Wednesday 5 March
Early this morning at the ferry terminal. A long queue. No reservation? Oh dear… difficult, difficult. I explain again that I told his colleague two days earlier that I can buy a ticket from 2 hours before departure. Just give me your passport, he goes to the office and a little later I can pay for the ticket. To the next counter for the departure tax of St Lucia, aaother queue for the baggage check and customs and it is done. The ferry takes us to Fort-de-France on Martinique within two hours. Here again a nice queue at customs. Two counters for a hundred passengers. One counter takes an endless amount of time per person. After 45 minutes two extra counters are opened and when it is my turn at one of the extra counters I am through within a minute. I walk to the local ferry and here the boats arrive quickly. But leave empty, twice. According to the lady from the company, because a new crew has to be picked up. But French is not good, but I have the impression that the numerous French people present also have something to say about this. Eventually I make it with the ferry and 20 minutes later I am at Pointe de Bout. This will be my base for the next days. Check in and immediately back to Fort-de-France. It is Ash Wednesday and a great carnival parade can be seen. Everyone is dressed in black and white and many groups with bands walk through the street along the boulevard. Even more people are watching. Later a bonfire on the quay. Nice to experience. Martinique has more to offer than carnival and besides the beautiful beaches and lovely sea, I visit the city. The highlight is the Schoelcher Library, a beautiful building from the outside and inside, with a partly old collection of books.
