Mardi Gras - Fat Tuesday Guadeloupe Feb 28,2006

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Carnival, Pointe-A-Pitre By chance it was Carnival in Guadeloupe - Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) and Mercredi des Cendres (Ash Wednesday). It was Tuesday afternoon, and I had just dropped Karen off at the airport. She was returning home to Annapolis to look after the house and visit her mother. I was alone but couldn't miss the chance to witness this strange mixture of religion and indulgence of the flesh. The bodies of both the men and women pulsated with the beat of the drums. No whites were present in the parade. It was an all black affair. A few whites, like myself, watched, but even as spectators, we were few in number. The Carnival parade was being held in downtown Pointe-A-Pitre, several miles from the Marina. I had a rental car but was told not to drive into the city since there would be no parking so I decided to walk. I soon found myself in uncomfortable surroundings and decided it might not be such a good idea to be alone, so I returned to the marina in search of a taxi where I had a most unusual experience. I approached a taxi driver who was just dropping off some customers. He spoke no English, so I had to make do with my limited French. When I asked if he would take me into Pointe-A-Pitre, he replied that the roads were blocked, and that it would be just as easy to walk, since it was only fifteen minutes away. He assured me that it was in fact safe so I returned to my original plan and began walking into the city. Soon after I began, however, he drove up beside me and motioned me into the car. He offered me a free ride as far as he could go. This was the first time I have ever been given a free ride by a taxi driver, and, as it turned out, he ended up taking me right into the city. It was such a nice gesture As I wandered among the crowd I met a French couple, Regina and Jacque from Brittany, who spoke perfect British English. It turns out they were English teachers in France, and in Guadeloupe on holiday. It was so strange to hear them speak English with a British accent. The three of us formed a little island of white in a sea of black. We spent the evening together and in return for driving me back to the marina, I bought them a couple beers, Stela Artois, at Le Frigate. It is spontaneous meetings like this that make traveling so stimulating. Several years ago while Karen and I were in Guadeloupe, we met an American couple who gave us a ride on their boat to the island of Antigua. It was another serendipitous encounter with friendly travelers. Previous| Next