Blogs from Basseterre, Saint Kitts, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Central America Caribbean

The past few days have been completely awesome! The carribean is everything that i thought it would be if not better! Everyday i'm in a new, amazing place! And this is my job!!!! Sometimes i cant really believe that all this is real. I know i complained a lot while i was in Canada but that was boring in my eyes, grey, wet and cold, not really something one associates with cruising. But now, its sunny every day, theres music and drinks and food. Theres something beautifull everywhere you look! So far weve been to Half Moon Cay, which is holland america lines private island in the Bahamas, where i got sunburnt and had the outline of my sunglasses on my face for 3 days! Then yesterday was St. Croix. Which was nice but no where ... read more

Still in North Bay but thought I would give you another history/geography lesson re one of the places we visited on the cruise. The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is a two island nation that has a prime minister and is governed as a parliamentary democracy, very much like Canada. These islands are situated on the eastern side of the Caribbean Sea. St. Kitts was originally named St. Christopher after explorer Christopher Columbus and eventually abbreviated to St. Kitts. The residents, called Kittitians, speak English with a Caribbean accent. St. Kitts is the larger of the two, spanning 68 square miles. The island covers 23 miles in length and at its widest point five miles across. There are varying terrains that range from semi-arid to rain forest, from flat to nearly impassable. Most of the ... read more

OK, it is taking some time to get acclimatized to cruising but I am loving every minute of it. There is just so much to see and do and eat!! If someone, anyone has lost weight on a cruise, they have to be anorexic. The 6 sister + 1 are starting to settle into a good routine of meals, tours, gym time, alone time and taking care of another sister routine. Picture taking has been a challenge as Sister #1 tries to organize us and get the best picture. We did do formal pictures the 2nd night but I think we will give it another try on Friday because no one was completely satisfied with how they looked. Because of the computer systems, I can't upload pics to the blog but Sister #6 has her small ... read more

Time is winding down and I’m already realizing all that I’m going to miss. I’m also realizing how much I have adapted to island life and Caribbean culture. The first time I consciously noticed change was when I was walking to work with Eli and I thought to myself that he was walking faster than usual, but then I realized that my walking pace had, in fact, slowed down. I haven’t worn a watch in almost three months now, it’s such a relief to slow down and not feel the constant pressure of time. Some adaptations happened naturally, others I found more difficult to internalize. Greeting people, for example, is one thing I adapted to right away. Everyone greets each other here with the customary “Good Morning/Afternoon/Night.” This greeting applies across the board, whether you are ... read more

At first I found Kittitian accents difficult to understand. There was quite a few awkward communication break downs. Now, I more or less feel at ease with strong Kittitian accents and have even changed the way I talk to relate to the kids in the neighbourhood... Where she be Where is she? How many years you have? How old are you? For True? For real? Come, let we go Let’s go You vexing me, boy! You’re pissing me off! Don’t study him Don’t pay attention to him You check? You understand? (or, as Rastafarians say: “overstand”) Jiggy Cool It tastes bang It tastes awesome Aint’ it so? Isn’t it true? Whenever Lamonkey thinks I’m saying something that “aint’” true, he’ll holler “Boo!” which means…well I guess ... read more

Mo in St. Kitts - St. Kitts Marriot was very nice. SCUBA Diving was great. The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis), located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest sovereign nation in the Americas, in both area and population. The capital city and headquarters of government for the federated state is Basseterre on the larger island of Saint Kitts. The smaller state of Nevis lies about 2 miles (3 km) southeast of Saint Kitts, across a shallow channel called "The Narrows". Fort George - Historically, the British dependency of Anguilla was also a part of this union, which was then known collectively as Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla. Saint Kitts and Nevis are geographically part of the Leeward ... read more

There is an 11 year old boy in our neighbourhood who doesn’t really have a home. I have come to learn that his mother just got out of jail and he stays by a friend or by his uncle's house. He has no shoes, always wears the same shorts and t-shirt, never really speaks, nor smiles. He seems so vacant... hard to explain. Early last week at 12am, I heard a knock on my door. The kid was standing there without explanation. After standing with him outside for half an hour, I ascertained that he was locked out of his friend’s house, didn’t really have anywhere else to go and was not going to school for some reason unbeknown to me. My friend, Miss. J., who was an intern in Barbados last year, told me that ... read more

I exit the small craft to a blast of humid Caribbean air. It’s like entering a sauna. I head towards customs feeling light headed. Point of observation: customs are actually friendly here! I get picked up by DeSuza and Eli. Eli is the other intern and one cool cat. DeSuza is the project manager for the Basic Needs Trust Fund. He’s awesome, seems to know everyone. “This is the real Caribbean” he says as we’re driving through town. My apartment is in the heart of Basseterre, overlooking the ocean. What strikes me most are the sounds of this place. Children playing in the street, reggae music constantly spinning, mixed with the sounds of noisy roosters. Later at night DeSuza takes us out for a few drinks and more introductions ensue. We then go to a political ... read more