But why is the rum gone?

Bequia (pronounced Beck-way) Island has no busy highways, chain hotels, golf courses or casinos.  It has only powdery beaches, clearings in the woods with colourful houses and a relaxed Caribbean atmosphere. 

But Bequia has at least one well-known landmark to call its own: Moonhole, a private residential community on the southern tip of the island.  Moonhole takes its name from a massive arc formed in volcanic rock, through which the setting moon is sometimes visible.  Like a glimpse of the sea, Moonhole resembles a crumbling city built by the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean.  On closer inspection, the original structure, located under a huge stone arch, could have been a Gothic fortress.  In fact, the community is made up of 17 unique homes built between the late 1960s and early 1980s.  The free, Gaudi-like dwellings, connected by steep stairs, sprout like wild mushrooms from the rocky terrain.  Long before environmental architecture became a movement, Moonhole championed the idea of ​​living as one with nature.  Building materials include volcanic rock, native cedar, and South American hardwoods, as well as whale bones, driftwood, and shells for quirky decorations.  The houses are open to the elements, offer spectacular sea views and are supplied with propane gas.  The absence of electricity, wifi and running water – rainwater is stored in cisterns for bathing and washing – gives Moonhole an idyllic charm.

The idea for Moonhole was conceived by Tom Johnston and his wife Gladys Johnston.  Tom was so enamoured with Bequia’s uninhabitable western promontory that he bought the 30-acre tract of land in the 1960s.  With no formal training as an architect and an aversion to straight lines, he enlisted local masons to realize his eccentric ideas, including three-walled rooms, a bar made from a humpback whale’s jawbone, and interiors around trees.  For most of the past decade, Moonhole appeared to be in danger of being obscured. The sun-drenched serenity that the Johnstons worked so diligently for was clouded by outside threats, lawsuits, and neglect.  The houses are now abandoned and fallen into disrepair.  The original Moonhole villa, under the rising natural arch became so unsafe since rocks started falling from the arch and fell onto the roof and through neglect, that it is now completely abandoned and strictly off limits to intruders and can only be viewed from the sea.

Furthermore, Bequia Island is known for its beautiful underwater world that we have been able to enjoy daily.

The Hawksbill Turtle (Hawksbill turtle) has been on the list of endangered species since the 1970s.  They often take in marine pollution such as plastic bags and balloons as they are mistaken for jellyfish, and many also drown when accidentally caught by commercial fishing activities.  Their beautiful shells also helped reduce their numbers, as they were polished for years and made into jewellery, or hung on the wall as decoration.  The loss of nesting and food habitats by humans is a major factor in their declining numbers, as is the destruction and/or collection of eggs once laid.  Islanders like the eggs very much, and for a long time stewed turtle was considered a treat by many.  The turtles mate at sea and then come ashore to lay their eggs during the breeding season.  Amazingly, the female almost always returns to the same beach where she herself was born to lay her eggs, often migrating quite a distance to do so.  The female digs a pit, lays about 140 eggs and then swims away – her job as a mother doesn’t last long!  60 days later, the fry hatch from the eggs and go straight to the sea, an instinctive start to life that is amazing to watch.  The little babies are on their own and encounter many obstacles in their attempt to survive.  On their way across the beach they are at the mercy of birds, snakes, crabs and other creatures.  The fry that DO reach the sea are immediately threatened by hungry sharks and other large fish, and as a result it is estimated that only 1 in 1000 fry reach adulthood.  Those are not good odds!  Brother “Orton” King, a fisherman from Bequia, didn’t think the chances were great either.  One day he came across a group of young crater turtles emerging from the sand and scooped them into a bucket.  He swore then and there to protect them until their chances of survival improved.  Thus, the “Old Hegg” Turtle Sanctuary was born.  Over the years, more than 2,000 turtles have been released from the Old Hegg Sanctuary, and since they were now large enough to survive in their natural environment.

What started as a sail around the island of Bequia turned out to be a sailing trip to the Tobago Cays.  We arrived on Mayreau Island just before sunset and stayed in Salt Whistle Bay for one night. 

The next morning, we went to the Tobago Cays. In Salt Whistle Bay, we bought three red snappers from a local fisherman.  Fishing is prohibited in the Tobago Cays. The Tobago Cays is the jewel of the Grenadines, set in crystal clear turquoise waters. Four uninhabited islands are protected by a large horseshoe-shaped coral reef.  They are called Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Baradal and Jamesby.  Petit Tabac, although upwind of this reef, is protected by another reef called World’s End Reef.  The Tobago Cays are a national park and wildlife sanctuary, where many turtles reside. 

Swim with turtles in the Tobago Cays. Is there anything better than diving in idyllic Caribbean waters surrounded by beautiful uninhabited islands?  Few places on the entire planet can compete with this Caribbean destination for breath-taking, natural beauty.  It’s almost as if a divine architect took a poll of our deepest tropical desires, then turned them into a masterpiece of turquoise, ultramarine, pink and emerald.  The Tobago Cays are therefore the most popular anchorage for sailors in the Grenadines.  Our 3 red snappers are marinated on our barbecue during one of the spectacular sunsets!  What made it extra special is that we also anchored for 1 night at Petit Tabac, which was the setting for Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and Miss Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) who were stranded there in “Pirates of the Caribbean:  Curse of the Black Pearl”.  But why is the rum gone?  Is Captain Jack Sparrow’s famous question.  Captain Jack Sparrow asks Miss Elizabeth Swann this rather rhetorical question when she starts burning all the rum to give a signal to the British Navy so that she and Captain Jack Sparrow can be rescued.

During our sailing trip, back to Bequia Island we caught our first Mahi-Mahi.  We are so proud and it was delicious!