nwaiting for the bar to open but soon the rich chartered yachties
\nclambered to shore and started yacking about their annuities. I left and
\nwent down the beach to what I’d hoped were less expensive
\nestablishments, and who knows, maybe they really were… but the
\nSunshine Bar wanted $8EC for a beer. I bought two and declined their
\noffer of a ^not too expensive fishcake lunch” and headed home early.
\nWhen an employee has to look at the owner to see what to charge for a
\nbeer, (and the price on the menu, which I’d looked at earlier, is less)
\nyou know something’s up. Sometime’s I can’t be bothered arguing about
\nprices and instead decide to never return. I suppose it’s difficult to
\nconstantly encounter all that offshore ostentation and not want to reap
\na little of that indifferent wealth, but it would be difficult to assume
\nthat I belong in that privileged swagger. The one brown chicken has
\nreturned for more popcorn. There really are some beautiful ones here,
\nbut now she seems to be particularly interested in my toes. I called J’s
\nGH in Bequia and reserved a $100EC room in Bequia. I’m thinking I’ll do
\nthis trip repeatedly; next week is some Blues Festival so maybe I’ll
\nreserve from there tomorrow.<\/p>\n
Rolled my luggage up to the gardens in about 20 minutes. Botanical
\nGardens (founded in 1765 by a British army medic, it’s the oldest in the
\nwestern hemisphere) : brandy & coconut water, cinnamon leaf and ginger
\ntea; red snapper and avocado; mace from the nutmeg used as seasoning for
\npasta. Eron was my very informative guide. Every guidebook recommends
\nhiring a guide ($20EC); explanations of the various trees and plants
\nwere fascinating: teaks, mahogany, ironwood, cannonball, Australian
\npine, travellers’ and king palms, Souffriere tree (national flower),
\nBermuda Cedar, breadfruit (a descendent of Cap’n Bligh’s trees brought
\nas cheap food for British Caribbean slaves, mimosa family of plants that
\ncontract revealing thorns when you touch them, Norfolk pine… Some are
\nextinct in their natural habitat and many are not indigenous but the
\nclimate supports many species. And of course the beautiful, talkative,
\nnearly extinct, multi-colorful national bird. the Vincentian Parrots
\n(Amazona Guildingii), all busy munching away on fruit slices.<\/p>\n
I was just about to ‘write’ something when I dropped the stylus and the
\npoint broke off on this tile floor.. I was going to remark that one of
\nthe gang of dogs has forgotten me in my absence — which sets all the
\nothers off… Babylon! Can you believe these wicked boatmen? The
\nBarracouda had problems again and left me with problems in SVG after
\nreturning from Bequia (really just another boutique island that just as
\nwell might be another exclusive one). And there’s no steel pan music to
\nbe had on the street anyway! I was prepared to make a major
\ninvestment\/offer and buy about a dozen or more CDs, which seem to
\nusually go for $10EC — a little steep for bootleg copies. There were
\nbanners about a SVG Customs compliance day this month. Compared with PM\u00a0they’re already paying way too much. it would be interesting to visit
\nMartinique and Guadeloupe (where PM boatmen apparently pick up these
\ndeals) but not sure how I might proceed from this point — I guess it
\nwould have to be by water somehow and my return flight could get
\ncomplicated. There was this enormous cruiseship (bigger than any warship
\nI’ve seen, but maybe that was what it really was) docked in SVG just as
\nI returned from Bequia and sitting on a streetcurb eating a
\nfried-chicken sandwich and a bake (big fried blob of dough) — suddenly
\nthe complexion of the place changes drastically as the passengers
\ndisembark. It may as well be a VR experience. Curiously there doesn’t
\nseem to be resentment or hostility from the locals. There’s an
\nunderlying joviality at times that can giveway to a sudden “running of
\nthe mouth” such as I witnessed while waiting\/hoping to get passage on
\nthe Guidance, a little cargo boat that I had to take back to Union Is.
\nalong with way too many passengers mixed with cargo that just kept
\ncoming dockside and included just about everything except livestock, or
\nmaybe that was us. Hard to tell if it’s fairly efficient or chaotically
\nridiculous — the goods, each scrawled with a name and an island and
\nprobably accompanied by a cellphone call, along with many distressed
\nsenders and receivers coming on board and making demands, but it sort of
\nseems to pan-out. There’s a crowd on each dock waiting for Guidance as
\nwell. Off to bed; very tired.<\/p>\n
There was a very young, fragile and fair-complexioned, maybe Swedish
\ncouple, maybe brother and sister on the Guidance who despite an umbrella
\nand applying sunscreen visibly reddened on their passage to Mayreau. A
\ncouple of hours into the trip, the captain perhaps started thinking less
\nabout his cargo and erected a tarpaulin shade over part of the main
\ndeck. I think, in maritime law at least, the captain is responsible for
\nany passengers and crew. He had several mostly young boys who worked
\nquite hard slinging boxes and sacks into and out-of the hold and decks,
\nbut they seemed pretty jovial. As on the ferries, they troll a very long
\nline for fish, and caught a small barracuda.<\/p>\n
Made some cocoanut rice with shelled peas from the SV market ($7EC) this
\nmorning, and got the beans and lentils soaking. Amazing assortment and
\nquality of produce there; also bought a small bag of small tomatoes
\n($1EC), “heap of big limes” ($2EC), bag of hot little peppers ($2EC),
\npound of (unfortunately), unsalted roasted peanut ($6EC), bunch of
\nsweet little ripe bananas ($1.50EC green ones are cheaper), jar of
\ndry-roasted peanuts as a treat ($10EC), copy of T&T Newsday from
\nThursday January 21 (headline: “2010 murder toll reaches 30: Fireman
\nShot 18 Times”), and three litre bottles of Sunset rum, which filled-up
\nmy little rolling bag. Imagine how stressed I was to get to the ferry
\ndock with all this heavy stuff and find that the Barracouda wasn’t
\nrunning! Prices were not as dramatically better than Union’s than I’d
\nguessed. The Barracouda as well as the four Bequia Express ferries were
\nmade in Norway complete with Norwegian signage.
\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/pc7.gif\")
\nThe downtown part of Bequia that I managed to see was a somewhat
\ndisappointing loud, touristy zone with many chartered boats in the
\nharbour. Would have liked to visit the model boatbuilding museum but it
\nwas closed. The Plantation (Guest) House was abandoned and overgrown and\u00a0would have been a good place to stay in its day — yielded some 12hr
\nphotos of the statuary dispersed on the grounds.<\/p>\n
Did a quick listen and a few edits of the Barracouda and Bequia
\nrecordings, some good stuff! Got all the various batteries recharging.
\nJ’s still didn’t have the Pinehill pineapple juice that I like and the
\nlittle girl still cries when she sees me, even when I take my hat off.
\nBought some more groceries in Clifton (mostly at Y’s store): pancake
\nmix, guava jelly, Jamaican cinnamon tea, dozen eggs ($10EC), cheese,
\npopcorn, Canadian split yellow peas (which I added to my beans and green
\nlentil soak) and popcorn($3EC), 1 litre Belgian soya oil (12.25 EC),
\nbottle of peanuts (to take with me to Gordon’s when I have a cold
\nGuiness), Ocean Spray 100% cranberry-pomegranate juice ($19.50EC to mix\u00a0with the rum), and Crix crackers. Thinking of another omelette on toast
\nwith those peppers tomorrow along with a very little rice and beans
\n(just to sample them.)<\/p>\n
Talked with Y about the island uprising and her parents’ (as prominent
\nresidents they were suspect and imprisoned but not beaten like the
\nrest), soda bottling business. Related my story about my similar idea
\nfor unusual flavoured sodas along with reproduced photo-art on the
\nlabels, and how I probably talked about it too much as Jones’ Soda Co in
\nSeattle did just that.<\/p>\n
These entries remind me of Twittering a little. I can remember seeing
\nthe Twitter offices in South Park across the street where I worked at
\nWired in Frisco, and not fully understanding the implications and appeal
\nof an application that merely seemed a restrictive, abbreviated form of
\nemail or listservs. Apparently Twitterers have currently donated $22 US
\nmillion to Haiti relief efforts by texting ‘Haiti’ to 90999. (I’ll have
\nto find out how this works.)<\/p>\n
Just before heading out to the pier to work on the watercolours, I
\nheated-up the SV mkt peanuts with salt and curry. Have to try this with
\ngreen peanuts and maybe other spices… a marketing idea? Read some more
\nof a used book I lifted from one of the unattended Chatham beach bars :
\nIan Rankin’s “Hide & Seek” a Scottish detective novel. But I’m mostly
\ninterested in a Penguin classic tome at Ericka’s book exchange, although
\nit’s not too bad a beach-read. The beans are a-boiling but I need to
\nremember to add the lentils later as they get mushy by the time the
\nbeans are done.<\/p>\n
Wood from Brazil Tiles from Turkey Marble from Italy Wine from Chile
\nLinens from Egypt Crystal from Ireland Lighting from the UK Champagne
\nfrom France White Goods from China Furniture from Indonesia<\/p>\n
— shipping container advertisement<\/p>\n
Perhaps by buying all those groceries from Y’s store yesterday I
\nconfirmed my intention to pay additional months’ rent and this helped
\nrealize new repairs: (this also means some noise and I’ve learned that
\nleaving your curtains tied-back is an invitation for anyone to come-up
\nand speak with you, as one of the workers asked for a box of matches
\nwhile scanning the interior of my apt.) The roof of the residence and
\nformer GH across the road is being replaced (a 12hr subject); perhaps my
\nrent is somehow helping to rehabilitate this fanciful building. More
\ngreat sounds too but I’m already running low on MDs. The new pre-amp
\nwith three settings (zero, low, and high gain) is getting some getting
\nused to, and the battery gave-out when I first started recording from my
\nGH window, so I had to delete some attempts… The high setting causes
\nthe recording to readily disintegrate with minor changes in volume, ie,
\nsudden wind gusts.<\/p>\n
antimacassars Kick ’em Jenny volcano<\/p>\n
Although situated farther south than the path of frequent tropical
\nstorms (between August and October), the last hurricane, Janet in 1955
\ntotally destroyed the island. Earlier recorded hurricanes occurred in
\n1898, 1831, 1817, 1780, 1768, 1675, and 1625. The temperature hardly
\nchanges with an annual average of 27.5C.<\/p>\n
The locals still complain that the gov’t doesn’t do anything for them.
\nThey are a long way from SV and they feel closer ties with Grenada and
\nmaybe T&T. Interesting to consider that Grenada’s and SVG’s most
\n‘outlying’ islands (PM and UI) are so close to each other — 30 minutes
\nby speedboat with no formal immigration checkpoints.)<\/p>\n
The first five months of the year are typically the dry season, it
\nreally is a dry island entirely dependent on that little rain for water.
\nThis would explain the lack of crops and the early cotton plantations
\nwhich eventually depleted much of the soil. The Salt Pond is apparently
\na good bird habitat, I need to find out how the salt is\/was collected…<\/p>\n
blind bit of difference all the hammering is getting to me so I’ll head
\ndown the beach… Someone tore-out possibly the climatic 15 pages
\ntoward the end of Hide & Seek. I’m usually suspicious of fiction’s
\nresolutions anyway. Might have made another UW film, a crab’s eye view
\nof the beach\/sea, called Life is a Waste of Time. Hard to tell as the
\ntiny camera ‘froze’ and I have no way of viewing what may be recorded on
\nthe SD card. One rooster, several hens and one adolescent chicken came
\naround for popcorn this evening. I called PSV to arrange a ‘tour’
\ntomorrow morning; they wanted to know if I wanted breakfast — like I
\ncould afford anything on that private island (others: are as well or are
\nalready headed in that direction).. well maybe a glass of water: it’s a
\nfasting day. Be curious to poke around though, not sure if they’ll
\ncharge me for the boat ride or not. Laurie just called back to say that
\nCaptain Maurice on the Zeus II will pick me up at 11 and return at 1, so
\na brief visit perhaps. Y is flying to SV to attend an aunt’s funeral, so
\nwon’t be back until Fri. The laundry can wait until then. As you might
\nexpect, the cinnamon tea smells nice, although it’s probably pretty old,
\nbut doesn’t have a lot of taste.<\/p>\n
Decided at the last to cancel my tour of PSV just in case I need that
\nfree trip to get to PM (and I’d prefer a little more time there),
\nalthough Maurice seemed to think a fee was in order for going to PM
\nbecause he would be “facilitating” me — can’t have that!<\/p>\n
Exchanged my book for a collection of Italo Calvino short stories.
\nBorrowed “A Natural History Monograph of Union Island” by Jacques
\nDaudin, from the Clifton Community Library. It really was open at three,
\nbut not a lot there; the young librarian had purple eyeshadow and will
\nallow me to borrow what little reference material they have. I recorded
\nten minutes of school sounds and having asked a teacher about the
\nlibrary she agreed to show me some photocopied material tomorrow
\nmorning. Struck up a deal at the Rasta music shop (10 copied CDs for
\n100EC), mostly because they had a few steel pan CDs, along with Burning
\nSpear, Steel Pulse, Sizzla, Culture Mix, Reggae compilation, DJ
\nLoudmouth, and probably a spoken-word Angela Davis work entitled “The
\nPrison Industrial Complex.” The chickens spotted me coming back from
\nreading my Union Island book on the pier, so I fed them the leftover
\npopcorn and unpopped kernels from yesterday.<\/p>\n
Serious rain this morning just as I finished my usual omelette with rice
\nand beans. Though I’d visit the schoolteacher and then walk around
\ntowards Ashton and hang-out there for the day. There’s one track on the
\nmap I’ve not been along that runs past places mentioned in the UI book:
\nColin Campbell and Water Rock Reserve where there’s apparently old
\ngrowth forest. I’m taking fewer and fewer photos as the island typically
\nsort of ‘seals-over.’<\/p>\n
“Bad weather for we today.” Still waiting for the sky to clear a little
\nmore. My new radio either gobbles-up battery-power, it does have a lot
\nfancy features, or the AA’s are not fully charging as I can now rarely
\nhave it play for even half a day. I’m trying the dual voltage cord from
\nthe Zaurus to simultaneously charge and play the radio. The output
\nvoltage is lower and the amperage is different but the plug fits and it
\nseems to be ok so far.<\/p>\n
Watched Obama’s State of the Union address last night: very impressive
\nand I hope it all really happens. His picture is posted in many shops
\nand boats here.<\/p>\n
Found the beginning of the track through Water Rock Reserve but I’ll
\nneed long pants to get through the low-lying burn bushes; couldn’t see
\nFort Irene… Bought some Pineapple-Passionfruit ($7.50EC) and Pineapple
\n($6.75EC) juice, and a bag of Lam’s Caribbean Style Chow Mein Noodles
\n($6.25EC) from Guyana.<\/p>\n
Changed my mind about going to SV this morning. It is a little expensive
\nonce you add it all up: a little over $100US and it’s an arduous trip
\nbeing tossed around on the water for five+ hours each way. I’d really
\nlike to see the Montreal Gardens and I’d only have a couple of hours for
\nthat and the Bequia Music festival… maybe later in February when the
\nmemory of the last trip has faded. Made another onion, pepper, cheese,
\ntomato omelette along with rice and beans. Need to buy some more onions
\nand bread. Will put the laundry out this morning. D is in snowy Kentucky
\nheaded for Florida.<\/p>\n
Made a single pancake with guava jelly — a little undercooked. Watered
\nthe palm plants outside. Read another Calvino war-story. Will head into
\nAshton soon and check-out Uncle’s Recreation Centre and the Library and
\nbuy some groceries.<\/p>\n
Had a little nap then remembered the four little bags of peanuts I’d
\npurchased for my trip, and gobbled them-up accompanied by a
\npineapple-rum drink and another short-story. Fed the chickens some more
\npopcorn; they now run to the porch if they see me. Took yet another 12hr
\n“establishing shot” of B’s house. Read two more stories.<\/p>\n
Asked Y if her family was Garifuna — hope I wasn’t offensive (there
\nprobably aren’t many genealogical records) but apparently they have
\nhigher cheekbones and flatter foreheads,,, this is consistent with G
\npeople I met in Belize. I never quite know how much to say about my GIP
\nbooks,’sometimes it’s helpful other times it causes trouble and
\nsuspicion.<\/p>\n
Walked past a single gravel hammerer (need at least two for a good
\nrecording) and through Ashton to the snackette next to the high school
\nwhere I had a marginally cool Guiness and asked about Uncle’s that’s
\napparently open on Saturdays for bingo. So bought some groceries from
\nthe little shop underneath the Seashell GH: Daisy Chicken Luncheon Meat
\nfrom Brazil in a tin with key ($3.50EC) to go with the Ghanian noodles,
\nbig bag of onions ($5.50EC), another (probably the last on the island)
\nPinehill pineapple juice, black-eyed peas ($5.50EC), wholewheat bread
\n($4.00EC), and three tiny bags of Jamaican almonds @ $3EC\/ea.
\nSearchlight SV newspaper headline: “Robbery suspect gives cops chase
\nthrough Richmond Hill: COLLARED!”\u00a0I inadvertently dropped my newspaper\u00a0on the road and someone in a minivan stopped to alert me but despite\u00a0being heavily laden with groceries, no one has ever offered me a ride;\u00a0there aren’t that many roads\/destinations… It’s a dramatically\u00a0specific island whose 10 million year old volcanic profile is readily if\u00a0still eerily recognizable. Y couldn’t tell me who Miss Irene was either.\u00a0I told her that I was feeding the chickens in her absence and that they\u00a0now ran to the porch when they saw me. If I had related this to Shirley\u00a0in Belize, she would have been chuckling longer than the chickens.<\/p>\n
Cooked some noodles with the Brazilian mystery-chicken: I’m still
\ngetting thinner and probably need more of something.<\/p>\n
Another windy day; the mosquitos and sandflies still swarmed around me
\nthe minute I stood outside.<\/p>\n
Almost everyone here has either lived in Canada, usually Toronto, or
\nknows someone who does… I think I said this already… Traded my
\nCalvino stories for “The Mermaid and the Drunks” -Ben Richards and
\n“Oryx and Crake” -Margaret Atwood. Learned that the MV Jasper leaves
\nfrom Ashton on Mon and Thurs at 6 or 6:30 a.m. So nay go back that way,
\nbypassing PM and saving some money, if there are no immigration
\nissues.Bought an eggplant, papaya and cucumber for $16EC; a big 2kg bag
\nof popcorn for $17EC at Kash & Karry and another Marouks peanut butter
\nat J’s for $9.95. Will attempt to steam the eggplant and then see if
\nthere’s a bingo game to record in Ashton.<\/p>\n
I plan to add the eggplant to my morning omelette. Bingo doesn’t start
\nuntil 10:30 p.m. — too late for me. Had a Hairoun Indian Quinine Tonic
\nWater. Found the track up to Mount Taboi but I was too tired and
\ncarrying my recording gear and novel. Most stores close around noon or
\nso, and the one that sells refrigerated eggs didn’t reopen until six so
\nthe walk over was unproductive. Fed the chickens and read my book in the
\nsun.<\/p>\n
The other night I dreamt that I was laboriously spreading thin coatings
\nof honey across immense expanses of a church flagstone floor. I’m only
\nnow beginning to feel like I’m living on this island – the days are
\nbecoming longer, even languid – I suppose I’m always anxious about how
\nto get off the island in order to begin to get home (there are always
\nsnags and setbacks) but then I eventually succumb a little to the
\neventualities… but maybe that anxiety is part of the island
\ndefinition. I know all about being excluded, isolated and denied. Is
\nthis a kind of revenge or appeasement? “…the sudden disturbance of
\nwings triggered by a faraway noise, the startled ricochet and truncated
\nflight of caged birds…<\/p>\n
“In the hour of shipwreck and darkness, no one will save you…”<\/p>\n
History is ours and it is made by the people. Do we really believe this
\nany longer? The great avenues will once more open through which free
\npeople will pass to build a better society. Just sat around all day and
\nread. Despite the huge breakfast I just had two guava-jelly pancakes…
\nReally packed it away: later I had a bowl of the chicken chow mein
\nnoodles, which maybe disrupted my sleep. As usual, I’m often trying to
\nget somewhere in my dreams. I remember purchasing a “yellow” economy
\nbullfighting ticket but then discovering that there weren’t many of
\nthose colored-coded seats available. Sounding windy again this morning
\ndespite being very still and warm last night. I’ve made some cinnamon
\ntea and reading “Oryx and Crake” while waiting for daylight and a walk
\ninto town to pay Shirley my rent. Will make a note of the electric meter
\nreading and also ask at Erika’s about any customs\/immigration procedures
\nand whether MV Jasper arrives at the main jetty in Carriacou that the
\nOsprey uses, (as I don’t want to have to lug these heavy bags around the
\nisland via dollar-bus from the small pier.) Exit strategies. Finished
\n“Mermaid and the Drunks” yesterday– various kinds of exile, return and
\nself-discovery. Pretty good, with lent insight into Chile’s political
\nstrife and culture. The island of Chiloe was mentioned so I’ll have to
\nresearch it assuming it’s not fictional. May bring along my walking
\nstick and venture some ways along the track to Mt Taboi.<\/p>\n
dirtysockpuppets.com<\/p>\n
Electricity (I asked the guard at the power station) costs about
\n$.90EC\/kwh so by my calculations my bill for January should be around
\n$84EC. Ynonne’s sister’s name (who works i the clothing shop) is Marie
\n(not Shirley.) Anyway, I asked for Shirley and was told something bit
\nher foot on the beach and the swelling prevented her from coming into
\nwork — so ended up giving $1100EC to Y in the supermarket for
\nFebruary’s rent and then headed part way up the mountain before the
\ntrack got too overgrown. Still had some good views of PSV, PM,
\nCarriacou, Palm and Frigate islands. Bought eggs, more chow mein
\nnoodles, cheese. peanuts, orange juice, and a tonic water on my way home
\nthrough Ashton. Soaking some black-eyed peas and kidney beans and the
\nyellow peas separately. Bought refrigerated eggs that came in about a
\nweek ago, so we’ll see how they compare.<\/p>\n
When the water’s moving faster than the boat, you can’t control a thing.
\nAnother eggplant, onion, pepper. cheese and tomato omelette. The
\nchickens are calling. Still waiting for my rent receipt. I have learned
\nwith frequent good reason, to mistrust nearly everyone, especially the
\ninstitutionalized, and when people sense this they feel especially
\nobligated\/permitted to cheat, betray and steal. Self-fulfilling
\ndialectic in the absence of sufficient positive outcome. nothing I can
\ndo. The beans are still simmering, then I’ll cook the lentils with the
\nrice and green peas. Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus,
\nSpecies. Finished “Oryx and Crake” — a little pedantic at times and
\nlaced with typical Canadian support prerequisites, but a good dystopian
\nSF tale occasionally sprinkled sparingly with cautious optimism.
\noryxandcrake.com Will head into Clifton for more from the book exchange.<\/p>\n
![\"ingredients](\"http:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/liquor.gif\" "\\"ingredients")
<\/p>\n
\n
\n- ingredients for “Global Islands Project Rum Punch”: lime juice, sorrel rum (for color), overproof white rum, fruit juice blend, ice, lime garnish, served in octagonal glass<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/rum-punch.gif\")
<\/p>\n
Well, the MV Jasper isn’t going to work because the captain checks to\u00a0see that you’ve checked-out of Union — I’ve not officially exited\u00a0Grenada nor entered SVG, so I can’t begin to exit… so, I’m dependent\u00a0on water-taxis (probably a lot more expensive from this side), or goodol’ (drunken\/stoned) Mr Bones to get me back to PM in time to catch the\u00a0Osprey to Carriacou\/Grenada and the plane home. Y spotted me from the\u00a0supermarket and gave me a rent receipt in an envelope. Was she planning\u00a0on slipping it under my door? Maybe I ask too many questions or am\u00a0objectionable in some other way. The little girl at J’s certainly\u00a0thought so again — one look and her eyes widened and she started\u00a0bawling. Perhaps I should bring a little treat for her next time. No\u00a0tomatoes; should have bought them yesterday. Picked up a copy of “Vincy\u00a0Carnival magazine 2009(EC10)” from the Determination Bar (I have a hard\u00a0time understanding what’s he’s saying — actually I’d prefer another\u00a0distinct language), he brought me a fresh copy… and three ‘new’ books\u00a0from Ericka’s (can’t figure out: The Club Dumas (Arturo Perez-Reverte),\u00a0Catapult (Jim Paul), and the Penguin tome, Clayhanger (Arnold Bennett.)<\/p>\n
Every once in a while the saltpond glazes over and people come to gather
\nup the salt. I might get some, it’s probably zestier than the regular
\nstuff… Y had no idea… other than warning me that I might burn my
\nfeet…. so how is that?<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/magnum-wine.gif\")
<\/p>\n
Sent another matchbox (full of spent matches) to Rudd Janssen. The
\npostal people thought it was quite funny but insisted that I wrap it in
\npaper, which they supplied along with scissors, pencil and tape
\n($1.35EC) A chair has materialized out of nowhere on the pier and I now
\nregularly sit there to peruse my exchanged novels but after again
\nrealizing\/reading the exclusive support mechanism, I’m not so keen.
\nInstead I took a chance and petted the dogs.<\/p>\n
Walked down and around (got some good 12hr pics of boulders in a row)
\npast Fort Hill and out to the end of the airport runway and back into
\ntown where I bought several tomatoes, a mango and a sporphina (? a pale
\ngreen lumpy vegetable that I’m steaming now for my omelette tomorrow) =
\n$16EC Out to the pier to read Catapult… it recounts the tribulations
\nof building a rock-throwing device as an artwork in San Francisco
\n(Headlands Center) amid much wryly anecdotal commentary and recounted
\nhistories. The chickens followed me back from the pier and right up onto
\nthe porch where they stare in the windows at me. I found a few popcorn
\nkernels beside the stove — that’s all I had and it clearly wasn’t
\nsufficient. I’ll have to make a bigger batch tomorrow. Thinking of maybe
\nvisiting the Montreal Gardens for three days if I can find a cheap place
\nto stay nearby. I’d leave on the MV Gemstar Wednesday and come back on
\nthe special Saturday Barracouda run that stops long enough to see a bit
\nof Canouan and Mayreau.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/barracouda.gif\")
<\/p>\n
Dragonflies eat mosquito larvae who also ‘nest’ in land-crab burrows.
\nThe rooster starts crowing about a quarter after four; I’m up, brushed,
\nflossed, Deeted and shaved and breakfasted by five. Finished the
\nCatapult.; enjoyed the references to the Bay area. Apparently just
\nshooting a film in SF or NYC pretty nuch guarantees a ROI from local
\naudiences alone. Made some popcorn for me and the chickens. Walked into
\ntown and traded Catapult for Angle of Repose (Wallace Stegner) at
\nErika’s. Maybe I should be cautious when going in there as they do
\nprocess Custom and Immigration clearances. Even more salt-gatherers at
\nThe Pond — word has spread. The Club Dumas is a book about old books. I
\ncalled the Montreal Gardens to ask if there were any guesthouses to stay
\neither there or nearby but honestly couldn’t begin to understand what he
\nsaid. I unsuccessfully tried texting them also. I was maybe hoping that
\nas an artist and aspiring gardener I might help-out in exchange for a
\nsimple place to stay. Next I phoned the SVG Tourist Office: I can’t
\nbelieve that there’s no where to stay near their primary tourist site.
\nMaybe it’s not all it’s cracked-up to be. I’m still mindful of the ten+
\nhour sea voyage there and back. I may try asking in-person in Clifton…
\n(but there are officious immigration people there.) The chickens came
\nright up on the porch again for popcorn. They really do seem to
\nrecognize me. In the early mornings they seem to hang out in the cool
\nmangroves round the saltpond. New neighbours from B.C. in a house within\u00a0the ‘coconut compound’ which includes the pier. This middle-aged couple\u00a0often briskly walk back and forth along the short stretch of beach for
\nsome pre-determined time (they glance at their watches before setting
\noff, and most of the dogs seem delighted to follow along.) I see that
\n“the Englishman” way up on the hill above the airport has a
\n(non-operating) wind-generator but it’s curious that there aren’t any
\n(that I’ve seen) alternative energy devices like solar-panels on an
\nisland that gets a lot or sun and little rain.<\/p>\n
MV BARRACOUDA rates:<\/p>\n
Kingstown to Bequia $25; Kingstown to Canouan $40; Kingstown to Mayreau\u00a0$45; Kingstown to Union $50; Bequia to Canouan $35; Bequia to Mayreau\u00a0$40; Bequia to Union $45; Canouan to Union $40; Canouan to Mayreau $30;\u00a0Mayreau to Union $30; Children (6-16yrs): $20<\/p>\n
I wonder if there’s an early morning flight from Union to Grenada in
\ntime to catch my flight home? My luggage would be overweight and there’s
\nstill the visa issue, but I’d save on the cost of expensive
\naccommodation in Grenada and taxi fare to the airport and hotel and
\nferry\/water-taxi costs (this could add-up to say $270US or more); less
\nlugging of baggage and it would less stressful — fewer things could go
\nwrong. Would immigration insist that I return to Grenada to checkouts
\nand then return to SVG to check-in — only to checkout of SVG and
\ncheck-in and checkout of Grenada? similar to what E said his sister had
\nto do? It doesn’t seem that I can check-in or out of SVG because I
\ndidn’t checkout of Grenada and in order to do that I can only return the
\nway I came or surreptitiously take a water-taxi to Carriacou and
\ncheckout but having done either trip I may as well continue on to
\nGrenada. Or would SVG just scold me and not stamp my passport (?) and
\nwould Grenada let me in without the SVG exit stamp? I may phone Erika’s
\nand ask somewhat-anonymously about all this. It may be too expensive
\nanyway or there may not be an early flight or the puddle-jumper may just
\nrefuse my heavy bags… Cinnamon tea this morning. Hope someone
\nremembers to pick-up my laundry this morning. Oh, it’s suddenly gone
\nfrom the porch. There’s a tiny high-pitched mosquito in here; you open
\nthe door for even a few seconds and in they come. I kill them by
\nclapping my hands together. The air pressure from opposite directions
\nmay be immobilizing them.<\/p>\n
Bought a nice ‘dolphin’ steak for tomorrow. Sat out from of Mitchell’s
\nhardware with cold tonic water reading the Vincentian (Landmark
\nDecision: Police Guilty) and watching the goings-on. Bought a bottle of
\nSunset rum and box of orange juice from J’s. Almost finished read ing
\nThe Club Dumas. I’ll have to read The Three Musketeers, around which it
\nis loosely based.. Recorded the rasta chanting with the new moon but one
\nof the channels all but dropped-out; I really like it so I’ll have to
\nsee if I can re-balance it once home. I see there’s another lunar event
\nthis Saturday so I’ll be listening.<\/p>\n
The chickens are plucking around outside on the porch this morning
\ndespite being only moderately interested in the popcorn yesterday; there
\nare too many mosquitos and flies right now to stand outside. Another
\nthree-egg scramble (not really an omelette): will cook the dolphin steak
\nlater in the day. Running low on bread, butter, juice, peppers and
\ncheese.<\/p>\n
“You don’t have to go…” “Without finding out the answer?” “Without
\nundergoing the test. You have the answer within you.” “But the end
\nresult is the same: damnation. You have to pay with the innocence of
\nyour soul.”<\/p>\n
As for the devil, he is no more than God’s pain; the wraith if a
\ndictator caught in his own trap, The story told by the winners.
\nSurprisingly, I consumed all of the two pounds of dolphin before one. I
\ndid have a little nap and this may help me stay up a little later for
\nClifton’s Saturday night. Finished The Club Dumais and just barely
\nbeginning to understand what it may be like to live here in amongst the
\nremnants of a volcano and wicked colonial histories. Yah mon.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/Untitled.gif\")
<\/p>\n
Trotted into town after eating all that food and a nap… peanuts from
\nJ’s (always crawling with little children) and exchanged The Club Dunas
\nfor “In the Cut” (Susanna Moore) and there’s only an early morning
\nflight to Grenada on Sunday at 7:30 a.m. not on Mondays, but it’s only
\nabout 190EC… So that’s surprisingly cheap and now worth
\nconsidering….<\/p>\n
Recorded the Saturday evening street sounds. A little random and not at
\nall like the sequestered murmurings on PM. Sucked back a few Guinesses
\nand one bad Danish Stout along with a small chicken and chips ($8EC.)
\nCame back via Maglite; never have felt even vaguely threatened here,
\nthough I’m usually asleep by eight. Pretty sure I won’t feel at all
\nhungry tomorrow. It’s odd but I’m now becoming less and less interested
\nin eating\/drinking. It rarely seems worth the effort. Many French
\nyachties here as well, they seem very enclosed within their
\nlanguage\/culture. One big catamaran parked over a local’s tiny
\nscuffed-up wooden outboard and of course he and onlookers were upset. It
\nprobably wasn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of things but in the
\nmarine world there’s usually much more respect accorded to any boat and
\nits skipper. Just impolite and I’m afraid typically Francais.<\/p>\n
walked through Aston (noticed another road cutting up and inland which
\nI’ll try another day) and around to Clifton where I bought butter, two
\ntomatoes, 3 sporphina, eggplant ($30 EC) and then to Y’s supermarket for
\nbread ($4EC Lambi’s and the little red bakery have bread too but it’s
\nlighter than air). Just finished steaming a couple of the vegetables for
\nmy usual egg scramble tomorrow. Thinking I’ll try setting up the PSV
\ntour for the last Saturday and have E pick me up there for lunch at his
\nrestaurant before the ferry leaves at 3. So my transport will be free
\nand I just pay for a nice lunch, perhaps some conch, which I don’t think
\nI’ve ever tried. I’ll arrange a ride to PM for Sunday with Bones as a
\nbackup plan. Still on the lookout for callaloo soup, I,m asking too
\nearly in the day. OTOH I’ve never seen E’s boat move in the month I was
\nthere… Some guy was selling chicken foot soup from the back of his car
\nbut it didn’t look like it was anything more than the feet in water, so
\nI passed. Fed the chickens, mopped the floor a little, turned the fridge
\nback on — I’ve been trying to minimize the electric bill, and will head
\nout to the pier to read In the Cut, perhaps walking into Clifton around
\n3 to check for fish.<\/p>\n
No fish mongers around today. perhaps there’s no fishing on Sunday.
\nNearly everything closes up by mid-day and some re-open in the evening.
\nWent into the Clifton Beach sports bar that my neighbour Jule and her
\nhusband (from NY) lease and operate. Very breezy with a good view of
\nharbour activity. Bought a tonic water ($4EC) Told me that SVG visas are
\nonly good for 30 days. Just as well that I don’t have one. Have begun
\nreading Angle of Repose.<\/p>\n
Thinking about how ‘dead’ it was in Clifton on Sunday; perhaps I should
\nmove my departure up a day, leaving for PSV on Fri with Bones as a
\nback-up Saturday. I’d like to chat a little more with J about how they
\ndo business and residency in SVG. D texted me that he was enjoying his
\nChristmas book on newspaper columnists. I bought it from a little shop
\n(Post-Hip) in Multnomah Village last summer; the proprietor rattled-on
\nenthusiastically about the various older writers I knew little about.
\nThe chickens are squawking for popcorn. Y has left for the store. The
\ndogs are alerted to some irregularity. The waves continue to break
\non-shore. I read my book waiting for sunrise. Much as I like the hot and
\ndry climate it could be frustrating to live here without an easily
\nirrigated garden. Antimacassars: I need to again be angry but stay that
\nway, despising authority, effecting revenge, right the wrongs, stating
\nthe truth and ending this nonsense. In addition to spontaneously singing
\nsongs, islanders seemingly love to burn things. It can be a big pile of
\nbrush or garbage but even a small pile of raked leaves invokes the
\nsmoke. It’s also curious how people with sand in place of lawns are
\nobsessed with raking leaves (only to have them all blow back the next
\nday), unless it feeds the desire to burn… Papaya trees are fabled to
\nnot be planted too close to bedroom windows as they cause bad dreams,
\nbut that folklore seems to be largely disregarded here. I think I
\nfinally categorically dislike the computerized voices in reggae songs.
\nWhile I understand how the practise eliminates the need for traditional
\nvocal skills (any wharbbling can be brought into tune\/line), it also
\nexcludes anything non-catagorizable or even ‘new.’ Ynonne spotted me
\ncoming my usual way into town and asked me for the difference in a $80EC
\npower bill, a big portion of which is government taxes. And apparently
\nsolar technology is not permitted! (The Englishman on the hilltop has a
\nwind turbine however.) Traded …Cut for Chuang-Tzu (A Classic of Tao)
\n… well, no one else would read it. I asked again about the fare to GND
\nbut I’ve forgotten. Also about private boats going to Carriacou for
\ntheir Carnival, also at the Neptune Bar (Julia) but nothing solid.
\nWatched as the police searched passengers for ganja when disembarking
\nthe Barracuda from SV. I was breaking up some ice and Y came around to
\nsee what was going on; she saw me at the bar and thought I was still ‘in
\nClifton… so that’s good.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/port.gif\")
<\/p>\n
Watched an interesting TV programme last night about the history of Soul
\nTrain. Michael Jackson _didn’t invent the moon-walk, it was some of the
\nunpaid ST dancers. White PVC tubing is frequently used here in
\nballistades, furniture, and filled with concrete for columns.You can see
\nstars in the daytime from deep in a well. Listened to Wire’s Below the
\nRadar and Somic Frequencies mp3s on my new little Cowan player while out\u00a0this morning: Went for what turned out to be a very long walk. First
\nover and through Ashton and took the cutoff up and around and eventually
\nto Clifton where I was going to buy what I thought I remembered seeing
\nin Lambi’s: refrigerated eggs, but no. I did buy some little very hot
\nred peppers like I had from St Vincent. 3 for $1EC and 3 tiny bananas
\n(she called them ‘figs’, also 3 for $1EC.) so, I walked back to Ashton,
\nthis time around the coast and bought my chilled eggs from Henderson’s
\nagain. Then up to the shop underneath SeaShell? for some cheese, pancake
\nmix, kidney beans, rice, powdered cocoanut milk ($27EC) Then back
\nthrough Baddu and home. The clerk told me Salt Pond salt was all but
\ngone so I took an empty peanut butter jar down there and filled it with
\nsome fairly clean flakes. Then over to J’s before she closes mid-day for
\nmore rum and orange juice ($35.50EC) All set for tomorrow’s meal. The
\ndays are long and all this shopping keeps me busy and active. Now about
\nto resume my book; chapter four of Angle of Repose which so far recounts
\nthe lives of newly arrived New Englanders in frontier California late
\n19thC. It’s nice to see all the goats, sheep and cows wandering down the
\nroads, Several cows have now just begun grazing in the neighbour’s
\nyard, ignoring all the dogs’ objections.<\/p>\n
A restless night with dreams of violent confrontations. The rooster
\ncrowed a little after 5. Another 3-egg (one of which was quite old as
\nthe yolk broke when landing in the pan), scramble. Reading ‘Repose’
\nagain, into chapter 8; I may buy this book for D; I already have a much
\nbetter perspective on the Hudson River school of thought and painting
\nthat really was _exported to the western ‘frontier.’Not sure what to do
\ntoday; I’ll probably walk over to Chatham Bay again tomorrow as it’s a
\nnon-eating day sometimes needing some distraction. I must remember to
\nmake some guave pancakes today; I have a lot of mix and jelly ‘to
\neat-up’ (as M used to say.) Making some popcorn; best to get the pot and
\noil very before adding the kernels. Looking forward to the cheap
\noverproof rums in PM, if that’s still possible after the new VAT this
\nmonth. You can get three times the amount of rum for less than a 750ml
\nbottle costs here. Apparently this stuff is so flammable that it’s
\nprohibited on most airlines. Or did I say that before…?<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/pc12.gif\")
<\/p>\n
Was thinking yesterday while out on the pier reading Repose, that I
\nshould make an ebook from all of M’s saved greeting cards. Maybe D could
\nscan them for me? I wonder if she saved the envelopes as well? Did the
\nAshton-Cliford loop and bought some eggplant (3 short squat ones for
\n$8EC) All cooked and ready for tomorrow. Only 7 or 8 meals left here,
\nnot sure I’ll get through all the food I have in the cupboards.<\/p>\n
New Harmony, Fruitland, The Icarians, Amana, Homestead, The Mennonites,\u00a0The Amish, The Hutterites, The Shakers, The United Order of Zion, The\u00a0Oneida Colony…<\/p>\n
Finished ‘Angle of Repose” — the angle at which rolling stones and dirt
\ncome to rest, or death. Interesting NatGeo TV programme about the moon
\nand its stabilizing significance for the earth. It’s apparently slowly
\nmoving away and will eventually cause the earth to wobble more on its
\naxis, leading to dramatic climatic changes such as another ice age. The
\nhighest tides occur when the gravitational effects of earth, moon and
\nsun are aligned.<\/p>\n
Up early: about 2:30 — maybe I was just hungry. The rooster (there’s
\nonly one other that I can hear at some distance), first crowed at
\nquarter to four. (In small coastal villages i Belize they crowed at a
\nfew specific and regular times each morning, locals used to mark time by
\nthis phenomena, ie.,, “I’ll meet you at the second cock.” It’s two
\no’cock? ;) Have begun ‘Clayhanger.’ and will return the library book and
\ndo another book exchange at Erika’s. I should work on the watercolours
\nthough and need to make a point of making more pinhole photos. Y is away
\nand so the laundry was done yesterday (Thursday).<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/pc11.gif\")
<\/p>\n
No, she changed her mind and goes on Monday. ($280? EC) She and her
\nRasta brother are always well dressed. Many chickens to greet my return
\nthis afternoon. Tried to return my book to the library, next to the
\nprimary school, but it was closed and a track ‘n’ field event was
\nhappenin.’ Bought a chicken wing and peanuts ($2EC) and took a couple’of
\nsnaps. Pretty exciting; again, those long tropic thighs make for good
\nrunners. Three teams each wearing red, green or yellow T-shirts. Also
\ntried to mail some postcards but it seemed I was too late. Did manage to
\nexchange another book for “Kings in Grass Castles.” Something about
\nAustralia, again in the mid 1800’s. Bought a couple of Guiness and
\nsalted peanuts from the Kash ‘n’ Karry but noticed the old expiration
\ndate. B and her old white partner were there as often, buying supplies
\nincluding water. I guess they don’t have a tank (?) Earlier I worked on
\nthe w\/c’s and read 60 odd pages about Victorian hardship. The coconut (I
\nbought one today $3EC), compound is getting quite spruced-up! New roof,
\npaint and yard work. Apparently tin rooves are cooler than shingle and
\nyield better rainwater runoff…. Also picked-up a copy of the February
\nCaribbean Compass — a cool little paper, maybe I could work there?
\nas-if. Articles on the San Blas Islands and Mt Taboi here on Union
\nIsland. And, the Vincentian: 20 Years for Killing his M.<\/p>\n
A Libyan (Islamic = no interest paid) bank is expected to be established
\nin St Kitts. It will support the new international airport and provide
\ncollege scholarships. The birds are chirping outside despite it being
\nnearly dark. Valentine’s Day (Monday) is apparently a big event here.<\/p>\n
Sat out on the pier most of the day reading, watching the breakers and
\npainting. ‘Clayhanger’ concerns a Victorian printer and architect so
\nmuch more interesting than the apologetic, academic introduction would
\nhave you believe. Got me thinking again of incorporating letterpress
\nelements in the red drawings; perhaps white photopolymer plates made
\nfrom the painted picture fragments (SSS.) Went downtown and bought a few
\nnice tomatoes and rum and (unfortunately, sweetened OJ) from J’s. Called
\nthe Caribbean Cottage Club in Grenada about staying the last three days
\nin February. I’d like to visit the Grenada Chocolate factory there
\n(Portland entrepreneurs.) Waiting to record the Rasta as the sunsets…
\n(Guests moved-in below which may have dissuaded the performance.)<\/p>\n
Yes, it’s the young white skateboarder, I’ve seen gliding around town,
\nwith the blond Rasta locks, no doubt attracted by the occasional
\nmoderate surfing swells.<\/p>\n
38.15 LSB(?) is supposed to be the Caribbean Emergency and Weather
\nstation at 6:30 a.m. but hear nothing but static, on my SSB radio. The
\nInternet has doomed many SW broadcasts. It was so cool to see people
\nclustered around SW radios in Bangladesh, and hearing some English
\nsuddenly was strange. “Transformed … by something without a name in
\nthe air which the mind breathes.”<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/julies.gif\")
<\/p>\n
I may have accidentally shut-off the water valve leading from the tanks
\non the roof, so running the pump for an hour was probably unnecessary. Y
\ntold me that the trees were trimmed back from the house so the possums
\n(which I’ve never seen), in their nighttime quest for the fowl nesting
\nin the trees, wouldn’t get up there and rattle around on the roof. It’s
\napparently been unusually dry this year so I didn’t recognize the
\nspotted, spikey tree without leaves and now just a few buds, behind the
\nhouse as a frangipani. Erosion on the beach here is quite severe. I
\ncould watch big chunks of beach sand being washed-out. In the short time
\nI’ve been here I guess the shoreline has receded about a foot. Kind of a
\nhelpless feeling; I guess you can pay a lot of money to have boulders
\ndumped as a breakwater which helps a little. Y thinks it’s worse since a
\nlittle island was eliminated to the East when the airport was expanded.
\nThe last batch of beans are furiously boiling. From the pier I can see
\n(from right\/East to left\/West) the Tobago Keys, Mayreau, Canouaon, and
\nthe distant peaks of St Vincent. I think Bequia, which is East of SV, is
\nhidden behind Canouaon. In Ashton Harbour there is the abandoned,
\nsketchy, outline of an unpopular Italian marina development; quite a few
\nempty houses as well throughout the island. Once the beans are done I’ll
\nstart the lentils and coconut rice then retire to the pier to read and
\ntake some more pinhole photos once the sun climbs up. (I’m looking
\nforward to having a Papa Murphy Delite pizza once back in Portland.)
\nLater this afternoon I’ll attempt to return my library book and look for
\nfish, which goes fast as much of the minimal catch is pre-sold I think.
\nMuch of my life has been an impending disaster, packed with trouble and
\neconomic woe, so I’m getting a little anxious about getting back to
\nGrenada and home to see what has conspired in my absence, although D
\nwants me to stop-over in Florida for a few days. This would be costly
\nand I need to pay the rent on the ‘treehouse,’ which a showed Y a
\npicture of yesterday. I pretty much cooked the Canadian lentils, then
\nslowly added\/stirred the coconut milk powder into the same water
\nfollowed by the rice being brought to a boil and cover and simmer for 10
\nminutes. I’ll have leftover uncooked rice which I’ll leave for Y or
\nsomeone. I’ll look down the beach in the other direction for my ‘popcorn
\nbowl’ that the dogs ran-off with yesterday. On page 267 of Clayhanger
\nwith cinnamon tea on the side. Very breezy and very hot today. Made a
\nnice little film of what I think may be a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
\nstalking, catching and eventually swallowing-whole a big beach crab. He
\nlooks like a heron but with a duck-like bill. I think I have enough food
\nhere to last until my departure for PM. One more 3-egg scramble, then
\npancakes, chow-mein noodles, tomatoes, rice & beans, and pasta with
\ntinned-mackerel should be enough for 5 more meals. On page 426 of
\nClayhanger<\/p>\n
Another hot one; walked into town mid-day to exchange Clayhanger for
\nsomething else but Erika’s wasn’t open. Bought 2 lbs of fresh fish that
\nturned out to be Kingfish and not Dolphin — buggers! — if I can’t see
\nthe head it’s harder to tell. (Same price but Dolphin’s much better. I
\nthought it didn’t look very red but I guessed it was a younger fish or
\nsomething. What can you believe?) Sweat’s rolling down my back: out to
\nthe pier. The chickens all followed me back and cheered me up. Started
\nto read “Chuang-Tzu, a Classic of Tao.” Wondering about Florida again.
\n(Interesting TV programme about the spreading Burmese\/African python
\ninvasion in the Everglades ~ released exotic pets that grew too
\nlarge\/expensive.) Spotted a roadway up towards “the Englishman’s house”
\nwhich I think I’ll investigate this morning before it gets too hot.
\nFewer mosquito (bites) this month (Feb), perhaps it’s the dry weather.<\/p>\n
Well this is the first day that I didn’t go for a walk somewhere, partly
\nbecause I was waiting for my laundry to be picked-up (never happened; I
\nlooked at the washing machine but it was disconnected for some reason)
\nand I was luxuriating in the 90F sun. Note to myself: buy dominoes and
\nperhaps a book of dominoes once in Grenada. Gobbled down the rest of the
\nfish and a big bowl of spicy chow-mein) the little Corgi-like dog was
\nvigorously wagging his tail while scrunching the scraps.<\/p>\n
“Subtract the days and there is no year. What has nothing within it has
\nnothing without.”<\/p>\n
Chuang-Tzu, inner chapter 25, 319BC<\/p>\n
Well, the roadway just lead to the fort; I didn’t recognize the house
\nbecause the gate was closed last time I was up there. Walked around the
\nisland through Ashton and Baddu, read on the pier, then texted and
\ncalled Bones: he says don’t worry he’ll pick me up on the 26th. So
\nthat’s a relief. To celebrate I walked over to J’s where low and behold
\nshe had pineapple juice for me!<\/p>\n
“With the abandonment of fixed goals, the dissolution of rigid
\ncategories, the focus of attention roams freely over the endlessly
\nchanging panorama, and responses spring directly from the energies
\ninside.”<\/p>\n
Killed _one of the big brown bugs; they’re very fast. Last of the eggs,
\nprecooked vegetables; little cheese, bread, cooking oil, tomatoes,
\npeppers, limes remaining… lots of pancake mix, pasta and r&b still.
\n18th C treaties latitudinally divided the Grenadines between the British
\nand French. The area on Carriacou known as Gun Point and the headland on\u00a0PM known as the Breeza apparently belong to St Vincent.<\/p>\n
The true man casts away his knowledge to the ants, discovers how to
\nestimate from the fish, casts away his intentions to the sheep.<\/p>\n
“Spillover saying” is named after a kind of vessel designed to tip and
\nright itself when filled too near the brim. Taoist speech characterized
\nby intelligent spontaneity – a fluid language which keeps its
\nequilibrium through changing meanings and viewpoints.<\/p>\n
To ‘divide’ is to leave something undivided, to ‘discriminate between
\nalternatives’ is to leave something which is neither alternative.<\/p>\n
Tomorrow I’ll extend the tin of mackerel in tomato sauce with tomatoes
\nand peppers and use it on the box of pasta and perhaps the chow mein
\nnoodles. Lots of pancake mix to take me through next week.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/pc10.gif\")
<\/p>\n
Up at 3 so started some pinhole night photos of the sky. My FamoCoquillettes with tomato-mackerel sauce turned out pretty well. There’s\u00a0enough for another meal. Need to get some popcorn for the chickens<\/p>\n
(perhaps) and then cooking oil… so may be not. But I will get into
\ntown to buy a paper. Plan to work on the watercolors again today. Took
\nsome larger images of the water with the Xacti camera for use as a web
\nicon and a printed postcard advertising the advance sale of the entire
\nsuite of Carib Waters paintings: 50 double-sided watercolours for
\n$30,000 until Sept 30; $700 each thereafter. I’ll scan them and put the
\nfiles up on my website and Facebook (http:\/\/bbrace.net\/webgallerywc\/wc.html<\/a>)<\/p>\nMet some people originally from Martinique on the beach. The happy dogs
\nwere all barking at them of course. Curiously the female German Shepard
\nis quite protective of me: she sat right at my elbow when the strangers
\napproached, and barks at the billy goat when he bumps-me, and tried to
\nlick my swollen facial centipede bite. Went for my walk (almost) around
\nthe island this morning before it got hot. The GS and the Lab-mix
\nfollowed me all the way; I had to wait for them to cool-off in the
\nJerome Village lagoon at one point. I didn’t realize there were so many
\ndogs in town until we walked by…. More w\/c work; have a few mores days
\nto wrap-up the suite of 101 double-sided paintings. Will ask about a
\nday trip to Mayreau but I’m guessing it’s ridiculously expensive —
\nprobably the affluent Tobago Keys effect. Do tourists cause local prices
\nto rise? Thought about having a GIP coin minted to accompany the
\ncoin\/card edition. Would also serve as a good standalone promo item that
\ncould be left anywhere to circulate. Boiled-up the last of the chow mein
\nnoodles with the orange spicy pepper sauce. Wonder if they’d nake a good
\n(fat-free) snack when dried. Read that seemingly spent lithium batteries
\ncan be revived a little by leaving them in the sun — I’m trying this
\nout. (Also by hitting them with a rock.) The chickens are upset and
\npacing outside the door.<\/p>\n
The trouble with Tao is its claims to indifference (irresponsible
\n“disengagement”) and selective acceptance of oppressive policy\/regimes
\n(which are the real cause of the root dissatisfactions), to “avoid
\nharm.” I understand the attraction of such a last-resort doctrine but
\nit’s really not much different than rich corporate robber-barons hiding
\ntheir money offshore and retreating to private islands. It’s nearly
\n(tribal political) election time in SVG where the sale of passports (why
\ndoes anyone care?), VAT (why increase taxes during a recession?) and
\ntimid socialism (yes, comrades; thieves, murderers and crooks: beat
\naround de bush) seem to be the only visible issues. I’d like to know
\nwhat happened to St Lucia; it’s often mentioned as a political scenario
\nto be avoided. Radio stations are deliberately reactionary and
\nbi-partisan but aggressive lawsuits against media are astonishing. My
\nbrotha!. Eventually biblical-scripture muddies the minimal useful
\ndialogue. The chickens are understandably upset again this evening.
\nFalse prophets. Not hopeful.<\/p>\n
Signs (painted lyrics) at Pebbles Jazz Club in St George, Grenada:<\/p>\n
I WENT DOWN TO THE CROSSROAD – FELL DOWN ON MY KNEES<\/p>\n
THEY CALL IT STORMY MONDAY, BUT TUESDAYS JUST AS BAD<\/p>\n
ON THE SEVENTH HOUR OF THE SEVENTH DAY ON THE SEVENTH MONTH, THE SEVEN\u00a0DOCTORS SAY HE WAS BORN FOR GOOD LUCK<\/p>\n
I GAVE YOU A BRAND NEW FORD BUT YOU SAID “I WANT A CADILLAC” I BOUGHT\u00a0YOU A HUNDRED DOLLAR DINNER & YOU SAID “THANKS FOR THE SNACK” I LET YOU\u00a0LIVE IN MY PENTHOUSE – YOU SAID “IT’S JUST A SHACK” I GAVE YOU SEVEN\u00a0CHILDREN AND NOW YOU WANNA GIVE THEM BACK<\/p>\n
Ate all the cold and spicy chow mein noodles last night — very good as
\na snack (not good dried.) Have finished-up the watercolour suite. A good
\nsunbathing activity. The sun and wind quickly dry deliberately shaped
\npuddles of color-wash. There are a couple I could ‘noodle’ around with a
\nlittle more but it all feels finished somehow. Need to buy a good set of
\ntravel brushes, half-pans, ox gall, compartment box, and more w\/c books.
\nWill see if I can do my walk without attracting the notice of the bully
\ndogs.<\/p>\n
Took the Angelo watertaxi to Mayreau ($150EC not too bad considering
\nthat he had make four trips — and he had lifejackets!) It’s the
\nsmallest inhabited Grenadine Island with only 200 inhabitants, mostly
\nfishermen – felt a little tense and expensive. Apparently cruise ships
\ndump their passengers here, which would account for the big stacks of
\nlocked-up lounge chairs on the beach. Everyone lives in the middle of
\nthe island: something to do with the government acquiring what was a
\nprivate island and re-settling people while “Canadians” and a group of
\nlawyers from SV bought the rest. Righteous Robert’s brightly painted
\nRasta-urant and the Catholic stone church on the hilltop with a great
\nview of the Cayes, were interesting to see. Electricity was introduced
\nin 2003. There is an elementary school, post office, a few grocery
\nstores, bars and medical clinic. Big HIV\/AIDS sign. Apparently the local
\nwater is risky.<\/p>\n
My neck is still stiff from being slammed around in that little boat
\nyesterday. Didn’t wake-up until 6.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/pc9.gif\")
<\/p>\n
Thursday Feb 25: packing day in preparation for the journey back to
\nGrenada tomorrow morning. Charge the batteries and gadgetry. Empty the
\nfridge. Clean-up a little. Estimate power bill and pay Y. Dispose of the
\ndisposables. Hand wash shirt and shorts and hang to dry overnight.
\nShower in the evening. Text Bones a reminder and ask for a lifejacket if
\npossible. I think I’ll try sitting backwards and farther back in the
\nboat this time. Don’t know if I’ll bother with PSV backup tour or not. I
\ncan call Angelo if need be, but he charges $150EC to PM.<\/p>\n
Well, Bones finally showed-up but he first picked-up a little ‘package’
\nat another dock. He is a skilled boatman — a very smooth passage. I was
\nsurprised and delighted to learn that Richard & Pam had leased (perhaps
\nquestionable, according to E, beachfront land ($100EC\/mo) and were
\nindustriously building a modest hexagonal house of their own design. The
\nlocal children call it the “coin house,” in reference to Grenada’s
\nmulti-sided coinage. I’m very impressed with what I’ve seen and it’s all
\nbuilt visually and by hand. Thrilled to see how it all transpires and
\nintegrates into the community. PM is certainly a tenser place to live…
\nI’d been back there for a few hours and the cops were on me… ^how long
\nhave you been here; you’ve been here before; why are you taking
\npictures?… (all those stories about locals remembering faces are
\ntrue)…But in truth a modestly strong swimmer could get to PSV from
\nPM… it’s that close. I noticed that the new VAT has dramatically
\nincreased the price of groceries that I saw at Matthew’s — a major
\nplayer on the island. Apparently he contributed to this impressive
\nsounding community center above the primary school that was supposed to
\nprovide internet access and library\/media facilities to one-and-all. The
\nold-timers sit on LIME mobile store steps by the wharf to chat with
\nfriends waiting for the ferry to arrive. The Osprey arrives at the dock
\naround noon and then mysteriously goes back out into the bay and
\napparently anchors for lunch, returning at 3 p.m.<\/p>\n
Staying at K’s Caribbean Cottage Club ($170US $440EC for 3 nights –
\nouch!); very nice 2 bdrm apartment with high pitched ceilings, lots of
\nwood and louvered windows and doors. Making recordings from the porch at\u00a0night. You can glimpse the sea over the palm trees in front. Bought some
\ntasty BBQ chicken last night ($3.50EC) from a lady down the street. Rum
\n‘n’ coke and plantain chips. This morning walked down to Grand Anse Bay
\nand beach then back here with some groceries (big bottle of Coke, dry
\nroasted peanuts, tonic water, and souvenir spice collection which I
\nshould have purchased from the market in St George where they’d likely
\nbe fresher and cheaper. Also wandered around town: library and museum
\nclosed, Pebbles Jazz club with attached art gallery (closed), Scare Dem
\nWorld music shop (Mighty Sparrow CD copy $15EC), vegetable, fish, and
\nmeat markets. Made a nice little film of a big LCD billboard. Walked
\naround Ft George (closed) taking 12hr photos of the walls. Back to the
\napt again where I read some tourist publications. Thought about taking a
\nSunsation tour on Sunday but unfortunately they’re not offering any that
\nday. “Tutti Frutti” Tour ($80US) : St George Stadium, Picturesque West
\nCoast, Concord Waterfall, Gouyave Nutmeg Processing Station, Carib’s
\nLeap, River antoine Rum Distillery, Pearls Airport (which I think is a
\nraceway), Grenville, Rainforest at Grand Etang Crater Lake. I could ask
\nthe Crabman taxi for a similar tour but I think Katrina said he charges
\n$200US which be ok split between a few people but no one of the
\nsemi-permanent guests here would want to go. So I might just visit the
\ntwo botanical gardens instead. Reading a Frank Zappa biography that was
\nin the apt. Phoned to confirm my flight home on Monday.<\/p>\n
Signs (painted lyrics) at Pebbles Jazz Club in St George, Grenada:<\/p>\n
HEY EVERYBODY, LET’S HAVE SOME FUN, YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE AND WHEN YOU’RE\u00a0DEAD, YOU’RE DONE<\/p>\n
IT DON’T MEAN A THING IF IT AIN’T GOT THAT SWING<\/p>\n
BIRDS FLYING HIGH – YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL, SUN IN THE SKY – YOU KNOW HOW I\u00a0FEEL, BREEZE DRIFTIN’ BY, YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL – I’M FEELING GOOD<\/p>\n
WHEN SHE WALKS SHE’S LIKE A SAMBA THAT SWINGS SO COOL AND SWAYS SO\u00a0GENTLE THAT WHEN SHE PASSES, EACH ONE SHE PASSES GOES “A-A-AH”<\/p>\n
Nearly robbed – at least I can’t see anything missing – last night.
\nSomeone used a length of stiff wire to try and hook things on a table
\nnext to the window louvers. At first I thought they had stolen my PDA
\ncase with wireless modem and SD card inside, but then I spotted where it
\nhad dropped on the floor. (There appears to be wifi in the apt but I
\nhaven’t the desire to try it out.) I actually considered such a remote
\npossibility before going to bed at 9, and considered moving my recording
\nequipment inside the locked bedroom, but finally just slid most
\neverything off to the far end of the table. There’s a locking gate and
\nbarbed wire frost fence, some of the windows are barred and chained, or
\nnailed shut; there’s supposedly a watchman (big help), and a mastif-like
\nblack dog. I wonder if it wasn’t the beatific smiling rasta kid (Tille)
\nthat helps-out here — he came by to relay a message about the
\nSunsations tour and furtively noticed my minidisc equipment set-up on
\nthe balcony. I asked K about security\/safety my first day and of
\ncourse she downplayed it, saying that once a guest had her handbag
\ngrabbed but local people pounced on the thief. While trying
\nunsuccessfully lock a door, she told me that she was an Italian ex-pat
\nyoga instructor (with long blonde dreads), that wasn’t ‘very practical,’
\nso I’m thinking her employees may take advantage of their situation. The
\nformer owner lived in this apartment, which would explain the security
\nfortifications. There are workers here as well adding some structures to
\nother buildings, but it must have been an inside job; no one else would
\nhave had that specific intimate knowledge of building layout and have
\nlikely previously crafted the wire-tool. Also other things outside:
\nbooks, laundry, cushions were not disturbed. The previous night I left a
\nlithium battery out to hold down some paper receipts. It was there as I
\nencountered the ‘maid’ hanging the laundry in the breezeway but gone
\nwhen I returned, the receipts had been ‘thoughtfully’ placed under a
\nbook on another table. I’ll be leaving the lights and TV on all the time
\ntoday So not at all like Big Sand where you safely leave your screened
\nwindows open all day\/night. St George is quite Westernized and I imagine
\nis considered ‘progressive,’ attracting an affluent, comfort-seeking
\ntourist. Earthquake in Chlie, tsunami in Japan; alerts in Hawaii.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/pc8.gif\")
<\/p>\n
K talked me into going to some Grand Anse beach where we (her son and
\nyoung handsome boyfriend who seems to want to be a cop and surrogate
\nfather), had an expensive and poor lunch. Left early for the airport
\nnext morning where I repacked my slightly overweight luggage and the
\nsecurity people tore apart my carry-on luggage, inspecting every item
\nand insisting that I go back_out and put some items (a bicycle-cable,
\nlock and 9V battery) in my checked-luggage. While I was out they stole
\nitems from my carry-on bag!! I can’t recommend that anyone visit
\nGrenada; I’ll just say that Grenadinians are much different from
\nVincentians. Finally flew home. Just click-on OK.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
deliberately tedious travel journal from the Grenadines: brad brace<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"","spay_email":""},"categories":[3,4,7,8,10,11,74,13,14,15,21,67,1,46],"tags":[87,107,184,88,97,201,94,83,95,99,84,111,77,106,93,108,103,89,105,104,73,78,72,112,113,114,96,82,101,85,98,115,90,76,100,92,91,81,80,196,86,204,75,102,79,110],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1499"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1499"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1527,"href":"https:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1499\/revisions\/1527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bbrace.net\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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