Posted by Robert Dilley on May 07, 2004 at 18:47:39 from 65.39.13.77 user rdilley.
In Reply to: Re: Have you walked in Mecca? (Wild Cat Island) posted by Duncan Hall on May 01, 2004 at 11:42:50:
Sorry to come late to this thread -- my wife and I have been cruising in the Caribbean in celebration of our 25th wedding anniversary.
We have been twice on Peel island with the whole family: first time the girls were aged one to seven; the second time seven to thirteen. They are unanimous that the island is a perfect fit for Wild Cat, other than the landing and open camp area. AR was always borrowing bits from other bits to get the result he wanted.
I think the reason some people think Peel too small for WCI is that they look at it with the eyes of adults. From the viewpoint of my four kids, at least, it is the perfect size for the story (and, from a parent's point of view, quite big enough to give you a little concern when one of the younger ones wanders off).
A word of warning: electric boats are easy to handle, quiet, and environmentally friendly -- but be sure yours has a full charge or you will need all day to get to Peel!
On another, and earlier, topic: driving left and right. One stop on our cruise was St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. I went into a car rental agency in St John so we could drive around the island. "You do realise we drive on the left here?" I was asked. "You aren't listening to my accent" I replied (still defiantly British after 37 years on this side of the Atlantic). However, before anything was finalised my wife came to tell me she had been bargaining with a taxi driver who would take us everywhere we wanted to go at a lower price than the rental.
Then I discovered that, although driving on the left, all the cars on St Thomas are US models and left-hand drive. Moreover, the roads are narrow, heavily potholed, and have no signposts or even names; and everyone drives like madmen. Thank heavens for wives who look into all the options!
Our driver was a fascinating character (actually a Dominican -- from the island, not the order of monks) and took us to more places than we had arranged for.
Never caught sight of Crab Island, though.