Along the shoreline of Port Elizabeth lays an interesting restaurant of a spot where you can purchase Rum Punches and Harioun's and food, and if you're so inclined you can sit while you drink them, on a Whale Bone. It's, interestingly enough, called the Whaleboner Bar. Interesting.

*****

The other day in the previous blog, you may remember us walking by the Island that housed the Whaling Station by the village of La Pompe, Bequia? Which led to us mentioning how Bequians, as per the ICW decree, are allowed to hunt and kill four whales per year.

In this photo below, the Whaling Station can just barely be seen as a small grey building on the Island just at the top right of the photo,



whereas today's walk, had us on the hills across the bay and on the top far left of the photo.

We walked up the hills and across the hot roads and down too many steps to count before we reached the very pretty Friendship Bay and the Bequia Beach Resort with its beautiful library room and gift shop.

But first, it's interesting to point out the differences in attitudes towards dogs. We come from a land based life that houses pet spas and dog cookie bakeries on almost every street corner. The dogs here are a different breed of pet. They're left out and about to roam free, protecting and guarding and barking viciously at passers-by, yet if you so much as look at them, or even raise an arm, (most of them) cower in fear and retreat hastily, tail between the legs.

They are desperate for attention and today somewhere along the way,





that once we stopped to say hello and sniff each other appropriately, they never once, not for a minute, left our side.

Another climb up, around the bend down, and lo and behold, what's this?

A Whaling Museum? Interesting.

Through the metal grill slats we could see the colourfully painted wooden boats, housing the handheld harpoons, and historical photos on the walls



supported off the floor by giant vertebrate bones,



Interesting.



The yellow boat picture above, named Dart, was originally built sometime in the mid 1950's and is 27 feet long and 7 feet 4 inches wide, and was purchased in 1989 to sit out the remainder of its days in this museum.

This blue one,



is only 11 feet long and is known as a tender boat, and was used to keep the sharks at bay while the whale was brought ashore and flenced.

Flenced (flensed), if you didn't know and had to look it up, is another job specific word in the whaling world that means, roughly, (pardon the pun): "butchered".

Incredible to imagine that these rather small wooden boats (small if compared to a whale that was easily twice its size) would and could and will and does chase after the gigantic and magnificent sea creatures in an attempt to catch them, kill them, and when they bring them back to the Whaling Station, flence them. For Whale Oil. Whale Meat. Bones.

Such as those you might be sitting on in the WhaleBoner Bar.

Interesting.

"Even as early as the 1870s whale oil already ranked fourth in value of exports from the whole country, whilst the whale meat became - and today still remains - a staple food for many Bequians. It was not long before Bequia became renowned for her uniquely successful whaling fleet and her heroic whaler men".

Interesting.

I wonder just how many whales, of the allotted and allowed four per year, are indeed caught. And killed. Way back when in a time long ago, whale meat was sought after. "Whale blubber provides energy and vitamins"... "Whale meat is rich in niacin, iron and protein". Whale Oil lit lamps and "formed candle wax. It also found a place in margarine and other products, like additives in motor oils, automatic transmission fluids, cosmetics, perfumes, detergents and vitamins".

Bones and Baleens were used in corsets and tools and, and...

I suppose no matter what your thoughts are on this possibly and potentially controversial and emotional subject are, the fact of the matter is, it is what it is. And all of it, interesting.

We ventured on, arriving at the very dry,



and grassy hill, where Dave attempted a King Arthur type of move,



and pulled the very rusty machete quite easily out of the rock.

Dare I tell the Capt'N that he's my Knight in Shining Armour?? (wink, wink).

We made our way across the fields of dry brown grass and rocks,



where finally, at the edge of the ledge of Ravine Bay, we finally found The Blowhole, emitting every now and then, some powerful gusts of saltwater spray,



just like, perhaps, a Whale might.

This time, as per the directions Glen gleamed from the Rock Quarry Guys,



we followed the Road back Down to Town.



Our trusted companions on Today's Walk still Adventuring with us,



every now and then coming ever closer for a pat on the head.

At Sea Level, the views of the Beaches were beautiful in the bright hues of blues,



and the greens a sharp contrast to the brown dry grass and pebbly rocks of an hour or so ago.



The last downhill part of the road that led to Jacks on the Beach was both the easiest and the toughest,



as we tacked our way back and forth across in an attempt to save our knees.

Of our two furry friends, that we named Mutt and Jeff, only one came with us all the way, and sadly eyed us with a mournful stare,



as we left, one by one,



and dinghied back home, where we once again collapsed in utter sweaty exhaustion.

But not without first going for a refreshing swim and then sharing some wonderful sundowner drinks and treats with fellow Canadians and seagoing travellers: Gwen and Guillaume on SV Slow Waltz, always a fun treat to meet blog followers !!