Blogs from Barbuda, Antigua & Barbuda, Central America Caribbean

Sunday July 14 - Today I took a day trip to Barbuda, the other main island of this country. I woke up before 5am, and got up a little after, about the same time my roommate came back from her night out. Apparently they start Carnival here earlier than the official dates, so that is probably where she was partying. I want to sleep later. I had breakfast, talked to Jeroen, watched tv and got ready for the day. I met Ale at 8:10, as she had my ticket and was going to take me over to the boat. I’m unclear why she was involved, since the boat just met us at the beach here. I wonder if she made money on the ticket? The boat was supposed to pick us up at 8:30, but it ... read more

So, where have we been since our last blog entry? We left Jolly Harbour, Antigua on Sunday, May 13th (Mother’s Day) at 7:30AM and put our anchor down at Cocoa Point, Barbuda at 1:45PM – what a lovely sail it was! Yes, I know you may not believe it, but not all sails are lovely depending on the direction of the wind, the direction and size of the waves or the number of squalls you might encounter. Luckily this trip was a great one – we did see one squall coming so prepared for it, but luckily we only got some extra wind and a few rain drops as we skirted the edge of the squall. Barbuda is a very flat island with its highest point 125 feet above sea level, therefore difficult to see until ... read more

Barbuda's 11 mile beach has to be one of the best in the Caribbean. The name indicates the length and the sand is the softest powder with a hint of pink given by the crustaceans local to here. It's not that easy to get here, unless you make use of the local hotel's helicopter. To sail here, the wind has to have no north in it otherwise there's an uncomfortable swell. We left Antigua early in the morning to arrive in Barbuda before midday with the sun behind us to ensure that we could navigate through the reefs and shallow water. The photos help to give an indication about the place. The town doesn't seem to get tourists at all. To get into Codrington there's a two mile boat ride to get past, which was incredibly ... read more

We have often been asked, “What is your favorite island in the Caribbean?” This is a very difficult one for us to answer because we love many different islands for many different reasons. Some islands have great cultural and historical interest, others have great shopping and restaurants, some are great for exploring because of the natural wonders both above and below the sea, and yet others are just a peaceful getaway. So we struggle to find just one answer. But for us, there is no doubt that our favorite beach in the entire Caribbean is Barbuda, a tranquil island that is 27 miles north of Antigua. You probably have never heard of Barbuda because in the latest survey, it was ranked as the seventh least known holiday destination in the world. There is literally no tourist ... read more

Well our trip has finally come to an end after a long day of waiting for one airplane to be fixed, shopping on Antigua and waiting at the airport for our Delta flight home! What a terrific trip with an incredible group of students and adults. The team was prepared for the task, but did a great job of trusting in God for strength and not themselves. We truly lived up to our theme: Souls Saved . Lives Changed Thank you to all who had a part in giving and praying for this trip. The blog has been updated with pictures if you want to re-read some of the entries and put pictures to the words. Also I have updated more pictures on the following website: http://picasaweb.google.com/thevertical May God bless you all and may we all ... read more