After 1st world New York, we hit 3rd world St. Johns, Antigua. Well at least that’s what it felt like, with the narrow streets, market stalls, and rickety old shops and houses. Sure, there were modern buildings, but it was all low rise, and really quite charming. Looking out onto the surrounding hills was a surprise – it looked like parts of New Zealand with lush vegetation, and lots of single wooden houses with red painted iron roofs. Think Northland, without the expensive holiday homes.
The main industry here is tourism. And in contrast to the surroundings, the big thing here, and in the other Caribbean ports we visit, seems to be jewelry, especially diamonds and designer watches. We now have a shopping guide on board, would you believe, and he and all the people in St. Johns seem to think that all I could possibly want to do is buy diamonds… well fat chance of that!
So after wandering through the shopping area, and dodging the taxi drivers who wanted to give me the guided tour of the island, I made my way up the hill to the old church I’d seen from the ship. This turned out to be closed, but I stuck up a conversation with this local retired gentleman, who turned out to be an ex Public Servant, who was now responsible for locking and unlocking the church gates each day. He was quite happy to chat away, and give me the benefit of his opinions on politics, religion, and the meaning of live etc. I noticed that the elderly lady with him, presumably his wife, drifted off after about half an hour of this! Still, a real treat to learn about the town and the island lifestyle from a born and bred local.
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