Caribbean Hospitality

January 10^th – Caribbean Hospitality

Despite the additional night in Miami, the end of the journey to the ship was in sight as I boarded the plane to Antigua, to join the Silhouette at the port of St. John. This was to be a leisurely travel day, with one three-hour flight, followed by a relaxing night in a Caribbean hotel.

We arrived in Antigua on time and the walk down the jet stairs and across the tarmac into the Antigua airport definitely had the feel of an exotic adventure. But the tenor of the adventure as I processed through immigration was not a positive one. The line moved on ‘island time,’ and it was almost 90 minutes before the entrance stamp was place on my passport. The good news as I approached baggage claim was that there was no line waiting for the bags. The bad news was that neither was my bag waiting for me. Fortunately, I had expected that as a possibility, given the previous night’s re-routing. However, when I submitted the report to the baggage desk, there was more of a sense of resignation than hope, no instant computer check, and only a promise to call me if it is found.

Bag or no, it was time to try to get to my hotel. However, given the change of ports of embarkation, I had no instructions on how to get to my hotel, or even what hotel it was. I asked the information desk at the airport to tell me who provided transportation for the cruise line. They directed me to one transportation stand, who pointed me back to two men I had just passed on the sidewalk. Each held a crumpled welcome sign in their hand. As I approached, I could tell that one of those tattered forms had my name on it. After a quick introduction, I was told that they had given up hope on finding me since it was so long since my flight ended. Fortunately, there was good conversation to be had on the sidewalk, so I had bought that extra time. My driver grabbed my bag, much heavier than he expected, as my carry-on held all my electronics and books. Up the hill we went to the farthest parking lot on the property, to begin the journey to the hotel.

Let me tell you about Joseph. Joseph is large in stature, and even larger in personality. It seemed he knew every person we passed, and had a work or brief exchange with each we met. The same was true as we barreled along the winding hilly roads of central Antigua. Waves, shouts, and toots of the horn emanated from the car every half block or so, including in front of the police station. He told me that in addition to working as a driver, he was an aide to the Prime Minister of Antigua. That gives you an idea of the size and sense of community in this small nation.

My drive with Joseph was a kick, especially when he decided that he was going to play me some sedate, elevator music for the drive. I turned to him and commented that I was pretty sure he didn’t generally listen to that music. I encouraged him to play whatever he liked as I have a broad taste in music. He cautiously put on a station with a mix of reggae and hip-hop sounds, at a very low volume. As he saw me nodding along, he slowly increased the volume until we were both generally jammin’ to the music as we cruised the scenic byways.

We eventually made it to the Trade Winds Hotel, perched on a mountain top overlooking the Caribbean. Tucked back into the heavily forested area, it was a quaint retreat with spectacular views. When I stepped out onto the verandah of my room, I was stunned by the beauty of the sea below me. I ate that night at their patio restaurant, and simply watched the sun go down. The servers were gently accommodating, and the food wonderful. Of course, even stale bread and water would have been remarkable in these surroundings. As I was leaving, a busboy that came to clear my table paused and stared out at the dying light. When I commented how beautiful it looked, he said how amazing it was that so many had never seen this beautiful sight, and how easy it was to take it for granted. It made me think of how much so many of us can so easily take for granted.

The adventure continues . . .