Driving in Antigua – for the best way!
Getting around Antigua is a bit of a pain (unless you drive yourself) so this article is probably one of the best online reads on the subject. Let us know in the comments bellow if you got some value.
My time was getting short in Antigua and my heart was heavy. It has been a hell of a time for me and life was too good for the 3 whole months they were gracious enough to give me at the airport upon arrival. Little did I know at that time the people I would encounter and the friendships I would strike up. That’s the real essence of travel FOR ME at least. Sure places can be amazing but there is nothing like being away from home to bring out your real self. And this then counts for the people you meet often as well and hence why the best friendships I have struck up have been while on such adventures. Give it a go before it’s too late – but here this it’s never too late!
Well one mini event to make the mood less heavy was the fishing tournament’s weigh in. A fishing match open to anyone you just have to get up at stupid o’clock and keep flying on the rum rather than battle a hangover. On board you might try to keep the flow natural. But the main name of the game is trolling. You understand that I missed a trick and didn’t partake in the most fun part. I don’t have a boat * and the people that I know who do stuff on boats just work on them. I wasn’t about to swan in on their perk. So I just got to enjoy the festivities at the weigh in as did hundreds of others.
It was 3 in the afternoon and I had my last dip for the moment in pigeon point beach and set off around the corner for the harbour. Lord Horatio Nelson really did at one point preside over affairs here as the English established a base to strengthen the territories in the west indies. English harbour is a natural one that was selected with high lookouts and fort points from which to fire cannon down into any marauders. Today the flags were the surf kind that sponsors like and there were it has to be said a few too many. There were wine bars cocktail stands and BBQ’s a big set of digital scales allowed photographic opportunities for the fisherman great white hunters that some were 😉
The first boat came in shortly and then all of a sudden they all seemed to be in. Wifi was available and instagram got a rare spike of photos from me. Though I kept having to get close to the scales. Well done guys for getting wifi and not locking it off. So the fish were egressed from the boats into wheelbarrows and then taken to be weighed. Dolphin fish, barracuda, wahoo, king fish the pelagics that get around and have a turn of speed were the fishes most caught. After they were taken back to the boats for cleanup and subsequent gutting etc. Here is where you will see some of the more gory stuff.
To think a few hours ago these fish were cock of the walk in their world. Piers Morgans if you like – now there’s a tangential thought when faced with such a still end game. In truth I would have liked to escape the camera a bit more however the flip side will be me enjoying and reliving the afternoon from the photos. I met various people most I had known some new and it was a family affair. It got busier with boats families and the sun shone down – and I got my first coup du soleil after 3 months. Just a couple of hours running up and down the line of boats looking for the marlins and sail fish I had expected since my last fishing tournament. I decided that I was not going to hang round as Guinness were painting the town black and I had seen all I wanted. I also wanted to enjoy Fig Tree Drive on last time under the sun. I got to the end of the line of boats and kept walking around – I dare not look back as I may have stayed forever. I was going to blast my joyride riddim over the pass.
What lay before me on exiting I have never seen before in all my umpteen times here at the entrance to English Harbour. A sea of cars for as far as the eye could see. Is this what race week is like? All of a sudden Antigua fills up every year. I will be back reporting on this very different time of the year. Anyway Bashment Girl awaited to bury my thoughts and once more I flicked the rio into D for the last Fig Tree Drive I may ever do if my luck one day runs out – no chance no worries menawa leave.
Follow my life in photos
Its not often that Nassan comes to my rescue but the story goes..
I forgot to fill up the rental car and already it was past 2 the time they were going to fill it up, this I realised as I dropped some food left over to John. So had to wind my way back to south finger barriers – arggggg to get the number for the car rental people also thinking that I had next to no credit left.
So managed to get through and I had time to get a fill up (glad I didn’t hang around for you guys) but at this point I also realised I needed some credit later on my phone. I was at the Epicurean supermarket and was thinking – damn I didn’t bother to throw on a shirt. Nassan was right there ‘hey buddy’ they not gonna let you in without a shirt on. He was already offering to lend it to me, I had to do it. It wasn’t so bad and didn’t smell too much. I am not sure what people made of the exchange but they were looking ! Even by Antiguan standards this was new. So today Nassan earned his change and indeed I will throw a couple of shirts his way as I have some to get rid of that are no longer good for me.
Oh yes got the number wrong for the topup too, so John is the lucky winner – but he is very kindly dropping me at the airport anyway.
It has been a couple of days with a bit less than usual sun and this evening the heavens opened somewhat always bringing high winds and like I sometimes do or don’t think (I often think and ignore the thoughts) and decided to eat out in an exposed restaurant. Of course I made the assumption we had seen the last of the storm but in fact it seemed to be circling us like some bald eagle. I meant vulture google just failed me on ‘birds that appear when you are nearly dying to eat you’. But I got there in the end with just my memory.
It does get somehow scary when it sounded like the new renovations to Denni’s main restaurant seemed to be blown away with a crash ! The animals came in – a cat and dog and they came of course close to us. It was like a mini huddle – there was a waitress and the cook who were also around making sure we were ok. I have to say excellent service. I think they would have preferred to leave early for the night and then we go and ruin their plan. That was all in my mind if it were true they didn’t show that at all. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dennis-Cocktail-Bar-Restaurant/207949312617303
So the rain started to come down and it was blowy but we huddled near the counter where earlier the water hadn’t reached and indeed this part of my plan had worked – but light sprinkles of water came at the same time as shrill winds ripped through our tropical dress. It was a bit chilly. And Emily kept talking about hurricanes and how she had wanted to be in one !
I think we ate faster than normal after summer had got scared at some point by I think the rain and wind not the animals. However they seemed to get the blame and the cook comically had to assert his authority with my daughter starting to scream too with the added panic. To be fair it did seem like she was pointing to them. The dog and cat clearly didn’t want to go ‘out there’ ! They couldn’t understand what they had done and that this was their place. The cook had to get closer to them and the fact that they were ignoring him and his demands made it comical to me. You see I have been there before trying to get something done and animals have been in the way. I used to have a dog that would get around your feet while you were trying to manoeuvre to perform open heart surgery. You couldn’t do it at all in a thunderstorm.
There are a couple of lifestyles that you might choose to be in Jolly Harbour (to live and on vacation/holiday) and many people come year after year across the whole year on holiday. It’s popularity is that it offers turnkey home away from home style living.