I shaved. I have wanted to do it for ages but the clincher came when Audrey said it aged me. Don’t need any help with that. To give you an idea of how weak and scraggly it was, Christy didn’t even notice for a few hours.

Sunny again today. Yesterday was (so far) the first and only cloudy day we have had. Sure, clouds now and then but never overcast all day.

Another adventure today. We’re going to try and go to the real Old Fort on the Friendship Bay side of the island. We went there on our honeymoon and have memories of a fabulous patio, patio and views. Maybe we’ll have lunch, a drink and perhaps they’ll let us jump in the pool. After that we may try to explore a bit on the north-east side of the island.

We have a good sense of the roads to get there (pretty much zero roadsigns around) and some access to GPS though my data plan is done. Over top of the big hill that divides this part of the island (they’re all f’ing big steep hills) we come to an intersection where it is unclear which way to go. We’re both expecting signs to The Old Fort hotel or something like that but conspicuous in their absence. There is of course a mini mart there with a couple of cronies outside telling lies and they guide us down the right road.

After a km or so it is still unclear where the hotel is. We come to an intersection and don’t know which road but there is an elderly white couple coming and they tell us we’re nearly at the gate. Turns out they have been coming to Bequia for 20+ years and are keen walkers. (We’re pretty sure we passed them yesterday near La Pompe on the way up the mountain – that’s where they are staying). We talk about the degradation of the old fort. “Could be a gold mine” says the man but it has gone sadly downhill. Used to be able to go in for a drink/food but now they won’t accept any non-guests. The sign is pretty dilapidated – looks hand made and faded.

They tell us how to get to the path to Hope Bay – a pretty much uninhabited ex-copra plantation a km or so to the north east of where we are standing. The entire walk today is quite pleasant. Tho Sunday and you might expect a bit of traffic it is very quiet every where we go.

A couple of road turns and the branch we are on peters out but Christy spies the path down the hill. It is a very nice walk down to the beach. It’s unfortunate that the east facing beach means it collects a small mountain of Sargasso weeds as well as all the trash that floats here. Still, very pretty and secluded – EXCEPT FOR THE OTHER FAMILY PICNICING HERE. There is a family of 4 looks like mom and dad and two grown kids. The dad is in the surf.

Lotsa room here though and we settle in the shade of some coconut trees for another peanut butter and banana sandwich lunch. We pick up a bit of trash to take out, just to help a bit but it would take many trips here to clean this beach up. I find the trail the other group used to come down – it’s only a few yards from where we’re sitting and seems to go up the heart of the valley to the top.

Sure enough, a few yards in are the remnants of an old concrete road. Now this is hiking. Oddly, there is an old native there moving rocks. We ask him what he is doing, he says he is just cleaning up the rocks. If a bicycle came down here it would be safer if the rocks are moved. That job does not need doing and certainly could never be completed but he is happy with his Sunday activity so we say our goodbyes and leave him to climb back out of the bay.

It’s a long, slow, steady climb but mostly shady and not terribly steep. We eventually get back to a real road and assume it’s left (it is) to get back to Port Elizabeth. (Whenever I see the words Port Elizabeth I can’t help humming “September, seventy-seven, Port Elizabeth weather fine. It was business as usual in police room six-one-nine”. )

We’re at the top of the hill and just have to walk down. However it is so incredibly steep for so long that we are very glad to get down to the flats by the waterfront.

We continue our walk all the way to Princess Margaret Beach (halfway between Lower Bay and downtown) where we go for a refreshing swim. The locals are whooping it up as usual on a Sunday and I mistake a guy by a table with a few coolers for a vendor. He ain’t and can’t sell me a drink but he does give me a beer. These people are great.

We walk back up the short way to our place and also have a refreshing swim in the freshwater pool.

Ain’t done our day yet tho. We chill for a couple hours – we were told to be at De Reef (our dinner destination) by 7 pm – I assume it is because they get too busy for dinner without reservations after that.

Wrong.

We walk down there (it’s downhill, we’ll take a cab back later). De Reef is hopping but not for dinner. There is a happy hour band playing old school stuff and tho we bring the average age down a bit everyone is having a blast. Much better than Cocos and we can tell this is a weekly event the ex pats enjoy ritually. In fact, we meet author Peter Roren who crashed his sailboat off Union Island 40 years ago and has been here ever since.

Sold us his book. Haven’t read it yet but he tells me that’s how he pays his bar bill.

Tho De Reef is supposed to have good fish, it ain’t lookin like it so we decide to try further on. We find Petra’s which is very quiet, looks very neat and clean. Petra’s waitress is off so she is doing everything tonight. Luckily only 3 tables including us and one leaves pretty shortly.

After a long day and two rum punches Christy is pretty loopy but we have a great meal, I would definitely go back there.

I’d go back there and show her how to make Banana Flambé. I ordered it just to see if they can outdo mine but not even close. Petra apologizes for not being able to flambé the flambé – she is out of 80% rum. Her and the German couple next to us insist you can’t flambé without 80% run (is that 160 proof?). I beg to differ. Just gotta heat the rum and any 40% will do.

Cab home. It’s a long, uphill walk from here and we’ve done enough.

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