So here I am suddenly back to the single old soul travelling. We take the ferry back to St Kitts and whilst it was the smoothest one yet, it still had Gill hanging on for dear life as we crossed the very slightly choppy bit.
We had a few hours to spare before the flight, so had a last rum punch together in the duty free complex in St Kitts, remarkably empty as for a change, there was no cruise ship in. There were shops, proper shops! A little late in the day, but so amazed at the selection, we shopped....
All too soon, it was time to move on to St Kitts airport. It's billed as the "best mid size airport in the Caribbean" and boasts of bar, restaurant, info screens..... Think they were all having a day off when we were there.... Ant and I both boarded the BA flight from St Kitts, but I got off in Antigua whilst Ant stayed on to go back to London.
Very weird saying tata on a plane.... Just wish he had got off too. But we had a great time covering loads of islands. Trinidad (Ant only), Tobago, Grenada, (from here Ant also did Carriacou, Mayreau, Petit Martinique and Tobago Cays on the yacht), St Vincent, Bequia, Mustique, St Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Antigua, St Kitts and Nevis.
In terms of real adventure, it was less challenging than other trips, but that came at a price. We now realise why there are no backpackers in the Caribbean, it's flashpacker prices only...
And the whole place, or at least certainly the places we went to, seems to have "had its day" in the tourist sense of the word. Given we were travelling in the Caribbean peak season of December/January, virtually all the hotels have had extremely low occupancy rates, but that didn't stop them charging peak season rates. Shops, bars, restaurants, tourist sites looked scruffy and often were boarded up. Prices were sky high everywhere, and whilst we understand that goods have to be transported here at a cost, there was always the feeling of being ripped off and "tourist prices" being obvious. Taxi associations (which the taxi drivers call "the Government"), set the prices at levels that are far higher than even in London, it means that there is no negotiation, just a big cartel.
But perhaps what has happened is that the tourist economy has moved from land to sea, with the land based stuff having a very hard time. The cruise ship economy here seems alive and kicking - well pehaps not kicking as the age demographic seems a little on the older side.... Regularly the cruise ships dock with totals of up to 9000 people if three are in port at once, but talking to the taxi drivers very few make it farther than the duty free area. The stats on spend are are not clear, but from our own observations, the local economies don't seem to benefit much.
The yachting economy seems to be faring a little better, again, not a scientific fact, more an observation of ours, especially in places like Bequia, whose lovely harbour was packed with all sizes of sailing yachts. English Harbour in Antigua was solid with sailing yachts and huge gin palace motor yachts, worthy of any Russian oligarch. Perhaps the land based tourist has moved East to the Tiger economies, will report on that when I get there.....
But apart from needing a Bank of England loan to pay off the credit cards, we did have a great time and here are our favourite bits.
Being met by Gill at Tobago airport (obviously one from Ant...)
Ant returning from his week's sailing course (obviously one from Gill...)
Going to Turtle Beach Hotel in Tobago where Gill really started her travel bug many years' ago.
Dinners at Maruerite's in Tobago.
Driving around and getting lost in our jeep in Tobago.
Nights in cooking pasta in Bequia and the fab beds there.
Crossing to Mustique - perhaps the crossing itself was more of an Ant high, but the cocktail at the Cotton House and rum punch at Basil's are certainly up there for Gill!
Our tiny SVG plane flight from Bequia to St Lucia.
Mad dash across St Lucia to connect with a ferry we didn't even know was running.
Another one from Ant, enjoying the ferries. Gill's high on this one was surviving the ferries.....
The hot pools in Dominica.
Learning the geography of the Southern Caribbean and bringing the map to life.
The lunar eclipse, seen in the middle of the night from land by Gill and from the sea by Ant, and communicating with each other on facebook at the time.....mad!
Two more of Ant's, Tobago Cays, his mind's eye Caribbean, and the night sail.
Hanging on in the open trucks at night careering at speed round the bends and hills in Bequia.
Rum punch everywhere, but two stand out, the first at immigration in Grenada, the second the Killer Bee in Sunshine's, Nevis. We now find out that one was packed with a mix of normal and way over proof rum....
Friendly local people everywhere, helping with the odd bus systems.
Lunch at The Montpelier Plantation, Nevis. Best food of the trip.
The Custom's Hall at St Vincent, the friendliest custom's officers anywhere amidst a complete jumble of bags, boxes and veg all tied up with loads of string.
Walking the five miles from the hills into Roseau, Dominica in the rain and sheltering wherever we could, a great way of meeting local people.
English Harbour in Antigua, and a good lunch there.
The dramatic volcanic scenery in St Kitts and Nevis.
Hopping on and off the local buses in all the islands.
Christmas lunch of Caesar Salad and dinner of lobster on the beach in Bequia.
Going to the opening night game of the 20 20 cricket in Antigua.
New Year's Eve in Bequia with the fireworks and the flares from all the yachts soaring over the harbour.
Waking up in Dingley Dell (aka Papilotte Wilderness Resort in Dominica). We had arrived in the dark so the next morning it looked like fairyland.
The rainforest walk in Dominica.
The Parang Christmas singers in Castara, Tobago.
Discovering our best beaches, Lower Bay and Princess Margaret's Bay in Bequia. Next best beach to those was Grand Anse in Guadeloupe.
Learning (aka playing) with the iPads.
All the nice, friendly and helpful local people we chatted to.
Disappointments
Taxi rip offs.
The Nisbet Plantation, Nevis
Food generally, little choice and average quality.
The stupendously high prices.
Lack of other travellers.
Disappointing beaches.
Martinique.
Guadeloupe.
No shopping!
Favourite Island Ranking
Dominica
Grenada
Antigua
Bequia
St Kitts
Tobago
Nevis
Mustique
Martinique
Guadeloupe
Biggest giggling fits
Getting completely soaked on the rowing boat up to Indian River in Dominica, and then passing perfectly dry tourists coming back as they had missed the monumental downpour....
One rum punch too many and eating Pringles to soak it up on the dock at Nevis.
Missing our stop on the way to the cricket in Antigua, and ending up we knew not where, we giggled as did the driver when we admitted our stupidity!
Getting soaked by a rogue wave on the ferry between St Kitts and Nevis - well Ant giggled as Gill took the full force...
Ant's (well deserved....) hissy fits in the reception of Papilotte and The Nisbet Plantation, well, Gill giggled anyway.....
Realising our total ignorance of the stars, the moon and the planets as we gazed into the clear night skies and tried to match them up with the iPad Star Walk app.
All in all a great trip, so the Southern half of the Caribbean ticked!
And here are some more of our favourite pics
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
