Antigua2
VulcanSpirit
Richard & Alison Brunstrom
Fri 11 Feb 2011 20:40
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The former British colony of Antigua has a
population of less than 90000 (not much more than Anglesey), and is a fully
independent nation. Puts UK devolution into a different perspective, doesn't it?
The country has almost no agriculture left as a previous government decided that
it was demeaning to work in the fields - echoes of slavery- and decided that
education was the way forward into better jobs. Now they have no agriculture
they have to import everything at huge cost, and the better jobs have not
materialised. The economy is nearly 100% tourism, hit hard by the current
economic downturn. The interior is uninspiring but it has 365 beaches, most of
them in glorious white coral sand. Makes up for the rudest and most surly
Customs & Immigration officers that we have yet encountered, for which the
island is justifiably infamous.
The first photo shows one of the best pizza
restaurants we've ever been to, at English Harbour (which was the major British
naval base and where Nelson served, in the process making himself very unpopular
with the local landowners by actually enforcing the Navigation Acts banning
trade with the then newly independent United States). Drive up in your dinghy,
step ashore and sit at your table. Fantastic.
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