Trip to St. Vincent & the Grenadines

I have had the wonderful opportunity to travel to other islands as part of my job here, and we are fortunate that M and S have been able to accompany me by paying for M's airfare and a night or two of personal hotel stay so we can explore.  We did the same for one last island trip to St. Vincent & the Grenadines (darn it, this time we had to pay for S's plane ticket too!). We flew there early one Saturday morning in October, and then took a one-hour ferry ride to the island of Bequia (one of the Grenadines).  There was something about taking a plane and then a boat to a tiny island (seven square miles) that made it feel like we were so far removed from the world; in fact we were only two transportation hours away from home and work!  The hotel we had booked for the night was charming and quiet, as was the rest of the island since tourist season had not yet begun.  We enjoyed the views, a beach that was essentially our own, nearby restaurants, and just rested and relaxed for about 28 hours.  On Sunday evening, we took the last ferry back to St. Vincent.

While Monday and Tuesday were packed with work activities for me, M & S enjoyed their vacation with leisurely breakfasts, pool and nap time, and just hanging out with no rules or routine.  When I finished work on Monday, there was just enough daylight left for us to go to the fort, our main purpose being to check out the views from the fort.  Imagine our delight when we learned that it is named Fort Charlotte, after the same queen for whom our 'hometown' in North Carolina is named.  The views did not disappoint.

On Tuesday, M & S took the 4 p.m. flight back to Barbados, while I took the 10 p.m. flight.  My work obligations were not going to be finished in time for the earlier flight, and we saw no reason to keep our 2-year old out until the later one.  After finishing work, I enjoyed a few hours of downtime at a hotel bar near the airport with a book, dinner and wine, and a fabulous view of the sunset.  While attending to the departure formalities at the airport, I had a most unexpected 'proud parent' moment.  Upon seeing my passport, the Immigration Official asked if that was my child who had flown out earlier (she remembered the surnames), to which I replied yes.  She then proceeded to tell me how he was the most well-behaved child and how impressed she was that he said "please" and "thank you" and "bye bye" to all involved.  It was late, I was tired, and yet I smiled all the way home!  Pictures of our trip can be found here.