We left Bequia on Friday, April 13th, after getting a few extra dollars from a bank machine and picking some mangoes from behind a defunct resort. The 4 hour sail south to the Tobago Keys was reasonably nice, with a lumpy sea but not a dangerous wind, and we arrived and anchored in good spirits just beside our favourite lump of coral. After our "anchor beer", I (Laurie) sat down for a read and Dawn sat on the bottom step and got ready to go snorkeling.
Here is Dawn's letter home regarding what happened next:
"Laurie and I have had a horrible bout of the stomach flu that we picked up in Bequia. We just landed in the Tobago Cays and were enjoying an anchor celebratory beer when I stated that I was really really hot and nauseous. To cool off, I sat on the bottom step of the boat, put on my flippers and mask and lastly, my snorkel. I quickly ripped out my snorkel and vomited between my fins several times. Between then and 2 am, I vomited 8 times and had diarrhea 3 times. Laurie followed me about 4 hours after I began. Although not puking sick anymore, I'm very weak and food tastes awful. I've been laying down every day since then and only today did a chore or two. Tomorrow will make it one full week!!! Apparently a lot of people in Bequia were hit hard with this stomach flu. My insides are still gurgling and I have painful gas! The hell here never ends!"
We first learned that all six of the attendees of Firefly had the same problem on a morning ham net. Then the next day we learned that it was a Bequia epidemic. That same day, while talking to a man who sells goods in the Cays, we found that it was a problem throughout all of St. Vincent. The same guy had just recovered, and called it a "Bone-Breaking" illness. Here in Chatham Bay, when we arrived yesterday, Vanessa, who runs a restaurant here, said she knew of a death of a 3-year-old on the main island as a result. In my opinion, many of the old and weak are going to die of this. Her daughter was struck down over the weekend, but is back is school, still weak, but happy for the weight loss!
Besides the poor health and lack of appetite, this is probably the longest period without a drink Dawn and I have ever had during our marriage. We tried to share a beer last night, and determined that we didn't even like the taste of it. To me that's the biggest discovery. I know truly understand people who don't like beer --- They're sick! Wow!
