8/6/2019 StKitts

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/stkitts 1/2ResidentÊOctober 2010 • 103

Ê TwelveÊhoursÊof ÊsunshineÊaÊday,Ê80ÊdegreesÊyearÊround,ÊlowÊhumidity.ÊNo,ÊI'mÊobviouslyÊnotÊtalkingÊManhattanÊduringÊwin-ter.ÊTheÊCaribbeanÊislandÊSt.ÊKittsÊwillÊmellowÊtheÊmostÊwiredÊNewÊYorker.ÊNotÊtheÊroughing-itÊtype?ÊYouÕllÊfreakÊ(withÊglee)ÊatÊtheÊluxu-rafacation.ÊStay,Êsit,ÊsipÊSangria.ÊIf ÊyouÕreÊaÊruggedÊtraveler,ÊfearÊnot,Ê

 you’ll get your x—canopy ziplining, hikes to the rims of volcanoes,horsebackÊandÊbicycleÊriding,ÊmountainÊbikingÊandÊjeepÊsafariÊtours.Ê

St. Kitt’s population is 37,000. The people are friendly and grate -ful for tourism. English is the ofcial language but often spoken inaÊWestÊIndian-typeÊsingÊsongÊpatois.ÊÒWeÊbeÊlimin'Õmon.ÓÊ(LimeÊmeansÊrelax.)ÊÒGoodÊnight.ÓÊ(MeansÊhelloÊnotÊgoodbye.)ÊGoodbyeÊis,ÊÒIÊgoÊtoÊcomeÊback.ÓÊThisÊcouldÊmeanÊyouÕreÊreturningÊinÊtenÊminutesÊorÊtenÊmonths.ÊItÕ'sÊveryÊcasualÊslang.ÊNobod y'sÊinÊaÊhurry.ÊPeopleÊareÊchil lÊandÊswayÊasÊtheyÊwalk.ÊCarÊhornsÊarenÕ'tÊusedÊforÊag-gression. Passing drivers offer quick toots as friendly hellos. TrafcpatientlyÊyieldsÊtoÊpedestriansÊonÊtheÊnarrowÊstreets.ÊThereÊareÊfewÊaccidents,ÊtheÊcrimeÊrateÊisÊlow,ÊfruitÊisÊsweeterÊthanÊyouÊcanÊimagineÊandÊunspoiledÊbeachesÊareÊeverywhere.Ê

  A frequent yer friend recommended St. Kitts Marriot Resort

and Royal Beach Casino. She said, “It’s not the only choice but it’stheÊchoicest.ÓÊMan,ÊwasÊsheÊright.ÊForÊaÊsneak-peekÊatÊwhatÊtoÊex-pectÊwatchÊvidsÊonÊYouTube.com.ÊAttentionÊFoodies,ÊhereÊareÊsomeÊMarriottÊdrool-worthyÊeats:

Blu is a terraced oceanfront restaurant with a West Indies accent.Try the Seared Chilean Sea Bass drizzled with mango sugarcanerumÊsauceÊorÊYoungÊCoconutÊChiliÊSoupÊwithÊscampi,ÊandÊtopÊitÊoff with a Kittian favorite, a Ting With a Sting—rum and JamaicangrapefruitÊsoda.Ê

Royal Grille Steakhouse, an upscale and dressy joint boasts tastysoups,ÊandÊanÊinternationalÊwineÊlist.ÊThisÊtraditionalÊÒcity-styleÓÊ

treat offers table-side prepared dishes of beef, lamb, salad, and shCalypso Café and Restaurant offers a wide variety buffet fo

breakfast, lunch and dinner, and à la carte freshly-caught local shsweetÊmangos,Êcoconut,Êpapayas,Êespresso,ÊandÊpastries.

Eateries With Activities 

ShiggidyÊShack,ÊwithÊpicnicÊtablesÊrightÊonÊtheÊbeach,ÊisÊanÊextremelyÊpopularÊCaribbeanÊexperience.ÊEnjoyÊliveÊsteelÊbandÊmusiand a re-breather. Order freshly caught grilled lobster or succulenshrimp,ÊtryÊaÊtropicalÊcocktailÊ(orÊtwo)ÊincludingÊallÊtypesÊof ÊcoladadaiquirisÊandÊmudslides.ÊForÊtheÊkidsÊthereÊareÊburgersÊandÊShiggidDiggedyÊDogsÊwithÊfries.ÊMakeÊaÊwholeÊShiggedyÊdayÊof ÊitÊwithÊMX Water Tours—snorkeling, shing, sunset dinner cruise or privatcharter.ÊMakeÊreservationsÊinÊadvance.Ê EmailÊinfo@mrxshiggidyshackcomÊorÊcallÊ869.762.3983.

Reggae Beach Bar & Grill is a must. The bar sits directly on thebeach at Cockleshell Bay and is as laid back as it sounds. This i

where to get the best BBQ ribs on the island, and plenty of freslobster. But now, be honest, when is the last time you had the opportunity to pet a 750-pound wild pig? His name is Wilbur anhe'sÊfamousÊinÊSt.ÊKitts.ÊWilburÊwasÊpurchasedÊforÊslaughterÊbyÊformerÊemployeeÊbutÊtheÊbar'sÊownerÊwasÊsoÊcharmedÊbyÊtheÊswinheÊboughtÊhimÊandÊkeptÊhimÊasÊaÊpet.ÊWilburÕ'sÊaÊpeople-pig,Êonwho’s lived a long easy life in the shade. Right next to Wilbur is crateÊwithÊmonkeyÊandÊgoat.ÊThey'd beenÊinjuredÊandÊabandoneandÊbroughtÊtoÊtheÊbar,ÊwhereÊthey 'veÊbeenÊlovedÊandÊcaredÊforÊevesince.ÊNote:ÊKFCÊisÊtheÊonlyÊinternationalÊfoodÊchainÊonÊtheÊisland

See You in St. Kitts By Dorri olDs 

ContinuedÊonÊPageÊ103

GUIDElines | ESCAPES

 Marriot'sÊRoyalÊSt.ÊKittsÊGolf ÊCourse

8/6/2019 StKitts

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/stkitts 2/2ResidentÊOctober 2010 • 105

Ah, the ÒAhÓdventures 

SkyÊSafariÊholdsÊyourÊhand,Êer,ÊuntilÊtheyÊletÊgo.ÊIf ÊIÊhadn’t done it before maybe I’d have been terried, butharnessed in I zipped and zoomed across 500–1,300 feetzip lines, 250 feet up in the air. It was other-worldly ly-ing as if in a hammock cradled by the secure harness withmy heart a-thumping and my mind being blown by aerial

 views of the rainforest and Caribbean Sea. Another do-not-miss is Greg Safaris. Greg Pereira is a

guy who’d get along with anyone—friendly, lively, knowl-edgeable and a fth generation Kittitian. He’s white—hisfamily was originally from South Africa—and his accent isa combo of British and American with some local dialectthrown in. Greg’s been running tours for 20 years. The 4x4Land Rover jeep safari jaunt was the highlight of my trip.ButÊnotÊforÊtheÊreasonÊyouÊmightÊthinkÊ(hint:ÊspookyÊghostÊstory to come). I was awed by the magnicence of the Lee-ward coast rainforest. It was like being inside Avatar. Thegargantuan trees tower above with dinosaur-sized rootsand fabric-like owers wrapped around endless wander-ing vines. Parrots and green vervet monkeys chatter from

branches.ÊBut, what thrilled me most was the haunted Eden Brown

Estate, a former sugar plantation, built circa 1740, over theruins of a nunnery. In 1822, the night before the wedding of a Miss Julia Huggins, the best man (her brother) died ina duel with her intended groom. Julia’s father forbade herfrom marrying a “murderer.” Her husband-to-be marriedanother woman and Julia spent the rest of her days as arecluseÊinÊtheÊhouse.

Greg introduced us to the current owners—a whiteSouth African couple from Ghana. The red-haired womanisÊfriendly,ÊintelligentÊandÊnormal.ÊSheÊdoesnÕ'tÊlookÊtheÊtypeÊtoÊmakeÊupÊghostÊstories. "MyÊhusband,"ÓsheÊsaid,Ê"isÊthe last person on earth who would’ve believed in ghosts,

but...” She went on to tell of shutters snapping closed,musicÊimpossiblyÊplayingÊfromÊtheÊabandonedÊcrumblingÊpiano, a woman walking from room to room. Her husbandsaid, “There’s a ghost in there who doesn’t like men.”

It was sad to say goodbye to Greg but crucial I headbackÊtoÊtheÊMarriottÊforÊmyÊMangoÊSugarÊBodyÊScrubÊandÊKittitian massage at the Emerald Spa. My masseur greetedme with a warm smile and said, “Call me All-State. Youknow, like the car insurance commercial—with me you’rein good hands.” And oh how I was. He began by rubbing soothing oils and lotions into my sitting-too-much-at-the-computer neck and back aches. All-State (aka Avan Laps-ley)ÊhasÊtooÊmanyÊcredentialsÊtoÊlist.ÊIf ÊthereÊisÊsuchÊaÊthingÊas an over-qualied masseur he is it. I’d like to thank every

one of his therapeutic massage instructors. When he wasthrough with me I was like butter. Iree,ÊtekitÊeeeÊzee,Êmon.ÊIÊgoÊtoÊcomeÊback.ÊÊAfterÊanÊeasyÊ

four hours on American Airlines, I deplaned at JFK withmy carry-on and plopped into a waiting taxi. On the ridehome my head danced with ghost stories, big pigs and ziplines. It was just the lift I needed.

 Dor riÊOldsÊisÊaÊfreelanceÊwebmasterÊandÊwriter. DorriOlds.com

 AllÊphotosÊcourtesyÊof ÊMarriotÊSt.ÊKittsÊResort 

ContinuedÊfromÊPageÊ103

St.ÊKittsÊMarriottÊPoolÊ

 ReggaeÊBeach