To Montserrat We Go

Monday morning, Enn and I went to pick up a few bits and pieces in the way of provisioning while WW cleared us out of Antigua and Dana remained aboard, nursing her nasty cold and vicious sore throat. By about 10:30, we’d raise anchor and were on our way west. The seas were as gentle as I’ve ever seen them, the wind was perfect and we made 6 or 7 knots all the way to Montserrat. About 4:30 that afternoon, we anchored and WW cleared us in. We had rum punches then an Indian dish of shrimp with bell peppers served with Indian-spiced tomato rice.

Your humble correspondent with Dana and WW 

arriving on the Caribbean's Emerald Isle.

On Tuesday morning, we went ashore to try to find a taxi and had the enormous good fortune to meet Moose, also known as Positive. Positive was born and raised on Montserrat and lived in a southern suburb, Kinsale, of the capital Plymouth.

Dana, your humble correspondent and WW with uber-guide Positive.

In 1995, the Montserrat volcano made its presence known by spewing inches of reasonably toxic ash. The ash was carried by the prevailing winds over Plymouth which became unliveable. The south part of the island was eventually evacuated, but the exclusion zone was very porous. Conditions in the shelters in the north were unbearable and people would drift back home to “do some cooking”. Some farmers returned to work their fields and provided much-needed produce for those living in shelters. In the summer of 1997, the volcano became deadly, sending three flows down its sides, annihilating villages and farmland, and killing 19 people. Thereafter, the exclusion zone became truly exclusive—patrolled and enforced. (Much knowledge and understanding of this terrible time was accrued from reading Fire from the Mountain by Polly Pattullo, Papillotte Press, 2000.)

Positive was evacuated from Kinsale, where he ran a small waterfront guest house. He moved to Cork Hill to start a grocery store. A few days before his grand opening, Cork Hill was evacuated. So he moved up north where he had a bar at Little Bay, Montserrat’s only remaining harbour. That was demolished to make way for new and more extensive development, but Positive has been included in that development and his bar New Beginnings should open any day now. He is also, happily for those who have to good fortune to be seeking one, a taxi driver.

The island population is about 4,800, so it is not surprising that everywhere we went, our driver was greeted by shouts of “Positive!” or “Moose!” Asked if everyone knows everyone else, Positive said, “I would think so.” He begins and ends every phone call, every conversation with “Positive”.

After getting a permit from the Salem police department, Positive drove us into the exclusion zone (maybe even a smidge farther than the permit allowed). We walked through the ruins of the old Emerald Isle Hotel, later renamed the Montserrat Springs Hotel for a hot springs down by the beach—now gone, filled with volcanic muck. From the ruins of the swimming pool terrace, we had a spectacular view of the ruins of Plymouth, ghost town extraordinaire.

The exclusion zone closes at 4 p.m. This sign marks its extreme limit,

beyond which only official persons may penetrate.

Dana amid the accumulated ash and muck

in the erstwhile chic Montserrat Springs Hotel.

The usual suspects, with Positive, take in the view from the hotel

over the ruins of Plymouth, former capital of Montserrat.

Positive took us to the erstwhile golf course, now buried under feet of volcanic mud, ash and pumice. We went to the Montserrat Volcano Observatory which looks down over George Martin’s Air Studio as was, and has a long view to the simmering volcano. On our way back north, he stopped at Runaway Ghaut (pronounced gut) where we drank the crystal waters that ensure we will return to the island. Then it was over the hills to view the new housing estates and the new airport.

 Dana and Enn have had a drink...so they'll be back...

 

 ...and so will your humble correspondent (notice the

faucet at the bottom left for those more fastidious).

Positive took us to the erstwhile golf course, now buried under feet of volcanic mud, ash and pumice. We went to the Montserrat Volcano Observatory which looks down over George Martin’s Air Studio as was, and has a long view to the simmering volcano. On our way back north, he stopped at Runaway Ghaut (pronounced gut) where we drank the crystal waters that ensure we will return to the island. Then it was over the hills to view the new housing estates and the new airport.

By the time we returned to Little Bay, we had been given a magnificent five-hour tour and were ready for a small collapse. As we raised the dinghy in preparation for next morning’s departure, the people off a newly arrived sailboat headed in to shore. They asked us is a tour was worthwhile. It was with great pleasure we sent them off to where we knew Positive was waiting.

(I have written about Montserrat before, so if you’re interested in reading and seeing a bit more, you could look back through my posts to find those. Also, I have lots of pictures, kindness of Enn, but we are currently in the Internet equivalent of the Middle Ages due to an appalling event at Nelson's Dockyard during which agents visit large boats available for charter. These hideous behemoths suck the bandwidth dry and will continue to do so all week. Just getting this blog posted, let alone with photos, requires a trip ashore to be close to the source of Internetness. Photos will be added later.)

(Update: photos have been added. Thank you, Enn!!)