Early days with the EC

We survived our final tot and another full tot at our celebratory mismuster as the newest members of the Royal Navy Tot Club of Antigua and Barbuda. This did mean that we were not at our most alert and capable when the Eager Crew put in their rather late appearance. Their flight had arrived at 9:30 p.m. and we started circling Nelson's Dockyard in Boffo at about 10 p.m. We failed to locate them. WW continued the hunt while I awaited aboard in case they wanted food on arrival. They had been supposed to phone us, but my cell phone just showed weird symbols, presumably from their attempted calls. In the end, they took loggings in the local (rather expensive) hotel. WW learned they were there from a security chap, but by then the place was locked up tight.

We collected them in the morning.

That afternoon, we hiked up to Shirley Heights along the trail WW and I had worked on with the Tot Club. It was wonderful, and the view from the Shirley Heights battlements is spectacular.

Spectacular view of WW, KMH and English Harbour (kindness of the EC).

We introduced the EC to the Tot Club then went along to a new restaurant's opening bash. Which was rather a failure. Over dinner we agreed we would head off to Green Island in the morning, to give Django and ourselves a shakedown sail before heading across the big water.

It was a lovely day for it, but the wind was straight in our faces. We found a very pleasant spot in which to anchor and all had long swims. WW and Enn swam in and explored a bit of the island. Then we barbecued a pork tenderloin and had that with curried okra and fried plantain.

The following morning we headed back to English Harbour and, that evening, took a taxi up to Shirley Heights to scope out the regular Sunday barbecue with steel band and reggae. The food was pretty unexciting and the music was very disappointing...unless you really want steel band or reggae versions of songs made famous by such notable Island artists as Sinatra, Van Morrison and, of course, ABBA.

Thank heavens for Donald, our taxi driver, who took one look at us and popped Bob Marley into his van's CD player. We travelled down from the heights to "No woman, no cry" and "Stir it up". Restored our faith in music. Thanks, Donald.