In a change from the usual routine, the morning watch was woken a little early. Some would consider this unfortunate, as we had enjoyed some delicious mojitos mixed expertly by our engineers for sun-downers the night before. We wanted to weigh anchor before breakfast and make the short run from the Saintes to Point-a-Pitre in Guadeloupe in order to arrive shortly before lunch. After leaving the anchorage we motored north into the wind until we arrived alongside the quay. We then equipped ourselves with packed lunches and boarded the coach that had been arranged for us by the permanent crew. We were taken along a wonderfully scenic drive along the coast and into the mountains of Basse-Terre. Our first stop was the Botanical Gardens. These were lush and beautifully laid out, containing many tropical plants, including epiphytes, tree orchids, madagascar palms and kapok trees just to name a few. The gardens also contained colourful animals, such as golden carp, tasmanian lorikeets, pink flamingoes and black hummingbirds. We could have spent many more hours there but had one more stop to make before the sun set. We then wound our way across the central mountains of the island through tropical rain forest to a stunning waterfall. Some of the more hardy crew members took a plunge in the pool at the foot of the falls. Once we were all dry again, we headed back to town for a nice dinner before taking our well-earned rest (with the exception of those on harbour watch).