Country #11 – Antigua and Barbuda

The Lunch of a Lifetime

Today I woke up, ate some really tasty plantain chips from Karol, and relaxed on the patio overlooking Antigua. It was a really productive morning before I headed out for the most incredible lunch of my life.

I walked down from the big hill Stoneyhill is on, crossed the street, and continued down a winding road towards the beach. I arrived at the Sheer Rocks restaurant around 1:00pm, and was greeted by the lovely hostess and waitstaff. I also met a young, recently married couple from Houston, Texas, Steven and Kristen. They were so cool to talk to and were really excited about what I am doing! After we talked for a while I was first seated at a table in the bar area overlooking the beautiful blue waters of Coco beach. The bartender, Karen, served me an amazing Mango Daiquiri made with fresh mangos she had picked herself! After a while just sitting and enjoying the view, I moved to my table for the afternoon.

It was a one seat table that had me looking out over the water - it was incredible. I was seated and given a menu, and was told to order whatever I liked. I cannot thank Sheer Rocks enough for sponsoring my lunch - it was an experience that I will never forget! To begin I ordered the pita bread with lemon and garlic aioli. It was an excellent starter and so tasty! After ordering I met the owner, Kate. She was so incredibly kind and it was so cool to talk to her. She is from the UK and is so excited about what I am doing! I cannot thank her enough for such an incredible meal.

After our talk I then had chicken croquettes with truffle mayo, truffle macaroni and cheese, and tomato and mozzarella pizza. Everything was fantastic. It was quite possibly one of the best, if not the best, macaroni and cheese dishes that I have ever had. Even though I was spacing out my dishes, there was sadly no way that I could possibly eat everything. However, I rallied to make it to desert. I ordered the chocolate soufflé with vanilla ice cream and was not disappointed. Once again, it was indescribably good. After the meal I met the chef, and was able to tell him just how much I loved everything!

After sitting for a while before attempting to walk after such a meal, I wished the waitstaff goodbye and ventured out of Sheer Rocks and down to the beach below. On the beach I ran into Steven and Kristen again! We talked for a while about my trip and it was such a great conversation! I then took lots of pictures of the beach and from there I headed back on the upward trek to Stoneyhill. It was quite the hike!

Once I was back in my room I sat out on the patio for a while again. I could not get over the view and wanted to enjoy it as much as I could! Around 7:00pm I walked down to Karol and Merve’s house for a traditional British roast dinner cooked by Karol! My day of incredible food only continued as it was delicious. It was a great time getting to know them and discuss everything from the monkeys they think that I will encounter on St. Kitts to the history of Stoneyhill itself. It was such a great night, and again, I cannot thank them enough for everything!

After dinner I headed back up to my room to get a good night’s sleep before another early morning!

11 countries down, 185 to go.

To learn more about Stoneyhill Studio Apartments click here.

To learn more about Sheer Rocks click here.

Country #10 – Dominica

Island Hopping

After another good night’s sleep I packed up my things in Grenada and headed to the airport. I checked in and arrived at  my gate with no problems, and then spent an hour on the phone walking my brother through how to register for his classes at Vandy tomorrow. I then boarded my flight to Bridgetown where I was transferring to Dominica. It was a very quick transfer time - about twenty-five minutes - but luckily both me and my bag made it in time!

After arriving in Dominica I found a driver and drove around the island for about an hour. It is beautiful. Dominica is referred to as the nature island, and it is not difficult to see why. My driver listed off at least ten different fruits that were growing around us as we drove, as well as sweet potatoes, avocado, and cocoa. He was very helpful and pointed out so many different plants and sights. The island is incredibly lush to the point that it does not even look real. There is almost no development so it is amazing to drive through.  There are over three hundred and sixty rivers on the island and it also has many waterfalls. I wish I would have been able to see more, but unfortunately my quick drive through was all that I could manage.

I was originally supposed to spend the night here but things had to shift around due to a flight change. After driving around I headed back to the airport where I ate a burger at the one airport restaurant. I then used the so-so wifi to do some work and wait the three hours for my flight. The tiny airport was filled with flies but that wasn’t too surprising for the nature island.

My flight to Antigua and Barbuda was fine but I was shocked when I saw the airport. It was giant and brand new! Very different from every other airport I had seen in the Caribbean. After an easy processing  through immigration and customs, I met my hosts for the next two days outside: Karol and Merve! Karol is from the UK and Merve is from Jamaica. They own Stoneyhill Studio Apartments in Antigua and Barbuda, a lovely three room complex with  stunning views of the island. Thank you so much to Stoneyhill for being a sponsor for two nights of my trip!

We talked the entire thirty minute ride and I learned a lot about them and the island as well! We stopped and got chicken on the way and I was then dropped off at my room. It was so nice and even had American TV so I could watch the last Nashville Predators game that they unfortunately lost. Afterwards I went to sleep very easily: it was quite the day!

10 countries down, 186 to go.

To learn more about Stoneyhill Studio Apartments click here.

Country #9 – Grenada

From One Beach to Another

I woke up very well rested and ready to savor my last few hours on St. Lucia at East Winds. I had an incredible breakfast cooked by the chef, Paula, of one of the best bacon and cheese omelets I have ever had, along with cantaloupe, a locally grown banana, and some orange juice. I then spent one last hour on the beach with a Pina Colada. The weather the entire time I was there was just perfect – around eighty-five degrees, partly cloudy, with a breeze. The water was also completely clear and it was basically just, as I’ve said before, paradise.

My driver to the airport arrived about 11:30am. He was a great driver, stopping multiple times along the hour and a half drive to the airport on the other side of St. Lucia to let me get out and take pictures. The road to the airport was winding the entire way, so be prepared if you ever visit! It is non-stop turns, but such a beautiful drive. The cost to UVF airport was $90 – it was a long drive but like I said in my last posts, taxis in St. Lucia are very expensive!

The airport was so crowded with tourists, most of them American, Canadian, or British. My flight was a British Airways flight to Grenada – my first non-Caribbean based airline for a flight to an island! But it wasn’t just any BA flight. This one had come all the way from London, so it was a jumbo-jet. It was so cool to board such a big plane using stairs instead of a ramp. You see just how massive those planes really are! It was also quite the juxtaposition with the tiny propeller planes that I had been flying. The flight was less than an hour, but the real problem was immigration. It was my first really long immigration line of the entire trip! It took over an hour and a half because so many people came off of the giant BA flight.

After clearing immigrations and customs, I then took a taxi to my hotel. I arrived around 5:00pm and immediately left for dinner to avoid walking in the dark. I stayed at SeaBreeze and had a great stay! Other than the large amount of stairs you have to mount with your suitcase, everything was great. My room was clean and had a balcony as well. Thank you so much to SeaBreeze for sponsoring this night of my trip!

I headed to the Grand Anse Beach across the street. Once again, it was a beautiful Caribbean beach! There were tons of locals enjoying the beach but also tourists as well. I walked about fifteen minutes along it to get to Umbrellas, a restaurant on the beach. I sat upstairs and had a great view of the beach and the ocean. I ordered a pulled pork burrito, but it was pretty special – it was composed of pulled pork, cheese, sour cream, and French fries all in the burrito. I know it sounds strange, but it was SO good and I am so glad that I ordered it! The restaurant had a great atmosphere and was filled with both locals and tourists.

I then walked back along the beach to my hotel. SeaBreeze is not directly on the beach, but right across the street from it. I actually saw quite the interesting sight when crossing the street. I walked past a cemetery that was filled with goats jumping from grave to grave. It was quite the sight – I couldn’t believe it! Pretty funny I might add.

After arriving back in my room I worked for a while on my website and then got another good night’s sleep. It was a short but sweet stay in Grenada, but I was very glad to see the Grand Anse Beach!

9 countries down, 187 to go.

To learn more about East Winds click here.

To learn more about SeaBreeze click here.

Country #8 – Saint Lucia

The Perfect Day

What started with an hours long flight delay ended up being the perfect day. I woke up to roosters crowing and departed St. Vincent at 4:30am. My driver was really nice and interested in what I was doing. I flew from St. Vincent to Bridgetown, Barbados where I was supposed to transfer onto a flight to Martinique. It took about an hour for our plane to arrive, but eventually we boarded. While going through the flight safety precautions the pilot came over the intercom to let us know that an important instrument was malfunctioning, and that we would have to disembark the plane because he had no idea how long it would take to fix. I was disappointed because St. Lucia, my final destination for the day, was definitely one of the places I was most excited to visit before even beginning the trip.

The Bridgetown airport was not an ideal place to be stranded. After exiting the airplane, we had to go back through security, which was definitely annoying. The wifi was spotty and they wanted to charge $3USD for a tiny bag of Cheetos, so there are definitely better places to have a flight delay. After about three hours and much confusion over which gate the plane was now departing from (the signs in the airport said the wrong gate) I was very excited to be on the plane. The even better news was that now the plane was going straight to St. Lucia without the short stop in Martinique.

After the short thirty-minute flight I went through immigration and customs with no problems and met my driver arranged by my hotel. He could not comprehend what I was doing and thought it was crazy, but he was excited for me! The ride to my hotel was about ten to fifteen minutes, but cost $25. Note: St. Lucia taxis are VERY expensive. From what I could gather they apparently have a union and use it to charge incredibly high prices.

One of the most exciting things for me upon arriving in St. Lucia was that for the first time in about ten days I was not the only tourist! While I don’t love being in super touristy places, the past ten days it was only me, so seeing others was a welcome relief after being on such high alert recently!

We pulled into my resort, East Winds, and I could immediately tell that my stay was going to be amazing. The drive in to reception was like driving through a botanical garden. It was so beautiful. I walked into reception, where I was greeted with a wet washcloth and local St. Lucian juice. I met the wonderful Glinda who had helped communicate with me beforehand, as well as others in the office. They were all so nice and it was so great to meet them! I also cannot thank everyone at East Winds enough for sponsoring this night of my stay. It is one that I will never forget and I already cannot wait to come back.

I left my bags there to be delivered to my room and proceeded to go on a tour of the grounds. It was a fantastic tour, showing me where literally everything was and giving me information on every amenity available. From water sports to yoga, running trails to a swim up bar, beachside drink service, and everything in between, I was immediately enamored with East Winds. I met so many of the people who worked there on my tour, and they were all so nice! I met the general manager, Judith, on my tour as well, and she was so nice and welcoming!

After my tour I went to my own cottage – it was incredible! There is seating outside, and when you walk in you’re greeted by a nice open room with an amazingly comfortable bed, complimentary champagne and chocolates, a fully stocked complimentary mini-bar, and more I’m sure I am forgetting. It was just incredible. After taking tons of pictures because I just could not believe how nice my room was, I set out to order lunch and hit the beach.

I ordered a panini for lunch, as well as a Screwdriver and Strawberry Daiquiri. Did I mention that literally everything was included? It was amazing. I ate with a bird attempting to steal my fries every time I turned my head, and then I walked a few steps to the beach. I then Facetimed my parents because they had to see this view. Feet from the water with palm trees surrounding me, it was literal paradise. After a little while I fell asleep on the beach for an hour or so – it was fantastic.

After a few hours well spent on the beach I headed back to my room to get ready for dinner. Friday nights feature a special dinner where it is cooked on the grill in front of you, so I was excited! I had spaghetti and bread for an appetizer, then steak, corn on the cob, and potatoes for my main course, followed by rum cake for dessert. There was a live local St. Lucian band playing throughout the night. It was so cool! Thanks to Armin for the incredible service at dinner – it was great meeting you!

After dinner I headed back to my room where I worked for a little while and watched the Vanderbilt baseball game. For the first time in ten days, I finally had great wifi! I took advantage and downloaded so many shows to Netflix that I should be set for quite some time. I had no problem going to sleep as the bed was very comfy.

I could not possibly say enough good things about East Winds. It was literally paradise and the absolute greatest day after having run from country to country non-stop for the past ten days. My mom always jokes when we go somewhere cool that I should get married there – so I made sure to call and tell her that I would have no problem getting married in St. Lucia! It was just so beautiful. I didn’t  have enough time to really venture off of the resort, so St. Lucia is definitely high on my list of places to go back to after my trip.

Thank you again to everyone at East Winds. This was the most incredible hotel stay I have ever had, and I don’t say that lightly. I can’t wait to come back some day!

8 countries down, 188 to go.

To learn more about East Winds click here.

Country #7 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Balcony View

I woke up at 2:30am and caught my cab to the airport an hour outside of Paramaribo, Suriname. Check in and immigration were no problem and the plane boarded and left on time. I had the row  all of myself, which was especially nice after such an early morning! I landed in Port of Spain once again and had to go through customs and immigration for a second time before rechecking my bag on to St. Vincent. Before going to my gate I stopped at KFC for breakfast because that was my only option and a biscuit with some mashed potatoes and gravy sounded good to my still upset stomach!

After my comfort food I made my way to my gate where I sat for the next four hours. The plane was delayed twice, but I had a nice view and wifi so I was content. It finally arrived and we boarded the small propeller plane. The flight was quick (about fifty minutes) and the view as we got close to the island was incredible. The blue Caribbean waters and islands dotting the ocean were so cool!

Upon landing there was a short (but time consuming) immigrations line, but at both immigrations and customs the women working there were so interested in what I was doing which I loved! I then waited at the airport for about twenty minutes for the “bus” to arrive. I say “bus” because it was more like a very tightly packed van with blaring island music and many locals. It was safe (my hotel even recommended it) and a great experience to really get to see the island and the people on it. The island is beautiful and mountainous. There are not really beaches on the main island but there are more on the smaller islands surrounding it, which I won’t get to make it to.

I arrived in the city center for $5 (compared to $30 for a cab) and then took a cab the final ways to my hotel (another $5 but still less than $30). I stayed at the Fairview Guesthouse and all I can say is it is more than a “fair view” – it was spectacular! I could see the entire city of Kingstown down below as well as the mountains and ocean out in the distance. My room is so spacious – there is a kitchenette, bedroom, balcony, office area, and bathroom – and it is very nice as well. Thank you so much to Fairview Guest House for sponsoring this night of my trip!

I took a quick nap to help get me through the rest of the day and then went on an adventure to the grocery store. I wanted to make sure to eat something that would avoid upsetting my stomach even more, and it was also really cool to see a grocery store here even though probably 70% of it was U.S. products. I bought some light snacks, Gatorade, and a healthy-ish sounding hot pocket (I needed protein really bad by this point!). I went back to my room and had dinner on my balcony overlooking my amazing view. I then Facetimed my parents to show them the view – I cannot harp on it enough.

It was otherwise a pretty uneventful evening. I actually found the Nashville Predators game on the TV on a Canadian channel but it was an unfortunate 6-0 loss so that was pretty sad. I really enjoyed my short stay in St. Vincent and am really excited to continue island hopping for the rest of this week!

7 countries down, 189 to go.

To learn more about Fairview Guest House click here.