Day 4 St. John's Antigua- Taste of Antigua

 Wednesday we separated to do different day excursions. We got off the ship at two different times, so we had our port pictures taken individually. 

 I signed up to participate in a Taste of Antigua. I was really excited to have a more relaxing tour of the island. I found it interesting that the bus we took boarded on the left side and the driver was on the right. We also drove on the left side of the road as we did with all the other islands.

 Our first stop was a demonstration of the clay pot making out of the clay soil on the island. She told us how they prepare the clay and then the drying preservation steps. The big pots on the far left of the picture are the cooking pots they use, with the fire pit next to it on the left. I almost wanted to buy one and send it home to try out sometime...

 I loved seeing the little garden's in peoples yards. It is a much more wet climate than Wyoming so the gardens are green and grow very well here.

 This was our tour guide. I was going to write he name down, but I didn't and now I can't remember what it was, but she was a very fun tour guide.

 This building is an elementary school. I found it interesting that all the islands have school uniforms that are provided to families so they don't have to worry about clothing their children for school. This school I thought was pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but there were homes here and there. The schools also don't have their own busses so the children take public transportation to school.

 Most of the Islands use to grow sugar cane, but now the market for it is smaller and it's not as productive so sugar cane isn't grown anymore. The wind mills for the sugar cane fields are still in place all around the island though and they look like little huts. 

 This tree is a short palm that was transplanted when the island was first settled. The brought camels to the island to help with hauling the sugar cane up and down the hill sides and these trees were brought for the camels food. The island is much more moist that the natural habitat of a camel and after a short time the camels started having trouble with foot rot. They slowly died of the rot and there are no more camels on the island.  Islanders claim that the tree has a bright yellow flower that blooms the years the island will see a hurricane. So when it doesn't bloom, they are relieved and when it does, they prepare for the worst.

 This is one of thousands of Mango tree orchards. I couldn't believe how many mango trees there were on St. John. It was unreal.

 Can you see the coconuts? These trees are everywhere also.

 Our second to last stop was at a pineapple farm. I guess the naive me figured that pineapples grew on trees, and that is not the case. Pineapple grow on a bush. Each bush will produce only 1 pineapple, but will give off 3 starts. So after they pick the pineapple, they pull the plant and then replant the starts.

 You can see the 3 starts under this pineapple.

 The pineapples at this farm were small, but it is also the breed of the pineapple. I thought they were cute. 

 The gardener talking to us about the starts and how to plant them.

 There was a mango tree on the farm with a lime tree growing right next to it. I've never smelt limes so fragrant as the ones right off the tree. It was almost heavenly, and I'm not one to like limes.

 Our last stop was at the beach where we tried several fruits and dishes of Antigua. There were ladies selling necklaces and bracelets there. I bought a few necklaces with shells and colored stones on them for the girls. They were a big hit with the girls when we got home.

The flowers in the Caribbean are so beautiful and vibrant. I wish I could have brought some home and put time in my yard, if only I knew they would live and not die.