Sunday, March 12, 2006

Last day in St. Lucia

I had so much fun yesterday. I can sail left and right just fine now and even go upwind a little. I am now working on braking and the change of direction in a continuous motion. I was out for about an hour and 45 mins yesterday in total, but it felt longer only because I wasn't swimming so much anymore. I am spending more on the board than in the water.

For dinner, Bart and I rented a car to go to Balenbouche. Balenbouche is an estate owned by a German family. There is an old sugarmill in their estate. The place is beautiful. The house was so cute. The table setting and the lighting created this romance that I adored. The food was delicious, Bart says that food is out of place (the island can't match it), it's quite true.

Anyway, I am at the reef now, waiting for my breakfast and getting ready to go kiting again before I leave. I have to leave the reef at 1pm...so I better get ready. See you all back in NY!

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Day 7 & 8

well, day 7 was another peaceful day. I didnt get to kite at all.

But Day 8 was awesome. The wind up at 16 knots. I went out in the morning with my 9 m fuel and it was so much easier to get going in the wind. I am starting to understand the concept of using the body to resist the kite. It feels amazing. In the afternoon I went out again with a 12m Switchblade and I was up and riding again. I tried to go upwind but I am not there yet. Hopefully I will get it today...or at least make better attempts.

It does sucks that I have to leave tomorrow (although I am gonna go kiting in the morning before I go back), but I do miss my friends back in NY.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Day 6 in St. Lucia

I couldn’t sleep last night. I kept thinking about the trip/excursion today and my disastrous attempts to keep going on the water. Around 9am, Brigitta gave me a ride from her guesthouse to the reef. The young South Carolina couple did not come with me to the reef or the excursion because they were still asleep. I didn’t want to wait because I wanted to see pretty much everything there is to see on the island in one day. Bart had already gotten the car when I arrived at the reef. He drove me to Juliette’s Lodge to check in and drop my luggage off.

Then we headed first to Ladera. The Ladera resort is amazing. One side of the hotel faces the valley and the bay. There is no obstruction in the way because it is so high up. The whole hotel only has three sides; the one side that faces the breathtaking view has no wall, even in the rooms themselves. We sat there for about an hour and had some coffee. Bart can really talk. I think he allowed only a few moments to breathe throughout the day. I found out everything about his career path, his relationships, etc.

Then we headed to Castries (the capital), passing through Soufriere, Canaries, and arriving at Rodney Bay. I love Rodney Bay, it’s more of a “happening” place…well, at least at night. There are restaurants, bars, and clubs. It’s a tourist spot. We had lunch and walked around a small mall, but I didn’t find anything I need.

It was already 3pm when we started heading back to Vieux Fort. We drove along the same road we drove on earlier. We came back to Vieux Fort and Bart took me to the lighthouse to have a look. We just sat on the top of the hill and looked down at the reef and everything else. It was beautiful. The sound of the waves was so calming. We sat there waiting for the plane to take off (the plane actually passes below our feet) but the friggin plane wouldn’t take off so we went to dinner at Fox Grove Inn. It took us a while to find it. The dinner was delicious although I was not so crazy about the fish I ordered. At the end of the night, Bart drove me back to the lodge.

So no kiting today, but it was an eventful day.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Day 5 in St. Lucia

It was one of those days today - a bad day. There are those days when you feel like a kiter and those days when you feel like a total beginner. On a positive note, I am still alive. The numbness is still there a bit but I am feeling more soreness rather than numbness.

I woke up this morning and I am still feeling numb, I doubt this will go away quickly. I think I did pinch a nerve somewhere. But since the numbness is not affecting my movement, I went kiting because the wind was at 14 knots today.

However, I was not mentally ready today. I think I was still bothered by the numbness so I lost my usual confidence. I went out in the morning and came back in because I was falling over and since my feet were trapped in the straps a lot, the skin burned a little from rubbing against the straps. I was either underpowered or overpowered. I was too scared to dive the kite harder and when I did, I didn’t edge enough to stay back so I fell forward, sometimes crashing the kite. Yep, another day of endless swimming. The afternoon was no different. I decided to bodydrag a bit before coming back in, and since a beginner lost the board in the ocean and I was right there when I bodydragged, I bodydragged to the board and use the board and brought it back to shore. That was pretty cool. I didn’t think I would actually go get it. That was pretty much the highlight of my day. I did not exactly redeem myself.

Tomorrow should be a fun day. There is no wind tomorrow but Bart told me that if I rent a car, he can take the day off and drive me to places to sightsee. I am supposed to call the reservation place to see if he’s got the reservation today so that I can plan my day. There are a few places we can go, for example, la tera (I think this is how you spell it) and the volcano.
I am moving tomorrow, so excited. The new place has no mosquitoes and has AC.

I gotta do some work now, I am already behind on my schedule (in studying).

Monday, March 06, 2006

Day 4 in St. Lucia

Before I go on to describe my day, I must say that I've got this weird numbness on my left hand, from the top of the pinkie extending to the bottom of my palm. I have no clue what is happening...I hope it is nothing serious, so far I can still move it and everything else in my hand. But the numbness will not go away. I hope I will be okay.

Brigitta wasn't too weird this morning. I thought she might act with a bit of hostility but that didn't happen, whew. Maybe because the German couple was at the breakfast table. The German couple is cool, young couple. The guy, Oliver, is a kiter. His kite was lost in the baggage transfer but he got it back this morning.

We got a slow start this morning because the German couple had trouble starting their car. So Brigitta took the young couple from south carolina and me to the bank first and then the German couple came to meet us to give us a ride to the Reef.

By the time we got the Reef, it was already 11am. The wind was weak, about 10/11 knots, but I still went out. I started off badly. I used my 13m Diesel and I crashed it on water...I tried to relaunch it, but there was not enough wind to bring the kite up from the water. The kite pulled me downwind...and I was drifted down with the kite. I did not give up, I kept trying to relaunch, but it got to a point where I knew that it was not possible. The relaunch system in the 13 m Diesel actually makes it hardly to relaunch in weak wind with a tiny person like me. Finally I floated back to shore and took my walk of shame back up to where we started. I felt like a loser hahaha.

But I redeemed myself. The instructor finally use the right cue words with me. He told me to really dive the kite and pretend that my goal is to stay in the water. That worked, I was able to get up into a good position to kite, but I wasn't able to keep the kite going for long. I had to sit back down into the water after one stroke because the wind was not strong. I finally decide to come back to shore because there was not much wind to go on.

For the rest of the afternoon I just sat around. I did go kayaking for a while though. It was quite fun, but I felt the numbness after the kayaking...it may be from that...oh I hope it is nothing

Anyway, there are so many ppl in this house right now. Four couples, brigitta, and I. We are having dinner at the house today, Brigitta cooked coconute chicken with ginger, I hope it's good. It smells damn good right now though...I am so hungry.

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Day 3 in St. Lucia

So no wind today as forecasted. It was a beach day except that my forearms were already burnt from yesterday while kiting...the forearms were not covered by my short-sleved rash guard.

I didn't get much sleep last night, partly because I am getting sick and partly because I was fighting the mosquitos. I got 5 hours. This is not acceptable on my vacation, I am gonna try to get 10 hours tonight to make up for it. Anyway, a young couple had arrived from South Carolina yesterday. They couldnt get up for breakfast and the host, Brigitta, was not happy about it because if they dont get up by 8:30, then she will have to put the breakfast back when they get up, she complained to me about it..a guest! So she tried a few things to "get their attention" or shall I say, WAKE THEM UP.

BTW, my pen on the side pocket of my backpack leaked in the car we were in yesterday, got on the leather seat, I apologized to Jasmine (actually, on two parts of the seat and the carpet in the trunk). I threw away the pen and wiped my bag, thinking that everything was all right. Apparently, I thought wrong. I put the backpack on the couch and the ink got on the fabric (only a bit). The host was so frusttrated and told me how expensive the furniture here is. BUT, her furnitures are already really old and stained everywhere...I don't friggin get it. So that got on my nerve too...

Anyway, I sunbathed (not exactly, stayed in the shades mostly) most of the day. The exciting part of my day was probably when I went swimming. A local tried to pick me up. We were in the middle of the ocean, and he goes "excuse me, can I join you?"

I thought we were already in the same body of water --at the atlantic ocean. So I told him I was about to go back to shore. He asked me to stay, i said no. And that was it. He wasn't bad looking, but all the horror stories I heard yesterday made all these st. Lucian men seem so dirty and unappealing.

I chatted my afternoon away with the instructors (Bart and Jason) and the equipment boy (Stan).

Brigitta told me and the couple that she was gonna come pick us up at 5pm. She got there around 4:20 and I told her that I was waiting for my pizza and that it would take another 10 min. She told me that it wasnt a problem because she was gonna eat there too with a friend. The friend was her boyfriend, or rather, boytoy. The three of us had to wait until 5:40 to get back. Why didn't we walk? Her place is on a hill, a really steep hill. It will probably take us a good 40min-an hour to get back.

I sat there and thought to myself -- I don't like her. I felt like i t wasnt my vacation anymore. She was controlling my schedule, telling me when to get up and when I can get a ride from her. I don't need a mom. So I called another hotel this afternoon and booked a room from wed night on, They don't have availability for the next two days, so I have to wait. oh well, at least I will be able to move somewhere soon. In the past year, I seem to been having troubles with my stays...I need better planning I suppose

A German couple is supposed to come in tonight, damn it's gonna be annoying (coz the host is german too...she will chat them up)

Oh, I am so sore...need a massage.

Day 2 in St. lucia

It was my first full day in St. Lucia. I got up around 7:40 am so that I can get ready for breakfast at 8:30am. The owner, Brigita (Elly), made breakfast for the guests. I was one of the two guests that were staying at the house. The "rainbow apt" I am staying at is beatiful...though I have to hide myself in the mosquito net most of the time. Anyway, I got to the reef/station (the kitesurfing place) at around 930am and I just waited around for the instructor to start. The wind seemed very strong, but as a matter of fact, there was only about 13 knots.

This was the first time in a while since I last kited in the ocean. I have done it mostly in the bay. But the kiting area is quite safe here. The area is surrounded by the reef and the wind is never offshore, no matter what happens, my board and I always floated back to shore.

The salt concentration in the water is VERY high, it's good for floating, but not great for beginner like me (drink alot of it). I had to start with my left foot forward and I was able to get up on the board and w0rk the kite a bit. Nevetheless, my left side is my bad side. I was totally retarded. My instructor, Bart (I think that's his name), is from Holland. Funny man. A goof ball.

I spent two hours in the water, but I didn't kite as much. I spent alot of time getting back my board. Damn, it's hard to go upwind to get my board back. I was called back to shore many times because I couldn't get my board and just had to wait for my board to float back. AT least I got a good workout =)

After kiting I stayed around and went to town with Bart to get a socket converter. I could not charge any of my electronics, including my computer. Good thing Bart took me to a electronic store and found it.

brigita picked me up so we can get ready to go to a Salsa party in another town that is about an hour and a half away. Yep, Salsa in St. lucia. I wanted to go and see what the scene is like. She wanted me to go too since I told her that I danced. Alia, Jasmine, Brigita and I all went in a car to the town of Caprisi. The car ride there wasn't that fun, it was mountain road. I wanted to puke. Brigita and Jasmine were chatting it up (they are in their 50s).

The salsa party turned out kind of lame. It was at a secondary school auditorium (small) and the teacher taught a introductory salsa and merengue class. I have to say that she was a very good teacher. There was also a performance, it was pretty good, but NY dancers are much better =P

(Oh my goodness, the mosquitos are killing me!!! I think they are gonna eat me alive)

The best part of the night was the dinner at KFC and the coffee/ice cream after dinner. The girls had a good chat about men. St. lucia has many more women than men and the men here are all players regardless whether they are married or not. Brigitta and Jasmine are victims, both of their husbands have been with other women. Brigitta is now divorced, Jasmine is still married to hers. It was a great conversation, as it is always a great conversation to talk about men.

I got back around midnight. Good thing there is no wind the next day...I can just rest on the beach and sleep.