After IC and breakfast in the DaVinci Dining Room (in a total break with tradition, I had a toasted bagel and cream cheese with smoked salmon), we packed for another beach day. The Emerald Princess didn't arrive in Basseterre, St. Kitts until 9am, and thank God for that little extra sleep this morning. We met Greg and Suzan at the IC and left the ship as soon as it was cleared with one goal in mind: to get to Carambola beach bar/restaurant on South Friars Bay Beach. The day looked a bit questionable weather-wise, with blue sky peeking through big, fluffy clouds, but we'd all been to St. Kitts enough times to know that it's a rare thing to encounter a day without at least a brief shower.
We got a taxi for $4 per person to Carambola and asked the driver to stop for a moment on Timothy Hill to take photos of the southern end of St. Kitts and the island of Nevis.
True to form, shortly after we arrived at Carambola, the skies did open up for a heavy but brief rain shower. I stayed busy in the restaurant using their wifi, as the Emerald Princess Internet, which had gone out last evening, remained out this morning. With the cold spell marching across the US, I wanted to check the Nest thermostat to make sure all was still well at home. By the time I finished that and a bit of business, the rain had stopped. Meanwhile, G had rented a sun bed on the beach, and it worked well for the four of us to each relax on a corner to chat. We spent the day alternating between the beach and the water.
The sand on South Friars Bay Beach is volcanic in origin, and of a different color (much darker) and texture (more coarse) than we'd enjoyed yesterday on Barbados. The beach entry is steeper, but, despite the increasing wind, the water was as clear as we had ever seen it there, and the views south toward Nevis were spectacular.
At about 3pm we got a taxi back to the ship. The driver showed us where new dolphins are being constructed at the freight dock south of the cruise dock at Port Zante to accommodate two additional cruise ships for a total capacity of four a day. Plan your visit to St. Kitts soon...I have a feeling it's going to become another St. Martin. The development of multimillion homes and condos on its southern peninsula has already changed St. Kitts dramatically since our first visit there 10 years ago, but its natural beauty remains unchanged.
G and I stopped for him to buy another St. Kitts hat ('cause the 37 he already has aren't adequate for his needs) and we soon saw a horribly ominous looking storm moving in from the Atlantic coast of the island. As we rushed back to the ship, we were caught in a wind tunnel between the Emerald Princess and the Carnival Valor, also in port with us. As the storm barreled down on us, the wind swept us down the pier and we had to cling to the gangway to reboard the ship. We were just ahead of the torrential rain that accompanied the storm, but once in our inside cabin could still hear the lightning strikes and thunder clapping.
By the time we were showered for the evening and up in Skywalkers, the rain had mostly stopped but the evening had turned dark early. Still, when we walked out on the promenade deck on our way to dinner, there was a beautiful hint of a sunset.
Captain Nick warned of a rough night and day tomorrow (he was right), and as we sat at our table in the dining room, huge flashes of lightning accompanied our 6pm sailaway and soon rain was pelting against the window. Cozy!
Dessert tonight:
We followed up dinner with a performance of the production show Boogie Shoes, and then bed. Bouncy or not, we are going to sleep well tonight. We've had four beach days in the past five days, and though relaxing, they've worn us out.