BASSE TERRE, GUADELOUPE- FWI

We awoke to church bells chiming “six heure,” smelled the distinct aroma of something chocolaty wafting from shore, and peeked out of the hatch in time to see two fishing boat puttering nearby to fill their nets with ample bait for the day. As lovely as it all seemed, once ashore, we were soon sorely frustrated. Finding someone in this little fishing village who could “parlez englais” or was willing to speak English was next to impossible until we went for dinner and, thankfully, our waitress spoke English.  I kept our French phrasebook in hand as we walked about . However, a few nights later, at a different bistro, Dan mistakenly ate BOTH our entrees due to the language barrier! 

Who is that dude?

Guadeloupe is shaped like a butterfly and we explored part of the larger wing known as Basse Terre first.  The terrain is mountainous with rolling hills at the shoreline. We did a walking tour of Deshaies and also trekked to a long beautiful quiet beach just to the north over the hill called Plage de Grande Anse.  Our anchorage at Pigeon was peaceful and filled with sea turtles, as well as quite a few fishing vessels.  From there it was a short dinghy ride to the Jacques Cousteau National Underwater Park which we thoroughly enjoyed snorkeling. 

I had Pigeon Island & the Cousteau National Park
in the palm of my hand.

Guadeloupe is very agriculturally rich, so we’ve benefited from being able to buy a wide variety of fresh food and seafood at reasonable prices.  Trying to identify and buy cuts of beef or pork in the markets is a whole other story…