Well, if anyone had tried to tell me how hard it is to find an open post office, I honestly wouldn't have believed them, but here we are, 4 countries, 5 towns (would have been 6 except the North Easterly swell) and not an open post office to be found! Marigot - line ups down the road, not sure if everyone was so excited to send christmas cards, but am guessing the fact that the post office also doubled as a bank and western union had more of an effect on its popularity, English Harbour - was open when we made it into town but closed at 2 pm, sign on the door said open till 4.... oh well, Barbuda - no one, didn't actually get to talk to a Barbudian much less make it to town and the donkeys looked like they might have eaten my letters instead of mailing them, Jolly Harbour - a shop that sold postcards and stamps, not open, and now here we are in Portsmouth - found the post office and it was sketchy, doors chained shut, no signs of opening,I'm not going to give up hope but at this rate I might not be able to get my letters off until New Zealand!!!
Other government offices that cause a deep breath - customs, coming into and out of countries and for that matter, even harbours within countries is a bit of a bore/scary/tedious...
Antigua -
officer "Good morning"
Us "good morning, we'd like to clear in please"
Officer : please go to the second desk from the left, the the third desk from the right, fill in the form they give you then take it back to the second desk on the left, then go to the small window on the side, then back to me to pay, then back to the customs officer - oh wait he isn't there... and make sure you press hard enough to make 5 copies of the document...
Us "thank-you"
Customs guy - looking at us grumpily as he gets up from watching his horse racing and checking facebook "harumphfff"
Checking out fo antigua:
4 ladies playing dominos, one at a time they got up and went to their separate offices as we went in and filled in our respective forms, at least they were friendly!
Dominica- the cruising guide says it is one of the easiest places to clear into, not quite, looks like we will have to clear out of Portsmouth adn then into Roseaux and then out of roseaux, what can you expect, the poor man that phil dealt with was a "SAD officer" not kidding (stood for sub-authorized something or other!)
Well christmas season is upon us, not going to eat the pig snouts we saw on offer, excited for a big fruit market, fruit salad for christmas morning?
Will let you know!
Other government offices that cause a deep breath - customs, coming into and out of countries and for that matter, even harbours within countries is a bit of a bore/scary/tedious...
Antigua -
officer "Good morning"
Us "good morning, we'd like to clear in please"
Officer : please go to the second desk from the left, the the third desk from the right, fill in the form they give you then take it back to the second desk on the left, then go to the small window on the side, then back to me to pay, then back to the customs officer - oh wait he isn't there... and make sure you press hard enough to make 5 copies of the document...
Us "thank-you"
Customs guy - looking at us grumpily as he gets up from watching his horse racing and checking facebook "harumphfff"
Checking out fo antigua:
4 ladies playing dominos, one at a time they got up and went to their separate offices as we went in and filled in our respective forms, at least they were friendly!
Dominica- the cruising guide says it is one of the easiest places to clear into, not quite, looks like we will have to clear out of Portsmouth adn then into Roseaux and then out of roseaux, what can you expect, the poor man that phil dealt with was a "SAD officer" not kidding (stood for sub-authorized something or other!)
Well christmas season is upon us, not going to eat the pig snouts we saw on offer, excited for a big fruit market, fruit salad for christmas morning?
Will let you know!
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