Montserrat: Island beneath the ashes
We set off for Montserrat, a British overseas territory, in sunshine and good winds. From a distance we can see the volcano, the Soufrière Hills, surrounded by a cloud of steam, probably a mixture of volcanic smoke and clouds. Again and again, large regatta sailing boats cross our path. As we learn later, the RORC 600 is a 600 nautical mile long regatta through the Caribbean. On the east side, the extent of the destruction caused by the last volcanic eruptions from 1995-2010 can be seen for the first time. You can still clearly see where the lava flow has enlarged the island, burning and burying everything in its path. For us, it's once around the North Cape and then a little further south to Little Bay.
Little Bay was built as a makeshift evacuation port during the outbreak, and after the south side was almost completely abandoned, it is now the island's transshipment point. This is where the supply ferries arrive. In the meantime, there is also a restaurant, a bar and a dive store with a café. There are only a handful of boats at anchor and the water is clear. We quickly get the dinghy ready and go to the harbor to clear in together with our buddies Monika and Georg from the Yalka. We can still clear in before 4 p.m. without an overtime fee, which we manage to do. The customs and port authority offices in the harbor are reminiscent of times long past. There are computers, but they are not used, instead there are filing cabinets and handwritten paper invoices. The officials are friendly and despite the lack of digitalization, we are done in under an hour. Time for a cocktail at Summer Breeze, the restaurant next to the harbor. The cocktails are delicious and so is the overdue food. I have goat curry from the island goat, the meat is so tender that even Ines likes it, and Ines opts for butter chicken, a dish you rarely get in the Caribbean.
The next day we booked two dives with Monika and Georg at Andy and Emmy's dive store. At lunchtime, after a good night's sleep and the usual daydreaming after a sailing trip, we make our way to the dive store. The dives on the reef are beautiful, the reefs are intact and there are lots of fish. There is a relatively strong current on the first dive and we are at a depth of around 15 meters. Apart from the current, it is relatively easy, there is reef everywhere, so you just have to get back to the boat in time at the end. The second dive is very shallow at a maximum depth of 10 m and completely uncomplicated. At the end we see an octopus and a ray.
The nights are kinder to us on Montserrat, meaning it usually only rains once and that's usually in the morning, so we can sleep with the window open. Rested, we set off on the most exciting tour, where we learn the most about the island and its history. Cecil picks us up - that is, Monika, Georg, Ines and me - in a discarded Japanese minibus. Used Japanese cars are popular on the Caribbean islands because they are also right-hand drive. First he takes us to the cultural center and tells us about the old golden days before the volcanic eruption, when various artists of distinction spent time on the island. The cultural center was also sponsored by a charity concert. Among the artists were Elton John, Sting, Paul McCartney and Mark Knopfler, to name but a few. We then walk through the town to the administrative buildings, which were once intended to be temporary but have since become permanent. We also see the prison with 20 inmates, a very high quota for a population of just 5000. BBC Montserrat is on the radio with news from Europe and the Caribbean in the finest British English. However, people here pay in East Caribbean dollars and there is little else in the area that is reminiscent of the United Kingdom. The tour also includes a visit to the oldest supermarket, where you quickly realize that almost everything is imported. Apart from a few fruits and vegetables, goats and chickens, there is virtually no domestic production on the island.
We continue through the jungle road and stop at a small spring. We all drink from it, because everyone who drinks water here will also return to Montserrat. After a short stop at the Montserrat National Trust, where we ask for the number of a hiking guide and buy a few souvenirs, we go to the MVO (Montserrat Volcanic Observatory). From there you have a view of the Soufrière Hills - the volcano. The building is a little run-down, and everything inside is reminiscent of times gone by. For a few dollars, we watch a documentary about the volcanic eruption. It is the first footage of such a volcanic eruption. The Soufrière Hills volcano of Montserrat is a stratovolcano. These volcanoes have viscous lava and long dormant phases. When they erupt, they usually explode in a big way. Just such an explosive phase begins in 1995, just 6 years after Hurricane Hugo devastated the island and everything was rebuilt. In the documentary, we see shots of the capital Plymouth, a lively and sociable city after the reconstruction, and shots of the eruption that are reminiscent of disaster films. Lava flows and gas clouds coming down the volcano at speeds of up to 100 km/h and columns of rock and smoke that look like an atomic bomb explosion. The volcano was considered dormant for hundreds of years, but the calm ended on November 15, 1995, fortunately predicted, with the first eruption phase. By 1997, the old capital and all settlements on the southern side of the island had been destroyed to varying degrees and rendered completely uninhabitable for the most part. The active phase of the eruptions lasted until 2010 and accordingly many inhabitants left the island, most of them to the UK. Only 5000 of the 15,000 inhabitants remain. Many still do not want to return to the eruption zone, as the loss of their possessions is still deep in their bones.
Our guide got us a permit and we were allowed into the old capital Plymouth for an hour. Montserrat is the only country with an official capital that is no longer inhabited. We first pass through a buffer zone where there are many abandoned houses, overgrown with rainforest. This is what it looks like after 15 years without people, the houses are barely recognisable in the dense greenery. Then come the ash mines. The latest business and probably the most important export is volcanic ash, which is exported to the other islands for building purposes. Afterwards we come to the so-called Exclusion Zone. We have to register and get a radio, then we go through the barrier into the streets - or what's left of them - into the old capital. Most of the buildings only have the upper floors or the roof still visible. Nevertheless, you can still recognise a few shops and find remnants of a once bustling town. Two thirds of the dock of the old harbour has been integrated into the new land mass. As a result, the harbour office is no longer located by the sea but about 100 m inland. The rest of the dock is still used for the export of ash.
We are allowed to walk through a street once. This deserted, half-buried town looks completely surreal, with the culprit always in the background, smoking innocently and letting the sun shine on the slopes. The fertile volcanic ash feeds the growth of bushes and trees, donkeys and birds now inhabit the area and are the only ones who don't have to get a permit to enter the zone.
Our last stop is at the church. It is surprisingly well preserved, with a section of tarmac road with markings in front of it; the rest of the road is covered in volcanic ash and looks like a sandy mogul slope. The huge stone church still contains all the pews and many other furnishings such as the organ and pulpit. Even the wooden roof is still more or less intact.
Our time is running out and we have to leave the zone again. Cecil takes us to a half-buried hotel, where we can walk through the lobby and the rooms, which are all full of ash. The pool is completely overgrown. How quickly nature takes back what belongs to it. And with that, our trip to the disaster area is over. It was really impressive, although very sad when you think about how much the people here have lost.
We drive back to the busier part, through the holiday homes of rich Americans and Europeans who spend the winter here. A wild hodgepodge of different styles and colours. Despite everything, the people are happy about anything that brings a little money and life to the island. On Cecil's recommendation, our tour ends at the familiar Summer Breeze restaurant. We round off the tour with a few cocktails and lunch.
On the 3rd day on Montserrat, we organised a hiking tour on the recommendation of a Canadian from diving. At 7 o'clock in the morning we set off in a shared taxi with our guide. Not quite anywhere, but to a friend's house, which in turn takes us somewhere on the east side of the island right next to the rubbish dump. From there we head up Katy Hill. It's a 4.5-hour hike with few breaks over hill and dale, but mainly through the rainforest bushes. At the bottom we are still in the semi-arid zone and the vegetation is not yet so dense. The further up, the denser the bushes and the muddier the path. Mappe sets off at a galloping pace and we fight our way up the muddy, steep sections, shimmying from tree to tree. At times you can't see your hiking companions 2 metres in front of you because the vegetation is so dense. In between, we are rewarded with magnificent views over the island and the sea. The summit cross is in the middle of the bushes and there is no cross and Mappe doesn't allow us a break for bacon and bread either. The descent may not be the same, but it's still not a bit more comfortable. For me, it's more of an attempt to slide down my bum. Ines tries to work her way down very slowly and gracefully, which sometimes works better and sometimes worse. After a sporty 4.5 hours, we arrive back at the bottom shortly after midday. Mappe takes us to lunch and then his friend picks us up by car and takes us back to the harbour.
One last time, this time completely covered in mud, we head to Summer Breeze for a few cocktails. We then anchor in Rendezvous Bay, a bay to the north of Little Bay, which had already captivated us on arrival with its beauty and, above all, its solitude. Together with our friends from the Yalka, we quickly get changed and want to have a barbecue by the campfire on the beach the next day. I go hunting again with the harpoon, but without success. The next day we go diving again with Georg and hunt lionfish with the harpoon. It goes quite well and we catch two medium-sized specimens. We spend the rest of the day preparing the boat for the crossing and in the late afternoon we head to the beach for a barbecue. First we have to collect some wood and get a barbecue grill, but the four of us manage to do all this relatively quickly and before sunset our little fire is burning and we sit cosily with our sundowners and enjoy the spectacle. To the delight of all onlookers, there is even a green flash today, a phenomenon in which the sun briefly turns green before it sets into the sea. What a cosy last evening together with our friends from the Yalka. Together we explored Tobago and actually all of Montserrat, drank numerous sundowners and spent many cosy evenings together. The two of them continue on to Antigua and then head north, while we head to St Kitts and soon have to head south again. So it's time to say goodbye to Montserrat and the Yalkas. It's a little easier for us in the meantime, as you often find yourself somewhere unexpected on our little planet.
Useful tips:
There are only two useful bays for anchoring in Montserrat. Rendezvous Bay and Little Bay. Both are relatively open and probably uncomfortable in swell with a northerly component. Little Bay is well located for clearing in and making trips ashore. Rendezvous Bay is more secluded and unspoilt, although you can still get to Little Bay easily from there by dinghy. With our 3 hp electric motor, it was a 15-minute journey. Rendezvous Bay is ideal for a campfire and snorkelling.
It is best to go to Little Bay with enough distance to the dock and complete the formalities in the harbour. The whole process is uncomplicated and the officials were helpful and friendly. Price is for Gross Tonnage of the boat but around 100 EC. For stays up to 72 hours clearing out straight away on clearing in is possible. On public holidays and at weekends you pay overtime fees of around 120 EC. You also pay extra before 8am and after 4pm.
The dinghy is best pulled out of the water at the ferry dock in Little Bay and parked away from the ramps. Alternatively, you can moor it by the metal steps as long as you don't lock it so that it can be moved if necessary.
You can theoretically dispose of your rubbish on the left just after the harbour exit. It then ends up at a landfill site. You can buy the essentials in the village at relatively high prices. However, the town is a good walk along a busy road, so a taxi is recommended.
At Summer Breeze we enjoyed very good food and cocktails at reasonable prices. Bennie, the owner, was always extremely friendly and helpful.
We did our island tour with Cecil Wade and were very satisfied. The tour takes a good half day and he organises the entrance to the restricted area. The tour cost 40 USD per person and 60 USD entry to the exclusion zone for the whole group including transport to and from the dock.
WhatsApp: +1 664 492 2814
The hike through the dense jungle to Katy Hill was extremely challenging and virtually impossible without a guide. There are no signposts and the path through the thicket requires a machete. We contacted Mappie by phone via Bennie, the owner of the Summer Breeze pub, and paid around USD 250 for 4 people including taxis and the tour. The price for the tour had to be agreed in advance, as Mappe suddenly quoted USD 50 instead of the agreed USD 25 per person (for the guide only). After I pointed out to him that 25 USD had been agreed, he didn't argue. Otherwise he was fine. At the beginning he explained a lot about the plants, then he walked us through them very quickly. It takes about 4-5 hours at a fast pace without breaks. The path is extremely slippery and steep. Mappie works for the Montserrat National Trust, where you can also ask for guides and hikes. His telephone number is: +1 664 496 5067, he doesn't have WhatsApp.
We went diving with Scuba Montserrat. The reef is okay, but nothing special. A two-tank dive costs 120 USD. If you're short on time, it's best to contact Andy or Emmy via WhatsApp well in advance and make an appointment. Otherwise, simply pop into the dive shop with its nice café and make an appointment there. The response time on WhatsApp was rather slow. The café and dive shop are open from Sun to Wed from 9am to 2pm.
