Our alarm went off at 3:30am, which is never a great start to any morning; however, it was very much worth it as we were going to St. Kitts-Nevis for a weekend.
The Killer Bee
A 12-hour sail later, we finally picked up a mooring just in front of Pinneys Beach, a long stretch of sand with a gorgeous resort and a few beach-bars. Itching to take a walk after the long sail, we decided to take a stroll through Charlestown. We ended up at Sunshine Restaurant, where we were told that we had to try “The Killer Bee” – one of the most popular drinks on the island.
After taking a sip, I truly felt like I was on vacation! Okay, it basically tastes like a rum punch with some extra spices, but it is one great rum punch! Apparently, the restaurant is so secretive about the drink that they mix the cocktail under the bar to hide the mix from curious eyes.
Advice from a tree
The plan for the next morning was a road trip around St. Kitts. Bart and Chris had never explored the island, so I was excited to show them some of the highlights. After a much-needed cup of coffee, we headed to our first stop – Romney Manor.
My favourite sight at the large estate is the 400-plus year-old tree that greets you at its entrance. The branches cover over half an acre (2000m2) of the property! It is thought that the tree was planted by the Amerindians, who lived in the area before the island's European conquest.
Imagine all the good, bad and ugly this tree has seen throughout its years! Now the manor is home to Caribelle Batik, a company that uses ancient Indonesian methods to produce batik art, clothes and other products since 1976.
A volcanic rock fort
Visiting Brimstone Hill is a must when you are on St. Kitts. It is one of the largest and best preserved historical fortifications in our area of the Caribbean.
Around 1623, St. Kitts became a successful colony of England and France – exchanging hands often. African people were brought to the islands from the 1630s to toil on the tobacco, cotton and then sugar plantations. Slaves were also the ones who built Brimstone Hill, stone for stone. This exploitation of humans continued well into the 19th century.
Brimstone Hill is nearly 800 feet high with steep slopes, which meant risk and probable loss of human lives during its construction. The walls of the structures are predominantly of stone, skilfully fashioned from the hard volcanic rock of which the hill is composed. The mortar to cement the stones was produced on site from the limestone, which covers much of the middle and lower slopes. It is truly impressive to walk through the halls and see the many rooms and walls, realizing that it was built without the help of modern machines.
Channel swim
Our road trip ended with food, drinks and more food, first at the gorgeous Kittitian Hill hotel, which aims to offer luxury while promoting sustainability. The view from its deck is insane. We also passed by Salt Plage – a hip cocktail bar on the coast, which is a great spot to take a nap – and then we had snacks at “The Strip” – the main area to hang out during the weekend in St. Kitts. I recommend you visit all three if in St. Kitts.
As Bart and Chris would be competing in the Nevis to St. Kitts Cross Channel Swim the next morning, we called it a night at 9:00. The swim, which starts in Nevis and ends in St. Kitts, is around 4 kilometres across. The race has been held for the last 17 years and tries to promote environmental awareness, especially for turtles, which are easy to spot in the channel.
At 8:38am, Bart and Chris ran into the water with 131 other competitors. I hopped aboard a powerboat that was taking other spectators to the finish line. “The shore doesn’t look that far away,” I thought at first; but as we crossed the channel, I realized what a long swim this was.
The atmosphere was great as I sipped on coffee and ate a second breakfast with a few new friends. An hour into the race and we heard the host saying, “I think I see the first one coming.” Not that I didn’t have full confidence in my boyfriend, but I did not expect to see Bart running out of the water with a time of 1 hour and 7 minutes, putting him in 7th place out of 133!
Tired but happy with their accomplishment, the boys and I headed back to the boat for the journey back to Sint Maarten.
