A story about a drive

Today is a travel day, meaning we are packing up house and moving from one location to another. It's not that we don't like Trois Rivières, it's just that the house was not available to rent for longer. But it also means that we get to discover another location on Basse-Terre, a new neighbourhood, a new rental place, and maybe fall in love with yet another corner of Guadeloupe that we can add of places to return to next time. Two years ago, we spent some time in the town of Sainte-Rose, in the north, near the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin, a vast lagoon which is a Protected Natural Reserve in Guadeloupe. It was a good location for watersports like snorkeling and kayaking, both of which we have come to love, and it's a really nice corner of the island, with plenty of amenities nearby, making it a good home base. This year, we decided to try the next town over, Plessis-Nogent, for two reasons: one, the rental we liked last visit was unavailable, and two, this place is closer to the coast, the hiking trails AND the local shops. So we loosely pack up all our stuff into the car, say goodbye to Marie-Odile and the place in Trois Rivières until next time, and under grey skies and the falling rain, we begin the drive up the coast.

We drive along the main highway, on the less-travelled side of this side of the island, through a string of towns and communes that bring up memories of past trips: Basse-Terre, Pointe-Noire, Bouillante, Malendure, Ferry, Deshaies. We reminisce of rentals past, places we visited, anecdotes that somehow got buried in our minds until now. We talk of kayaking in the Reserve Cousteau. We laugh at the mental image of an old man in baggy underwear and a hat, raking gravel and attempting to stake a claim on the Bains de Toumas. We pull in at the Musée du Café, mainly to stretch our legs, but also maybe to pick up some of the locally grown and roasted Café Bonifier de la Guadeloupe. Sadly, it is still January 1st, so not everything is open, and the Musée du Café is one of them. We grab a snack from our stash in the car, and keep driving.

We make it to the north of the island with some time to spare before checking in, and so we head to our favorite beach, Plage de La Perle for a moment of relaxation and a dip in the ocean. Then it's up to Plessis-Nogent to our next rental, just as the rain begins to fall again. We've truly lucked out with the weather this trip so far, experiencing nothing but sunny days up until now, and the rain only falling during our long drive, and letting up for a brief moment while we took a dip in the ocean. But the rain continues to fall, off and on, and so once we get settled in the bright and colourful case Creole, besides a little walk around the neighbourhood, we stay put. On this first day of the year, people are staying at home and relaxing, and so after all of that driving, we do the same.

Stay tuned - more adventures starting tomorrow!