I am going to try to keep this simple and short and in a couple parts. We flew from Columbus, Ohio to Miami on AA as we were unable to get a direct flight from either Detroit or Columbus. Not and issue, as the next day we went from Miami to San Juan to Guadeloupe. We were able to locate our van very easily located outside the airport once we walked through customs. We had notified our car rental company, Pro-Rent, the information about our flight and they were actually waiting for us with the schuttle to take us to the lease car. We paid about $30/day USD for a two door Citron. Very nice car and no problems. The only problem was that the agency is about 20 minutes from the airport and you have to remember how to get there when returning. They gave us good directions and a map and we somehow managed to find it 12 days later.
We drove to Pigeon on Basse Terre and stayed at the Escale L'Tropicale. A very nice privately owned gites with a very nice pool. It can be difficult to find but directions given to us were good. It is up a hillside and you can see the ocean from your room. It has all the ameniities if you care to eat meals prepared in your room. They provided coffee and a light tuna salad meal for us as a welcoming treat. It is very clean and Daniel the owner does speak English and French. We were able to go to all the cities up and down the coast line from Pigeon. We went as far as St. Rose and down to Basse Terre. There are many beaches along the way and you just have to check them out to see what you find to your liking. With regard to restaurants we usually try to find those owned by locals. Don't be in a hurry for your meal, as they usually will begin preparing it when you order. It is usually an hour wait. Meals ranged on an average of about 8 to 12 euros and does not include the beverage of your choice. You can find sandwiches for lunch from 2 to 3 euros. I will say that chicken, pork, and fish are the staple food choices. Of course salads are also there. I must say for our lack of English, if you try some French and smile a lot they will bend over backwards to help you. We never had a problem! We hiked into the rainforest but chose not to go to see the waterfalls or volcano, from our initial hiking, we just felt it was not worth the risk of slipping and injuring ourselves on our vacation. We wanted the beach and sunshine. The entire time we were there, 5-17 of Nov, we had no rain. I heard a lot about the local drivers and how they drive, well, one thing they do not drive too often with a cell phone in their ear and thus are pretty good at watching out for themselves and others. You do have to be careful at night, common sense, but the drivers of the motorcyles are a bit reckless and they have to be watched out for. Always know where you are going before you hit the road, it makes it easier to concentrate when looking for a sign or something and keeping your eye out for the other drivers. With regard to bread, pastries, beer and wine, if you purchase them at a local grocery store, and there are many, you will find that you can have your morning breakfast for a very inexpensive cost. The local breads are only about 1 USD for the long loaf and very good and pastries run the same. Beer can be bought for around a 1.25 or less a can and wine is the best price. Good wines can be found from 4 to 9 USD a bottle. We found that beach shoes were not needed as most beaches are very sandy but you have to watch for the undertow due to waves or if there is a drop off. Just observe the locals they will give you a good indication. We do mostly wading or sunning. The sun is very hot by 9 a.m. and did not cool down until about 3:30 p.m. There are few restrooms on the beaches or places to purchase food. We always felt safe at all the beaches. We were amazed by the vast amount of floral and bird life on the island. It was very green and birds everywhere. Of course this part being more of the rain forest you would expect that. I will summarize with specific names the last part of our report. I will also try to include some photos in that one also. Next report is about Grande Terre
