Day 10 St. Kitts

A leisurely sleep in today as we are doing our own thing. After breakfast we loaded the beach bag up and headed ashore to get our car rental. $50 for the car and $25 for the drivers license:-( ...plus the usual tack on fees.. facilities charge, usage fee, liability insurance etc.

We found our Thrifty’s rental desk inside a local store and after calling and waiting a quick 10 minutes (screaming internet so we got our mail and updated FB) we were scooped up and transported to the rental office. Our representative Keith took good care of us and even upgraded the vehicle because the one we had reserved was... well he didn’t know were it was as the guy did not return it. He said that happens from time to time. Hey we win so it didn’t matter to us! We were given a Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV and after getting the paper work done and the car videoed by my I-Phone, we were on our way. St Kitts is not a big island and we soon found ourselves heading towards the north west end. Kelly wanted to stop at Romney Manor and Caribelle Batik again and we soon found ourselves in the parking lot of this beautiful establishment. Gorgeous grounds and the batik making made it a must stop on the island tours. We picked out some pieces and after some photos we headed to our next stop up the road.

Batik

 The Brimstone Hill Fortress is one spot we missed the last time here so it was a must see this time around. The views were spectacular and the history of the fort and it’s armament well documented. We had access to the various powder rooms and the living quarters. The design is interesting in that if an enemy did get over the wall he was a sitting duck as the next level was flat for 20-30 feet and offered no protection whatsoever. In fact the next fortification allowed for a clear shot at anyone that managed to get that far.

 We continued our journey around the northern end of St. Kitts and around the back side until we found Ottley’s Plantation Inn. This was the most gorgeous piece of property we had seen in our Caribbean travels.  Beautiful grounds with a restaurant overlooking the Atlantic ocean. The views from our table were incredible. We had a great lunch and although it was a bit expensive it was well worth it and we would recommend it as a must do on this island.

Ottley's Plantation view! Some D.A. parked a rental in the middle :-)

After our lunch we headed back towards town. We passed the airport and topped up our rental with gas. A quick painless drop off and we were driven back to the shops in front of the pier. Guinness time I decreed and I sat at the center bar as Kelly checked out the many shops. I told here to take her time as I had some Eastern Caribbean money to get rid of :-)
Back onboard the ship we went up to the bow and enjoyed our sail away out of Basseterre.

Next up was dinner in the Strauss Dinning Room. This is the middle deck and one lower than our last weeks dinning location. We are at table with two other very nice couples and we had a great dinner with them this evening. We all conversed about our activities of the day.

Off to the Crown & Anchor Society meet and greet with the captain. Hey free drinks make it well worth the short walk from dinner :-) They are building two new ships that will be ready in 2014 and 2015. The Quantum Of The Seas and the Anthem Of The Seas will be taking bookings soon... not sure of the itineraries yet. Kelly says she would be willing to try either one as she is not “fussy” :-) After the update we quickly moved to the front of the ship to the Lyric Theater for tonights main show. Great music and entertainment from a fellow named Tony Tillman. We had front row seats and really liked the energy this guy put out.

Off to the promenade for the 70’s show and it was a huge hit with everyone. The place was packed and everyone boogied the night away. Another great day for us.

As the accountant in our family I have invented a simple way to keep track of expenditures on the ship. One thing we all hate is that big bill at the end of the voyage so you need a system that helps avoid this. Below is my system.

1) Place receipt in keepsake drinking glass  2) Forgetaboutit

Seems to be working so far! Tomorrow is a sea day as we make our way to Aruba!