After a seven-day escapade in the southern part of the Caribbean, we arrived back in Guadeloupe, which didn't make a particularly good impression on us upon arrival. However, our opinions were subjective back then. Exhausted from the long journey in an old airplane, we wouldn't have been able to appreciate the charms of any place. But as it turned out, our first impressions this time were incredibly accurate. Pointe-a-Pitre, where the ship docked, is the most important city in this French overseas territory. The city is located on Grande Terre, one of the two islands that together form Guadeloupe. Grande Terre is economically more developed than Basse Terre and, importantly, has nicer beaches. Buoyed by our experiences in Martinique and encouraged by the information we gathered from guidebooks, we set out to conquer the city, considering a trip to the beach as well. Just a few steps from the new port is Place de la Victorie, sloping toward the old port basin of La Dares. The sq...