Guadeloupe is a beautiful island. Aside from the wind being very fluky, (as mentioned in the previous entry) the anchorages are a sight to behold. The are not the best we have had in the Caribbean so far...but there is fair holding and attractive scenery. Ashore really feels like another country. Guadeloupe is a French island and they really speak French primarily (not like St. Martin). All of the signage is in French and people say Bonjour, not Hello! There is a boutique in town that acts as a customs office. It was funny because the woman there spoke very limited English...we assumed that she was fluent in many languages because she comes in contact with so many foreigners...but that was not the case at all. It seems that people appreciate you trying to make an effort at French and then will switch to English, if they can of course.

We took a hike up the Deshaies river here in town. Our guidebook said that it was difficult but we assumed that they were being conservative in the description. In fairness, we do not fit the normal cruising profile...we are younger than most. So we thought, "lets set out to conquer the beast." First of all, there was no trail like there was supposed to be and along the river bank the forest was thick. There were no markers, the rocks were slippery and we found ourselves in over our heads. The hike conquered us...

We did manage to get some amazing photos. Check them out in the Guadeloupe gallery @ SmugMug. The foliage is amazing! There is so much rain here annually that the island is lush with growth everywhere. Even in town.

A happy treat (that we have finally indulged ourselves in this morning) is the boat-side morning delivery of fresh pastries. HEAVENS! We bought 4 croissants and they are sent from the angel bakeries of Heaven above! Pure delight!

Today, we are planning another (less intense) hike with some other Americans we have met in the anchorage. And on Monday, we have rented a car (pure treat) to tour the island.