2 hrs, 1 km

Last night while chatting with Cecille and the fellow working on her house, he starting running through the list of "dangerous" areas of St Vincent for walking around . To my chagrin, all the places I intended to hike through were included on his list!

I decided I've got to hike around this island anyway, but I am going to be extra vigilant. Calliaqua, is one of those "dangerous" places.

Surely this fellow selling soup at a stall by the side of the road can't be dangerous. He asks me to play some music for him to entertain his customers and I accept. He then pulls out a guitar, and we've got a full blown jam session going! He does a couple of raggae and soca tunes, as a coupe older guys join in passionately. I play a couple originals, and then accept a Bob Marley request, "No Woman, No Cry", although my voice sounds kind of shallow compared to their soulful voices.

Then they belt out what they tell me is St Vincent's unofficial soca anthem. It encapsules the passion and energy of this country perfectly, and I ask if I can record them... but they refuse.

"On weekends we play out here all night long--you should come join us" the soup vendor tells me. I don't know that that will happen... but I will always remember my jam session at at the soup stall in Calliaqua.... their generosity (they refuse to let me pay for my drink... the good natured interaction with the locals who pass (especially the ladies), which is suggestive but not harrassing... Just getting a real taste for the life of the common folk here in this country.