De Caribbean Regatta 2009
Day 6 - Union Island & "Happy Island"
If there is one place in the Grenadines aside from Bequia that we just had to visit again, it was "Happy Island" on the reef outside Clifton Harbor on Union Island. Three years ago, we made our first visit and met Janti (center in picture below) who is the proprietor and builder. Evidently, he got permission to begin building an island on the reef, using conch shells and concrete. It has probably been a super human toil but we were amazed at the progress during the 3 years we were gone.
If you were on the first Grenadine trip, you would remember arriving at Happy Island and Janti being a bit perplexed because he has just begun mixing a fresh batch of concrete. No problem then because several of our sailors knew the art of mixing and pouring concrete. They pitched right in and after Janti watched for a while to ensure they knew what they were doing, he went to pour the drinks.
This time, we gave Janti a heads up that we would be coming that evening. "Did you say fifteen or fifty?" asked Janti. "One five or five zero?" Five zero was the reply and Janti broke into a smile.
So all of us together were happy on Happy Island. The conch shells below our feet, placed there one by one by hand with love and tenderness, the sand poured on top, the palm trees planted and growing, the shack with a roof which provided protection from the rain and shelter for the family, all just tilting against the windmills. The rum punches were flowing and we were standing on a small island of conch shells placed on a reef. Someday a great big and bad hurricane will come and sweep over this island, tearing apart all the hard work. This is the way of life. We know the future and cannot prevent it. We are here for our voyage and never know when it will end, when the merry-go-round will stop, what will change, how we will have to adapt - in short, what the future holds. All we do is wake up each morning, raise our sails and set off in the exploration of life.
If you are comfortable with the reality of life, you can rise up beyond yourself and stand on Happy Island with me, raise your glass and say "Thank you world for this great opportunity!"
Someday, if Providence allows, I want to guide you back to Happy Island.
After the sunset cocktails, all sailors headed over to Lambis for a buffet dinner with a steel drum band playing. Late night revelers continued their exploration to a small attic bar where dancing was between the rafters.
Click any of the pictures below to enlarge.
