Antigua - The Road Trip

Antigua was on my list of top 5 destinations on this boat trip.  I had dreamt of beachside boardwalks, old buildings renovated to their former glory, the tenants being wonderful restaurants and designer shops.  But I was wrong.

We rented a car, as we like to do, and explored the island.  Our game plan was to do a lap of the island, reaching the main centre, St Johns, for lunch.  The landscape here is beautiful.  Lush greenery growing up the slopes of the steep mountainsides.  We weave up winding roads and come across small groups of houses in various states of disrepair.  But the locals look genuinely happy, well dressed and impeccably groomed as they stroll their streets.  Local farmers tend to the banana plantations that seem to grow haphazardly at the roadside.  An old woman sits on her porch peeling vegetables, her hair wrapped in a colourful scarf that matches her dress.  Healthy looking herds of goats dash across the road every few kilometres.  We pass beaches on our way and occasionally find small older looking resorts, nothing compared to the riches we have seen in other places in the Caribbean. 

We reach St Johns around lunchtime.  The city is very built up, but not in the way I had expected.  The buildings have deteriorated and in dire need of maintenance.  Stands selling cheap clothing, plastic toys and vegetables are set up outside shops selling similar goods.  The town is busy and dirty.  We try to find a parking place, but are reluctant to leave the car double parked down a cramped alleyway, as other cars appear to be.  The town doesn't hold much appeal for us, so we continue to drive on.

We come to a cluster of hotel buildings along a beautiful beach, hoping to find somewhere for lunch.  While there is one hotel still operating and still well cared for, that can't be said for the others.  Grand buildings with white pillars and circular driveways have been battened up, moulding, and overgrown.  We come across an old casino, that I'm sure was once beautiful, with vines growing out the windows.

We have lunch at a beach side shack.  We were the only customers.  We continue on to Devils Bridge.  The burnt out, rusted out icecream trailer made for a good picture.

There used to be money here, that's for sure.  But it is gone now.  While Antigua was not was I was expecting, I can't say I have been disappointed.  The beaches are beautiful, the people even more so.  While the buildings seem down at heel, the feel of the place isn't necessarily the same.  The people seem to have re-claimed their country and are living a more relaxed, more traditional lifestyle, not so reliant on the tourists.  The people have pride in their country.  Groups of women and men are out in the morning picking up rubbish and trimming the trees by the roadside. 

In sum: good vibes, less riches.