Let’s just keep this our little secret… Thursday, Feb 22, 2018

Let’s just keep this our little secret… Thursday, Feb 22, 2018

(Mike's note: It is our tradition to have our friends write a blog before they leave - so here follows an entry from Stew. We are hoping we may be able to post some videos from Paige in the near future.)

Starting out on this trip, the extent of our preparation for this trip was sitting down on Expedia to buy airline tickets in late October.  That’s it.  When I asked Paige what she knew about St. Lucia on the way to the airport, she responded “I think it is pretty”, which was five more words than I could say.  In fact, I used the flight tracker on the plane ride down to find St Lucia on the global map.

What can I say?  The island more than punched above it’s proverbial weight – unbelievable scenery, with seaside cliffscapes plunging into turquoise seas, coral reefs loaded with tropical fish decorated with literally every color and stripe, tropical rain forests filled with flowers, birds (hummingbirds!) and the occasional land crab, and the friendliest people on earth who just want to give you a cab ride or sell you some fresh tomatoes.  While the baked goods, high winds and more-frequent-than-occasional rain shower may not be the high point of the trip, even these realities were well above the expectation norm.  Bottom line, St. Lucia delivered and more.

But being that this blog is among friends, I think we should make a little pact; let’s keep this next section a bit more quiet.  St. Lucia was fantastic, there is no doubt.  But the real story is Mike and Gloria.  On our journey up the coast, we passed a variety of superyachts – you know, those hideously polished chrome monsters with the optional, but highly obnoxious, private helicopters – and several “luxury liner” cruise ships.  Having spent a week on one of those cruise ships in my youth, I can speak to the fine food, fine food, the crew’s attention to detail, and fine food that is on offer in those settings.  This past week put Norway Cruise lines to shame; it is clear that we benefited from Mike and Gloria’s experience as Charter Boat captains as we were pampered on a scale that would be the envy of the famed UK weekend spas.  All of this has me worried, since I know everyone has a price.  I shudder to think what would happen if some superyacht owner were to offer up a 50’ Oyster- or Amel-branded yacht as collateral for full-time employment.  I see the look of wonder in Mike’s eyes when those fine yachts are tied to a dockside slip, and I fear that all it would take is about 5 mins of time sitting in the plush leather captain’s chair in the fully-enclosed pilot house and we would all be worse for wear.  I see a future where my dear friends are locked in a perpetual paradise cruise serving caviar to an absentee owner or the weekly cycle of attending to the needs of 4000 new “family members” whose primary aim is to invert the fitbit craze by spending as much money as possible in the fewest number of daily steps.   No, I think it is best to keep Mike and Gloria’s core traits of warm hospitality, fine cooking, commitment to genuine friendship and love of adventure to the lowest profile possible; it really is in their best interest.

Stew