Oldies On Tour

Wednesday 22nd January 2025

Awoke after a better night’s sleep as the bites from Monday evening had quietened down, thankfully.   Unfortunately the weather isn’t looking too good today, very cloudy, very windy and very annoyingly, heavy showers, still that won’t deter us.

After breakfast we seemed to linger about just hoping the rain would stop, and I “think” Martin would have be happy to just sit and read his book but unfortunately that doesn’t happen with the Page’s in Antigua, oh no.   Today we are taking him to Half Moon Beach in the South East; this beach is in a normally sheltered cove, but the cove also opens up to the Atlantic, so it will be interesting to see what the state of the sea is.

A lot later than planned we hit the road, Waze says this 13-mile journey will take 47-minutes; she was right of course, what with pot holes, traffic and now rain!!!

We pulled into the car park but being lunch-time and our “tums” were rumbling, we headed straight into the “Beach Bum Bar and Cafe”, known to us as the “shack” and ordered lunch.   The service today is still as slow as it was last week, still we enjoyed our choices, but as we ate the rain started again and with the wind, even tucked well under the “Shack” roof, we still got wet.   With this rain came many off the beach, including the couple from Jersey we met on Tuesday who joined us for a beer.

Today the Atlantic rollers penetrated the bay, and they rolled up the beach like we’ve never seen here before.  There was one guy out there kite-surfing, but struggling in the high wind but apart from a few walkers, most were in the Shack.

Though the rain came down hard, it soon stopped and Martin and Christine went for a walk to the rocks at the end of the beach, I stayed chatting with the couple from Jersey.  The rocks at the end were being bashed by the Atlantic rollers; quite a spectacle I was told.

 At an earlier visit I had noticed the Shack had a coffee machine, so upon Christine and Martin’s return we ordered coffees, result!!!  At this point the couple from Jersey took their leave and if by magic, we started chatting to the two ladies on the table behind us.   They told us they were “Empty Nesters” from British Columbia in Canada.   “Empty Nesters”, explain please, apparently they say this when their children have grown up and left home the parent heads to the sun, especially from Columbia in Canada at this time of the year!!!

Time to head back, as I have said before, I hate driving in the dark but this late afternoon I was also driving in the rain!!!

Our “snack” lunch turned out to be quite large so back on the verandah we settled for a roll and crisps, naturally with a G’nT before heading to bed.   Tomorrow we are sailing, we have everything crossed for decent weather.

Tuesday 21st January 2025

The alarm went off at an ungodly hour and when I ventured out there was a Martin, ready to go I thought but no, he had re-considered his planned dive.   Having had surgery not very long ago, he felt his fitness levels weren’t  quite there so for safety reasons he pulled out, and now he has to wait ‘till 0800hrs to cancel.   I on the other hand went back to bed but by then the damage was done and couldn’t get back to sleep.

After breakfast Christine and I popped to the local supermarket (again!!) as our plans had now changed, instead of driving to Jolly Harbour for diving, it was a picnic lunch on Pigeon Beach.

Arriving around lunchtime we commandeered one of their round table under a permanent roof covering we settled and had lunch. What a nice hot day, blue skies though a little windy and the odd spots of rain when a cloud came over.   After lunch we were in and out of the lovely warm sea before walking to the end of the beach to dry off.   Today there are many Egrets hanging around and one just strolled up to Martin as if he was a long lost friend!!!    We even got chatting to a couple holidaying here from Jersey; their first full day but were enjoying the weather; I wonder why!!!!

Heading back to base again we stopped at the supermarket but this time for the important things, beers and tonics!!!

After another masterpiece from this very limiting kitchen; roast chicken with top quality roast potatoes🥰🥰 we enjoyed the evening on the veranda.   Tomorrow we’re heading back to Half Moon beach

Monday 20th January 2025

This morning we headed to Jolly Harbour to “hopefully” meet up with our friendly lady in the tour office and also to reconnoitre where the dive-boat leaves from as Martin has booked a two-dive boat trip and it has an 0800hrs start time tomorrow, hence our “reconnoitre”

Again upon arrival our “friendly lady” made us most welcome and to add you “our” comfort switched on her air-con.   We were enquiring about a catamaran that takes about 20-people and does snorkelling day trips to the reef and serves lunch.  We “eventually” came out of there having agreed to charter a catamaran for just the three of us with Captain Simon, the same fellow who owns the monohull we chartered when Captain Charlotte was on the helm the previous week with Lee and Sarah.   This happened after we had explained they need to improve their food offer: Watch this space!!!  

Having been “seduced” by our friendly lady, we decided lunch at home would be more appropriate so headed back.   En-route our snack lunch had turned out to be our main meal of the day so stopped off at the local supermarket for some “bits-n-bobs” to enable Christine to cook an excellent lunch.  

In between all our activities we have been in contact with a specialist tour operator in South Africa as we are planning a visit there in December so after lunch did some more research.  We had decided to visit Runaway beach later in the afternoon and stay to watch the sun go down.

At the appropriate time we headed the beach, a one mile trip that takes at least 5-minutes!!! Again we found our special spot under the trees, next to a wooden table that has seen better days and established our “beach-head”; this is the same table we commandeered last time with Sarah and Lee but today we were brave, we moved it further onto the beach to be in the sun; a daunting task knowing how much maintenance it needs!!!  Anyway we moved it in one piece but sat on it with “caution”.

As usual the sea was excellent and the beach empty as we enjoyed several alcoholic beverages accompanied by nibbles trying to watch the sun going down, but thwarted as clouds appeared😡😡.  Have to try again another day.

It was dark when we drove back home and the usual pot-holes were harder to spot, so our 5-minute journey took 10-minutes!!!

Whilst sitting on our verandah the price of being on the beach at dusk was becoming evident, both Christine and Martin were scratching and applying “Aloe-Vera” and other creams to calm their bites, fortunately I’m on a course of B12 so was un-affected 😂😂. The thing is, we thought it was mozzies but now wonder if it was sand flies as the bites became bigger; even the extra alcohol didn’t help!!!

Off to bed later with them scratching even bigger looking bites; oh dear what sort of night will we have????  Tomorrow we have to be away at 0715hrs in time for Martin’s appointment with the dive boat which means an alarm, unheard of on our holidays

Sunday 19th January 2025

Nothing special on today as Martin is looking forward to a rest after chasing around the US on business this last week or two and we are also happy to chill-out.

Though Martin has been here on a previous occasion some time ago, he was “cocooned” in a resort so our mission is to show him the real Antigua, such as “pot-holes” and much more including his first visit to Shirley Heights later today.

Our first stop was Redcliffe Quay, the old part of St. Johns, down by the cruise ships and where the C&C wine bar and restaurant are, though unfortunately we were too early to indulge, they weren’t open!!

We next headed to Jolly Harbour to see our friendly Island Tour Shop lady, to organise some trips, but being Sunday, they were also closed; not having much success!!!

OK beach time, so headed back to Darkwood and this time success, our “private” parking space under some trees, on the edge of the beach was available and again this end of the beach was empty.   After a fair amount of time in the water we strolled up to the beach bar but this time avoided the “Banana Coladas” and had beers.

Back at base we showered etc., and waited for our pre-booked taxi to take us to Shirley Heights.   Junior wasn’t available today but had another very personable young man from the taxi firm driving us.

Arriving around 1615hrs we were taken aback by the number of vehicles queuing up to get there, the queue was halfway down the hill, the driver had never seen it like that before!!!

Upon entry this time we had a plan; Christine went and found space in a table, Martin went to get the drinks and I went to buy the meal tickets, and it worked, no stress or queueing.  Martin had never been to Shirley Heights before and this was a bit of a “baptism of fire”, so many people partying, the place was heaving, far more people than usual and the sound of the steel band all overwhelmed him we think!!!   As he said later, “I’ve done it now, no need to go again”!!!!

Our driver was waiting when we left and he drove us home with no “mishaps” this time.  A couple more nightcaps and we were off to bed

Saturday 18th January 2025

No rush today, a leisurely morning with some washing of sheets, ironing, making up Martin’s bed and not too much food and drink!!!, we prepared for the American Airlines flight from Miami to arrive in the afternoon.  Fortunately we were tracking the flight so won’t waste time hanging around as it is running 50-minutes late!!!

With Martin safely collected and in the car, we headed back to base where we enjoyed another meal prepared by Christine and then spent the rest of the evening chatting and catching up with “things”.   Martin’s holiday starts tomorrow

Friday 17th January, 2025

I am pleased to report Christine is getting better following a good nights rest and a fun, relaxing evening at Papa Zouk’s last night.  Today is our last morning together and since being told earlier in the week about a beach bar that offered “Banana Coladas”, Sarah had expressed a “need” to visit this bar on “Darkwoid Beach”, about 30-minutes away.

This morning, and to set everyone up for the day, Christine cooked a “full English”, no mean feat due to the limitations of the cooking facilities in this cottage. One example is the toaster: a four slice toaster but only one side in two of the slots work, quite a logistical nightmare trying to make four slices of toast!!!  Whilst cooking breakfast Lee and Sarah packed so that no time was wasted and we could max out beach time this morning.

Clearing up after a first class breakfast we headed to Darkwood Beach, a pleasant, longish stretch of sand with two beach bars on it.   We managed to park at the edge of the sand and under a tree, so two steps and a hop we were in the water.   Whilst three of us were enjoying the not so gentle waves, Sarah went on a mission to find out which beach bar, if either!!, did the “Banana Coladas”.   Mission accomplished, the big one at the southern end.

After a struggle to get out and rescued by Lee, we headed off to the bar and ordered these “Banana Colada” cocktails.  At this point Christine had not decided what to have, the Pina version has coconut in, so that is a no-go-area so when they turned up, she had a sip and said “YES” to one; we were all amazed!!!

The consensus after drinking them was disappointment, so Sarah and I ordered two “Pina Coladas” but guess what, Christine enjoyed them and had another; can you believe that???

By now time was marching on so headed back so Sarah and Lee could finish packing, shower and change before heading to the airport.   This, as always has been a good, fun week but fortunately not as hectic as the week we had together four years ago; I hope they weren’t disappointed.

When we returned back to base there, sitting on our veranda table was a brand spanking new toaster, wow we were amazed,  we didn’t think she was going to replace the old one on the basis her’s at home is also broken!!!

The final trip to the airport had a sting in the tail, fortuitously we had extra time and it was necessary, every road was blocked with traffic, couldn’t believe it, still we arrived well within their time constraints.   

After our good byes we headed back for a quiet night, no alcohol tonight or until Martin arrives tomorrow