Antigua & Barbuda

I’m traveling with my long-time friend Peggy. My husband David is not so much a beach person and our destination has 365 beaches.

*Our studio accommodations are on the 2nd floor which provides a great view of Falmouth harbor.*

The balcony is the perfect place for waking up with a nice cup of coffee.

*Fully equipped kitchen for lite meals.*

After yesterdays long travel day, we opted for a relaxing beach day. Pigeon beach is a short walk from where we are staying.

The road to Pidgeon Point Beach is bordered by an assortment of greenery.

*Warm sun and tranquil waters are exactly what we needed today.*

*Calm waters are the perfect place to test snorkeling equipment.*

After a nice long rest at Pidgeon Beach we jumped in the car and headed to St. John’s, the capital city and key port.

Steering wheel on the right … it takes two to drive. The navigator and driver each have a big challenge. Both must stay focused and on the watch for potholes, gutters, pedestrians, chickens, dogs and other obstacles.

Still getting used to the reversed British driving but we’re doing great. The turn signal and the windshield wiper stem are reversed so we’re wiping the windshield often. That always brings a laugh.

*Little Ffryes Beach is on the west coast and a beautiful stop for a swim. Only a few people here today.*

*A catamaran full of tourists drops off passengers at a beach restaurant.*

Quick stop to buy fresh fruits and vegetables to nibble on. We trusted the opinion of the vendor to try a few exotic things. We were hoping to find some of Antigua’s black pineapple but it doesn’t come in until Friday.

Next stop is Jolly Beach on the southwest coast. They wanted $25 (US) to sit on two beach chairs. We only had two $20 bills which no one will take because they were slightly torn. We told the woman we’d just sit on the sand. She then told us to go ahead and sit in the chairs (free). Maybe we should carry the torn bills with us to all the beaches.

*Jolly Beach is a delightful place to end the afternoon.*

*It’s Election Day today! The grocery stores had signs posted and shelves with beer and alcohol were roped off.*

We had a hard time finding an early afternoon lunch stop because employees were given four hours off work so they could vote.

*The polls closed at 6:00 pm and local stations followed the counting of ballots.*

Our waitress Shyrainne very proudly showed us her finger dipped in ink to show that she had voted today. Her hope is that they make the retirement age 60 so it will open up jobs for the youth.