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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Nov 29, 2014 08:00 PM Last day in the French zone
Hitch-hiking on Guadeloupe is not so bad, especially if they see that you are tourist. Probably because the bus service is so erratic.
Bu I rented a car for 24 hours to get with a my big pack to the distant airport. The car allows me also to visit two intresting places on the island. The first one was Pointe des Chateaux - the eastern-most point of Guadeloupe. I saw this cape from the boat going to Desirade Island. Now . Now I had a chance to climb the rock where big cross is standing - for the great view. See the enclosed picture.
The second stopover on my way to the airport was Porte d'Enfer on the eastern coast. There is nice cliff around little bay and a secluded beach, if you want to spend a day in the great scenery and you prefere privacy.
The LIAT airline was as always delayed, so it was already evening when, after just 20 minutes of flight I landed on Antigua Island. There were a long line to the immigrations (they charge 37 $ of tax but this is not enough to prepare more officers) and then even longer line to the two ugly customs ladies. They are not in a hurry, they do not smile, they do not like their job. Vere bad first impression. Once out of terminal I ask taxi coordinator if I can share taxi to the hotel (no bus here). No! They put me on the taxi and after 2 minutes waiting we had onboard second person going to the same village. Of course the they charged for two separate taxi rides. Welcome to Antigua, here we speak English! (And cheat the tourists...)
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Nov 28, 2014 08:00 PM Guadeloupe once again...
For those, who are the beach lovers Sainte Anne on the south coast has the best offer: nice, calm palm beach just at the center of the little town. Even kids can swim here without the risk.
I went to see the Pointe au Pitre after years. The capital of thd island is much cleaner and they restored many buildings using EU money. It is hard to believd that we have a piece of European Union in America!
I decided to rent a car for the last day of my stay on the island.
Many agencies offer rentals starting from 23 eu per day. I trust in Avis - they have office only in the airport. It is not necessary to pay for expensive taxi to get to the airport. Take any northbound bus from Gare Routiere Bregavin (0,90 euro) and get of at big shopping center before Abymes. Then take the road going left before shopping center and after some 2 kms you will be at the airport.
Once in tge car I was heading north - to Pointe dela Grande Vigie - northern cape of the Gwadeloupe. Good, paved road goes as far as car park - 50 kms from the airport. Then you have to walk about 100 m on the coral rocks to the windy viewpoint on the cliff. There are great views to the both sides, but better lighting is probably in the morning.
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Nov 27, 2014 08:00 PM Les Saintes - the pearls of the Carribean
So far I met here maybe 10 foreign tourist. French dominate! No wonder that very few of us knows the Saints Island. From Saint Francois ship goes first to Marie Galante and then to Saints - so for me it was 2 hours in the choppy sea each way. They charge 39 euro for the round trip if you buy the ticket the day before.
Saints form a extremely picturesque group of two bigger and few small islets. The main one - Terre de Haut is breathtaking. On the hill there is a quite big stronghold - Fort Napoleon (5 euro entry fee but not much to see inside). From the way to the fort there are great views of the bay.
But to see really great panorama you have to climb much higher Mt Chameau - 293 m above the sea. It was not easy task, but after an hour I reached the stone tower on the top. The view is one of the best of the Caribbean - comparable only, I think to Shirley Heights on Antigua. It is worth to continue some 100 m by the forest path for the another view of the second-large island of Saints and the Sugar Loaf.
there are also beaches, snorkeling places, but landscape with a changing colors of water is the top attraction. Great day!
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Nov 26, 2014 08:00 PM New island - Marie Galante
To be at 7 am at the jetty I must get up before sunrise. But the ship schedule is conveniet - you are arriving to the island at 8 am and you have full day to explore before 4.30 depature to Saint Francois.
Marie Galante is much bigger then Desirade - it is round and has 15 kms end to end. I arrived to little and cozy Saint Louis, but the capital of the island is much bigger Grand Bourg - ferries from PTP arrive there. The third settlrment is Capesterre - it has the nicest beach and many flowering trees - see the picture.
Marie Galante is almost flat, it is sugar cane island. The stone towers of the sugar windmills are still present in the landscape ( more then 100 of them) and three destilleries still produce the rum and rum-based coctails. I visited Bellevue. They offer free tasting (I found 6-year old rum the best) and then you can buy... 1 litre bottle cost like 8 euro. But the economy box of 4,5 l costs only 24 eu - good deal for the sailors from the yachts anchoring here in the picturesque bays.
Nice views, stone bridge in the north of the island and remains of old sugar farms - that is Marie Galante.
On the way back the sea was very choppy - many people used sickness bags. But not me! :)
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Nov 24, 2014 08:00 PM New island - Desirade
Day transfer from Saint Francois by ship costs 27 euro for round trip. Departure is at 8 am and 45 minutes later you should be on Desirade but the sea was very rough today. Well, it was not a Drake Passage but our small ship was dancing on the waves quite well. Backbone should be protected on such adventure.
At the end of Guadeloupe island there is a rocky cape with a cross on it and I had a real problem to stand up and to take photo.
Desirade, discovered by Columbus is 11 kms long with nice beaches on southern coast and high cliffs on the north. 9 kms long road goes from east to west end. Few people know that thdy have a public minibus going all this way and charging just 1 euro for the ride. After visiting the ruins of leprosery on the east end I used it to move to Pointe Cilibri where iguanas live.
Then I wasclimbing in the heat of the noon the road to the mountain chapel (some 250 m above the sea) for the great panorama. Sleepy Desirade with friendly Creoles impressed me. Sea on return was much
calmer... Great day with few warm showers!
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Nov 23, 2014 08:00 PM Gwadeloupe after years...
EGwada is probably the only hostel on expensive Gwadeloupe. They charge hefty 25 euro per person in the 11-bed dormitory. The toilet is downstairs... But it is on the Hill, so you have a great panorama even from the bathroom :).
They say it is in Gosier, but let you know that in fact they are in Saint Felix - eastern end of Gosier. On seconnd roundabout in Saint Felix turn left and after some half kilometer look for the sign on the left side. Prepare for hard climbing!
In the morning I went to the Saint Felix beach and then - taking pictures - to the central Gosier and onward - to the fort.
It was 29 deg during the day and high humidity - it was hard walk.
In the afternoon I took a public bus (2.20 euro) to the lovely town of Saint Francois. This will be my base to explore smaller islands around.
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Nov 22, 2014 08:00 PM Paris to Pointe a Pitre
It was cold, but lovely sun in the morning when I was going by tram T7 back to Orly airport. The tram is nice byt very slow, and the rails are sneaking around so allow 40 minutes for this ride...
On Orly T7 has a stop in the basement of Orly Sud terminal - they offer free ride on skytrain to Orly West terminal.
Our 777 departed on time for 9-hours flighta to Martinique. Hot meal wax tasty, they offered also free wine and beer. Why to Martinique? Because AF offers better one-way fare if you fly via FDF.
After 4 hours waiting in Fort de France airport I boarded half-empty A320 from Cayenne and an hour later we landed on Guadeloupe. It was 11 pm and 26 deg Celsius. A barefoot boy from eGwada hostel was waitin for me. At midnight I was in the bed. But in Europe it was already 5 a.m.
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Nov 21, 2014 08:00 PM Gdansk to Paris
Sorry, no direct flights from Gdansk to Gwadelupe... :) So I am forced to fly via Warsaw, Paris and Fort de France...
It was wet and hazy morning when my neighbour took me with his little car to Gdansk airport. Two hours later I landed before the schedule in Warsaw. Free wi-fi internet is here good quality and I had a chance to checkif sufficient found for budget travel is already on my account. Then I checked for Air France flights to my destination. AF plane was full. They serve only one little sandwich and a glass of juice on 2 hours flight to Paris! Sun was shining when we landed on CDG airport. Little traffic but long time waiting for the luggage. 40 minutes! After collecting of my pack I went to "service client" window to wait another 15 minutes for the bus voucher to Orly airport. My onward flight is from Orly and they are obliged to provide free transport! Otherwise you have to pay 21 euro!
Before morning flight I have to spend a night near Orly. The cheapest soluition is now Ibis Budget Chevilly hotel (35 euro for twin room) _ easy to reach by T7 tram. Tram will cost you extra 1,70 eu each way, but is better then 5 kms walk in the dark! Bonne nuit!
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Nov 20, 2014 08:00 PM Escape from cold Europe - new voyage!
Short and dark days came to Poland. The rain and wind. Chill around. It is high time to fly to the warm countries :) So I am flying away to a sunny Caribbean. I've been many times in this region of the world, but still I have there new islands to discover- this time less known ones. The journey will begin on the French Guadeloupe. It has the small islands scattered around, which can be reached by ferry. Then I'd like to see Barbuda Island belonging to the State "Antigua and Barbuda", famous for its colony of frigates. Next unknown island to visit will be Nevis. Cheap ship that departs from Miami will take me later to Honduran Roatan, Belize and the Bahamas. I'm going to go back to my hometown Gdansk before Christmas.
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Nov 10, 2014 08:00 PM Celebrating 30th meeting of Polish Globies
It is hard to believe. But OSOTT - the annual meeting of Polish Globetrotters started 30 years ago. It was invented by Andrzej Urbanik and Krzysztof Kmiec. Since then every year in November the top Polish travellers had a chance to meet and to share their experience. This year we celebrate 30th anniversary of OSOTT. That's why most of us brought to Rzeszow costumes from all over the world. In the evening we get toogether to have a glass of champagne and of course - a lot of fun. The hit costume was presented by Jurek Grembosz, who is exploring since years the primitive civilizations of Papua and Melanesia - see Jurek and me on the picture :)
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