Final thoughts

Classic Guadeloupe breakfast

Stories from a seasoned traveller : Just about every day, we began our morning the same way. Fresh fruit, yogurt, granola. juice and coffee : easy, healthy, filling, local. One of the many things that made this trip to Guadeloupe so relaxing was the fact that so many of our daily decisions were based on past trips, and what works for us. Not having to think about what to have for breakfast every day, just going into autopilot, both in the purchasing of the ingredients, and the making of it every day.  

Three weeks later, on our last day here on the island, Mario and I discuss how the vacation is never long enough, but at the same time, this time felt much longer. I think it comes down to our utter lack of planning anything in advance. In not doing so, we removed the anticipation of those events, and subsequent loss of time leading up to them.
 

View of Les Saintes on our drive out of
Trois Rivières

Maybe I can explain it this way : When you travel, and you plan things, like a kayak outing, a visit to a zoo, a special dinner at a fancy restaurant, you get excited at the prospect of doing those things. You count down the hours until that special outing, be it in a few hours or a few days, but you fail to truly appreciate the time until that outing because in your mind, you are too excited to get there already. So, in waiting for that kayak trip, you might appreciate less the small hike to the beach. You might forget how deliciously spicy and crispy the simple portion of accras from the street vendor were, because you are already thinking about how great the meal will be at the fancy restaurant in a few days' time.

Driving the RN1 next to the Allée Dumanoir palms

Since there was no need to plan anything more than car rentals, ferry crossing and Airbnb stays, I did nothing else in the way of making plans of reservations before we left. Sure, I did plenty of research, making sure to track down municipal websites, Instagram accounts for local influencers or tourism boards. I wanted to have as much info in pocket as possible, so we could plan, if we wanted to. And given the ease of researching, especially on site, with everything being online, making a plan the night before became the norm for our trip. 

Descending out of the mountains to the
flat side of the island

This is not something that everyone can do. Heck, it's not something we usually do, since most of our travels are to locations we've never visited before. I know that feeling of FOMO - fear of missing out - and often the list of things to see and do is longer than we have time for. Just look at our trip to Ireland in September : it was an AWESOME trip, but did we ever pack as much into our days as possible! Looking back, maybe it was a bit too much, but I would not change a thing. It's only on those rare occasions, those times where you are so lucky that you get a repeat visit of a location, that you can allow yourself to truly relax. You can take your time, have that second coffee while you browse the local news, yell at the birds trying to sneak in the kitchen, and begin think about what you want to do with your day. 

Back in the big city again - driving the main
highway through Pointe-à-Pitre

And so, every day moved slower. We truly lived in each little moment, not thinking on what grand adventures were coming next, because we didn't know. We began recalling things that happened earlier in the trip, questioning whether it had only been a week, or had it been a month since we had arrived. Time stretched out, both behind and in front of us, and it. was. GLORIOUS. I wish everyone can experience that sort of relaxed feeling on vacation at least once. We all deserve that.

Big little airport in PTP

Of course, it doesn't last forever, even though it might feel like it. You still have to get back to the airport in time for the flight home, and as much as you'd like to forget that planned event, it's still always in the back of your mind. It reminds you, a little bit louder every day, that yes, you do have to go home at some point. And today is now that day.

We've got a stowaway!

Here's where we flip the story : when you want things to move fast, like during those final hours when all you want to do is be home already, that's when you don't want time to drag on. Unfortunately, because of reasons beyond my understanding, there was NO online check-in. And yes, you might be seeing the line-up of self-check-in kiosks in that last photo, but NO, apparently those count as online check-in too, and so we found ourselves at the airport, 4 hours early, waiting to check-in for our flight. We were second in line, but let me tell you, it was not long before a whole plane full of Quebecers was lined up, through and out the door, to ensure they were also checked in. And all were complaining about the fact that they had to show up early, and that the agent mentioned a 12:30 check-in time, and it was now 45 minutes later, and I just laughed. If you've spent ANY amount of time in Guadeloupe, you know that times are merely a suggestion. If a Carnaval parade starts at 15h, for example, arrive 1h30 late and you will still be early.

Last ham, cheese and guava jam baguettes of the trip

You also know that you should ALWAYS pack a lunch. This is true especially for the airport, since one of the two terminals has zero food options beyond candies in the duty free shop, and so many people get caught out by this fact. And you should get out of the airport and soak up as much of that tropical sunshine and air as you can, because the airport is hot, and stuffy, and uncomfortable, and no place to spend your last hours in Guadeloupe. Yes, check-in is 3 hours before the flight, but it takes about 15 minutes to go through the entire process, so you can really drag this waiting part out as long as humanly possible before subjecting yourself to the greenhouse-like conditions of Terminal 1. Plus, there might be chickens.

Take-off! Goodbye, Aéroport PTP-Maryse Condé 

As we take to the skies, leaving the jungle and beaches and palm trees behind, flying over nothing but blue ocean, I take time to go over trip details in head. 

This is what happens when your plane has no in-flight entertainment.

First, the hiking : 

In the past, we've managed to clock over 100 km of hiking, but given the slightly more lazy nature of this trip, Mario and I only managed a measly 86.21 km. Mind you, we did travel 300 m each way every time we went to get chicken at Kaza Manjé, and the Fritz grocery store is another 600 m, so we can maybe push that number over 90 km, but it's not a record-breaking trip, sadly.  We did complete 14 hikes of varying lengths, and extremely varying difficulties, and I'm proud of every one of them.

Flying over north Basse-Terre, somewhere near
Ste-Rose and Plessis-Nogent

We visited less beaches, but more frequently, and narrowed in on some of our favorites and why. 

For snorkeling, we are now loving Plage Moustique, since Plage d'Antigues near Port-Louis is seeming more cloudy and buggy recently. Of course, Plage Malendure will always be the best for sheer concentration of fish, but the beach itself is less welcoming. 

For swimming, Plage des Trois Îlets has the calmest waters, so you can just float, and you don't need water shoes, but Plage du Souffleur, albeit more busy, is great for floating too. It also has the added bonus of a reliable sorbet coco vendor on site. Believe me, sorbet coco is always an added bonus! 

For quiet, again I have to chose Plage des Trois Îlets, as we are often the only people there, but the beach is sooo long, you would not see anyone else, as you tuck into the little alcoves in the forest along the sand. Plus, there are nowhere near as many bugs, so you can stay until sunset and enjoy some of the prettiest shows in all of Guadeloupe. Plage du Souffleur has the BEST sunsets, but the yen-yen bugs are brutal. 

Air France has the best snacks.

Things I learned : 

We are too capable, Mario and I. With the right tools, we can get out of just about any situation. This trip, we were tested with the added challenge of a flat tire on one rental car, and I think it delayed our day's activities by a total of 30 minutes. We still managed to get to the store in time to pick up our NYE hors d'oeuvres, and not have them melt before we made it back across the island.

We still need a break sometimes. I felt guilty one day about taking longer than usual in the morning to get going, but Mario reminded me that, at home, we often take one day in a weekend to "do nothing" - have a slow morning, or play video games all day, or binge-watch a new TV show. Yes, we are on vacation, but we are still doing activities every day, and we need a break even from those. Of our 21 days in Guadeloupe, 2 ended up being relax days, but still included time at the beach or a short walk. And they were most welcome in keeping our energy up.

Sunset - closure on another great trip

I am stronger than I think, and I surprise myself every time. Looking back, some of those hikes we completed were HARD. Very Hard. Particularly the upwards scramble out from the Chute de Galion, where we climbed up over 300 m in elevation over the course of 1000 m, which is the equivalent of a 30% grade. And I know it - I took every big step out of that valley. But I made it through every single one of them, and still smiling by the end. Ask Mario.

Flying in over the working port in Montréal

Every trip we take is full of new lessons, too many for me to remember, but that I take forward with me in life. I am constantly learning and experiencing new things, and as I've said before, it's the reason we travel, no? To learn, and experience, and better ourselves and our understanding of the world around us. At least, that`s the most important part.

Well, after all the cocktails and beautiful beaches, right?

Until next time...

 

Heading through the clouds

Going beyond borders

Stories from a seasoned traveller : Always confirm what time you need to check in for the return flight, so you get the seats you want, like the window, or a prized row of only 2 seats together. The plan this morning was to stay home late to check in, but when I logged into Air France to confirm that it was indeed 30 hours before the flight, I got the alert message that I could not check in online for this flight, for reasons unexplained. I blame Guadeloupe. Regardless, there was no need to stay back waiting, so Mario and I packed the hiking gear and headed out to our last hike of the trip a little earlier than expected. We'd deal with the airport check-in tomorrow.

We saved a small hike for our last day, to prevent too much fatigue, and avoid risk of injury just before the flight - I've been there before, having to navigate a final travel day with a seriously sprained ankle and a roughed up knee back in 2022. Today, we headed to the Troisième Chute du Carbet, where we've not been before. It looked fun, but also challenging. There was also the added question of how much we'd be able to hike - after a major rockslide back in 2018, the last portion of the trail, the part that gives access to the base of the waterfall, was closed to hikers. But this is Guadeloupe, where "closed" is just a suggestion, we've discovered, and sometimes it just depends on how hard you are willing to try and get past the barriers.

A bit of construction on the highway caused us to have to detour through Capesterre-Belle-Eau, right along Allée Dumanoir. I'd seen this section of road when we were heading to Goyave - for 1.2 km, it is lined with those super-tall Royal palms, supposedly planted by the family of dramatic author Philippe Dumanoir sometime between 1830 and 1850. Though partially destroyed by the big hurricane in 1928 that took out most of the island, it has been replanted, and is now a major draw to Capesterre. It's amazing to think we are detouring through an alley of palm trees that are 100+ years old.

This trip, Google has been navigating us through some interesting and new neighbourhoods. Admittedly, Google and have not seen eye-to-eye in the past, but the navigation has gotten a lot better in Guadeloupe. Every once in a while, I get directed to take a one-way street the wrong way, or to turn on an "impasse", the equivalent of a dead end, but sometimes I discover a new and interesting location. 

This time, as we climb up the great volcanic slopes towards the hike somewhere in the mountains, Google takes the car on a road that runs between banana plantations, so everywhere we look, there are only banana trees. We even get caught up passing a large tractor, it's trailer loaded up with big hanging bunches of bananas. What I wouldn't give to be able to reach out and grab some!
 

This hike is stunning. Not only are we climbing slowly through tall, lush, green jungle, but this jungle is an old-growth Mahogany forest. All of those air plants and Elephant Ears and vines and ferns and moss are clinging to the solid, strong trunks of Mahogany, soaring above our heads as we walk.

The sun peaks through every so often, setting the leaves aglow with light.

The first part of the trail sucks. It's on this old stony road, made for cars to be able to drive up and access the shelters, where I imagine families come for picnics, then to hike down to the waterfall, once considered an "easy" hike. I'm not sure how much traffic this site gets since the closure of the access to the falls, but the trail has gotten mossy from disuse, and with the moisture, the uneven rocks are slippery, making a really good spot to twist an ankle. It's slow-going, and every step is just plain annoying. This part takes us for ever to get through.

Thankfully, it's not the whole trail, and eventually we leave the rocks for the roots, and the mud, which I prefer, frankly. It also offers more chance for adventure and exploration.

Eventually, we do come to the first barrier, a fenced "viewing" platform where you can just barely make out the falls if you crane your neck to look around the large trees in the way. It's obvious that many people have manage to navigate around the barrier, but the way forward seems to be a straight climb down, via the rocks and roots directly below the platform. The rock slide that has closed the trail is very real, and the evidence of stone steps that would have lead easily down to the falls can be seen under a thick layer of loose dirt, with some sections completely missing. Clearly, there is no intend at this point to rebuild the rest of the trail to the level it was once at, and the end shall remain forever closed.

Mario ducks between the railings to test the "trail" for me, checking to see if more challenging obstacles still lie ahead. He gives me the thumbs up, then spots me as I too make the challenging climb down the ladder of roots. Our reward? This gorgeous waterfall that, after 3 other hikers leave, is ours and ours alone.

 

Then comes the inevitable climb back out. Back over the slippery boulders that surround the falls, and back up that challenging root ladder. It's a lot of stretching to reach the next hand hold, the next solid foot hold, pulling ourselves up and making sure we always have four limbs in contact with the "ground". It's easier going back up that climbing down, and it's not something that everyone can, or should do - you have to hike to your level, and today's level for me was a solid rock climb. And I loved every minute of it. We make it back up to the viewing platform, to the surprise of a hike from Luxembourg who has just showed up for the view and spies us emerging from the forest below! 

Climb back up these rocks on the actual path is a cakewalk!

After that challenge, we opt for something easy for the rest of the afternoon, soaking at the beach at Grand Anse. The ocean has other ideas, mind you, and I sit in the sand, letting the rough waves crash at my feet, not wanting to do battle with the crashing water today. Mario joins me, and we both end up with sandy swimsuits, but at least no one gets tossed around in surf!

Well, almost no one.

One last chance to get our toes covered in black sand. 

Tonight's activities include : 

• The last load of laundry for the trip
• Trying to corral all of our possessions that have spread all over the Airbnb in one spot
• Packing all the liquids into the designated "checked" suitcase
• Eating up all the leftovers, as well as our nightly Poulet Boucané from Kaza Manjé. Tonight's sauce chien is especially spicy!
• Avoiding getting bitten by too many mosquitos before the flight home

The one with all the fishes

 

Though we discovered our interest for kayaking in Vietnam, we discovered our love of kayaking in Guadeloupe. So it just makes sense that we get a chance to do at least a little bit of it when we are back here. Today's excursion took us back to the Réserve Cousteau, and the reefs that surround îlet Pigeon.

We also discovered our love of snorkeling in Guadeloupe, even when the only equipment we could get our hands on were child-sized masks from the grocery store. Now we have better equipment, and though we have been using them extensively this trip, nothing compares to the smorgasbord of fish that populate the reefs in the Réserve Cousteau.

We`ve also discovered the benefits on water shoes this trip. Yes, snorkeling is less work with flippers. I find they make you swim too fast to truly enjoy the sea life below you. 

The schools of fish are very much not afraid of us as we swim by, like this group of Sergeant Majors swimming just below the surface.

Kayak parking - this is a popular area for snorkeling, though as a protected area, there is a limit on accessibility, and vehicle use. Motor boats are not permitted.

The larger of the two island is accessible to us, and has some short hiking trails leading to various view points. It's nice to get out of the water and stretch the legs, too.

More schools of fish, this time in an area called the coral garden.

Floating on the surface.

Corals everywhere - I guess that explains the name!

A brightly-coloured male parrot fish.

Coming up for air - snorkeling is great, but the mask can start to squeeze the face too tightly after a while, so we come in for breaks and snacks.

This guy was not scared of us whatsoever. I saw him open his mouth (beak?). There were lots of teeth!

More Sergeant majors.

Swimming with the fishes.

Snack time for fishes.

They were grazing on the corals like cows in a field - I've never seen fish do that before!

I am having so much fun, I have a hard time wiping the smile off my face!

Stopping for lunch on shore before continuing on with our adventures in the kayak.

We head back to the shore, where a further beach offers more snorkeling, but also the possibility to see sea turtles.  Excited by this prospect, we head over for a look.

There's definitely more coral and fish to see. 

BIG corals.

Searching through the turtle grass, Mario finds a lion fish. Very beautiful, but also very toxic. 

Then we spot an area where snorkelers seem to be accumulating, and sure enough, they are all floating above a sea turtle, grazing in the underwater grass! 

It chomps away at the vegetation for a while, before slowly floating up to the surface for a breath of air. I can see its head poking up above the waves, and then it heads back under for more snacks. Eventually, some really excited girls get in too close with their cameras, and the turtle begins to swim off, the girls close behind. I think they nearly swam into a rock trying to follow the creature, and not looking where they were going!

After a full day out on the water, we headed home. Snorkeling, for me, is a bit of a sensory overload, and I was toast by the end of the night. After dinner, we both crashed in front of the TV and watched random programming until we fell asleep.