Monday
22nd January – Antigua
26°C
E
Force 3
This was our final port in the Caribbean itself, with only the Azores to come on the way home. Caryll
and I had booked different trips here as it was my second time in Antigua. My
tour to Nelson’s Dockyard didn’t leave until 10am so I was able to enjoy another leisurely
breakfast out on deck However - I still had to get up early just to watch the other ships arrive –
Mein Schiff 2 and Celebrity Eclipse. MSC Musica, wasn't due to arrive until 2pm. Mein Schiff was already in the harbour as we neared St John at dawn.
She
seemed stationary as we slowly advanced and then passed her, berthing at the
best spot next to the main dock gate. Mein Schiff 2 then sailed out of the harbour and
away again! A mystery! It later turned out that she wanted our berth with the
big bouncy fenders and not the tyre-lined commercial berth where apparently the captain felt the depth under the keel was insufficient! The local newspapers covered the event in depth in the days following. http://www.antiguaobserver.com/money-lost-as-ship-pulls-out/
Celebrity Eclipse was next to arrive and berthed on our starboard side.
As the time for the tour approached I headed down onto the dockside where we were made to stand two by two and then walked to our small coach. We drove out through St John’s to Nelson’s Dockyard where after a short guided tour we had two hours free time and a free rum punch - 150% proof! I had visited here before but only as a brief stop on a longer tour and wanted to spend more time exploring the old buildings.
I bought a delicious coconut cake in the Bakery for a bargain $1.55 considering the size and style of the yachts in the harbour! It helped soak up some of the rum! The crumbs attached some of the local wildlife - Bananaquits and a Lesser Antilliean Bullfinch (below).
We returned at 1pm and arrived back at the port to see MSC Musica had arrived and berthed next to us.
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Caryll met me at the bus and we roamed the port area, both Duty Free and outside a little. I got some free Wi-Fi with a beer and posted on Facebook but that was all. We went back to Oceana at 4.30 – it was a 5pm back on board time – in my head it was 6pm so just as well I was with Caryll!
After sailaway we stayed on deck for a while savouring our last Caribbean port and the lovely sunset – then to wash and change for first semi-formal night for days!
Celebrity Eclipse was next to arrive and berthed on our starboard side.
As the time for the tour approached I headed down onto the dockside where we were made to stand two by two and then walked to our small coach. We drove out through St John’s to Nelson’s Dockyard where after a short guided tour we had two hours free time and a free rum punch - 150% proof! I had visited here before but only as a brief stop on a longer tour and wanted to spend more time exploring the old buildings.
I bought a delicious coconut cake in the Bakery for a bargain $1.55 considering the size and style of the yachts in the harbour! It helped soak up some of the rum! The crumbs attached some of the local wildlife - Bananaquits and a Lesser Antilliean Bullfinch (below).
We returned at 1pm and arrived back at the port to see MSC Musica had arrived and berthed next to us.
Caryll met me at the bus and we roamed the port area, both Duty Free and outside a little. I got some free Wi-Fi with a beer and posted on Facebook but that was all. We went back to Oceana at 4.30 – it was a 5pm back on board time – in my head it was 6pm so just as well I was with Caryll!
After sailaway we stayed on deck for a while savouring our last Caribbean port and the lovely sunset – then to wash and change for first semi-formal night for days!
A small postscript to that day. When I was back home and looking at my photos in detail, I noticed that this Frigate Bird was tagged. It didn't take too much time on Google to discover the person who had conducted research on Frigate Birds and email her. Apparently this female was tagged in Barbuda in November 2009! The power of the internet - magic!
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