| May 1, 2009 We spent just over 3 months in the Caribbean this season, from January 25 to May 1. During this period we enjoyed the island nations of Antigua, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, and Trinidad, all originally British colonies. We bypassed the French territorial islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique due to general strikes and civil unrest occurring on each of those islands during this period. The following are snapshots and glimpses into some of this season�s fondest memories. We spent 3 weeks in Antigua before sailing south. Two very special memories of ours while in Antigua were attending the Sunday steel band concert at Shirley Heights Lookout and strolling through historic Nelson�s Dockyard. Part of the Caribbean experience is enjoying the rhythm and sounds of calypso music and steel bands, also known as pan bands. The sounds we heard that late Sunday afternoon at Shirley Heights were simply amazing, the best of the season! With unbelievable rhythm, this steel band played not only calypso music but also classical music, making their drums sound exactly like the various instruments found in a full symphony orchestra. |
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| English Harbor |
| Falmouth Harbor |
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| Nelson's Dockyard |
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| Nelson's Dockyard |
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| Shirley Lookout also boasted spectacular views of English and Falmouth Harbors, and from our vantage point it was easy to see why the British during the 18th century had their main naval base and dockyard for the Eastern Caribbean in English Harbor. This harbor, with its narrow entrance, was an ideal port as it was easy to protect, provided a natural hurricane hole, and allowed the British to repair their ships without delay, enabling them to continually keep a squadron of ships in the Caribbean. During the European power struggle for the Caribbean islands, this advantage allowed Britain to maintain naval superiority over the other powers, especially the French, their biggest rival. And today, except for a few islands, most of these Eastern Caribbean Islands were originally British colonies. With our anchorage next to Nelson�s Dockyard, we as cruisers had complete access to this historical park, and walking through it was like taking a stroll back in time to the 18th century. |