St Vincent and Bequia

Tuesday 2nd February
St Vincent (am) 
I have to say there is not a great deal here, apart from the scenery that is, which showed up pretty well after our 600 foot climb up narrow bumpy lanes to Fort Charlotte, a British garrison built in 1806 to fight off the local Carib indians.
After that we visited the Botanical Gardens, purportedly the oldest of their kind in the Western hemisphere.
Like most gardens they were covered with flowers and trees, by the end of our island visits I kind of got fed up being told about bread fruit bought in by Captain Bligh, and the number of things you can do with the seed and bark of nutmeg and cinnamon etc etc!
Another panoramic view stop off point to see the Mesopotamia Valley (the Food Basket) and it’s banana plantations the mainstay of the economy. 
Finally a beach bar with a bottle of local beer (l***r)

Bequia (pm)
In the afternoon we anchored of the island of Bequia for another bus trip.
Now, I didn’t recall ever hearing in my geography or seeing stamps for this island. Probably no wonder when the population is a mere 4300. 
The French developed settlements here in the 1760’s but like all the islands in this area, changed hands regularly between the French and the English, when a warship just happened to be passing and drove out the minor opposition left to caretake. 
Anyway, a cracking little island with nothing going for it apart from it’s sandy beaches and natural beauty. Once famous for it’s sugar plantations during the peak of slaving activities.
After that it was time for our afternoon stop for a local beer (l***r) in the Whaleboner Bar. Apparently the island has a long history of Whaling, which is still permitted for up to 4 whales a year by the International regulations relating to indigenous peoples fishing rights.
They very seldom catch any, but have been known to land one or two a year for use only on the island.
Oh yes, I nearly overlooked this from my notes.
We also drove to a Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary on the Atlantic coast run voluntarily by an old boy by the name of Orton G King. He collects hatchlings of the endangered Hawksbill turtle and grows them onto about 10 inches and then releases them.