Monserrat to Nevis

Clearing in & out at customs on the French Islands is a breeze.  You sit at the computer terminal & do their job for them, & then print it out & hand it in.  The British Islands on the other hand are archaic.  They want to know about your ship's stores, how much alcohol, tobacco, firearms, livestock, (LIVESTOCK??) you have.  Monserrat's big draw now is the wreck of the volcano, which we didn't go tour.   We opted to go looking for wifi instead.  We were told it was too far to walk, but we got there in 20 min. There are 5000 people left, & apparently there is no planning.  Wifi didn't work, surprise, surprise.  We left early, at 7 a.m. when they came to ask us to move to make room for a small cargo ship. 
We made Nevis before 2 p.m. thinking we had plenty of time to explore, HA.  After the customs clear in, we had to go to immigration, "2 blocks down the street, above the police station".  Well, 5 blocks later, we finally found it.  The officer could only stamp our passports, as "the computers are down".  From there we had to go to the Port Authority, a 10 square meter shack where we had to pay $60 for our stay on a mooring ball.  Serge needed to find a cash machine for Eastern Caribbean dollars.  The 1st 3 didn't work, so we paid in US dollars & euros.  After we got our receipt, we had to go back to customs to get our clearance.  Can you see how ludicrous this is?  We've already seen half the town by the time we've cleared in.  By then it was well after 4, & we have to move our boat half a mile to their mooring ball.  So much for getting an early start.
We decided to stay an extra day to climb the dormant volcano.  We ask at the dockside bar that we frequented where the trailhead is.  We were told Hermitage.  Tourist info office was closed on Sat. so no map.  A cab driver takes us to Hermitage & the desk clerk there says I could tell you where the trailhead is but you'll never find it.  Do you have a guide?  You need a guide.  Go to Golden Rock.  We yell at the retreating taxi & he stops & tells us it'll cost us a little more.  At Golden Rock the helpful lady in charge of activities at the resort gives us a map & tells us it's off the map, you'll never find it.  Do you have a guide?  She tells the cabbie to take us to Peak Heaven, but not all the way, stop at the little bar on the corner & if there is anyone there who isn't too drunk by now (it's almost 11) get them to show us the trailhead.   By now the cabbie is getting tired of us & just dropped us off at that little local bar & pointed up the road.  We follow the road up, up is good, & walk by Peak Heaven, where Herbert is in the garden & we ask him.  He says, "Do you have a guide?  You need a guide, the last guy who went alone was lost for 8 days in the rainforest, police & volunteers lookin' for him.  Ya, this is the trail"  So we follow the dirt road that turns into a trail in the forest, HOW HARD IS THAT?!  It's full of ropes, which you need, as it's mostly hand over hand vertical climbing.  It's muddy & slippery & there is only one trail but we put some markers down anyway, as going down never looks like going up.  It was a gas, & we got very muddy.

Starting up the trail

Lots of big steps

Real steep & slippery

A little crack

Still relatively clean

  On the way down Herbert told us to visit the canteen, so we did, as it was 2:30 & we were starved.  Serge finally got the burger he's been craving since Gran Canaria.  Later we stopped at the bar at the dinghy dock (why is there always a bar at the dinghy dock?) & went online until well after dark!  It's a long way upwind back to our boat with a 3 hp motor, especially when it craps out after 50 yards, right in front of the ferry leaving.  Did I mention we didn't have a light?  Serge starts paddling real hard & I'm waving at the ferry.  Serge thought we ran out of gas, but he just filled it up, someone must have taken our dinghy for a ride.  Serge keeps paddling real hard for another 5 mins.  It's a long way upwind & we're not making much progress.  Then a dinghy went by & I tried to hitch a ride.  They didn't see us.  Did I mention we didn't have a light?  We didn't expect to come back so late, after so many drinks.  Fortunately some locals must have seen our plight, & gave us a tow back.  Back to...where is our boat?  Did I mention we didn't have a light?  We didn't recognize any of our neighbours.  Is it that one?  No, over there.  Finally we found it, it didn't have a light.  Next day Serge investigates the motor, to discover the shut off valve was closed.  So no gas.  If only we'd had a light, lol