Our guidebooks describe Mustique as an island hideaway for the rich and famous. We read that David Bowie has sold up and moved away, but Mick Jagger is still kicking around and in fact is on the island as we speak. (We haven't run into him -- yet.) The island is privately owned by the Mustique Company, and while they don't limit who can come here by boat they do charge a fee to anchor or pick up a mooring which means that some folks give the island a miss so the anchorage is not too crowded. Besides there are only three restaurant/bars on the island, and our wardrobes preclude us from going to two of them (Ties & jackets? Only if foul weather jackets count!). Basil's Bar is the most casual of the three and we arrived on a Wednesday, just in time for Basil's Wednesday night buffet and jump-up.
The buffet dinner started late for us (8pm!), so we arrived a little early and hung out by the door keeping our eyes peeled for aging rock stars or any of society's creme de la creme. We didn't see any drunk socialites, but let me tell you the Euro-tourists were so entertaining that we weren't disappointed. The food was pricey but nothing special; we actually wished we'd skipped dinner and just paid the US$6 entry fee for the jump-up (translation: dance party) afterward. The band started out with a cheesy rendition of Lionel Richie's "Stuck On You", which is apparently more popular in other parts of the world than you think it is (or than it should be). But from there it proceeded to reggae and soca and soon the dance floor was crowded with tourists hilariously getting their groove on. Remember those Peanuts cartoons when the kids jam out while Schroeder plays the Linus & Lucy theme? Well this was like Charlie Brown on speed. Good grief! But we hung out and enjoyed the band until almost twelve (okay, you got me -- 11:15!).
The next day we took a walk across the island over to the Cotton House Resort, where we had drinks at the beach bar (their regular bar being one of the two more exclusive ones -- people wearing sweaty baseball caps need not apply). Again, no celebrity sightings to report but the drink prices at the beach bar were more reasonable than expected (we were hungry but quick glance at the menu revealed that a BLT was US$17, so we just stuck to the drinks!). Then this morning we wandered up in the direction of Firefly (the other one of the "dress code" bars) and at 10am it was empty so we ventured inside to see what we were missing. It was really posh and had stellar views of the harbor, but being hot and sweaty from our hike up the hill we opted not to spend too much time there. Afterward, on our way down the hill we walked along with a friendly (and chatty) local boat captain named Garnett, who filled us in on all the dish about the island and its residents. He's had the chance to ferry around some of the rich, famous, and royal (yes, both Prince William and Harry!) and in fact just a few days ago he saw Mr. Jagger himself. Well, we leave tomorrow and it's looking doubtful that we'll spot ol' Mick. But then again you know what they say: "You Can't Always Get What You Want".
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