Below are random thoughts of what life has been like without Tom in Antigua: 

 

Happy Vernal Equinox…  For you northern neck folks, it means days are getting longer but down here it stays the same.  Very little twilight so dark at 6:30pm so no wonder we go to bed by 9pm.  Every boat has their amp (batteries) and water nazi which may be the reason you go to bed when dark and up with the sun. 

 

Our friend/mother/grandmother/Dorothy/etc. has decided she has had enough with this pancreatic cancer and is ready to leave us when the Lord allows.  We will all miss her wisdom, wit, nurturing, kindness and things that words can’t quantify…  She will be in our memories always!  Its been difficult for Tom/I in different ways.  

 

White ibis/igrit return to their night time mangrove area by me during sunset and are usually gone by sunrise.  What’s odd is I often see hawks and a few pelicans flying around during day.

 

This is the first island where the immigration staff I had was really ANGRY to all white cruisers.  I guess this is the closest I have felt of discrimination.  I got caught by not asking enough questions during entrance so I will have to take bus to city offices to get a tourist extension when my 1 month runs out.  This means having to take a bus into city early, to wait in line in hopes to obtain by paying them $150EC.  There is a lot of HUGE BRIT boating wealth that comes here so can understand that they may see me as one of them.

 

I have been forced to go meet more cruisers for social contact and attempt to get involved in the community.  I biked to have 2 discussions with Mrs. Burton, Principle of the Cobbs Cross Primary Gov’t school (grades 1-6) in an attempt to start volunteering by working with possibly 1 teacher that has challenges in their class.  It has been interesting to see how long it takes for the politics/approvals to be completed since its been 2 weeks.  I guess I am the first cruiser to initiate this action so learning patience.  Speaking of patience, I bus to St. John’s with empty propane tank to save $15US as I have more time than money these days.  I wait 45 min to get bus closer to filling station, walk 30 minutes hoping to hitch hike but no luck and then wait 1 hour as they went to lunch early.  I reverse this route which takes most of the day and you ask what we do….

 

I rode my bike on palm Sunday to a catholic service and then briefly to an Anglican mass.  The bike ride was further than expected (up/down hills) as map was wrong but nice to see all the people moving around coming to/from their church.  Enroute back I could hear all the various denominations singing/preaching or evangelizing.  I also stopped and made some childhood (carobs call it platting) braid with palm and gave it to 89 yr old friend "Christibell" who couldn’t go to church as had flu/cold, to another elderly lady "Alice" that make tarmarine seed jewelry at t-shirt market, to security people that had to work and watch my folding bike, to other cruisers as they gave me alot of palms and I couldn’t throw away as they were blessed (catholic guilt coming out).  Its amazing a island this small has so many churches — but they are small. 

 

It doesn’t make sense.  I pick up bus to go 2 miles from Falmouth to Cobbs Cross @ $2.25EC (bus continues to St. Johns).  I then take bus 15 miles from there to St. Johns @ $2.75EC (about $1.25US).  This is all on the same road.  BUT if I take bus from Falmouth to St. Johns it is $3.75.

 

I go for walks with friends most days around 8ish.  This island does have wonderful hikes nearby with great vistas. This particular day I was by myself and so stopped by beach and started chatting with carib man.  We both started laughing when noticed younger men with 3 layers of baggy underwear/pants barely hanging onto butt.  He was told that this fad started in US prisons since they weren’t given belts.  I also learned that most men in Antigua don’t marry the mothers of their children if they are carib/locals but will marry if the women are from another Caribbean island.

 

Another hike I hear a distant baaaing of baby goat stuck in brush.  I release it from brush and determine its probably only 1-2 days old.  It wobbles over to me.  I notice other goats down the hill and wonder if that is where its mother is so I pick it up and bring it there.  I leave in hopes that any mother will come to the rescue.  I walk to another area and chat with the local carib women selling items and tell them my experience and ask their opinion.  They say the mother will come back after finished eating and told me not to touch the tail as the mother will smell human scent and possibly reject the baby goat.  I feel terrible as I’m sure I touched the tail.  So I start walking back, after finding a water bottle in case I need to give it something to drink.  To my relief ALL the goats including the baby are gone.  Otherwise I was going to have to go back to my childhood farming days and try to bottle feed this goat until it is old enough to eat grass.  How would I explain goat noise coming from a sailboat?

 

The 12-14′ north swell is upon us now but I am tucked away safely in Antigua.  I guess this is the left over from east coast storm and finally builds as it keeps coming south. 

 

The mating season for the frigate birds is almost over.  The males are still pursuing with their bulging red breast blown up — even though the females aren’t interested — sound familiar!!!  

 

I mentioned my elderly lady friends Christobell and Alice who both make tamarine seed jewelry in different areas of Falmouth.  One is very kind/funny and other is very guarded but still nice.  I was talking to ChristobelI and realized that she was almost out of thread so I told her that I will have Tom bring some back for her.  Next day I was biking and saw her out on front porch so stopped and she gave me this beautiful bracelet.  Prior to this, I had asked Alice if she could make me a thinner version of same bracelet but she didn’t think it was possible even after much discussion.  So I told her no worries but asked if she would think about it and I would return in a couple days.  Next visit and after more discussion she didn’t think it was possible.  I still said no worries.  Next visit she says that she made one and sold it same day as didn’t think I was coming back.  So now she thinks she may have a new bracelet to sell that other vendors aren’t making.  Our past creates our future….  I think this happens to all of us but very prevalent down here with their slavery past.

 

All the taxi drivers are men.  I approach the taxi area in Falmouth where the men are playing cards, warry bean/marble game or just chatting (patawa that I can’t understand) waiting for the next call.  I walk up and watch as I would like to learn how to play warry.  I’m chatting as they play.  Once player got called to service, I was being taught by elderly partner left behind with other drivers pitching in to help me beat him.  I suppose this was quite a sight but fun by all.

 

So that’s that for THAT as a local carib marine weather man would say. 

 

Keep those emails coming as we want to stay connected…