Antigua

So far Antigua has been the nicest island we have visited. We spent 8 days there after traveling from St. Kitts. The island is definitely taken care of better than the previous islands. We had 4 kiteboarding trips and plenty of beach time while we were there. With 15+ knots of wind each day it makes it the ideal kiteboarding place. We had a 3 day weekend so we had a chance to do heaps of exploring. We took our 42ft tender 10 miles around the island to Green Island and set up camp for the day doing some kiting and other beach activities. On the way back from the beach we drop the lines in and trolled for some Mahi and Wahoo. We came home empty handed but we had a great time regardless. The next day we rented a car with some of the other crew and took a trip to the other side of the island, it took us about a half hour to get there. We set our sites on Jaberwock Beach, another kiting location and it turned out to be a great place. The way the beach is laid out and with an east wind it was great for any skill level. After kiting we came around through St. John's. St. John's is the main city of the island which has a lot people and activity but a bit more run down than the rest of the island. The roads are terrible for driving with plenty of pot holes and narrow roads. Our driver found that out the hard way after hitting a large pot hole in our small Toyota Yaris. The damage was a blown out tire which cost us 100 Eastern Caribbean Dollars or $38US for a new used tire. We ended the day with an awesome sunset dinner right on the beach and in the distance we could Montserrat's active volcano filling the sky with its smokey haze. Day 3 of our days off Bethany and I took a solo trip of the island. We rented the same small Yaris for $90 and took off. The island is covered with dozens of beaches and if you go on a quest to find the best one you won't be disappointed. Some of our favs: Pigeon Beach, Green Island, Jabberwock, and Half Moon Bay. Just before the Super Bowl we caught the sun set at Shirley Heights, one of the famous spots on the island for a Sunday evening. It over looks English Harbor and they have a 11 man steel drum band and a reggae band to close. The island ranks 8 out of 10 on my scale if we could find a house in the hills and close to the beach. Another favorite we have found, Rum Punch and Dark and Stormy's. Rum is the drink of choice down here and as we say, "When in Rome." -Currently location: Guadeloupe (suppose to be a another great island but also a French island)