LIAT | Jason Around the World

Hiking in Dominica, enjoying nature, and DOM-ANU (Angitua) on LIAT

6 Countries in 6 Days Caribbean Trip, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Flights, hotels No Responses »

Jul 172012

Landed in Dominica, and that’s where the drama started. Immigration was a snap, and soon found the small shack/hut that housed the rental car companies. Went over to the Avis “desk” (which, seriously, is an overstatement. It’s a small wooden podium, with a rather nice, but disinterested man who may or may not be behind it.) Nope, no reservation. Showed it to him. “Oh, how interesting. Can’t help you.” He had no car, and while he could get me one from another agency, no matching the rate, etc etc. Chatted with the (much more) helpful lady from the other agency, and she told me for what I was doing in Dominica, I would be much better with her “friend’s” taxi. He would take me round-trip to my resort, and make sure things were happy….all for the same price as my rental car. Since I only planned to hike and chill here, I went with it.

I’d chosen to stay at the Hotel Beau Rive – and in summary – it was an awesome choice. I normally prefer locations much more in the middle of it all. Places to go out to eat, walking distance to cool things to see, etc etc. You get the idea. Beau Rive? Well, it was absolutely none of this. What it was, however, was set in the middle of Dominica’s awesome natural beauty with the most amazing hosts and staff you could ask for. This is all made very clear on their website, online reviews, etc. If you’re not ready for an “at home” atmosphere, pets on premesis who are quite friendly, and a home away from home…this isn’t the place for you. Yet, despite being from from my normal “style” I absolutely loved it here. I’ll go into more details, but the pics will do much more talking here.

My taxi driver was awesome….on the approximately one hour drive to Beau Rive he told me all about his island, the people, the locations…it was like a mini guided tour. Plus, the roads were seriously harpin and pretty tricky. Much less stressful not to drive on them! Got to the hotel, checked in (I was one of two rooms occupied!) and immediately took this awesome shot from my room’s balcony:

Another shot from the hotel’s veranda:

Barbados, the Hilton Barbados, beach time and BBQ, and BGI-DOM (Dominica) on LIAT

6 Countries in 6 Days Caribbean Trip, Barbados, Dominica, Flights, hotels, Restaurants No Responses »

Jul 142012

The Barbados airport was several times the size of any one I had encountered yet on this trip, which meant I actually had to wait for my baggage a good bit…but it was an air conditioned area with “modern” baggage belts….unlike some of the previous islands whose baggage reclaim areas cum customs cum immigration areas felt like you’d traveled back in time many decades. The Barbados airport felt modern, efficient, and decidedly different…aka everything the average tourist loves.

While waiting for baggage, I chatted a bit more with the guy who’d been sitting near me. He was from Barbados, home for a month to visit during the summer, and would return to Canada for university in the fall. He’d been in Grenada for business, so was back home now to enjoy the rest of his vacation. I was offered (and accepted) a ride to the hotel, “as long as you don’t mind a few stops along the way.” Hmmm, I was going to save a $25 taxi and have a fun adventure…why not? In retrospect, yeah, it’s everything you’re advised not to do…but once again, taking a chance paid off! After a quick, very bumpy, and bat-out-of-hell style ride in a jacked-up old Hummer, we were at his house where he swapped clothes and dropped off luggage while I waited. Was nice being in an actual neighbourhood far away from what any tourist ever see, and to see how the locals actually live.

The next part I hadn’t expected. It was a series of at least four or five stops to pick up friend after friend who was joining him at the beach party. It was especially cool to get a real view into the diversity of Barbados. People had come from everywhere, and everyone was some mix of different cultures that blended into something truly local and unique. Eventually, there were seven of us in the car, and we were off to the hotel. Right before dropping me off, I was told if I could hurry I should join them for the beach party. Um, sure, why not! Luggage dropped off, checked in quickly, and a quick photo from the room:

Back downstairs, and we were off for a five minute drive to the party on the beach. I’m honestly not sure I’ve ever been to a sunset Sunday night party on the beach before. It was a completely local crowd, everyone seemed to know everyone, and it was lots of dancing, rum, and just enjoying a Sunday evening. I checked out after a couple of hours, because I had dinner plans at the Brown Sugar Restaurant near the Hilton.

It was a date for one….me, a good book on my iPad, and a delicious dinner. Brown Sugar gets very mixed reviews online, but due to location I decided to give it a go. It was exactly what I expected – not superb, but fun, somewhat local, and good food…even if I did have to sit next to a family from Jersey who kept complaining about things instead of focusing on the things they were liking about their vacation. Enough said! After multiple drinks on the beach, I was starving, so went with the Caribbean Jerk Porn appetizer. Nothing fantastic, but it was tasty, and went well with the rum punch. (Sensing a theme here? I mean, I really had to compare how each island did them!)

Then, it was time for the main course. I decided to go all out and get the Martin’s Choice, described as “A bountiful seafood platter with fried flying fish, grilled Mahi-Mahi Dolphin, breaded shrimps & a crab cake.” It was rather tasty, but also rather more fried than I would have expected. I still don’t know what “Mahi-Mahi Dolphin” is, but I’m gonna hope it wasn’t really dolphin. It tasted like Mahi Mahi so I’m going with that.

Time in Grenada and GND-SVD-BGI (Barbados) on LIAT

6 Countries in 6 Days Caribbean Trip, Barbados, Grenada 2 Responses »

Jul 132012

Upon landing in Grenada, immigration was fairly quick and friendly, and soon I was in the arrivals area. I knew the hotel/lodge I’d chosen based on TripAdvisor reviews was a little bit out of the city, so I’d e-mailed and asked the hotel to arrange a driver due to my late arrival hour. I’m glad I did, because the Lance Aux Epines Cottages were definitely in a much quieter and residential area. It was a small property definitely geared more towards self-caterers, and if you choose to stay here I’d probably say that a car is essential.

When I got there around 830pm the office was closed, but the hotel driver and the security guard knew where my welcome packet and key had been stashed. The driver was also kind enough to point me to the nearest restaurant about 1/2 mile down the road which should still be open for a bit. The Red Crab was about a 15 minute walk away, and probably one of the most amusing restaurants I’ve ever been to. I had some jerked pork and a couple of rum punches, and sat watching a very strange mix of people. Grenada is home to a large medical school full of (primarily?) Americans, and there were several here. I wouldn’t highly recommend the food, but for location since it was the only thing in walking distance it definitely was a good find!

Back to the cottage (which by the way was huge – nearly 100 square meters I’d guess) and watched a little TV on the iPad before bed. The rooms are not air conditioned, except for the bedroom, which worked out just fine. Close the door overnight, and I was nice and ice cold to sleep. It was quite nice having a coffeemaker and full kitchen in the unit, and this would be a fantastic place to stay as a self-caterer for a longer trip with friends or family. The housekeeping staff will even go grocery shopping and cook local meals for you in your unit! How’s that for a bonus!

I didn’t have much to do until my early afternoon flight, so decided to head out onto the hilly and humid roads for a run. I made it a total of nearly 8 miles which was awesome given the oppressive humidity, but about 1 mile from finishing the skies opened up and an absolute torrential downpour ensued. To the point that once I got back I spent the next two hours sipping more coffee, wishing I had access to food and, um, wondering how I was to get back to the airport. See, it was Sunday, and everything (including the hotel office) was closed.

Decided to wander out at noon, and hope I could find someone who could help me arrange a taxi for some lunch and then the airport…or, since checkout was noon, I was hoping my driver would pick that time to wait around for me. All the worrying was for nothing, because the hotel owner/manager had come in on a Sunday especially to welcome me and check me out (despite things being pre-paid) and take care of things. The driver would be happy to take me to lunch, then come back in a bit over an hour to drive me to the airport. Perfect!

I can’t say enough about how kind the staff were here. It was probably not the best choice for me for a quick overnight, but for anyone on a longer stay I can’t recommend it highly enough. Everything did, however, work out great in the end. Based on many recommendations, I ‘d wanted to get lunch at BB’s Crabback, but unfortunately they were closed on Sundays….as were 90% of places on the island. I decided to go with TripAdvisor reviews, and settled on the #5 rated restaurant in Grenada – “Umbrellas Beach Bar” which was near the airport, and whose site made clear they were open for lunch on Sunday. Confirmed with the owner of the hotel and he was pretty certain they were, so off I went!

When I got there, it was a bit questionable. There were several staff around at 12:15, but not a customer in sight. I’d read this place could be packed with a long wait for a table, so I wondered what I was missing. One of the staff quickly shouted “FIRST CUSTOMER!” and they scrambled I decided to take a seat at a high table at the edge of the restaurant near the lanai, so I could enjoy a view of the ocean while I ate:

It’s pretty easy in the picture to see just how heavy the rain had been. This was nearly an hour after it had stopped, and there were still large ponds of water everywhere. However, there was a nice breeze out, and after my run I was absolutely starving. However, as was becoming tradition on this trip, it was tip to start with some rum punch!

Touring around St Vincent and SVD to GND (Grenada) on LIAT

6 Countries in 6 Days Caribbean Trip, Grenada, St Vincent, Uncategorized No Responses »

Jul 122012

Having arrived in St Vincent, it was already quite late. However, it was quite easy to get a taxi to my hotel, the Paradise Beach Hotel and check-in was swift. The AC was strong, and it was still an hour til closing time at the hotel bar on the beach…which was filled mainly with Trinidadian businessmen trying to impress anyone that would talk to them. It made for a few interesting discussions! Now, a few thoughts on the hotel:

The restaurant was odd. Yes, they served food, but it doubled as the hotel bar and patio. However, when asked, the bartender could produce a menu and breakfast, dinner, snacks…you name it. More than adequate, and the two meals I ate there were very tasty. Rooms were clean (but spartan) and the AC was strong enough to keep cool, so overall it was a bargain for the price paid. I would definitely stay here again, although you really need a taxi to get anywhere. That said, when asked, the hotel staff could easily arrange taxis to get you anywhere you needed.

I finished off the evening watching reruns of the Tour de France Prologue, and a couple local beers, while trying to explain cycling to the Trinidadians. They found it “a challenging sport, but I could never wear all that elastic clothes.” Hmmm!

Local brews consumed, I passed out for almost 10 straight hours due to sheer exhaustion. It was time to rise, and start the day. It took me a good hour to get moving, but when I did I found “breakfast” was just at the bar. Sat outside watching the waves, and when the bartender brought the menu I just skipped it…and told him to bring me what he’d eat for breakfast. Turned out to be a perfect choice!

Salt fish, hot peppers, and some local bakes (bread rolls) which I swear weighed at least a pound each they were so dense…but OMG it was delicious. Coffee consumed, I was ready to try and arrange a day of touring! Oh, but first I caught up on a bit of internet time, while enjoying the view from breakfast:

I must admit…it was 10am, and I was just not feeling it. I don’t know if it was jet-lag, the 10 hours of sleep was too much, but I was absolutely exhausted and sluggish. I’ll admit taking an hour nap post-breakfast, before stopping by the front desk and asking to arrange a tour. She got to work on it, while I headed back to the bar for more wave-watching and a couple of delicious diet cokes. Soon, a torrential downpour started, and I was informed that my tour could begin at 12:30 and the driver was mine for $50 to take me wherever I wanted for up to four hours. Perfect!

Touring around St Lucia and SLU (St Lucia) to SVD (St Vincent) on LIAT

6 Countries in 6 Days Caribbean Trip, St Lucia, St Vincent No Responses »

Jul 112012

After landing and a very quick trip through immigration where I confused the officer (transit? how do you transit? oh, you’re going to the domestic/regional airport….what will you do here for 10 hours? Oh, fascinating.) I was through in less than 3 minutes thanks to the American escort. Talk about amazing service. I think I’m going to get some business cards with this website printed…if nothing else to share with immigration officers. It lends credibility to my “country collecting/visiting” story, and immediately defuses the tension when they see my 192 page passport.

Based on very strong recommendations on TripAdvisor, I’d booked my day with Serenity Vacations and Tours. I was doubly sold when their transfer service promised “homemade rum punch.” I mean, come on, how much better does it get?! Immediately through immigration the very cheerful representative and driver met me, and we were set for the day. Up front, the van was wonderful (at least six people could have fit in it comfortably), the rum punch was delicious and plentiful, and the local beer was also supplied. Now, on to what we actually DID!

Landing was just before 2pm, so it was around 2:15 by the time we got going. We did a short drive, and my guide was fantastic in answering all the little questions I had about St Lucia. Questions about the demographics, economy, politics, you name it. She knew her country well, and was thrilled to share the details. I knew I was in great hands! First, a view from the side of the road near the start of our drive:

Before doing any actual climbing, we stopped at the Tet Paul nature reserve, where I got a fantastic view of the Pitons….this is two small mountains known as Gros Piton and Ptit Piton. Honestly, they’re almost the same size, and the easiest way to tell them apart is that Ptit Piton is more “pointy” shaped. We did a short hike around Tet Paul, and got some great views of the Pitons: