West Indies Adventure: Antigua Excursion (12/14/2023)

Wednesday, December 14, 2023

Rainbow at breakfast time in the Caribbean

We arrived at St John's in Antigua & Barbuda (but on the island of Antigua) at noon today, so it was not until after lunch that we went on the included shore excursion, Amazing Antiga.

Many buildings were constructed with Antigua green stone
that is quarried from chloritized tuff in this part of the island

A glimpse of St John's Cathedral through its cemetery

A billboard with the National Heroes of Antigua & Barbuda,
which includes statesmen, educators, and athletes

Sir Vivian Richards Stadium (2006-2007,
for the 2007 Cricket World Cup (KSS)

Sheep mow the grass at the stadium complex (KSS)

Remnant of a sugarmill tower

Mama Dupes for fruit juices

St Paul's Anglican Church (est 1672, church 1952)
was built with the local Antigua green stone

View of fortifications at the Blockhouse, part of the
Nelson's Dockyard UNESCO World Heritage Site

Kent is steps away from a 152 m/500' dropoff

View west toward the St James Club & Villas Resort 

On a closer peninsula, the estate Standfast Pont belongs
to Eric Clapton, and can now be rented for $5,000/night

In 1998, Eric Clapton founded the Crossroads Centre Antigua for the treatment of addictions in a "therapeutic, supportive and safe environment ... on the beautiful island of Antigua." At about $24,000 for a 29-day treatment, what they are really offering is exclusivity?

Looking down the 500' cliff

The Blockhouse (c 1787) at one of the observation posts
constructed around the island to support the Dockyard (KSS)

The view east from the Blockhouse

The next stop was at Shirley Heights Lookout, with the
Signal Station (1780s), also part of the Dockyard fortifications

Melocactus intortus/Turk's Cap Cactus
is endemic to the Caribbean, and indeed,
lends its name to the Turks & Caicos

The iconic view of Nelson's Dockyard

Kent & Tamiko

Now we are at Nelson's Dockyard (1740s-1855),
constructed at English Harbour where ships sought
safe anchorage since the early 1700s; this building is
the Naval Officer's and Clerk's House (1855)

The Roystonea regia/Royal Palm Tree was
planted by Queen Elizabeth II during her
royal tour of the Caribbean in 1966

Copper and Lumber Stores (1789)

The Officers' Quarters (1821)

A sundial in front of the Pay Master's Office (1806),
where perhaps the sailors were given their daily ration of rum

Now the dockyard is filled with yachts, with their owners
staying at the two hotels that now occupy historic buildings

Up the hill from the dockyard is Clarence House
(1804-1806, as a residence for the Naval Commissioner of
the Dockyard), later used by the Governors of Antigua
who hosted Queen Elizabeth II on her Jubilee (1977)
and Princess Margaret on her honeymoon (1960)

Capstans in the ruins of the Capstan House (1779),
where ships were careened/tilted for cleaning and repair

The Kitchen, now the Bakery

Once again, we were offered free drinks of rum punch, or punch.

Exiting through the original gates of
Nelson's Dockyard, which was renamed in the
1957 for Admiral Horatio Nelson who was
headquartered here 1784-1787 as the captain
of HMS Boreas sent to enforce the Navigation
Act (that is, to stop pirates and smugglers)

Gracehill Moravian Church (est 1773)
was built with the local Antigua green stone

St Barnabas Anglican Church (1824-1842, as a
chapel school, converted to a church in 1843) 
was built with the local Antigua green stone

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church (1932)

Pride of ownership of a house is paramount in the
Caribbean islands, and vehicle ownership is increasing

Next: St John's, Antigua.