Postcard from Antigua
It’s 80 degrees here in Antigua, but we’re comfortable on a big catamaran, with its big sail billowing in the breeze and oversize net to lounge upon. We’re all experiencing that sense of community travelers often find themselves in when touring together. We’re relaxed and careers are miles away. We don’t have any big expectations, just hoping to see a few colorful tropical fish.
Our guide walks around serving sliced banana and mango, and his infectious laugher only heightens our euphoria amidst the salty air and blaring reggae music.
“You all excited about snorkeling?” he asks, with an Antiguan Creole accent.
An important colonial base for the Royal Navy, this British Commonwealth gained its independence as recently as 1981. The remains of an old Georgian-era harbor and historic forts can be found at Nelson’s Dockyard, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Saint Paul Parish. It’s also home to some of Antigua's sailing and yachting events.
Our guide continues, raising his voice over a Bob Marley tune, “We have 365 beaches, one for each day of the year. Who wants to stay?” Amidst the chuckles, several of us discussed the feasibility. What would it take to pick up and move to a tropical island, especially one with a circumference of only 54 miles? A quick call to the boss is all it would take.
From the US, non-stop flights are available from NYC and Miami. Horseback riding on the beach, romantic sunsets at Shirley Heights lookout, excursions Devil’s Bridge, where blowholes blow water high and fast, are just a few of the many things to do in Antigua.
Each place I visit conveys beauty, fascinating history, as well as unique cuisine and culture. Antigua is no exception. At the end of the day, we all toasted with a rum punch agreeing that good things really do come in small packages.
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