Andrew headed to shore to check in with customs and shortly after returned to pick me up as a new policy for taking everyone’s temperature was being implemented. There were lines and delays at customs like we have not seen before but in the end it was fairly painless (even though my first temperature reading was above the required limit and despite feeling fine, I was concerned about being let in).
Rodney Bay is a big bay with a lagoon that has a nice marina and other services (restaurant, chandlery, grocery store, etc.) but a little choppy and noisy outside of the lagoon. I love the colorful wooden boats and big resorts on the bay but much of it looks quiet and unoccupied.
We walked in to town to find a Digicel provider so we could get ourselves a Wifi hotspot. In this day and age, with travel restrictions that may limit us from getting home anytime soon, it’s helpful to at least be able to stay connected online! The nearby mall was empty, hand sanitizer was on the counter in the shops and we we’re told the grocery stores were crowded and running out of inventory. COVID-19 preparation has clearly hit the Caribbean!!
After picking up our Wifi connection to the world, we walked down the beach to the St. Lucia Yacht Club. It’s a classic old bar decorated with yacht club flags from all over the world and a very chill vibe but Andrew wasn’t interested in their food so we went next door to Spinnaker’s, a nice place for curried chicken, on the beach overlooking colorful beach tents and out to the bay, where we could see Billy Ruff’n.
On our way back to the boat, we were approached by a guy collecting funds for a kids cricket game. Feeling sorry for everyone’s struggles these days, I convinced Andrew (who had some small bills) to give him some money. When we got to our dinghy, we found out from a guy who was helping people in and out of their boats, that the cricket game is a scam, however the guy helping with boats is probably a scammer too, but we tipped him anyway.
In Rodney Bay we were feeling a bit vulnerable between the scammers, reports of dinghy thefts and the Corona virus concerns so since we have some time before our slip reservation here starts, we decided to bide it out at another destination in Marigot Bay, where you can pick up a mooring from the nearby resort and use all of their facilities while you’re there.
Marigot Bay Resort is on a very small lagoon, safe & breezy enough but there is barely anyone here. We picked up a mooring for a couple days and headed ashore to grab the famous shrimp burrito at Chateau Mygo. Apparently, most of the facilities along the bay are owned by a single family and things are generally still open. The restaurant was a cheery (considering the times), colorfully decorated place that looks out on the bay. While sitting at lunch a huge ~200 foot yacht passed by the restaurant and through the channel. It was quite a sight given the channel is barely 200 foot wide and the yacht simply blanketed the place.
At lunch, we met a young couple on their honeymoon, who told us to forget about going home anytime soon and even if we did, self quarantine (away from the family members who are the purpose of my visit) would be necessary for at least 14 days, which is longer than I had planned to stay. Everyone down here has implemented hand washing, extra cleaning precautions and enhanced security and yesterday the Prime Minister closed all ports to foreign yachts. I guess we’re lucky to be here!
The sunsets are beautiful, the infinity pools and lounge beds that we have access to at the resort are luxurious and the little birds that steal sugar from the table are amusing, but I feel stranded. I hope we all get through this safely and sooner than later!
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