Day 55

St. John’s, Antigua. What have I seen in Antigua before? The shops right outside the port…that’s what. Every time we’ve been here it has usually been after an active day in Tortola. Tortolla? I’m pretty sure there is just one “L.” So, normally I have been Christmas shopping, getting coffee, getting Ting, or using the internet. This time Jen and Larrance proposed a taxi tour around the island stopping at a few key spots. The plan was to go to Nelson’s Dockyard (an old timey dock), Devil’s Bridge (an old timey natural rock formation), and Long Bay Beach (a beach with soft, white sand…old timey sand). We followed the plan.

Nelson’s Dockyard was a nice little place. We didn’t have much time to spend there, but it was still in working order with old buildings as well. There were a lot of nice boats docked there. On the drive to the Dockyard our taxi driver told us island info. He stopped by an odd building made of limestone. He said it was an old sugar mill. There were 156 (or something like that) originally on the island (I think they had windmill blades originally). Around 100 still stand (no windmill things). We saw them every so often on our travels. We also saw a lot of livestock wandering around.

Devil’s Bridge looked huge and mighty in pictures we have seen…not so much. It was still cool though. Water crashed underneath it and sprayed up sometimes. I got hit by a big one while I was taking pictures. I just had enough time to turn and protect the camera. I’m really glad I just brought my little camera with me…I almost brought the big boy, but our last destination was a beach and I didn’t want sand on it.

The beach had some snorkeling…not as good as Smiths Cove, but it is hard to compare to that place I guess. I can tell I’m not going to be satisfied until I find a better place…and then I’ll have to find something better than that. I guess by “better” I would settle for “clear water for good photos.”

We had to be back on the ship by 4:30…we got back to the port by 4:17. As we were walking back on the boardwalk a guy dropped his drivers license and it went right through a crack in the boards. They couldn’t see it through the cracks at first, so I used my height to lie down and look around and under the pier. I saw it floating there. The guy who dropped it quickly took off his shirt and shoes. Someone said “you can use that boat!” and pointed to a little nearby raft…it was locked up. I don’t know what he said to his wife, but he put his shirt on and I looked again. The license was gone. He could have jumped in and got it, but he missed his window. Oh well.

Tomorrow is our first chance to go to a hang out beach place called the boat yard in Barbados. Normally we have a show on that day, but it got switched, so we’re free!