Martinique is still closed and it's STILL raining

Been here for 5 days now and we haven't had a dry day or night yet, but then we didn't have a dry day in St Lucia or Barbados either. At least everything dries quickly when the sun comes out! We would love to be able to see some of the island but there is no transport as there is no fuel... I was told there are just 5 petrol stations open in the whole island. They want more money.... doesn't everyone but when I asked I was told that the average wage is just 250 euros per month.... not much when you consider that 6 eggs costs 2 Euros (as an example). We wandered around the centre of town yesterday ( Monday) and found everything bar two little shops closed. People were just standing around outside with nothing available to buy apart from the odd bottle or jar. I asked the woman in the general stores if she had any eggs and she said "sh" and sold me some from under the counter. Told me to hide them in my bag so the people outside couldn't see..... Scary moment!! But at least we have eggs if I decide to make pancakes tonight. I have been making bread which comes out quite well in the tropical heat. The local bread we have bought so far is very crumbly and dry.... makes lousy toast!
If all goes well, the strike MAY be over by the end of this week so we can get provisions on board and go off to explore some more of the coast. I keep seeing these beautiful posters of white beaches and palm trees which are supposedly found all over the Caribbean but have yet to see them for myself. The inclement weather doesn't help with this idyllic image of the islands either! A man I spoke to earlier said that it was all very unusual and that they had had over 50 knots of wind in the night through the channel between Dominica and Martinique......not a pleasant sail for them!
I have plenty of access to free wifi at the moment so am making the most of it. It may be a little while before I can post another blog. I have been trying to upload some more photos but this connection is just so slow that I've given up. Will try again as soon as possible.