I
am writing this from a balcony at Blue Waters in Antigua and five pelicans are doing a fly past before dipping down towards the ocean in search of breakfast. The air is soft and warm, not stiflingly hot, and there's movement everywhere - the sea, the palm trees, the puffs of cloud, the sail boats, the staff in that wonderful languid style which makes this part of the world so irresistible.
Getting what the Caribbean is all
about means there's no point fretting. Service will not be American snappy and you might not always get exactly what you order. But that is somehow part of the charm.
MAIN: Cricket is a way of life in the Caribbean and everyone is welcome
RIGHT ABOVE: Blue Waters enjoys an enviable position overlooking another pristine beach
RIGHT BELOW: You'll be spoilt for choice of beach shacks at Dickenson Bay, and the service is equally relaxed
It took us almost an hour to find the excellent Coconut Grove shack restaurant on Dickenson Bay because the sign on the road had fallen down and no one had the inclination to put it back up. Then, at Beachlimerz, a bar and restaurant on the northwest side of the island - popular with ex- pats and with good live music - my starter arrived 20 minutes after my wife's soup and getting a second glass of Sauvignon Blanc required patience.
But not minding about such a relaxed approach to things is what 'getting' the Caribbean is all about. The manager at the restaurant asked if we were having a good time. Of course we were having a good time. To drive around the island on a Sunday morning when all shops are closed and pass churches where all windows are open and hear a Pentecostal choir in full voice, or a fire-and-brimstone
January 2021 DIALAFLIGHT WORLD 29
preacher warming to his theme, is truly inspirational.
And to see children on weekdays dressed immaculately in school uniforms and never dropping litter on the ground reminds me of what we've lost at home. To get a flat tyre (as we do) and witness five men, one wearing a huge Rastafarian hat, all trying to out-do each other in the how-can-I-be-helpful stakes makes me long to return to this part of the world.
Blue Waters is on the north of the island no more than 20 minutes from the airport. Owned by a British family, it has undergone a steady refurbishment that has made it even more delightful. You'll find it's all-inclusive central, with three choices of restaurant, immaculate gardens that attract an array of singing birds, adult-only pools, two easily acces- sible beaches and a new bar, where most nights there's live music.
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