KCR Spring 2024 Magazine FINAL v2 Lower res - Flipbook - Page 48
The Idyllic Isle of Bequia
What divine inspiration dreamt up the island of Bequia?
Pronounced 8Bekwey9 this 7-mile stretch means 8island of the clouds9 in
ancient Arawak. It9s one of 32 islands that make up St Vincent and The
Grenadines. Home originally to a small group of Caribs, the French and
later the Brits then presided. Bequia developed less from sugar as from
sea-island cotton and indigo, from boat building (especially schooners),
whaling and merchant seamen.
Tree (www.昀gtreebequia.com). It9s run by the charming, charismatic
Cheryl, two times a great-grandmother. Here a band of three elders
in tropical shirts played like the Bueno Vista Social Club or as though
on rocking chairs in their porch beneath cane lanterns swaying in the
breeze. From the Fish Friday Dinner Menu, which o昀ers veggies their
own choices, I ate the freshest of grilled mahi-mahi as I watched the
boat masts twinkle like terrestrial stars.
The Sail House (www.thesailhouse.space) is a striking new addition
to the architectural landscape of the island and not generally available
to rent unless you get lucky like me with brotherly connections! It was
the 7-year project of owners Mikey and Nicola (2 in design and 5 in
implementation). The organic process resulted from the owners9 living
on a boat for 3 years. They used all their experience of the elements
and carried out extensive solar, wind and rain studies. They really have
made their dream come true.
Everywhere I could hear the slow lapping of the waves as they unfurled
and cascaded their sound upon sand. The sight of the indigenous
mangos, tamarinds, sapodilla and creole plums excited my appetite. I
reached Lower Bay with the beach entirely mine. I passed mango and
coconut trees to reach De Reef. It9s a restaurant housed in a big, airy
pavilion and enveloped by seven palm trees. Here I loved my callaloo
(spinach) soup, and my grilled sword昀sh. It9s mixed with locals which
is always a good sign and De Reef lent me a sun lounger to let my food
go down before I dipped into the clearest of water out in front. I then
walked along over a ridge to admire the many boats moored in Princess
Margaret Beach.
With its high tensile fabric roofs over a series of individual buildings
cascading down a hill, some compare it to a butter昀y, others to a
swaying manta ray. For me it had a wealth of aspects, both literal and
昀gurative. Like a yacht perched feet above sea level it9s uber-cool, inspirational and truly unique.
The Sail House website has