St Kitts Ahoy

I've decided to rechristen this blog "Collins world travel blog and other stuff"since I really only update when I travel. Today I am writing to my loyal readers from the Island of Saint Kitts in the Caribbean. You might be wondering what I'm doing there and why I would decide to visit. My good friend Peter and has been going to Ross University School Of Veterinary Medicine for the past two and half a years and has had an open invitation for me to visit since he got here. Since he's leaving in April, I decided I'd finally take him up on his offer.

3/21/14 First things first! Flights down were easy and relaxing. I really love air travel, especially when I have extra leg room... or don't have anyone in the seats next to me. On three flights in a row. (This was a very nice trend)

It was dark by the time I landed, so I instead of getting the grand tour, I threw on some shorts and headed out to "The Strip"- so named because it's a strip of beach with bars on it. I met some people, drank some island beer, and basically tried to get settled. Besides the fact that they drive on the wrong side of the road here, things were normal so far.

3/22/14 Upon waking up in the morning, I was incredibly confused as to where I was. It took a moment for my brain to bring me up to speed on the 3500+ miles I'd traveled in just over 12 hours. 

I immediately went outside to see the view of the Atlantic Ocean, which was spectacular.

After breakfast I got a tour of the southeast end of the island, and then went snorkeling. I've never had a chance to swim in the crystal clear blue waters of... well anywhere honestly, so this was a huge treat. I saw an eel, a lionfish, a sting ray, a sea turtle, and a car that had been pushed off a cliff. And yes you just read that last part correctly. After working up an appetite swimming, we headed to Reggae Beach, where, true to it's name, there was a beach and reggae music playing. After a delicious lobster sandwich I drifter asleep on the beach, truly relaxed and satisfied. The evening included more relaxing and meeting people, as well as playing Just Dance, an xbox game that's sure to result in some embarrassing photos on Facebook soon.

3/23/14 Today was an absolute blast. I went on a catamaran trip to the nearby island of Nevis. Along the way we stopped for snorkeling and beer, which is strangely a great combo.

On Nevis I got the full tour of the area immediately surrounding the beach, which basically consisted of a variety of bars with interesting drinks like the "Killer Bee" which has mango and nutmeg and was really delicious. We took the scenic route back and had a dance party on the boat. Great times were had by all. It was a great opportunity for me to meet some new people and see more new places.

3/24/14 Today was a bit more low key... no new countries, critters or islands, but I did get to see Basseterre, the main city center of St Kitts. Reina (Peter's girlfriend) took me on a whole tour of the city, warts and all. I was surprised not only by the dramatic difference between where Peter lives and Basseterre, but even moreso between the tourist cruise ship area and the rest of the city. The area by the cruise ship dock was well maintained, generic island style, with tons of shops and bars (I had no idea how many people apparently buy diamonds while on a cruise). The rest of the city had more character to say the least. Things weren't "run down" per say, but I wouldn't call it fresh and inviting. For example, 2 years ago they shut down the fountain in the city park to repaint it. The new paint looks great, but they never got around to turning the fountain back on again. According to Peter and Reina this a very common occurrence on the island. The number of half-completed houses speaks to this as well. All and all so far I'm having a truly wonderful tip.