FOREIGN ISLES B Y P H O T O S
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S A N T A L A B
The tug of a sunset, a Caribbean steel band and a harbour plugged with sailboats has drawn us to this beach-side bar on the tiny Caribbean island of Bequia.At the Franginpani Restaurant & Bar, dozens of people have claimed white wooden deck chairs and Happy-Hour rum punches and are strategically positioned to watch the imminent demise of a sunset the color of a Bloody Mary. Tonight the peaceful, sheltered harbour of Port Elizabeth, Bequia (pronounced BECK-WAY) is a floating United Nations,with flapping flags from all over the world competing for attention.
FREE AS THE WIND IN THE
The ship I will sleep on tonight, the Wind Surf, is sitting out in Port Elizabeth’s harbour, gleaming in the light of the setting sun, a
SOUTH ERN CARIBBEAN
four-masted vision in white,hovering behind the smaller sail boats. The Southern Caribbean itinerary with Windstar Cruises, the masters of elegant small-ship cruising, has taken us from Bridgetown, Barbados to Tobago Cays and Tobago, then a day at sea, and now Bequia. Next is the French island of Martinique, then St. Lucia, and back to the home port of Barbados. In Bequia,we had started the day off with a shore excursion which included a day cruise around the island on the Passion,a bright white 60-foot catamaran.The stereo played lively steel band,and the crew set up fishing lines.“Indie”the dog barked each time the line jerks. “He loves to eat fish”explained Marty,the Passion’scaptain and owner.
A MARTINIQUE WOMAN IS DRESSED TO THE NINES; A LAID -BACK CATAMARAN CRUISE IN BEQUIA (RIGHT); BREEZIN’ ALONG IN BARBADOS (OPPOSITE).
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