Well, thus far, today is looking even better than yesterday. We awoke this morning to find the
Easter Bunny had come a day earlier than expected and had hidden Easter treats all over the beach for our daughters to
find (such is traveling with very young children over the Easter holiday). After the treats were found, we had
breakfast, dropped the kids off at the Kiddie Club offered by the resort, and headed out for dive.
This was
actually our first dive of the trip, since our attempt yesterday was foiled (don’t ask). After a late start, we
finally made it underwater to breathe some canned air — I won’t divulve too much, as a full dive report will follow on
Divester when we return — but suffice to say that the visibility was great, and the scenery suitably
breathtaking. After one dive, my friend Joanna and I returned to the resort to pick our kids up; as I type, my
daughter is napping, and my husband, Marcus, and Joanna’s husband, Peter, are enjoying a second dive toward the south
of the island. I admit to being a bit jealous.
All is not lost, however; after my daughter awakes,
we’ll have some lunch, and probably head over to the capital of the island (3 minutes away) to do some shopping
(ostensibly for an appropriate souvenir to award the winner of this contest). In preparation for our venture into
the city, I’ve actually been doing a bit of research on this lovely little island: it turns out that before
becoming independent in the late 70’s, this country was owned and traded by either the French or the English no less
than 14 times — pretty amazing for a country that isn’t much bigger than 240 square miles! It does explain the
strong French and English influences, however, particularly with regard to the language: while English is the
native tongue, the locals also speak a strong patois that is definitely influenced by the French.
Okay, back
to the contest. For what it’s worth, we already have a winner! — but, I’ll keep going for the rest of you —
perhaps we can come up with runners-up prizes?
To reiterate, the clues for the first two days:
- It’s great for diving;
- It’s a great place for lovers;
- Its name is often
mispronounced; - It’s an island;
- There are two airports — one large, one small;
- In addition to diving, you can hike and watch the whales and dolphins.
And today’s clues:
- We’re in/near the capital city;
- The native language is English, but the locals speak a strong
patois; - The country gained independence in the 70’s after trading hands between the French and the English
14 times.
Good luck to the runners up — it should be getting pretty easy to guess!