We have been in St. Kitts for over a week now and are really enjoying it. Our first impressions of the island were not too spectacular. As mentioned in the previous entry our chosen anchorage was a bit rolly but a stern anchor put a stop to that. Once we cleared with customs and immigration we set out to find a better place to spend the next few days.

Basseterre is a bustling harbor. There is a cruise ship dock...which always tells you what to expect ashore and (what we think) a municipal marina. The marina is comprised of 1/2 local fishing boats, 1/4 transients and 1/4 charter day cruises. I write to you from Anastasia's cockpit while tied to the dock. This is the second marina of the trip so far. We plan to head out today once we have taken our fill of water and showers. For those interested, the slip fee is $0.50/foot, water is a flat $15 and the showers were $1 each, though we did not have to pay for those.

The southern end of the island is quite beautiful. At this point it is mostly untouched by progress. This will soon change as there is a very high end development underway. Check out the website: Christophe Harbour We hiked from our anchorage in White House Bay to the eastern side of the island through the construction. What they have so far looks very nice but no doubt, this fancy compound will have an impact. They are planning a 300-slip mega yacht marina...we have not even seen a mega yacht since leaving St. Martin. Wonder how their slip fee will compare to Port Zante Marina where we are now?

Without breathtaking sunrises and sunsets to measure time, the days can just slip away. Stocked with an arsenal of books, we can while away time very easily in an anchorage like that.

On our hike across the island we saw our first wild monkeys! They travel in groups and are quick as they cautiously cross the road. We joked about being watched from the brush lining the road by many pairs of eyes. Once into the the thick grass and low tree brush they blend in so well you can't see them. But we know they were watching us! Very neat. We also saw to under-nourished horses walking down the road. When I tried to offer some of our dried apricots they skitterd away. Guess they were wild too?

Still in search of other cruisers...another contrast to the Bahamas. We have found it harder to find many others on the same track as us let alone in the same age-range. We hope as we get farther south that will change.

From here we are planning an overnight trip to Guadeloupe. The winds hopefully will develop for a late week trip.

I am work on uploading more photos from the week. Keep checking in, hope to have them up soon.