Antigua - December 2008

Antigua is one of the West Indies islands which, in turn, are part of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean sea. European discovery occurred in 1493 during the second voyage of Christopher Columbus but, due to the fierce Carib Indians resident at the time, no community was established until about 140 years later. It is the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda, with an area of about 108 square miles and a population around 70,000. As well as being the largest of the Leeward Islands it is also the most prosperous, with an upscale tourism industry, offshore banking activities and a large internet gambling service that aggravates several other countries, including the US. Most recently of course, Texas financier R. Allen Stanford has put paid to some of the prosperity of this little country by stealing $8 billion from sundry investors.
Almost half of the population live in the capital city of St. John's and it was here that the ship parked. Check out some St. John scenes here.