Jetblue flight horribly delayed due to a problem with the plane. Butch and I ditched everyone at the airport and are flying home on American.
Good luck to the rest of the gang.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
I will not have a salad. Thank you.
Walked into town last night for dinner.
We ate at Maydays which is owned by a couple who hail from Austria and Hungary. The Mayday's menu has both local dishes and dishes from the owner's home countries. I had Wiener Schnitzel. In the Caribbean. It was as good as any that I had in Vienna. Not that I'm an expert.
Here we are with our complimentary shots of local rum. It tasted like Scotch. Not that I'm an expert.
After breakfast at Castaways this morning, we had our last swim in the ocean. As you can imagine, none of us are too excited about returning to the cold weather.
I leave you with some parting shots.
The bagpipers playing "Amazing Grace" and walking into the sea.
Jeff with his "workout buddy" in the distance.
Sunset on the beach
We figured out who owns the house we've been enjoying all week: Brigitte Vosse. http://nymag.com/listings/stores/brigitte_nyc/
This will be my last post of the trip unless something exciting happens on our return flight. Stay tuned for my next trip...
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Last full day. Sigh.
Today is our last full day in Antigua. The car arrives at 1 pm tomorrow to take us back to the cold. It's always fun to be on vacation but I do miss NYC.
Last night's dinner at Castaways was very good. The Friday night BBQ includes an ample buffet of local food.
JetBlue has still not refunded us for our canceled flights here or for our checked bag fees. When JetBlue works it is great but when it doesn't you don't have that many options. I prefer the bigger airlines. They have more options to re-route you when problems arise.
We had this brilliant idea to open all the windows in the van this morning to let it air out. Unfortunately, the plan went awry when it poured for about 10 minutes this morning. A good soaking is not doing anything to dispel the musty smell.
We spent the day hanging around the villa and swimming in the ocean.
Butch and I climbed up to the hills overlooking the beach this morning.
From the hills overlooking our beach, we saw another beach along the mouth of the harbor. Butch, Eric and I went exploring this afternoon to find that other beach. I was on my bike and Butch and Eric were in the golf cart. There are 365 beaches in Antigua and everyone is slightly different. The beach near the mouth of the harbor is called North Beach and the water is much clearer since it is protected inside the harbor.
The view of North Beach from the hills
Not sure what we are doing for dinner tonight. I think we are going into town.
More pictures of the gang
Last night's dinner at Castaways was very good. The Friday night BBQ includes an ample buffet of local food.
JetBlue has still not refunded us for our canceled flights here or for our checked bag fees. When JetBlue works it is great but when it doesn't you don't have that many options. I prefer the bigger airlines. They have more options to re-route you when problems arise.
We had this brilliant idea to open all the windows in the van this morning to let it air out. Unfortunately, the plan went awry when it poured for about 10 minutes this morning. A good soaking is not doing anything to dispel the musty smell.
We spent the day hanging around the villa and swimming in the ocean.
Butch and I climbed up to the hills overlooking the beach this morning.
Our villa is on the South Beach of Jolly Harbour. I highly recommend staying in Jolly Harbour if you are planning a visit. The South Beach is very long and not very crowded. The people from the cruise ships are here on Thursdays and Fridays but they congregate around Castaways and leave by late afternoon. Dickenson Bay is a beautiful beach but it is too crowded. Hawksbill Beach was our favorite beach but it is so remote that I don't recommend staying there. Jolly Harbour has both a great beach and a town with restaurants and bars.
From the hills overlooking our beach, we saw another beach along the mouth of the harbor. Butch, Eric and I went exploring this afternoon to find that other beach. I was on my bike and Butch and Eric were in the golf cart. There are 365 beaches in Antigua and everyone is slightly different. The beach near the mouth of the harbor is called North Beach and the water is much clearer since it is protected inside the harbor.
The view of North Beach from the hills
Not sure what we are doing for dinner tonight. I think we are going into town.
More pictures of the gang
Friday, January 29, 2016
Of Rain and Devils
As you read from the previous post, our grand plan was to get up early, pack lunches and spend the day on the eastern side of the island.
Everything was going perfectly. We left just past 8 with our swimming gear, sandwiches and a cooler full of adult beverages.
We arrived at Devil's Bridge just past 9. Devil's Bridge is a natural arch carved into the limestone by the ocean waves. All the literature says to not cross the bridge since it is very slippery and the current is very strong below.
Here is Eric winning the Horse's Ass award for the trip. Yup. That's him crossing the bridge.
After spending some time exploring the Devil's Bridge park, we drove over to Long Bay Beach with the intention of staying there until early afternoon.
At Long Bay, we finally found some clear water. Here are the underwater pictures you've all been waiting for
Unfortunately, soon after I took these pictures. It started to rain and rain and rain. We decided to return to the villa to eat those yummy sandwiches.
We've spent the afternoon relaxing around the villa. It rains on and off for a few minutes at a time. We are going to the bonfire and BBQ at Castaways tonight.
Everything was going perfectly. We left just past 8 with our swimming gear, sandwiches and a cooler full of adult beverages.
We arrived at Devil's Bridge just past 9. Devil's Bridge is a natural arch carved into the limestone by the ocean waves. All the literature says to not cross the bridge since it is very slippery and the current is very strong below.
Here is Eric winning the Horse's Ass award for the trip. Yup. That's him crossing the bridge.
After spending some time exploring the Devil's Bridge park, we drove over to Long Bay Beach with the intention of staying there until early afternoon.
At Long Bay, we finally found some clear water. Here are the underwater pictures you've all been waiting for
Unfortunately, soon after I took these pictures. It started to rain and rain and rain. We decided to return to the villa to eat those yummy sandwiches.
We've spent the afternoon relaxing around the villa. It rains on and off for a few minutes at a time. We are going to the bonfire and BBQ at Castaways tonight.
Don't forget to Air Wick the van
Today, we are going on our farthest excursion of the week not counting Trinidad of course.
We are going to see Devil's Bridge which is possibly the farthest point east on the island. Antigua is not a very big island which adds to its charms. Any trip in the van first requires us to open all the windows and apply a liberal dousing of Air Wick.
At dinner last night, we all decided this is our favorite island so far. The beaches are beautiful, there are many things to see and do and it is easy to get around.
Butch and I insisted on walking to dinner last night so the remaining 5 rode in the golf cart. "Svelte" was never a word used to describe anyone in this group so you can only imagine the strain on that ancient cart.
We ate dinner at The Firehouse Grill last night. I highly recommend it and not just because the waitress joined in to our non-stop teasing of Jeff.
Speaking of Jeff, he has mad skills. We stopped at 2 bars after dinner. He fell asleep sitting up at the first one. We woke him up upon leaving only to have him promptly fall asleep at the second bar. We ordered him a beer anyway. As we were leaving, we noticed his beer was empty. With no one noticing and seemingly while asleep, Jeff managed to drink his beer. Now that is impressive.
Here we are enjoying some after dinner conversation
Enjoying the water
Next update upon our return from the far east.
We are going to see Devil's Bridge which is possibly the farthest point east on the island. Antigua is not a very big island which adds to its charms. Any trip in the van first requires us to open all the windows and apply a liberal dousing of Air Wick.
At dinner last night, we all decided this is our favorite island so far. The beaches are beautiful, there are many things to see and do and it is easy to get around.
Butch and I insisted on walking to dinner last night so the remaining 5 rode in the golf cart. "Svelte" was never a word used to describe anyone in this group so you can only imagine the strain on that ancient cart.
We ate dinner at The Firehouse Grill last night. I highly recommend it and not just because the waitress joined in to our non-stop teasing of Jeff.
Speaking of Jeff, he has mad skills. We stopped at 2 bars after dinner. He fell asleep sitting up at the first one. We woke him up upon leaving only to have him promptly fall asleep at the second bar. We ordered him a beer anyway. As we were leaving, we noticed his beer was empty. With no one noticing and seemingly while asleep, Jeff managed to drink his beer. Now that is impressive.
Here we are enjoying some after dinner conversation
Enjoying the water
Next update upon our return from the far east.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Soaring to new heights
I'm writing this while listening to some bagpipers playing (blowing, squeezing? Not sure what the right term is) out on the beach. Amazing.
Today, Butch, Jamie and I decided to drive down to the English Harbour while the rest of the gang opted to spend the day at the villa. Personally, I feel like our decision was better. We toured Nelson's Dockyard and drove up to Shirley's Heights. The view from Shirley's Heights is breathtaking.
So far this is my favorite picture from the trip
The rest of the gang lounged around the pool, swam in the ocean and made a few trips to Castaways. My readers can decide who had the better day.
Before leaving this morning, Butch and I walked over to town to rent a golf cart for the rest of the gang. Butch is getting tired of needing the horrible van for all the beer runs. Readers of the previous island blogs will not be surprised to learn that this van is just as bad as all the others. In addition, this van came equipped with a very strong musty smell free of charge.
After we finish the round of Pina Coladas that Eric just made, we are heading into town for dinner.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
You had me at all-you-can-drink...
We had such a great time at the Rex Resort at Hawksbill Beach that we decided to try their resort at Dickenson Bay.
Same deal at Dickenson Bay - $40 per person for all you can eat and drink. We were surprised the other hotel did not call ahead to warn them about us. While the food at the Dickenson Bay hotel was better, the drinks were much too sweet for me. The bartender Heleen was as good as Millie though. She and her staff took excellent care of us all day.
Dickenson Bay is an absolutely beautiful beach but it's more crowded and more commercial than the other beaches we visited. This is one of the beaches visited by the throngs of people from the cruise ships. We were hoping for clear water for snorkeling but the water was just as sandy and cloudy as the other beaches. I think we need to go farther out from shore to get to a good snorkeling spot.
I don't want my readers to think I've become jaded just 3 days into vacation. Dickenson Bay is an amazing beach but it pales in comparison to the others we have visited so far.
Selfie taken with the underwater camera. The water was too cloudy for an actual underwater selfie.
After a hectic day at the beach, we returned to the villa for some much needed R&R.
We are all questioning Jeff's decision to go with the SPF 4 so early into the trip. Let's see how he feels tomorrow.
Inspired by the Jane Fonda-esque beach workout routine of our banana hammock wearing neighbor, we decided to attempt some beach exercise of our own.
File this under #worst_pryamid_ever,
Same deal at Dickenson Bay - $40 per person for all you can eat and drink. We were surprised the other hotel did not call ahead to warn them about us. While the food at the Dickenson Bay hotel was better, the drinks were much too sweet for me. The bartender Heleen was as good as Millie though. She and her staff took excellent care of us all day.
Dickenson Bay is an absolutely beautiful beach but it's more crowded and more commercial than the other beaches we visited. This is one of the beaches visited by the throngs of people from the cruise ships. We were hoping for clear water for snorkeling but the water was just as sandy and cloudy as the other beaches. I think we need to go farther out from shore to get to a good snorkeling spot.
I don't want my readers to think I've become jaded just 3 days into vacation. Dickenson Bay is an amazing beach but it pales in comparison to the others we have visited so far.
Selfie taken with the underwater camera. The water was too cloudy for an actual underwater selfie.
After a hectic day at the beach, we returned to the villa for some much needed R&R.
We are all questioning Jeff's decision to go with the SPF 4 so early into the trip. Let's see how he feels tomorrow.
Inspired by the Jane Fonda-esque beach workout routine of our banana hammock wearing neighbor, we decided to attempt some beach exercise of our own.
File this under #worst_pryamid_ever,
More pictures from Hawksbill Beach
Eric serving us drinks prepared from Millie our favorite bartender. When we were leaving, she pulled us aside to let us know her schedule for the rest of the week and the other bar on the island where she works.
The rock formation which gives Hawksbill its name.
At the end of the day leaving Hawksbill
Last night, we ventured over to The Crow's Nest for some drinks and music, rode our rented bikes up and down the road in front of the villa like little kids, brought a beer to the security lady manning the gate for this community and laughed and laughed and laughed until the tears were streaming down our faces.
Today, we are going to try another beach on this side of the island.
Here's the itinerary:
Beach With Waves - Done
Beach With Clear Water - Today
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Do you like Penis Colada?
Today was an exceptionally good day in Antigua.
Due to our 24 hrs of traveling, we were exhausted last night and none of us were in much of a hurry to get moving this morning.
Some of us were much more exhausted than others. The hotel in Trinidad only had 2 rooms available so Butch, Jeff and I shared one room and Allison, Eric, Charlene and Jamie shared the other. My room was nice and quiet; lights off at 1 am and everyone sleeping soundly in a few minutes after that. We did not stir until our 5 am wake up call. The other room was dominated by Eric's epic snoring interleaved with his talking in his sleep. Jamie and Charlene have a new found appreciation for Allison's life. It goes something like this "How do you not smother him with a pillow?"
Pictures from our beach and pool.
This morning we finally got moving around 10 am. Butch wanted to go to a beach with waves so we went to the surfer beach, Galley Bay beach. We arrived to find a red flag and really scary crashing waves. Butch said he likes waves but also likes being alive. So we left. The waves in Jolly Harbour are too small and the waves in Galley Bay are too big.
We drove around the corner to Hawksbill Beach. The waves here were just right. Everything about Hawksbill was just right. Perfect actually.
Hawksbill Beach is actually 4 beaches at the Rex Resorts. You can park outside the resort and go to the beaches but, for $40 per person, you get chairs, lunch and unlimited drinks from the bar. OMG. Did the Rex lose money on us. The bartender Millie made Pina Colada after Pina Colada.
The most remote beach at Hawksbill is a nude beach. Charlene and I walked over to the nude beach. To quote Elaine Benes, "Naked is not a good look for a man."
I'll post more pictures tomorrow. The internet at the house is being too slow and annoying to upload pictures.
Due to our 24 hrs of traveling, we were exhausted last night and none of us were in much of a hurry to get moving this morning.
Some of us were much more exhausted than others. The hotel in Trinidad only had 2 rooms available so Butch, Jeff and I shared one room and Allison, Eric, Charlene and Jamie shared the other. My room was nice and quiet; lights off at 1 am and everyone sleeping soundly in a few minutes after that. We did not stir until our 5 am wake up call. The other room was dominated by Eric's epic snoring interleaved with his talking in his sleep. Jamie and Charlene have a new found appreciation for Allison's life. It goes something like this "How do you not smother him with a pillow?"
Pictures from our beach and pool.
This morning we finally got moving around 10 am. Butch wanted to go to a beach with waves so we went to the surfer beach, Galley Bay beach. We arrived to find a red flag and really scary crashing waves. Butch said he likes waves but also likes being alive. So we left. The waves in Jolly Harbour are too small and the waves in Galley Bay are too big.
We drove around the corner to Hawksbill Beach. The waves here were just right. Everything about Hawksbill was just right. Perfect actually.
Hawksbill Beach is actually 4 beaches at the Rex Resorts. You can park outside the resort and go to the beaches but, for $40 per person, you get chairs, lunch and unlimited drinks from the bar. OMG. Did the Rex lose money on us. The bartender Millie made Pina Colada after Pina Colada.
The most remote beach at Hawksbill is a nude beach. Charlene and I walked over to the nude beach. To quote Elaine Benes, "Naked is not a good look for a man."
I'll post more pictures tomorrow. The internet at the house is being too slow and annoying to upload pictures.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Better late than never...
After traveling 24 hrs including a pit stop in wonderful Trinidad, we have arrived in Antigua.
This is the hands-down, no contest, do not pass Go, best house we have ever rented.
This is the view from our house
A pool and on the beach - the picture speaks for itself.
A few more pictures in case you are not sufficiently jealous yet
Speaking of Trinidad, if we never return again it will be too soon. They have the slowest customs that I have ever encountered. 1 person on duty.
We are already well known at Castaways, the bar just down the beach from our house.
Today, we will spend the rest of the day just swimming and hanging around the house.
This is the hands-down, no contest, do not pass Go, best house we have ever rented.
This is the view from our house
A pool and on the beach - the picture speaks for itself.
A few more pictures in case you are not sufficiently jealous yet
Speaking of Trinidad, if we never return again it will be too soon. They have the slowest customs that I have ever encountered. 1 person on duty.
We are already well known at Castaways, the bar just down the beach from our house.
Today, we will spend the rest of the day just swimming and hanging around the house.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Greetings from Trinidad. Not kidding.
The Good News: Our Caribbean Airlines flight took off from JFK. We were in terminal 4 advertised as the "Terminal of Choice" at JFK. I have to admit there is a good selection of bars and restaurants in Terminal 4.
The Bad News: We have a 9 hr layover in Trinidad. Seriously.
The Bad News: We have a 9 hr layover in Trinidad. Seriously.
The Good News: It's a new country and one that was not on any list that I could ever have imagined.
In order to qualify as a new country, you have to leave the airport and have a meal so I'm writing this from a hotel room at The Regent Star. They have a shuttle bus to and from the airport. The driver also shuttled us over to the market to buy some beer.
If our luck continues we will be on the beach in Antigua in a few more hours.
Charlene has had exceptionally good luck so far. In our haste to book the tickets last night, her name was misspelled as "Shalene." The lady at the ticket counter was able to fix the booking for her. Then she got a free drink at the bar at the airport. Who gets a free drink at an airport bar? Shalene does. That's who.
In what will undoubtably not be the last picture of us at a bar, here we are happy to be escaping the snow
Speaking of snow, here they are clearing it from JFK
Next update from Antigua!
Romance... Really?
The cover of Condé Nast Traveler this month is "The Romance of Travel."
JetBlue cancelled our flight so I am writing this from Connecticut and the second question on my mind is "what exactly about travel is Romantic?" Travel is a slog until you finally get to your destination.
The first question on my mind continues to be "Why did I not go with my first instinct?" I had this feeling that JetBlue would cancel the flight and that's why I booked that ridiculous multi-hop flight out of Bradley. The weather report scared me off so I decided to take my chances after the snow. You live. You learn. Always go before the snow.
I booked 3 different flights for today and tomorrow that will eventually get us to Antigua. We will be a day or 2 late but that much promised romance awaits us.
If all goes well we will be there tomorrow and I will add an unexpected country to the 50 by 50 quest.
I was really mad about the snow and making the wrong decision about the flights but then I realized that I have no right to be mad. A dear friend of my family was badly injured last week. He has a right to be mad. Me? Not so much. I have good friends to travel with and the sun awaits us.
Next update from wherever it is that we get stuck next...
JetBlue cancelled our flight so I am writing this from Connecticut and the second question on my mind is "what exactly about travel is Romantic?" Travel is a slog until you finally get to your destination.
The first question on my mind continues to be "Why did I not go with my first instinct?" I had this feeling that JetBlue would cancel the flight and that's why I booked that ridiculous multi-hop flight out of Bradley. The weather report scared me off so I decided to take my chances after the snow. You live. You learn. Always go before the snow.
I booked 3 different flights for today and tomorrow that will eventually get us to Antigua. We will be a day or 2 late but that much promised romance awaits us.
If all goes well we will be there tomorrow and I will add an unexpected country to the 50 by 50 quest.
I was really mad about the snow and making the wrong decision about the flights but then I realized that I have no right to be mad. A dear friend of my family was badly injured last week. He has a right to be mad. Me? Not so much. I have good friends to travel with and the sun awaits us.
Next update from wherever it is that we get stuck next...
Monday, January 18, 2016
Whenever we get there...
The group who brought you the Barbados Bacchanal and Loose in St. Lucia are back for the 2016 edition of their beach trip.
This time we are off to Antigua for a full week stay at the White House of Jolly Harbour.
Whenever we get there.
It was the mildest winter on record right up until the weekend we are flying.
Butch and I attempted to fly around the storm by booking tickets out of Hartford for Saturday afternoon. That was a great plan up until the time that the storm decided to track farther north and engulf that airport too. The winning strategy would have been to leave Friday evening.
We are all watching the weather and hoping our flight out of JFK tomorrow morning is not delayed too long. At the very least, we will all be stranded together at JFK which will make some bartender very happy. Well... we will be stranded right up until Chris can find an American Airlines flight out of there. Everyone knows that I am not afraid to ditch the group.
Besides the uncertainty of the travel conditions, all the usual questions remain...
Can we really visit all 365 beaches?
When will Lindsay "Charlene" Lohan make her first appearance?
Who will be Chris's adventure buddy?
Banks or Piton or Wadadli?
Will be really be "alive" at the end of the week?
Stay tuned for updates from the trip.
For those keeping score, this is my 30th country. I need 4 more countries in 2016 to stay on pace to reach 50 by 50.
This time we are off to Antigua for a full week stay at the White House of Jolly Harbour.
Whenever we get there.
It was the mildest winter on record right up until the weekend we are flying.
Butch and I attempted to fly around the storm by booking tickets out of Hartford for Saturday afternoon. That was a great plan up until the time that the storm decided to track farther north and engulf that airport too. The winning strategy would have been to leave Friday evening.
We are all watching the weather and hoping our flight out of JFK tomorrow morning is not delayed too long. At the very least, we will all be stranded together at JFK which will make some bartender very happy. Well... we will be stranded right up until Chris can find an American Airlines flight out of there. Everyone knows that I am not afraid to ditch the group.
Besides the uncertainty of the travel conditions, all the usual questions remain...
Can we really visit all 365 beaches?
When will Lindsay "Charlene" Lohan make her first appearance?
Who will be Chris's adventure buddy?
Banks or Piton or Wadadli?
Will be really be "alive" at the end of the week?
Stay tuned for updates from the trip.
For those keeping score, this is my 30th country. I need 4 more countries in 2016 to stay on pace to reach 50 by 50.
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