DAY SEVEN.......On The Road Again..

As I write we are nearly to St. Vincent, and as usual no trip in The Windies is without its frustrations. The fact we are nearly to St. Vincent belies the effort it took, mentally, to get here.

We left Montserrat yesterday.....this time by Air. After a visit to The Hilltop Bar to look at more rock memorabilia salvaged from the wreck of the Volcano, and owned by an avid photographer. (his photographs of the erupting Soufrié were dramatic in their beauty.) we were climbing aboard a small seven seater aircraft bound for Antigua and waving our goodbyes. I think I was the only relaxed member of the party as the light  aircraft seemingly struggled into the air. As it climbed a superb view of Soufrié and the buried Capital swung into view. As there were only six of us on the flight all queues were avoided at either end of the short twenty minute flight and driver Dyke was soon driving us to our overnight accommodation.

Unfortunately they had overbooked. There were only two rooms available to us. No problem, Jim and Merlin would share, Jim replete  with official Hotel Ear Plugs to negate the volcanic rumbles that were due to issue forth from Mount Merlin that night. It soon became apparent that were were staying at not The Wind Chimes Inn but at Hotel Bastardos. Not only would Jim have to share with Melinski but, because of the absence of a toilet door, would perhaps inadvertently, have to watch him shit as well! Complaints were made, money refunded but no toilet door was forthcoming. They were promised one on our return in two weeks. But not that night. For driver Dyke, this was the highlight of his day. He chuckled all the way to The Coconut Grove that night and more in the morning.

Antigua airport or more importantly Liat Air, the inter island Caribbean Airline. For many years now this airline has dogged and often screwed up my progress through these charming countries. It is better known as 'Leave Island Any Time' and even locals raise their eyes to heaven when the name is mentioned. They have caused me, in the past, to sleep overnight at Barbados airport, be marooned for three days at the same airport and sit like a fool waiting for a flight at St. Vincent that came eventually but as far as the airport flight information board was 'on time'. This caused us to miss our UK connection at......yes......BARBADOS.

So as we cruised into Antigua airport and Jim uttered the words 'look, our flight is ontime' you could understand why Trish replied with 'oh no Jim, you have jinxed it'. And so it proved. Antigua airport, at that very moment, shut down until further notice. So there we sat, and sat, visions of a missed connection to St. Vincent playing on my mental television, together with an overnight stay at Barbados airport.

Not to worry. Jim's faith was well conceived as within the next hour we were actually boarding the flight to Vinncy. Miraculously the airport had reopened. I rather think it was the prospect of them having to accommodate two plane loads of American Airline passengers within the next two hours in their matchbox sized international airport. But Jim was fairly reprimanded as to all future positive travel statements with regard to Liat Airlines.