Crack of dawn and the roosters are crowing. We left our accommodations around 5:00 am and headed for Antigua’s main harbor in the town of Saint John. Our excursion to the island of Barbuda is going to fill the day.
We were nervous about finding a parking place on the streets in Saint John. A harbor security guard directed us to a very convenient parking space close to the dock.
We were directed to be at the dock around 6:30 am. Our ferry departure was delayed by an hour because a cruise ship was docking.
The air-conditioned inside cabin of the ferry boat had very comfortable seating.
Barbuda is flat! Unlike Antigua with its scenic mountains and rolling hills, this island is low-lying limestone. It’s easy to see how hurricane Irma ravaged the island in 2019. It was a category 5 storm that destroyed about 95% of the island’s structures. Most of the population was evacuated to Antigua.
There is a third island that belongs to Antigua & Barbuda called Redonda. It is uninhabited but home to a number of sea birds. The island became an important source of guano before artificial fertilizers were mass-produced.
(Photo from Birds Caribbean).
After the ferry docked, we connected with Henry our guide and our tour group was loaded into vans to start our excursion.
It was a short drive to a dock in Codrington lagoon, a tranquil 11 mile stretch of water where small boats were waiting to transport our group.
Frigates have a 7-ft wing span and have predominantly black plumage, long, forked tails and long hooked bills. They are seabirds but their feathers are not waterproof. They can stay aloft for up to two months without touching down on land or water. They can’t swim and if they do encounter water, they would become waterlogged and eventually drown.
The name Frigate comes from the French mariners’ name for a frigate or fast warship.
Only one chick per pair of frigate birds is hatched and stays in the nest for 8-10 months. Because of this they breed once every other year.
The bird sanctuary is amazing. (Information about Frigates taken from Rough Guide to Antigua & Barbuda, National Geographic.org and Audubon.org).
After docking, we boarded the vans again. It was a long ride across the island. Two women sitting next to me were talking in another language that I didn’t recognize. When I asked where they were from, one responded in English, ‘what do you mean where are we from’. Then I asked what language they were speaking. She went on to explain that they were originally from Poland but now live outside of Toronto, Canada.
Barbuda has many caves and sink holes primarily because it is composed of limestone. The caves at Two Foot Bay run along the sea cliffs.
Our guide Kendrick was born in Barbuda and lived there most of his life. When Hurricane Irma came he didn’t evacuate, he stayed in the cave. I’m not exactly clear on the details of his story but the water level in the cave became a problem. Somehow he survived.
Kendrick was a great guide pointing out some of the natural wonders on our route.
Lunch was served at the Hillside View Bar & Grill in the National Park near the caves.
After lunch, we boarded the vans and it was a long ride to the “Princess Diana Beach” so named because Princess Diana often vacationed in Barbuda and enjoyed the seclusion of this beach. The beach was re-named after her in 2011 to coincide with what would have been her 50th birthday.
Driving Adventure of the Day: Our drive from Saint Johns across the island to our apartment in Falmouth Harbor was in the dark … one more obstacle in addition to driving on the left, potholes, chickens, dogs, pedestrians and other hazards. We were using cell phone GPS to guide us and at some point it went out of range and we missed a turn. After we passed a man carrying a large pick-axe over his shoulder, the road got darker and narrower, more secluded and scarier. We had no choice but to turn around and retrace our route from memory which meant we had to pass by the pick-axe murderer again. Very carefully we made our way back to the Saint John’s area, found the correct route and started over.
We arrived back in Falmouth around 9:00 pm. Being famished we found a nice but busy outdoor restaurant and felt fortunate to get seats at the bar since we didn’t have a reservation. We placed our order and shortly after our drinks arrived, the power went out. Everyone got out cell phones lights and continued eating and drinking. The cooks continued grilling using their cell phones for light.
About ten minutes later, they had to shut the grill down because without power, the exhaust fan wasn’t working. They assured us the power would be on shortly. We had another drink. No power. They offered us a plate of French fries. No power. Finally we gave up and went back to our apartment. It was time to end this day.
Jane in Spain 