Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine April 2018 | Page 638
Bequia for a Day
by Shana Jones
Read her blog at roamingaviatrix.com
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Photo Credits:
Guinell Ollivierre & Shana Jones
hat if you could spend your
day winding through narrow,
tree-lined country roads,
meandering up and down
rustic wooden boardwalks facing silvery sparkling
waters, and ambling to sunny hilltop photo spots,
enjoying breathtaking views at every turn? What
if you could savour the memory of wonderment
at the leathery green sea turtle in your hands over
a tasty local drink and succulent platter? Well, you
can, and you need only find yourself on Bequia, St.
Vincent’s largest Grenadine island. Today I’m doing
just that on a Bequia-for-a-day gallivant with my
friend Guinell, a native of the island. She knows
Bequia’s every nook and cranny, so cameras in hand
and adventure in our eyes, we’re off!
Our first stop is Toko’s Bar, neatly nestled in a little
oceanfront “bay” near the airport and a favourite
first (or last) stop for Bequia visitors. Run by its
namesake, an ex-whaler, the bar showcases the
local whaling tradition through displays of old
photos, whale bones-turned-ornaments, and
harpooning equipment, including a fishing boat
actually used in whaling expeditions. Each of
these expeditions is a community event, explains
the cheeky Toko in his punchy Vincentian dialect:
fishermen beach the whales on a nearby islet and
then harvest the dense, beef-like meat. The whale
Toko’s Bar
Toko in front of a whaling boat
Spear used to harpoon a whale