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This is my first album for the Caribbean Fortnight. I travelled to Antigua in January 2006 on my island hopping trip around the Antilles. I did not spend too long on the island but the experience became unforgettable. As I was wandering around the island's capital, Saint John, I found a group of local guys playing football on one of the beaches, just north-west of the town centre. We chatted for a while after the game and they invited me to see the area, where they lived. It was somewhere in northern Saint John, I think. They were exceptionally friendly, I bought a few beers and they provided entertainment - mainly chatting, rapping and jumping. Later, they insisted that I joined them for a couple of street parties. I said yes. I lived in English Harbour Town, at the other end of the island, but I took a taxi to Saint John and the lads collected me from a bar, as agreed. The first party was a proper street party with most of the action happening in a street in a residential area, with massive loudspeakers blasting Caribbean tunes right into the air. The other party was somewhere at a stadium, I think. It was so cool and incredibly massive with thousands of partygoers. There was grill, beer, and loads and loads of young DJs mixing tracks late into the night. I met about a hundred of young locals at that party, and I forgot about the fact that I did not know where I was or how to get to my hotel. But one of the guys, Nelly, walked me back to the taxi stand, nevermind the lateness of the hour. This was the best party I have ever been to.
The island is very pretty. It has great beaches, diversified coastline, colourful wooden architecture and a great National Park - the Nelson's Dockyard, situated in English Harbour Town. It is packed with great 18th century English architecture. It was a naval base, used by the admiral Horatio Nelson for this hunting of the pirates of the Caribbean.
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