ANTIGUA HOLIDAY 2016 – DAY 8
It just goes to show that blogging isn’t always smooth, sorry that this last day is so late. Especially when this is a hobby for most of us it has to take a back seat to life and paid for work.
The latter days of a vacation are always hard and you must resist the temptation to slide into thought about the return. It is of course necessary to get yourself in a ready state and resorts need to have you out of your room. A car rental offers a very convenient safe storage that you can access the last day easily and at your convenience. Allowing you to leave the resort almost in full if you like. It was this what we did now the halcyon allowed us the use of a room to shower off and prepare for our flight home. You must take advantage one last time of the amazing Antigua water and this involves salt and that salt under clothes feeling. Oh well yes life is hard.
We took a last breakfast and got ready packing wise for checkout, trying to leave stuff out for the last day but also stuff for dress appropriate for a watery return to the UK.
We met Dalston while loading the rental car and said goodbye. This always seemingly a repeated exercise for me and though temporarily sad knowing that I will see him in Antigua again a nice thought. He suggested I should not return before marrying this wonderful woman by my side. I wondered if he had forgotten who I was and was fishing for a tip ?
I made a note to write about beach towels and have no recollection why..was it because they make such a song and dance about looking after them and then such a system of no longer caring to check their return etc…
Very untypical was the weather (this el nino year) we had the worst weather of the week today though it was passable and you could enjoy yourself we had a low due to the week long binge on liquid alcohol and I was missing my daughter.
We decided to go to Falmouth Harbour area and just wing it. I had seen across from the fishing tour a resort that a couple had stayed at and it is so tucked away from the road you would never know it. It was also where we had been the night before and the full moon party thereabouts anyway. The resort is called the Catamaran Hotel and is a prawn pink if such a colour exists.
When is decides to properly rain it can in Antigua and for a moment I thought today might be like that however given our moods and argumentative nature i was somehow fitting we decided to visit the resort and maybe grab another coffee. It is a pleasant spot and worth a look if you want a value stay in Falmouth Harbour.
The rain abated and our hangovers slightly. It had been a moment to talk serious shop as well. I had come away to get some distance to think and I hadn’t done enough of that quality thinking comes to you sometimes when you are ready.
We reverse hydrated and headed round to Pigeon Beach. There was Catherine’s, Bumpkins and the beach itself to entertain on such a moody day. We did have a rum punch at Bumpkins that we took back to the beach between a brief shower. We invented a new sport called sea grape. You have to be in the sea and with a sea grape bud about half the size of a thumbnail aim at your partner. Your target isn’t allowed to move you really have to be prepared to take a strike on the chin. Bless Sanchia did get some in but overall she took a battering to her credit. We seemed to cause interest with our game and it’s always easy to make conversation in Antigua. I would have no issues in coming here as a solo traveller.
There was a party of people who had brought an inflatable trampoline but it seemed it was going to be best used from a boat not the beach. It was fun watching the fun they were having.
That lunch we had local BBQ chicken rice and salad for 25ec I think. I recommend you try the local Antigua food this will cost you around 6 USD. Pigeon beach is possible and somewhat interesting to do snorkeling if you are not really into it but otherwise there is just turtle grass and the odd fish. It’s a safe place to swim as it is so calm.
The Trump Incident
That was our day really and we got back to the halcyon rex and changed and readied for the airport where we dropped the rental car at the airport. Rarely we experienced a delay with BA and the airport is no more comfortable than the old and has few shops etc. There was a funny exchange and I find it difficult to recall with accuracy but the following was true:
We were sitting at a table eating our sandwiches waiting for the plane.
A guy was standing at a tall small table eating his.
I heard someone break wind and must have immediately turned (as you do)
The guy almost jumped as he ‘started’ and he looked around as if to say ‘did that come out loud ?’ – I turned back.
Sanchia doesn’t hide amusement well she started to giggle.
I started to giggle too and I didn’t want to.
Eventually we settled down and went about our business, the guy held firm and ignored the let off.
It was after that I had understood that Sanchia had thought it was ME who had trumped ! That did explain some of her actions but I was shocked. How could she have not got the source noise ? Anyway that was the story of the trump and the vacation.
See you soon Antigua.
