good talk

I spoil you people.  PR to Antigua, taxi to St. John's the Capitol.  Antigua and Barbuda (pron. bar-by-uda) is my 116th Country.  Discovered by Columbus in 1493 the Spanish had no interest in either as there was no fresh water but plenty of savage Caribs.  They obtained Independence from Britain in 1981, they're separated by 25 mi, Antigua is 108 sq. mi. and Barbuda (pron. bar-by-uda) is 62 sq. mi. The highest elevation on either is, yes, Mt. Obama on Antigua at 1319 feet. They're part of the Leeward Islands and the Lesser Antilles.  The total population is 82 thou with only 1250 people on Barbuda.  The English settled Antigua in 1632 and Barbuda in 1684.  Like the rest of the Caribbean the people are Black and basically good people sorta poor but honest.  However, there's been several murders of tourists on Antigua in recent years so be a little wary.  I stayed at JoeMike's in St. John's at $65 a night, a real bargain as everywhere else it was twice or more.  Joe is Lebanese and real friendly, he showed me around his casino, has it all.  Just an hour after I checked in I saw the Mayweather-Maidana fight-card begin on TV.  What was selling for $70 in PR was seen free throughout Antigua.  Great Undercard and the Main Go was real good, Mayweather won a close decision but it was only Maidana's low blows that kept him in it, in their Rematch with a competent referee it shouldn't be close, that was Floyd's Fight.  I went to their Museum and St. John's Cathedral where they kindly let me in even though it's being renovated. At the Market I bought 3 of the famous Antigua Black Pineapples, best in the World, yummo.  Went to Fort James and swam nearby, warm saltwater, yummo.  Went by collectivo to their Cricket Stadium named for Sir Vivian Richards, one of the 5 best ever.  Went by collectivo to English Harbor at the south end of the island and Nelson's Dockyard named for Lord Horation Nelson who was stationed there.  Swam at Pigeons Point Beach, real good.  Bought a day-trip to Barbuda by ferryboat for $160, arrived at the Capitol, Coddington, taken by boat to see the Frigate Bird Colony, then by van to see the Caves, we swam at another beautiful beach and I had a lobster lunch with good side-dishes, biggest lobster I've seen on a plate, beer, it was a fun day.