Hello from the other side of the enormous Atlantic!! After 24 days at sea we have set down our anchour in English Harbour, Antigua, it is beautiful, lush, green, full of tiny pineapples, beautiful accents, and i am happy, exhilarated, hot and a little overwhelmed by all the lovely heartfelt emails people have sent me wishing me well, so thank you so much everyone!
It feels like i have been floating, rocking, in the universe for 3 weeks, just floating in our little home through the sea and the sky, surrounded by stars, clouds, waves, rain and occasionaly visted by passing birds, fish and dolphins. We were not without our small hiccups, including torn sails and strange holes in the engine, constant squalls and non-stop rocking, but my incredibly resourceful and confident hosts got us safely, healthily and happily across the ocean, and i feel like the luckiest person alive.
I can’t BELIEVE i am here! It is exactly how you imagine the Caribbean, like a postcard, little beautiful palm tree beaches, little wooden shacks with tin rooves, painted bright colours, the local Antiguans have the most beautiful accent which makes me melt, and there are English people everywhere too, on yachts and living here. Ah, and after dreaming of pineapples and coconuts all the way across the sea as we ate shrivelled dried mandarins and tinned vegetables (i am exaggerating, we did have some apples and a little fresh veg till the last day), i am returning to my fruit gorging habit, despite the expensive fruit (it’s height of tourist season – everything is very expensive) – i’m eating tiny pineapples, big bananas, normal sized grapefruits, tiny cucumbers, mmmmmmmm. Most fruit however, the fruit man told me, is from Dominica (2 islands southwards, but not far really and i imagine comes by boat, but will have to check that out), they don’t grow much here. However i did spot a custard apple hanging off a tree today, so i shall investigate further, maybe people grow their own but don’t sell it…
Anyway, i have to stop writing due to expensive internet, however i will share with you more stories of my Atlantic crossing, soonish, when i am a little more settled, for now i am wondering and working out what will happen next… although already the adventure unrolls in front of me, the lady at the bar in the internet cafe just invited me to stay for a while with her family on the other side of the island…
Also – i have to confess – i have had to do the unthinkable and buy a PLANE ticket to leave the country! This was to satisfy immigration, and very sadly there are NO ferries leaving the island, so it’s back to sail boat hitching, and i hope to cancel that ticket once i have a boat… but we’ll see what happens…
Until soon, lots and lots of love and sunshine to you all, especially back in England, where i hear it is really quite chilly at the moment.
xxxxxxxx Charlotaknots
Amanda said,
January 15, 2009 @ 10:27 am
Happy New Year Charlotte – so glad to hear from you after all this time! You must have knitted a twin-set by now! But if you give up your plane ticket, you will waste money! And you must be on a tight budget ….
Where is the next leg then? When do you expect to arrive in Bermuda?
I have knitted several apple holders (too fluffy for a custard apple I’m afraid), one banana hoder, and some fingerless mittens (which look like mini-tree trunks as they are in a shaggy swirly sienna/crimson shade of mohair).
Thank-you for the sunshine – it’s so grey here at the moment, but spring is in the air, and squirrels and blackbirds can still be seen.
xxxAmanda
Alison said,
January 15, 2009 @ 7:01 pm
I have knitted a fox coloured tank top with grey stripes for my husband, and am working on a grey tank top with fox coloured stripes for my boy,
Good to have good news on an annoying 3rd runway day here in chilly land. Lovely to hear from you
love
Alison
Katy said,
January 16, 2009 @ 1:01 pm
Hello
I’m so pleased that you’ve arrived safely; yay for that! It sounds like you’re having an amazing time and I’m sure that it will continue. I’ve not managed to get any information out of Rob from Rob’s brother about their family in Antiga, but will try again soon!
All the talk of knitting is making me want to get back to my first ever knitting project which I’m quite obsessed with; a lovely wooly hat for Rob!
Take care,
Love Katy xox
Mum and Dad said,
January 19, 2009 @ 4:54 pm
Well done you! I am pleased you had the company of flying fish at least …. strange to think of all the wildlife that must have been swimming nearby or down below you, hidden and silent and wrapped up in their own lives. You must be well acquainted with all the shades of blue by now, and an expert on meditating. And what about the stars – can you recognise all the constellations? It must have been extraordinary to smell land so intensely when you arrived, just as did the sailors of yore…. Good luck with finding a way out of Antigua under sail.
Love, Mum
ianji said,
January 20, 2009 @ 9:41 pm
Happy New Year. Glad to hear you arrived safely, what an amazing journey!
I spent New Year in the Lake District with several days of ideal walking conditions
and fantastic views once we got above the cloud:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianji/sets/72157612115807507/
Enjoy Antigua and best of luck for the rest of your journey.
Love,
Ian
Elie said,
January 27, 2009 @ 9:43 am
Well done. I am so happy you arrived safely. What a fantastic experience of travelling with the birds and fish. I am sure you are having a lovely time and I only wish it continue all the way. Thanks for letting us know the details of your journey it is wonderful to read it. Enjoy the sunshine.
Lots of love,
Elie