"Treasures of Cruising the World" with Bill & Mary Ann: Report # 100 Jamestown, St. Helena April 8, 2014 Tuesday Chance of rain, 73 degrees

All aboard 4pm....don't be late

We slept late this morning, knowing we did not need to get up too early. We had no tour booked today,since this will be our fourth time to St. Helena. By the time we woke up, the island was looming right outside our window. The seas looked fairly smooth, but there was definitely a swell happening, which may make for a slow transfer to shore.

Small harbor boats

Welcome RMS St. Helena, the local boat that comes monthly

Fishing vessels of the locals

The Castle on the left, seat of government since 1659

The RMS St. Helena

Many cars, trucks, and taxis waiting for us

Shoreline was rocky

Amsterdam, not anchored, but kept in position by side thrusters

Clean and clear waters, rocky shore

The skies were very dark with rain clouds, and surely looked like rain would come down sometime today. Should we pack the umbrellas? If we don't...it will rain. But if we do, it will NOT, right? Doing everyone a favor, we tossed them in the bag just in case.

As five star Mariners, we were able to board the aft tenderboat without getting the tickets in the Wajang. In fact, we could go anytime we wished, and by the time we did at 9:30am, there was no wait at all. The swells were pretty high, but the sailors made sure each and every one of us got into the boat safely. Around 9am, there was an announcement that all tendering was halted, due to failing engines on boat # nine. It had been on its way to shore fully loaded, then had to be hauled back. Glad we had waited to get off.

One of the first boats to get to the tender pier

The boat we boarded was not one of ours, but a local boat that only held 30 of us. And just as we thought, the swells were delaying the debarking process at the landing. By the way, it had been announced that only able-bodied folks would be allowed ashore today. Not that they listen. Some try it anyway.

Our tender boat

Here's a little history on the island. Jamestown is the capital of St. Helena, founded in 1659 by the East India Company. Because of its location, it was of stratigic importance for trading ships traveling from England by the Cape of Good Hope to the Orient. Once the Suez Canal was in use, offering a quicker route from Europe to Asia, this island was left behind. The entire island is home to under 5000 residents, and consists of 47 square miles of mostly volcanic rock.

the Castle

High wave action

Local dove

Once onshore, we could tell that the shore excursion staff was having a bad day, because it was taking so long for the tour group to arrive to shore. People are starting to get grumpy at this point in the cruise, and today was not helping.

Anyway, we never set off with the idea of taking a tour today, but it just happened.. We had been advised that few, if any, taxis or private cars would be available for hire. But today, we saw more vehicles than we have ever seen. Most of the drivers were looking for groups of four to eight, but one smart fellow offered his services for the two of us for $20. per person. A private tour for 4 hours? A no-brainer. Our driver's name was Aubrey, born and raised in St.Helena, who had moved to Ascension Island for 25 years, then returned to his homeland for the last 21 years. We figured his age to be around the late 60's. He spoke perfect English, with a slight, but proper English accent. How lucky could we get?

Mary Ann with native guide, Aubrey

Aubrey, our driver

We sped up the left-hand side of the road out of town. The first stop was at a viewpoint of Heart-Shaped Waterfall, dramatic due to the heavy rainfall that they have had for the last two weeks.

Looking back on the capital of Jamestown

Heart-shaped waterfall

Better view of the falls

Very green hillsides

Homes perched on hilltops

Our ship in the distance

Green meadows

Many volcanic peaks

Hillsides of Longwood canyon

The next stop was at the gravesite of Napoleon, reached by a grassy downhill road about 1000 yards long. Slippery and muddy, our driver came with us to serve as a guide.

Very muddy, very slippery

1000 yard grassy walk to the tomb site

The tomb

Napoleon's Tomb site

Deep blue morning glory

Tropical setting with bananas, ferns, bouganvilla, and flowering plants

Hillside of flowers

Tiered gardens above the gravesite

Walking back to the car

According to the records of St. James Parish, Napoleon died in 1821. He was interred here in this tropical setting, but was ceremoniously removed in 1840 and sent by ship back to France, where he remains today.

Actually, an empty tomb since Napoleon was removed in 1840

An interesting thing happened on our way back to the car. A reporter from the local newspaper, The Sentinel, asked if we would give him a quick interview for his paper.

The interviewer/photographer from the Sentinel newspaper

This is the newspaper that we interviewed for

Sure, no problem. With that, he whipped out his microphone and proceeded to ask questions about where we came from and what did we hope to see on St. Helena today. Taking a few photos of the three of us, he said we would be on the radio tonight, and by next Thursday, an article may have our interview and photo in the paper.

Note to readers: We made the Thursday edition of the Sentinel Newspaper. Quite a surprise. Here is the link.

A brief mention of us is made here.

Well that was fun, and Aubrey seemed to like it too. Having lived most of his life here, we are sure everybody knows him and his family well.

Wind generators provide electricity

A pair of white fairy terns in the center

Cattle grazing

Amsterdam in harbor

A typical hilltop home

Our third stop was at Longwood House, the final home of Napoleon during his 6 year exile from 1815 to 1821. The house was civilized, well-appointed, considering that this was his "prison". His real prison was being so far removed from France with no hope of ever seeing it again. But this was not a bad place indeed for one that had just met his "Waterloo" and was soundly defeated.

Longwood House, home of Napoleon

Gardens that surround the home

Exit from the house to the gardens

Orange daylilies line the exit

Napoleon's home (actually prison)....not bad for a prison

Far from spacious, the conservative rooms held living and dining space, large enough for him to entertain and dine with his entourage from France, who lived here as well. Some of his top men and their families had come here with him, so it was not like a solitary confinement. Far from it....they had many social affairs, dances, music, and good times according to the local guides in the house. Napoleon's bedroom and attached dressing room were remarkably small....big enough for a narrow, short canopied bed that resembled a child's bed. And the dressing/study room included a desk, chest of drawers, and a cot. It was on this cot that he died, and laid in rest for four days after his passing. his death mask, a common practice in those dyas, was displayed on a table near the cot, although it was a replica. The real one is in a museum in France, as are many of his personal items. Aubrey mentioned that every single artifact or piece of furniture has to be sent back to France to be restored. Then it is sent back here to be on display.

Before exiting the home, we signed the guest book, then entered the garden grounds. We estimated that this manicured garden surrounding the home was about 1/2 acre, which included an expanse of green lawn in front. If this was our abode, the gardens would be our favorite spot. Planted with dayliles, agapanthus, deep blue morning glory, daisies, geraniums, cockspurs pontsettias, and hibiscus, it was a lovely setting.

Rows of daylilies

Cockspur blooms resembled bird of paradise flowers

Blooming bouganvilla

Yellow-flowering daylilies

Garden guard house

Purple bouganvilla

Hyacinths in the lily pond

Blooming lily

Mary Ann lost in the garden

Rock wall covered in morning glory

This bloom will last one day only

A type of amaryllus

Orange blooms of a lily

Fields of flowers

There was a convenient pit stop across the road from the house and the parking lot. Also tea and cakes were for sale on the greens, along with a few tables of souvenirs. Quite unique necklaces were on display by a small group of ladies. The "beads" were created from cereal boxes, of all things, cut in strips of triangles, then rolled and glued. The real kicker was that they were all made by a local lady who is blind. Incredible. The price? Five dollars. Could not pass that up, and will have to show Maureen our craft expert tonight at dinner. She makes similar pieces in her class.

Aubrey asked if we would like to see the golf course and the future airport being built. He said if you wanted to play 18 holes, then you would have to do it twice, since it is a 9 hole course. Makes sense to us. The greens were being mowed, but the roadside was being trimmed by tethered goats. In fact, when goats, sheep, cattle, and horses were introduced to the island by the Europeans, they eventually stripped the land of all vegetation and indigenous plants species.

Country road

St. Helena's fire truck

A tethered goat on the 9 hole golf course

There are severe restrictions now, and conservation efforts have been successful in restoring the balance. Today pigs, sheep, goats, and cattle are ranched here. We did see a few donkeys out and about, but no horses. There are no large predators and no snakes or foxes, but there are feral cats, rats, and mynah birds that eat smaller wildlife, especially the birds and their eggs.

Volcanic peak

Grazing sheep

Valley used for the airport which may be Prosperous Bay Plain

Much excavation still in progress

Workers camp at the airport site

Huge trucks working on the future airport

Grazing sheep

The future airport site was a beehive of activity from our vantage point. It began two years ago, and is manned with workers from South Africa. They live in a workers camp near the site. It should be completed by 2016, according to Aubrey. We wonder how that will change the dynamics of this quaint island that modern day technology has barely touched?

Terraced homes

A tree marks the mountaintop

Another project in the talking stages is a breakwater in the area of the current tenderboat landing. He thinks it would guarantee that every ship that stops here will be able to get in, no matter the waves or high tides. He surprised us when he said that only half of the ships are able to tender the guests to shore due to the swells. of course, creating a new pier means a new road as well as probably a real terminal building. All that costs money, so it may be awhile before that is done.

Did we mention that the RMS St. Helena was also in the harbor today? This vessel sails with supplies and as many as 130 passengers from Cape Town to Ascension Island, then onto St.Helena once a month. Since there is no airport, all supplies and mail for the islanders comes via this ship.

RMS St. Helena

We saw many birds today such as white terns, pigeons, mynahs, and the elusive wirebird, a type of plover. These birds may help in keeping the population of mosquitoes down, which they have tons. But no malaria or yellow fever here.

Local mynah bird, import from Southern Asia

Red-billed Tropic Bird

The wirebird of St.Helena

While traversing the upper switchback road, Aubrey drove us past hillsides covered with flax plants. This invasive plant was imported by the British so it could be turned into fiber and used for rope-making. It was exported back to England. Since there is no use for this plant today, much of it has been eradicated. However, where it is holding back the soil on the steep hillsides, it has been left to flourish.

Flax-covered hillside

Serene setting

Nice home on bluff

Acres of gardens surround this home

Very pretty hillsides

Dense growth

Looking out over the South Atlantic Ocean

Different varieties of trees

We passed St. Matthews Church with its front yard grave site. Along the road, we also passed a local grocery shop, which had gone out of business due to the owner moving. Recently it had been sold, and the new owner plans on cleaning it up and opening for business.

St. Matthew's Church and cemetery in the valley

Local store soon to be opened again

Green hills from the recent rains

Noticing that some of the large roadside trees had been pruned in half, Aubrey said that was done to feed the cattle. Never knew that cows would eat tree leaves, but he said that it was extra nutrition for them.

The hillsides were dotted with dozens of small homes on small plots of land. They had solar water heaters, LP gas for cooking, electricity, gravity-fed water, and septic tanks. He estimated that each government-built house may cost about 50,000 pounds. Most all of the homes had dish TV, which residents pay for by the month...just like everywhere else in the world.

Driving around Diana's Peak at 2700 feet, we figured it was the tallest point of the island. Two spires loomed before us in the volcanic caldera...Lot and Lot's wife. The two large calderas created by volcanoes are now extinct.

Lot and Lot's Wife, volcanic spires on the left

View as seen from on top of Sandy Bay ridge

Volcanic hillsides may eventually be forested

One of the beautiful valleys

Volcanic peaks

Looks like a moonscape

Pinnacles

The valley below is called Sandy Bay, home to the blind lady who made my new necklace. Solomon and Company, a large business owner here, has pig and cattle ranches in this valley. Other valleys have the names of Levelwood, Blue Hill, Alkarm Forest, as well as Longwood.

View from Sandy Bay Ridge

Sandy Bay valley

The Plantation House

Our next stop was at the georgian-style Plantation House, the home of the governor and his wife. The house is a two story mansion and is quite handsome. Built in 1792, the governor resides here, and is appointed for five years by England. The current governor is British, and his wife is Italian, according to the park guide at the paddock. She claimed that the wife is not overly fond of visitors over-running the property. We think the more interesting sight is that of the tortoises in the large paddock in front of the mansion. Get this.....a tortoise by the name of Jonathon lives here. he was a gift sent here from the Seychelles in 1882. He was estimated to have been 50 years old at that time. Doing the math, Jonathon is pushing 182 years old. That is a big WOW. He is undoubtedly the oldest living specimen of his breed in the world. He may be the oldest living animal in the entire world. And what do you think Jonathon was doing this fine morning? Yep, he was "misbehaving" with one of the three female tortoises in the paddock.

One of the five tortoises

Veggie garden for the home

Jonathon "misbehaving"

Miraculous at his age of 182 years old

Information at the site

Three girls are with him, as well as one other smaller male. Their names are Emma, Myrtle, and Fredricka. Speedy, a younger tortoise recently died, so they have only five in this area. We wondered if any of the eggs have ever hatched, and the answer was no. They have to be incubated artificially, and so far, none of them have been viable. Anyway, Jonathon was a happy camper this morning.

On the bottom end of this paddock was a veggie garden used for the governor. Beyond that, the gardens were rented out to locals to grow crops. With the weather a constant warm temperature, they can grow all types of fresh produce easily. We also saw tree saplings planted by the Duke of Edinborough in 1957, and some planted by the Duke of York in 1984. They are screened so the tortoises cannot harm them. Further down the road, groves of eucalyptus trees and Norfolk Island pines had been planted. The pines were used for masts on the sailing ships in the old days, and these trees made the best and straightest ones.

The next stop was at Ladder Hill after driving through Half Tree Hollow. Love these names. Jacob's Ladder (meaning steps to heaven) is a landmark staircase here. Built in 1829, it has 699 steep steps straight up a mountainside to the island's fortress. Actually, these stairs were added later, because the original pathway was made for a horse-drawn sled.

Jacob's Ladder

Crew members climbing it

Very steep climb

Aubrey and Mary Ann at the vista point on Ladder Hill

View from the top of Ladder Hill

Fertilizer, in the form of manure, was hauled up in the sled, and once off-loaded, fresh produce was let down for trade below. Electric lights were added in 2000. Did we climb the stairs today? Heck, no. Many who did, will be hurting tomorrow, even though they will not admit it. The majority of climbers today were young crew members, who wanted the certificate for the climb. However, they were surprised to find out that it cost $5.00, a donation to the town's coffers.

In 2005, on our very first visit to St. Helena, we walked from the tender pier to the top of the ladder. Once at the top, we climbed down 6 steps, and took pictures.

This is the road we walked in 2005

Long way to town

Much better in a car

Then we headed back to town, taking the same switch-back, narrow road to town. It was one heck of a long walk, that we would not choose to repeat..a one time adventure.

View of Jamestown in the gully

Main street cuts through the center

Boats looked tiny in James Bay

The tenderboat landing near Rupert's Bay

House on top

Homes and businesses of Jamestown

A guesthouse at Half Tree Hollow

699 stairs to the top

Today was much better, having our driver drive us back after an excellent private 4 hour tour. We thanked him, and showed our appreciation by leaving him an extra tip.

Last year, we had gone to the Consulate Hotel on Main Street for beers. But since Barbara H. had highly recommend that folks go there, it was swarming with too many people. So we opted to walk down to Anne's Place, located above the nice Castle Gardens.

The Castle Gardens

Anne's Place above the Gardens

Blooming flowers

How clever is this?

Fragrant lily

Much nicer than the hotel up the road

A bit more out of the way, we found it was not crowded at all. The way the service works here is you place your order for your food, take your beverages, and find a table you like. The food arrived, a shared cheeseburger and cheesy fries, while we were sipping the ice cold Windhoek beers. The price for the meal was not extraordinarily high, but paying the equivalent in dollars for pounds, it was a little pricey.

Good hamburgers and even better beers

Windhoek beer from South Africa

Decorated cafe

After resting up for a half hour, we continued back up the street in search of a new t-shirt. We were too late...all of the sizes had been picked over and all that was left were extra small and 2 & 3 extra large. Glad we purchased the necklace at Longwood, because similar ones in the tourist information shop were double the rice, and not as nice.

Checking out the stores on Main Street

Old post office

Ice cream sounded good at this point, but do you think we could find a store that sold them easily? We were eventually directed the to DVD store, where they served vanilla softies in cups. It was across the road from the Castle Gardens, so we found an empty bench and took our time with the sweet treat.

There's got to be an ice cream shop somewhere.....

St. James, is the oldest Anglican church in the southern hemisphere, built in 1774. Directly across the street from the gardens, we listened to the pastor ringing the old bell for several minutes. They were serving banana bread and tea to anyone who wished to partake. It was getting late, so we passed on the cake, and headed back under the tunnel entrance towards the pier.

Solomon and Company, a big business owner here

We like this one

Come on in and take off a load

Town's clocktower

White Horse Tavern

The Consulate Hotel

The perfect cottage

Coat of arms over the old archway entrance

Archway entrance

There was a stand set up in the old Mule Yard with a couple selling neat bottles of St. Helena gin, tequila, rum, and a coffee liquere....all locally made here by them. One of us loves spiced rum, so that bottle found a space in the bag. It was the bottle that sold it. Steps of Jacob's Ladder were on one side, and will be a keeper once the booze is consumed.

St. Helena's flag

Crew members at the Castle entrance

The wirebird over the entrance gate

Cannon of the past

Signage at the mule yard

Creators of fine liquors

All aboard was 4:30pm, and we made one of the last boats back. The waves were getting more dangerous as the day progressed, so we were glad to make it back safely.

The dock area

Crew member having a busy, but wet day

Waves were getting dangerous

Old tires used to cushion boat landing

Banks battery

Back to the sailaway party

Hors d'oeuvres anyone?

At the sail away party, Captain Jonathon announced that the port of Ascension Island had been re-instated for April 10th from noon to 6pm. It was met with cheering and applause from the passengers. However.......will we be able to tender ashore? Henk Mensink told us that a 3 meter swell had been reported for the last few days, making that landing impossible. Time will tell.......