Dantigua - Day 2

I set the alarm for 6:30, with the intention of getting up and going for a run. The alarm does indeed go off at 6:30 but I stay in bed for another hour. It is then another hour before I'm ready to go off for a run.

My plan is to do about 10km, but this ultimately becomes 16km, as I skirt around the whole of St John's. I eventually take a left that takes me to town and I slow down to a walk to take in the town atmosphere. It's still morning so Market Street is really busy and very vibrant.

Two cruise ships are docked and the town is full of pasty-faced Americans looking really grumpy. The locals are so much happier than them! They view you with trepidation at first but are happy to return a greeting.

I find my way to Perry Bay road familiar surroundings and I begin the last 3km to Zeus's. It has been very hot and there are a lot of hills on the last 3 km and I am feeling the efforts when I get back in.

I take an hour to cool down, have a shower and get changed and then jump in the car for today's activities. Plan is Jolly Beach for lunch and then to Nelson's dockyard.

I wouldn't say Jolly Beach is particularly jolly but it is very pleasant. It's a very long beach and sort of split into two with a resort at one end which looks like it's all inclusive and then at the other end a beach bar for the riff raff!

Jolly Beach - pleasant enough

I settle down at Sandra's bar (riff raff end) have a quick look at the menu and decide on a jerk chicken burger. There is only one waitress attending all of the tables and she is not exactly quick. I make a decision to order at the bar. The burger is good value but Carib beers at $5 for a 275 ml bottle is taking the piss a bit!! But of course I pay and don't complain.

The view from Sandra's

US$5 for this!!

With my belly now full, it is time to move on to the next location of Nelson's Dockyard. Although only 20 something kilometres from Jolly Beach, Google maps says it will take 45 minutes. I quickly find out the reason why is because the roads are awful. There is a 40 mph limit but it's rare you'll go that fast because of the many potholes littering the roads.

Nelson's Dockyard seems to be somewhere that should be really busy. There are plenty of bars and restaurants, but there doesn't seem to be anybody in any of them. The harbour has a few super yachts which a always seem to me to be fantastic and obscene at the same time. One yacht has a bottom hatch open exposing a smaller craft and I think to myself I couldn't even afford that one!!

Obscene wealth - spot the tiny boat that I can't afford

I wander through the town until I come to the entrance to the national Park. There is an entry fee so I check out Google to see what this actually offers, which doesn't appear to be much. It seems that the best view of the place is from Shirley Heights, which is somewhere I plan to go on Sunday. I decided to drive up there anyway for a quick recce but again there is a charge (EC$25) and it is only half an hour till it closes so I decide to leave it for today.

Another place on the list, Betty's Hope, is roughly on the way back to my apartment but again it is too late in the day to make this a meaningful visit. So I decide I will go there on Sunday on the way to Shirley Heights.

I have underestimated the weather, as usual, and I am very,very thirsty. So I make a slight detour to the supermarket for a big bottle of Canada Dry and some reserve beers.

Back at the apartment. I think I should make some dinner but I just have no energy so I slouch on one of the armchairs and watch a sports channel and sleep in short bursts. It has gone 9:00 by the time I feel I'm ready to eat and I rustle up some ham, cheese and eggs. And a beer of course!

I find the second innings of a T20 match from the World famous ILT20 tournament (International League T20 from the UAE - no me neither) on telly and settle back to watch that. To be fair, I do know a lot of the players and it is an entertaining run chase. So this keeps me going until it is definitely time for bed. Even with all the earlier cat napping, I am still shattered and fall quickly to sleep.

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