Location: English Harbour, Antigua
I was going to write about how today is day 87, and we have only three more days to enjoy this fabulous trip to the last minute. It could be time for reflecting or for nostalgic looks into the past. But I will choose not to. Instead, I choose to put aside this bittersweet sensation that accompanies the trillions of memories that have been filling our lives from day 1 in Cape Town to this exact moment, in the chart house of Argo at 18:49. I will look forward to the exciting three days that are ahead of us and find ways to squeeze the most out of them. Today we have officially completed finals and added the academic to the rest of the achievements accomplished during our journey. That means that starting today, we can focus completely on sitting back, zip on our Tings, our grapefruit smoothies, or iced lattes, and discover Antigua at its best. The island, especially this part, which includes English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour, is getting ready to welcome Classic’s Week. Many pretty boats are joining Argo at the dock, sailors are coming from all over the world to find their crews, and visitors walk around, cameras in hand, ready to catch their beauty. It fills us with pride to discover that Argo did not only bring us safely across the Atlantic Ocean but that she can also keep up in style and elegance with the amazing ships that surround us. Tourists, wedding parties, and other sailors walk up and down the dock and stop in front of Argo to have a picture taken with her. It also pleases us to see the work that we put into scrubbing, varnishing, polishing, or waxing to protect her from the inclement salty seas but also to make her shiny and pretty.
Now is the time to relax, go to the beach, visit the monuments left there for us by our ancestors, and the sculptures of nature. Just outside the bay, less than a 20-minute walk away from us, we can admire the Pillars of Hercules, fantastic rock formations sculpted by the winds and the seas. Or we can simply go to the beach. Or we might go shopping for those postcards to send home (to send to you!) with exotic stamps on them. Or we can just play with puppies. And eat ice cream. Always ice cream.
The closing program ceremony is about to start. We’ll let you know tomorrow what that is and how it goes.