Today we set out to hike Chameau (the Camel), at 1044′ the highest peak in the Iles de Saintes.  It is a steep but easy walk-up topped with a watch tower from the Napoleonic wars.  Early in the hike Megan bowed out with muscle cramps, and Blaire took her back to the boat.  Unfortunately, Colin neglected to give her the keys to the dinghy.  Combining compassion for her daughter with a sailor’s self-sufficiency, Blaire swam across the harbor to Strider, pumped up an inflatable SUP, and returned for Megan, paddling her back to the boat where she could recover on a diet of Nutella and Harry Potter fan fiction.

Meanwhile, Owen and Colin hiked to the summit for a picnic and some photos:

A caterpillar we discovered on a large evergreen with sappy, white milk, beautiful white flowers and green-bean-like pods.

Owen above the harbor at Anse Bourg. Fort Napoleon sits on the hill above his right shoulder, and Strider just above his left.

Looking north to Guadeloupe, whose high peaks are always covered with a cap of clouds and rain showers. This keeps Guadeloupe lush and green. The lower terrain of the Saintes generates fewer clouds, and they are considerably drier.

Looking south to Dominica, another verdant tropical island. In a couple of days we’ll be anchored just the other side of the Cabrits, the two hills on the horizon (22nm away).