We are moving away from civilisation today. Not really very far, but far enough to probably not have any internet for a couple of days (is that a definition of civilisation?). For some reason the one thing not working in ‘little France’ is the 3G internet, so we will post a blog today and then there may be a short gap until we get to Guadeloupe.

Yesterday was very much like the day before. We had a long walk across the island to a beach for our picnic, swam for ages, walked back, did not have to dodge any rain showers, then a jar of Planter’s Punch at sunset on the way home. Creole dinner ashore (yum) at a tiny restaurant called Les Pieds dans l’Eau, with the waves crashing on the terrace wall. You do get an interesting mix of French and West Indian cooking out here.

We are enjoying the different (wild) life in these parts:
- We discussed pelicans yesterday
- The frigate birds soar above us all the time on their massive boomerang wings – well, massive for their body weight – they are like the balsawood gliders we used to make as kids, with forked tails
- The iguanas are just fab – lovely iridescent colours, knowing expressions, really big with immensely long stripy tails, normally very shy except for the one yesterday that was trying to get into the ladies clothes shop.
- We seem to have returned to the world of goats (ok, they are not wildlife but they are fun); we haven’t seen so many since Oman. Lots of new-born goats too.
- There are lots of mother hens with broods of cute chicks wandering around in the streets, the beaches, the bars…. Must be the season.

One interesting feature of this island in the massive use of electric vehicles. There are very few petrol or diesel vehicles and those that there are seem to be commercial (so far we have seen just one car). There are a lot of scooters which the locals use and tourists hire, but one of the main forms of transport is electric two- or four- seat golf buggies or variants on the theme. Some look fairly substantial. On the next-door island they have six big windmills and they cable the electricity over here, so it looks like they have an extremely green transport system. They have quite a lot of day visitors coming over from Guadeloupe by ferry, and when they arrive they can hire an electric buggy to tour the island.

Today’s photo is the village Mairie – let’s hear it for Liberte, Egalite et Fraternite.