New Friends - Martinique

Remember my favorite Carnival lady?

And her Carnival loving husband?

3-30-17
Back in February we did carnival in Sainte Anne Martinique.  There was one local couple that we saw each day.  They quickly became my favorites.  They dressed up each day and participated to the fullest.  You could just tell they were living life to the fullest and loving it.

Last night they and another couple were in one of our favorite places.   I stopped by their table and tried to chat.  Only one guy spoke a small bit of English, the others did not.  Our French is pretty much non-existent.  However, through drawing, gestures, and Google Translate, we were able to communicate.  Eventually Tom and cruiser Randy joined us.

But then it was closing time.  No worry.  They invited us back to the holiday villa they were sharing.  Randy bowed out and headed back to his boat.  Tom and I followed our new French friends to their villa.  It was a short walk, right across from the fish market here in Sainte Anne.

And it was lovely.  Just the perfect size.  We sat on the back patio drinking "punch" and "talking" some more - drawing, gesturing, acting out, Google Translating, as well as snapping pics.  It was fun.

They are all from mainland France. They have been over here for the winter.  Sadly, they are headed back to France tomorrow.

Different sash - the plot thickens

At the end of the evening, Michelle got out her sash from Carnival and we took another round of pics and had some big laughs.

Miss Penn Sardines

This is one of the best things about cruising, meeting interesting people.  

From Carnival

Carnival 2017 - Martinique

February 27 - March 1 2017
Delayed posting - Hey,we have been busy doing....stuff.

Carnival mas headed our way on the" road"

Carnival on each island is very different from the next island.  They each have their own traditions and feel.  Each one fascinating, entertaining and fun.

Mas band

This year we did Carnival in Sainte Anne Martinique, a small resort village on the southwest corner of Martinique.

Big Truck - for Sainte Anne that is

Rockin' the speakers Sainte Anne style

Two years ago we did Carnival in Fort de France Martinique.  It was fun and crazy.  Last year was Carnival in Trinidad - the mother of ALL Carnivals in the eastern Caribbean!

Lovely kids Carnival costumes

More kids costumes

Carnival in Sainte Anne has a low key feel.  After Trinidad last year, that was perfect for us.  The "road" (parade route) was a loop around the two main streets of Sainte Anne.  There were two "Big Trucks" - one with speakers and other one.  There were two local bands.  One was dominated with drums and the other brass.    

Annika, Sabrina, Stephen, Tom Carnival ready - Pic by Bruce Amlicke

LOVED, loved, loved this lady.  I don't know what it all meant but she was my fav

We learned two years ago at the Fort de France carnival that here on Martinique, the crowds dress up as much or MORE than than the people "playing mas" (parading).  This was also true in Sainte Anne this year.  In fact, you looked a little weird if you weren't at least dressed in the Carnival colors of the day.

Whole families "playing mas"

There are four days of celebrations at Carnival in Martinique.  Each day has a theme and colors.  The crowds dress up in those themes and colors.  When the parade kicks off each afternoon/evening, families and kids dominate.

Mas band again - different day, different theme and colors

As the sun set, the kids grew tired of "chipping" and more and more adults came out to "play mas".  Each time they looped around, more and more people fell in behind the "Big Trucks" and two bands.

Our safe spot on the side street

Carnival limin' between the "road" loops

We found a local spot - a little cafe that takes up a side street each evening.  It was between the two streets that made up the "road" (parade route) loop - Out of the way, refreshments and a toilet - PERFECT spot to people watch Carnival.

Donald and Melania

There were many comical, funny characters "playing mas."

Carnival drum majors

One couple quickly became my favorite.  The first night, the woman was dressed as some sort of winner of a Sardine beauty contest - That is the best I can come up with as it was all in French but it was an absolute hoot.  Best of all, you could tell she and her friends were having a ball.

Another favorite - again, unsure of the whole clothespin thing but so what -still a hoot!

Her husband got into Carnival as well, dressing up each night.  Again, I am not sure of their exact themes but who cares.  It was obvious that they were having a good time "playing mas" and living life to the fullest!  I loved them!

My favorite lady again

Me and the Sardine Queen??? Pic by Bruce Amlicke

Actually, it seemed everyone was having a good time.  As I said, here in Martinique, the crowd seems to get more involved than other island Carnivals we've seen.

Carnival each evening wound down "officially" around 22:00- 23:00.  However, we could hear Carnival music and fun going late into the evening from sv Honey Ryder.  But of course, this is a Caribbean - late nights and loud music are standard, Carnival or no Carnival!

The other mas band

Our gang ordering late night pizza - post Carnival

New Dinghy - OddJob

Woo Hoo - looking good

The new dinghy is here.  The new dinghy is here.  The new dinghy is here.

A-OK

For you land people, that is our car.....so.....The new car is here.  The new car is here.

Nice!

Tom has never had a new car.  In the past, I always got the new car since I was roaming around various states with my sales job.  Additionally, we usually drive our cars until the wheels come off so to speak.  Tom's jeep had approx 475,000 miles on it when he sold it.

weeeeee

Sidenote - As long as we were getting new, we got the flying dinghy model.  Just kidding.  This is OddJob flying out of the sailloft.

Still weird - boats should not fly

It seems we are no different when it comes to dinghies.  Nick Nack (our old dinghy) was 18 years old.  That is really old and quite frankly, amazing down here in the Caribbean with the harsh conditions.  But he was/is well built.  He has served us well.  But he was getting tired, so tired.  I have shared with you some of our efforts to get "just one more year" service out of Nick Nack.  The dinghy cover.  The dinghy paint.  Patches and 5200.  Besides being old and tired, Nick Nack is also very, very heavy.  He is a double hulled fiberglass dinghy.  He weighs 150 lbs alone by himself.  Now add an outboard motor, fuel tank, and passengers.  Plus some water that leaks in through the bottom hull.  Heavy dude.

The dinghy fleet.  We are currently trying to sell Nick Nack to a good home

So we knew we needed to get a new dinghy.  Better to get one now in a place with selection and pricing options vs someplace in the middle of nowhere.

New chaps - notice the yellow reflective ribbon?  

That is the main reason we came to Martinique.

Woman who made OddJob's new dinghy chaps.  FYI - French don't call them chaps.

We shopped.  We made our choice.  They (Clipper Ship) were out of our choice.  "Shipment is coming in."  Turns out even though this is France, it is also the Caribbean and so "island time, mon" .

But it arrived - finally.  And it is wonderful.

Christing - OddJob

Meet OddJob.  An AB 9.5 ft aluminum (al-you-min-ee-um for your Brits).  He weighs a mere 95 lbs.  Why OddJob?  James Bond of course!  Oddjob was the lethal hat throwing henchman that worked for Auric Goldfinger in the 1959 book / 1964 movie "Goldfinger."

OddJob, James Bond and Auric Goldfinger

Al-you-min-ee-um - powerd coated

We have witnessed first hand the power of dinghy chaps.  Attempting to make dinghy chaps for a new, bigger, different dinghy while it was in the water seemed like a complicated project that I just wasn't up for.  I made Nick Nack's cover while he was on the hard in Trinidad and I had plenty of room at Coral Cove Marina to lay out the fabric at the covered pool area.  Not so much here.  So we decided to have Incidence Voile sail loft here in Martinique make dinghy chaps.  They did a terrific job.

A SEAT!  I have never had a seat.  I must practise my princess wave

The price for chaps was reasonable at $725E (duty free).  I spent $250US on material alone on Nick Nack's chaps + beer.  I have had for some time reflective ribbon, two sections - one orange and one neon yellow.  I put the orange on Nick Nack's chaps.  Even today, despite the fact that the orange ribbon is very worn, it still reflects when hit with a flashlight at night.  I dug out the unused neon yellow reflective ribbon and the sail loft put it on.  They had never seen anything like that.

Do you see the bow design?  Oddjob's bow is curved up much higher.  When we dinghied back to sv Honey Ryder in Sainte Anne from the sail loft in le Marin (no small distance!) I didn't get splashed once.  Not once, I tell you!  Not once!!  For comparison, if we had been in Nick Nack, I would have been soaking wet on one side from waves.  Dry I tell you!!!

New stainless steel bling to protect Oddjob

We are busy adding all the personal things that make a dinghy yours like you would a car....only it is dinghy things - chain, chafe gear, new painter, lifting mechanism, lights, anchor, storage, floor matting etc...

Tom heading out - look at those chaps!

Thank you Nick Nack for all your service and for taking care of us.  Hello OddJob, we look forward to many adventures and exploration with you.

Jeremie - new owner of Nick Nack

Update - Nick Nack still had some life left in him.  We put the word out - "old but good dinghy for sale - cheap."   A young French couple that live on their boat with two small school age kids bought Nick Nack.  They work ashore and the kids go to school ashore as well.  They were trying to juggle all that with just one dinghy.  This was the perfect new home for Nick Nack.