At 6 AM, I awoke to watch the sun climb over the hills surrounding Admiralty Bay.  There’s nothing like sitting there first thing in the morning with a cup of coffee, taking in the serene beauty of the place before the day gets into full gear.

Unfortunately, that pleasure would be short-lived, as I reluctantly turned the key on the iron jib for the last time.  We pulled up the hook and lumbered out of the harbour.  A brief motor across the Bequia Channel and we were at the Blue Lagoon.

A quick check-in, packing of bags, taxi to the airport, and we were heading home.  St. Vincent is the only country I know where you can clear out of Customs with a rum in your hands.  I set the beverage down on the desk while the kind official stamped my passport.  A quick hop to Barbados and a pit-stop at Frankies before we boarded Air Canada 967 for home.  In no time I was in a Limo and in my own bed for the first time in 11 days.

Epilogue

You should by now be wondering if Winston’s car was still in the parking lot.  We left him in the Limo after it dropped me off, so I heard the story unfold later.

In fact, his car was gone.  Surprise, surprise.  The Limo cost Winston an extra $30 (keep a running tab on this) to take him all the way home.  In the morning, his other car would not start due to a dead battery, so a taxi to work cost him $30.  He called the police to find out where his car was taken, but they could not provide him with any information without the vehicle registration number – information that was carefully tucked away in the glove compartment of the vehicle he was trying to locate.

The telephone number for his insurance company (who would know this information) was at home.  The two-way taxi trip ran him another $50.  He finally called the police with the registration number only to learn that they had in fact NOT picked up the car.  Before panic set in, police advised him to check with security at the shopping centre, as they often have vehicles towed privately.

Security did confirm towing the vehicle.  Taxi to the impound lot ran him another $40.  Towing fee and 10 days storage was another $250.  On his way home with the vehicle, something was not working properly.  He managed to limp to a service station, only to learn that the alternator had gone, possibly related to the towing.  So, for another $350, the vacation was finally over.

For you financially-minded individuals who are wondering, the entire vacation cost Winston just under $2,000 CAD.  The car trouble cost him an additional $710.

What I learned from this experience is, that the next time we invite Winston along, we plan to initiate the “Winston Watch” 48 hours in advance, not 24.