Antigua: dancing with pineapple

Repositioning from New York to New Orleans - our new homeport for the winter - we are revisiting some of our favorite places in the Caribbean.

On regular cruises we visit each port several times so we have enough time to explore downtown and the beaches, take tours and explore on our own, taste local cuisine, find internet hotspots and so on. Repositioning is different as we stop at each port only once and it somehow crystallizes our impressions from each port of call: we only have time to do something we enjoyed the most. Yesterday's port Saint Thomas is associated with iguanas on Morningstar beach.

Antigua for us is associated with unbelievably blue waters of Jolly Harbor. No matter how many times we go there this view always mesmerizes us.

The beach is fringed with palm trees and luxurious villas so for a moment we can pretend that we belong there.

The downtown for us is not that much of an attraction. It is rather typical with run down houses on the back streets and colorful newly built shops.

But there is something we always like to go back to. Well, better say someone. This lady dancing with pineapple on her head has been for us the symbol of Antigua for the past seven years. We were happy to see she was still there, still dancing...

It is nice to have things in this life that do not change (well, the pineapple was different this time).

Next stop - Barbados...

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Feeding iguanas in Saint Thomas

The winter is approaching. Actually, according to the press it even started in some places. For some winter means snow and ice. For us it is a beginning of a new itinerary: we are moving South, away from cold.

It takes two weeks to get from New York to New Orleans. After 3 days at sea we are happy to finally set a foot on a steady land of Saint Thomas.

Of course we did not miss a chance to say 'hi' to our iguana friends on Morningstar Beach. We picked a treat for them - fresh lettuce - from deli store in the port, hopped on a cab and a few minutes later our long-lost friends were already posing for us.

As we produced lettuce out of our bags our friendship grew only stronger with more and more iguanas joining us. 

They are definitely happy to see us. And lettuce.

All iguanas fed, we plunge into the Caribbean. Happy to be back in one of our favorite places.

We continue south towards New Orleans. Tomorrow - Antigua, after tomorrow - Barbados. Life is beautiful!

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Bermuda: guide for non-millionaires

What to do in Bermuda if you are not a millionaire? For, man, you have to be one to live here!

This is why for the simple tourists whose last name does not appear in Forbs list the best way to visit Bermuda is on a cruise ship. Of course, it still somewhat limits your time – the ship is only there for 2.5 days – but saves a lot on accommodation and food. It even comes with another big plus – not only food on ship is free, it also is better. Most local eateries will only offer a variety of pub fare, burgers and sandwiches. And if you are hoping for freshly caught seafood – well, then we are back to paragraph one: you have to be a millionaire. Local production is close to 0 and everything is imported. And this is the reason for unreasonably high prices. This does not explain however outrageous price for local seafood. But then again, why not to rip off tourists anyway?

Back to the Bermuda itself – it is THE most beautiful island (actually a group of 181 islands) in the Caribbean.

Well, strictly speaking, it is not in the Caribbean but in Sargasso Sea – but it has to be compared with something, right? And boy, do we have the right to compare as over the time we have been on almost all the islands in the Caribbean.  Bermuda offers THE best beaches…

…picturesque villages…

…and gorgeous little bays and harbors. So if you are a beach lover, an artist or a photographer – it is the place you want to be.

If your hobby is shopping, come to Bermuda if you really have nothing better to do with your money (I guess we are back to paragraph one again).

If you like party – be prepared that the life (at least in Dockyard) dies pretty much together with sunset.

So hurry up and be done (whatever way you are usually done with party) before the sun goes down. You might find some confused die-hard party people browsing local pubs in search of signs of life after sunset. But nothing much reliable can be found out here. It could be different in other parts of the island but after the public transportation closes for the night the taxi drivers feel free to ask for whatever number they saw in their dreams while waiting for the next victim. 

And of course – there is the fishing as my personal weakness, you can do it almost everywhere for free (on the beach, from the rocks, from the bridges)…

Or if you have extra money you can take a boat and catch some big ones on the reefs off shore. 

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