Sailing with the Treleavens

With our wings still clipped we have become the cruisers who live aboard, stay in one bay for 2 weeks and idly pass the time. Anse Mitan is across the bay from Fort de France on ‘Point du Bout’ with very beautiful beaches, resorts and village ashore. As we sit and ‘wait for our ship to come in’ we read, meet locals that include the visiting Europeans staying in the resorts and plan our next 3 years.

A very good service here in Martinique is the SOS medical service for yachts. Another reason to slow down, as we are not immune to getting sick, I have had to use this service twice. The second time we called the Doctor he was waiting at the dock 10 minutes later, anyway nothing too serious, just a virus that took time to get over.

Getting Ian to sit on the beach, relax and do nothing has never been easier. Settling into the resort beach area Ian has no problem watching the topless and models parading beach wear. Also one two many mojito’s but many memorable moments are spent with Geordie and Patricia Burnett - Stuart at the ‘La Pontoon’ and ‘Cape Finisterre’. By coincidence it turns out they are farming neighbours of my relations in Scotland. Thankfully they went home after a few days having made friends for life.

In walking distance is The Pagerie Estate Museum an 18th century sugar plantation and birth place of the Empress Josephine. Napoleon Bonaparte married Josephine in 1796. The charming stone cottage, garden and ruins of a sugar mill set in the lush green tranquil country side, filled in another day. Throughout the island you are constantly reminded of the Empress of France. Josephine had two children by a previous marriage and had no children with Napoleon bur her daughter married Napoleons brother. Their son Louis went on to take the French throne as Napoleon 111 in 1852.

Slavery is another part of their history, abolished in 1848 but little remains of the lifestyle of yesteryear. We visited the Museum in Fort de France and the Savane des Esclaves a typical village for slaves but still very little is said about the injustice. Settlers planted sugar cane plantations and this then led to the slavery trade in the 16th century. Known as the triangle trade between Europe, Africa and the Americas, several millions of slaves were deported and became victims of the slave trade to the New World Plantations. At one time slaves outnumbered the colonials in Martinique but thanks to the abolition this remains a milestone in their history.

Bringing the last two paragraphs together it’s of interest that slavery was abolished in 1794 while under English rule. In 1802 Martinique was restored to the French and Napoleon and Josephine reintroduced slavery.

On Wednesday night the 21st, was the Total Luna Eclipse of the Moon here in the Caribbean. What makes this a one time event for the next millennium is the accompanying Saturn and star Regulus in Leo. The night was clear and the moon took on a coppery glow but photographing the event was difficult. Having dinner on board ‘Intrepid’ with Keith and Caryl Turner from Wellington New Zealand, we all tried but of course the constant rock of the boat made this impossible.

You wouldn’t believe it but now we have a strike in the port of Fort de France. The ship has arrived and we can see her across the bay but the locals are saying it’s going to be a long strike. We are waiting on any news and the mast may even get off loaded on another island.

“Happy little campers”!!!!!!!!!!

Salines Beach on the southern end of Martinique is the perfect crystal clear seas we keep returning to, with an arc of long white sand, palm trees and some perving for the men. Friends of son Ian come and go and we pass our days snorkeling, swimming and Creole Restaurants in the evenings.

Fresh tropical and in season fruits are the highlight that son Ian and friend Caro left with a few days ago. From passion fruit, pawpaw, pineapples’ to avocados’ the flesh is thicker and the flavour intense. After a day of sunshine, guacamole, avocado with lime juice and chili is a craving along with the fresh lime rum mojito’s.

The Caribbean Islands, minus the sails going up, was the perfect tropical island holiday for them.

Still in Martinique where repairs to the deck have been made we now fill in three weeks till our mast arrives on a ship from France. All going well we will be sailing by the 1st March.

Perfect timing we motor to Fort de France for the five days of carnival pre-Lent. Anchoring beneath St Louis fort, Ian is not going to miss this parade. From wicked street parties, cross dressing and devil outfits the first thing that you notice is everyone dresses up. It’s a time for the whole family in bright coloured costumes to have one big street party. The second thing you notice is no barricades, no police and very little organisation but everywhere is relaxed and a lot of fun.

Day one Carnaval Des Juniors (Saturday) is for children all dressed up at various parties.

The next 4 days are parades around a set circuit of the old town passing the port.

Day two, Dimanche Gras is Le Grande Carnaval de la Martinique starting at 3pm or should I say two parades one street apart. On one street its floats from different districts predicting there heritage from slavery to flower ladies and then in the next street its drag and anything goes. Around the town they dance following the bamboo and drum bands belting out the traditional hypnotic reggae tunes, everyone joining in. In the end it all comes together with no inhibitions.

Day 3, Lundi Gras is Mariage Burlesque gender-bending mock wedding day where the males are the brides and the females the groom, followed by attendants, guests, priest and cake make up the party. We are still bewildered as what this is all about but were very funny.

Day 4 Mardi Gras (Shove Tuesday) Vide en Rouge is red day -sexy devil day. The town is awash in red and once again from 3pm around and around the town they go following, ‘The Pied Piper’, drum bands beating out and everyone in repetitive steep.

Day 5 Mercredi des Cendres (Ash Wednesday) Vid en Noir et Blanc is black and white for lent then the burning to ashes Satan to mark the end of Carnival. Around and around they go, hypnotized, nothing changes just the colour of dress code.

Drums still beating in my ear what did we think about Carnival Martinique? It isn’t for the moral minded and lacks the sophistication of Rio but what makes it is the happy fun time they all have. Dressing up the whole family, granddad in grandma’s shoes, boy fantasy of being a terrorist, braided coloured hair for the girls and bewilded children watching dad dressed as a sexy women adds to all of the carnival atmosphere.

What really impresses us is the total integration of all the different cultures, from the original Caribs, (Indians from South America) the Africans from slavery, Indians post slavery, French Europeans and cultures from their Asian colonies all intermarried and from appearances all living together very happily. I think that the French run their Caribbean islands as a direct French province with all the social welfare benefits helps this island economically.

The only race of people missing is the Arawaks, the original South American Indian settlers who were eaten by the Caribs when they arrived in the 12th century. Mind you the Catholic Europeans weren’t much better when they arrived in the 1600’s by drastically depleting the numbers of the Caribs.

Onward we motor north to Dominica and Guadeloupe and will return for rig fitting.