St. Kitts and Nevis

August 28 – September 11, 2021

This adventure started on Friday, August 27, 2021, when Pinky and I traveled to the Fairfield Inn and Suites Richmond Airport with the intent to spend the night to leave early the following morning on American Airlines flight to St. Kitts with a connection in Miami. We enjoyed a good  dinner at Roberto‘s Italian restaurant and got up early the next morning and got to the airport by 5:30 AM, only to discover that I did not have my passport!

I traced the explanation for this grievous oversight to preparations in connection with Covid-19.  In order to enter St. Kitts, we were required to present evidence of vaccinations and of a negative Covid test no more than 72 hours prior to arrival. So, Pinky and I had arranged for and succeeded in having a Covid test at the CVS on Wednesday, October 25, 3:00 PM, and we received our emailed negative test results on August 27. I then followed up the same day with the required upload submission of our Immigration, Customs and Health Declaration form and images of the bio pages of our passports which I scanned to the St. Kitts Ministry of National Security. We left home for the Fairfield Inn in Sandston where we were staying the night prior to the Saturday scheduled flight . After we arrived, the Saint Kitts Immigration Officer emailed me to say that they could not view the passport bio data page for me and asked that I re-upload the passport biodata page and our vaccination cards and resubmit for verification. So, I uploaded from the Fairfield Inn a .pdf of our passport bio pages that I aways keep in the suitcase as requested.  At 8:08 pm I received confirmation that I successfully edited my Immigration, Customs and Health Declaration form. Then, at 3:07 AM Saturday morning, August 28, I received an email from St. Kitts Immigration granting permission for us to enter St. Kitts and Nevis, so we were good to go. Or so we thought.

We got up early on Saturday, we’re chauffeured to the airport, and upon check-in I discovered that I did not have my passport. I looked everywhere at the check in, but never found it. So, we rebooked the flight for the next day (so lucky to be able to do so), called the shuttle and went back to the Fairfield, got back in the car and drove home, whereupon, I discovered that when I had to re-scan my passport the day before I had inadvertently left it in the scanner. There it was! Right there in the scanner! So, we spent the afternoon at home, returned to the Fairfield for a Saturday night dinner at Roberto’s, repeated the trip to the RIC Sunday a.m. and successfully boarded the 7 AM flight to St. Kitts!

The next chapter of this sordid adventure occurred upon landing at the St. Kitts airport. We went through a “waiting area“ easily but then upon entering the “screening area“ we joined a barely moving line where we shuffled along for more than two hours without a place to sit, go to the restroom or get a drink of water and where there was no air conditioning and only two floor fans, before getting to the screening desk, when we were then advised that our Covid test had expired the day before and that we would have to be retested! 

We said you have to be kidding, but nevertheless here we were on foreign land, not to argue. Before taking the test, we had to pay $300 online, but the website wasn’t functioning properly, so a Mr. Riley escorted us out of the waiting area to a separate building where we took the nostril Covid test. Thank goodness for Mr. Reilly! He told us we would be billed once we got back to the hotel. We did not get on the taxi to the Marriott until 5:05 PM Sunday, 3 hours after arriving, where we were then to be quarantined for four days!

Because we missed our first day at Marriott’s St. Kitts Beach Club, we did not have to move after that first day as initially scheduled, but were scheduled to move villas after the first of two weeks. I asked, pleaded really, not to be moved after the first week. It turned out our villa had a spectacular third story view of the Atlantic Ocean, and we began to relax a bit. 

That evening we went to the Marriott restaurant Fire, where we had had fish. It was very good. We sat next to another couple, Michael and Lisa, and struck up a very friendly conversation, portending to the remaining days of the week.

Since we were quarantined, we did not leave the property for several days. This gave us opportunity to make some incredible new friends! For instance, the next day, Monday, we met the couple from the prior evening and others and enjoyed playing Name That Tune in the pool that afternoon. As silly as it sounds, it was incredibly fun and drew us together for fun and good conversation. It turned out help us all through the quarantine!

Included were Dorothy & Sonja, Michael and Leisa, and Cydney, whose traveling companion Mariah Lovey had been delayed due to her not having received her Covid results until minutes after boarding her plane ended, causing her to miss it and re-book a few days later!  

We spent most afternoons that week at the pool, lounging around, drinking rum tonics, and enjoying entertainment provided by Nardo. Tuesday we befriended Emily, a 27-year-old who was there escaping the depression of a boyfriend break up. 

One evening, Pinky and I had takeout pizza, which was excellent. Then, on Wednesday we joined this new group of ours for dinner at FIRE, had a terrific dinner where we took a photo of everybody!

As for the Covid test that we took at the airport on Sunday, we never did receive a bill for $300.00, but we received negative results Tuesday afternoon! However, we still need needed to be tested again in order to leave quarantine. Other good news was that we received a call from the front desk that we wouldn’t have to move from our villa snd could stay there our second week.

Our next (2nd) Covid test was scheduled through the Marriott for Thursday September 2 at 6:30 AM. We still needed positive results before we could leave the property. The phone rang early that morning, jolting us out of bed, when we were escorted to a van where a woman in a moon suit conducted the nasal Covid tests.

We received PCR test results, which were negative, Friday the 3rd at 9:44 AM, just in time for our scheduled 10:45 AM departure for the day’s adventure with Michael and Lisa. This turned out to be the best day of the two week’s stay, when we taxied via Alvin to Port Zante for a 3 1/2 hour Blue Water Safaris sail and snorkel. What could be better on an 88°, sea breeze, sunny afternoon? The sail even included lunch and beer and rum punches (like we needed more of those.)

Returning to the port,  we re-boarded Alvin‘s taxi to another location where after coincidentally running into Maria and Cydney and arranging to meet later at Reggae Beach Bar & Grill, we then boarded a water taxi to Nevis, where we spent several hours with another driver who took us to the Hot Springs and ultimately to Sunshine’s Beach, where we partook of killer bees rum drinks and spent  time on the beach as the sun descended into a beautiful sunset.

After sundown, our driver picked us up to return us to the water taxi back to St. Kitts, where Alvin met us again and took us to Reggae Beach Bar & Grill, where Maria and Cydney had secured a table for us. It was lobster night, and we certainly enjoyed the Caribbean lobster at the bar and restaurant. Finally, we all yet again met Alvin and returned to the Marriott St. Kitts Beach Club after an eventful day.

The next day, Saturday, we spent on the beach and at the pool, followed by a wonderful dinner at Marshall’s with Michael, Lisa and Emily.

On Sunday, I was finally able to play golf at Royal St. Kitts golf club, having been quarantined the previous week and shut out on Monday and Tuesday when the course was reserved for the cricketeers and Wednesday and Thursday when the course is closed. Sunday was my first opportunity, and I played by myself in 2:40 starting at 8 AM and did pretty well on a course with unbelievably beautiful views throughout. 

We completed our farewells to our new friends, who left on Saturday and Sunday, and, after inheriting many leftovers, munchies and adult beverages, from then on we were pretty much left on our own. That evening, Pinky and I walked down the road to Rock Lobster restaurant where we shared Caribbean lobster.

Monday was spent on the property enjoying the beach and pool, meeting a few new people but never on the order of the previous week, and then enjoyed a terrific dinner at Buzzie’s restaurant on the strip, again taxied by Alvin. 

On Tuesday, we had scheduled Greg’s safaris at 2 PM for a 3 1/2 hour tour of Saint Kitts. It turned out to exceed all expectations. It took us around in an open safari four-wheel-drive vehicle to see the governors mansion, museum, then off-road up a mountain where we had a light snack and met a woman who was remodeling her house at the top of the hill. Greg Pereira, a fourth generation St. Kitts of Portuguese heritage, personally conducted the  tour. We ended up at Shipwreck, a dilapidated bar and restaurant toward the southern end of the island where we took a swim in the Caribbean and enjoyed Carib beer.  

On the tour were two women, 70 each, who had to be about the dumbest two women I have ever met. I had run into one of the women a couple days prior where she had been sitting in the grass after having bruised her shin by trying to open a coconut by throwing it on a rock but having it bounce into her leg instead. Then, returning from Shipwreck, she lost her hat at the top of the hill on a blind curve, where Greg risked his life by stopping the vehicle and running into the middle of the road to fetch it. In all, it turned out to be closer to a five hour adventure, one with many photos taken to help remember. That night Pinky and I had an interesting dinner at Mr. X’s Shiggidy Shack Beach bar and Grill, where we sat at the bar, spoke with bartender Michael and met a couple of interesting locals. Good food. Again, the restaurant was virtually empty.

In fact, not only the Marriott but everywhere on St. Kitts were well below capacity, empty in many cases, due to the impact of the pandemic.

Thursday was quiet, spending time at the beach and pool and dining at Fire, where we again had terrific ribeye steak.

In order to leave the island and re-enter the USA, we had to take yet another COVID-19 test. This we had arranged to take at 7 AM Thursday the 9th, but the call came in at 5:30 AM, and again we went through being accompanied to a woman in a moon suit to take the nasal test. We needed the results in time to leave the island the following Saturday. 

The rest of the day was pretty quiet. I did a run (slow jog, really) around the resort, two laps, in 88° sunny but breezy conditions, then we had one of our best dinners that evening at Serendipity Restaurant and Lounge bar, hosted by Pauline. We had a great evening, having been taxied by Alvin again, and having a great conversation with Pauline. She told us that normally her restaurant is closed September and October, but they remain open because they had so many months of being closed because of COVID-19.

On Friday, September 10, I had my second round of golf at Royal St. Kitts Golf Club. My score was identical to last Sunday’s, 86 from the senior - Coral - T’s. This time I had to walk to the course from the Marriott because I scheduled a 730 - First - tee time. As it turned out, nobody arrived until 7:30, so I teed off at eight, which was fine. Again, I played by myself.

The rest of the day we spent at the beach and pool, and we ate leftovers in.

That evening I was getting very antsy about not having received the results from our Thursday’s Covid test. After a few calls to the Marriott desk, I was able to secure an email from Community-Based Health Services, Ministry of health, which included negative results from the test. So, we were then free to leave the island and re-enter the USA!

The next day, September 11, went fairly smoothly, all things considered. Our flight did not leave St. Kitts until 3:30 PM, so we had all morning to get ready while we watched the 9/11 ceremonies on TV. Particularly memorable was the speech given by George W. Bush. He seems to get better with age! Anyway, when the porter did not show up at noon, we lugged the luggage over to the main building, bid goodbye, joined two other couples which we had met the last few days and had Alvin taxi us the 10 to 15 minutes to Bradshaw Airport. The airport only had four gates, and the there was virtually no line to get through, but after checkpoint after checkpoint, showing our passports multiple times, showing our proof of negative Covid tests, we got to the waiting room where we sat for about two hours. The American Airlines plane landed, disembarked, and we loaded up. I think we were the only flight for the day. The trip home was uneventful, and we ultimately got home by 1 AM 9/12.

Tony Trischka Banjo Safari - South Africa 2019 Postscript Dispatch #4

Our Tuesday farewells to our new friends from the banjo safari were bitter-sweet, with heads full of fond memories which we should carry with us for years to come. Most left for their homes, while Tony left for a gig in Durban. Pinky and I had decided on an extended stay to spend a few days at a place we had never seen but had on our bucket list - Victoria Falls, which straddles  the border between Zimbabwe (previously Rhodesia) and Zambia (formerly Northern Rhodesia)  on the Zambezi R.  But first we we returned to the Clico in Johannesburg for the night. While having dinner there, a woman from the next table comes over, looks at me, asks didn't I go to Princeton, and aren't I a member of the class of '69? It turns out it was Christy Wise, wife of friend and classmate  Bob Axelrod! We enjoyed spending time with her at the table, and I marvel how such a coincidental meeting could take place in a 9 room hotel so far from home.

The next morning our Uber ride returned us to the airport for another South African Airlines flight. We soon found ourselves checked into the Victoria Falls Hotel in Zimbabwe, a magnificent 5 star Edwardian-style majestic, luxurious hotel dating back to 1904. From the terrace one can enjoy a gin & tonic while watching the ever present mist rise from the river's gorge a mile or so away and occasional warthogs, monkeys and baboons making their way across the lawn.

Our travel agent, Nancy Cassano, had booked a sunset cruise on the Zambezi, and we were glad she did! The river boat was reminiscent of the African Queen, with a flat cover and just 6 tables accommodating 6 couples, a skipper and his mate, who served a full bar and snacks, which adequately served for dinner.  We motored upstream and back, well above the falls, the 2 hours highlighted by hippo sightings and a gorgeous sunset.

We had booked a tour of Victoria Falls, an acclaimed Natural Wonder of the World, Thursday morning. Our guide Phumulani took us from the hotel a couple of miles to a national park which afforded a dozen vistas of the falls. There can be nothing like it, stretching over 2 miles across the Zambezi R., interspersed by a few islands and actually comprised of several falls, and an ever present mist. And many more pictures!

That evening we treated ourselves to a high English dinner in the beautiful Livingston Room (voted the seventh best hotel restaurant in the world by The Daily Meal).

Phumulani had asked us if we would be interested in visiting a local village, and, after we said yes, he picked us up the next morning for a 20 minute drive to meet with  the head of homestead of a village called Monde. which exists in sharp contrast to the luxurious hotel where we were staying.  His name is Ncube. Custom has it that each family has a surname aligned with nature, and his is with the baboon. The homestead consists of several 1-story thatched huts with packed dirt floors, and common cooking and food storage huts. Surrounding the living area are gardens consisting principally of corn (maize.) Ncube oversees about 40 people and answers to the chief of the village. Despite it being the rainy season, the village and surrounding region have been suffering through a drought, and there's concern that they may loose much of their crop. Water is a big concern, and they have to walk some distance to retrieve drinking water from a deep well installed by an NGO. Ironically, there exists a water supply line in the dirt road leading to the village, but for the village to connect it would cost $300 to $400, and the village can't afford it.  In Zambabue poverty rates stand at about 80%. 

That afternoon I walked to the bridge below the falls while Pinky hung out at the hotel. Built in 1905 (The same year that Princeton started its wrestling program!), the bridge was to complete a railroad connecting Cape Town with Cairo. It affords spectacular views of Victoria Falls and the gorge below it. I walked across the bridge, had a Mosi beer on Zambia soil, and photographed several bungee jumpers tethered to the bridge.

That evening we enjoyed the Boma dinner & drum show, an African experience with Zimbabwean cuisine and energetic performances including drums, dancing and singing (but no banjo!)  The evening was great fun, and we would recommend it to anyone. It was a fitting conclusion to yet another exceptional adventure.

Tony Trischka Banjo Safari -South Africa 2019 Dispatch #3

Several highlights from our time at Tony Trischka's banjo safari in the Pilandsberg Game Preserve, and a few surprises:

There's little doubt that the lion sighting early on was thrilling. We saw a male and a few females on the prowl, not just lying around. They paid no attention to the two Toyota vehicles that took us through this foreign territory, and because they were on the move we surmised that they were looking for a meal. The other unexpected highlight was the magnificent terrain consisting of spectacular vistas, mountains and valleys which were remnants of towering volcanic mountains, covered with lush grasses, shrubs and small trees. It took nearly an hour's drive through the reserve before we reached this land of incredible terrain, rock outcroppings, and winding, rough trails. 

We really didn't know what to expect to discover by way of those we were accompanying from the small group sharing a banjo music interest for a week. Well, I have to say I came to appreciate that banjo folks are real, diverse, interesting on a variety of subjects, and just fun to be with. Our days were long, and Tony's sessions were intense, but everyone without exception remained in good humor with a desire to learn and to just have a good time. I saw no crankiness at all at the 5:00 AM daily pre-game ride gathering.  We all arrived ready to experience the day's adventure. The eight participants and the few spouses came from all over the country for this experience, from the FL panhandle, to Oregon, to DC, to Chicago, to North Texas, to Boston and VA. 

Then there was the one-on-one lesson with Tony - in front of the 7 others! Wow. I think it was only then that Tony realized the extent that I suffer from only being able to play bluegrass banjo "clay style" (a term coined by participant with the coolest name, Ed Goldfinger.) I won't beleaguer you with the problems with this affliction, only it will never permit me to play true bluegrass as Earl Scruggs played it. This I learned and hopefully will propel me to play classic bluegrass as Tony taught us all.

The week's sessions climaxed with the last evening's performance when we all were summoned to play in front or everyone (of course, including Tony, which was nerve wracking for the best of us.) I had the misfortune of following Steve Loggie, the North Texan who is a true pro and sounds just like what I want to sound like. So, what to do? I made a last minute decision to perform something completely different and not in the bluegrass style, and I think it was ok. Tony - and others! - complimented me, and that was all I needed.

Lastly, the most lasting highlight was Tony Trischka himself, who showed class, patience, unparalleled skill in his teaching and play, and was simply one who was approachable and fun to be around.

Traveling all the way to South Africa was a long way to go to go to banjo camp for what is essentially an American music genre. A paradox, yes, but one that could not be done better any other way.

Tony Trischka Banjo Safari -South Africa 2019 Dispatch #2

February 23, 2019

Our one day stay in Johannesburg South Africa started with an excursion to the Cradle of Humanity, which includes a museum and caves with a history of humankind with fossilized remains of human skeletons found in the nearby caves.  It was in the Sterkfontein Caves where the skull an adult humanoid more than 2 million years old was discovered in 1947. 

We enjoyed our return to the Clico Boutique Hotel, where we has stayed before our Princeton in Africa auction "won" safari in October 2015, which is a nine room up market boutique hotel in Johannesburg's Central Rosebank district in a renovated Cape Dutch house with.  After leaving the Clico, Pinky and I met up with the banjo safari group at a hotel next to the airport, where we joined seven other banjoists, banjo master Tony Trischka, his son Sean, a couple Tony is friends with from New Jersey, and Wiam and Renee, who organized this whole event. We left the next day for the Lesedi Cultural Village, where we enjoyed cultural dance and historical interpretations  delivered by talented performers, along with an impromptu jam by the local performers, Wiam, Sean and Tony. It was truly magical! 

After spending the night in a thatched roof hut, we left on a 3 hour drive for the Black Rhino Game Lodge in the 150,000 acre  Pilandsberg Game Preserve, centered on the caldera of an extinct volcano dating back 1.3 billion years. We settled in and went out on our first of 8 game rides.

Our five day stay included daily game rides and banjo instruction/lessons with the banjo extraordinaire Tony Trischka. Our daily routine included getting up at 4:30 AM for coffee, leaving on the morning safari at 5:30 AM, returning for the morning banjo session at 10:30 AM or so, then lunch,  a 2:30 PM banjo session, a 4:30 PM game ride, returning in time for dinner at around 8:00 PM. There are eight banjoists and with guests and family, 18 in all. It’'s been a pretty rigorous schedule, and I have come to realize how little I know about how to properly play bluegrass banjo! But I am learning and will have much to work on when I return home.

Today was a magical birthday for Pinky. During the PM game ride, we stopped in a beautiful secluded spot in the bushveld where Tony and Sean put on an unforgettable outdoor concert and where everyone joined in to sing happy birthday to her with Trischka & Trischka leading the way. 

Tony Trischka Banjo Safari -South Africa 2019 Dispatch #1

To my traveling friends and family – Pinky and I are off on an unusual Amorous Adventure, returning to South Africa for a banjo safari. This is really an exclusive music safari where we will be joining banjo master Tony Trischka  as one of six banjoists and spouses at the Black Rhino Lodge for morning and evening game drives and midday master class sessions with Tony. For six days we will be immersed in what should be the perfect music workshop environment. In a small group setting, with lots of individual attention, this Black Rhino banjo safari with Tony Trischka should be a highly rewarding and unforgettable musical experience taking place on the continent where the banjo was first played played. I can only hope that I can remember what I learn. Our first stop will be a return to the Clico Boutique Hotel in Johannesburg, which we greatly enjoyed during our previous visit to South Africa in October 2015.

Ecuador Adventure #5, Quito

This is the last dispatch on Pinky’s and my amorous adventure in Ecuador. I’ve tried to be brief in my descriptions, but the experiences have been so overwhelming that brevity has been a challenge. So, those of you who have been able to sort through all of these, I hope you have had some modicum of enjoyment from following us. On Thu, I left Pinky and went on morning and afternoon “advanced deep-water snorkels.“ I was led to a cove in Pta. Espinoza, Fernandina Is, where I observed countless large marine tortoises swimming around, along with a variety of fish, and I almost swam into buy a large sea lion (or it into me.) The water was cold, so we all wore wet suits, something I had never done before. (Never too old to try something for the first time.) I tried out my GoPro and am ho
peful the results are acceptable. Friday’s highlight took place on South Plaza, Santa Cruz islands, where we observed a frigate attack mother and father swallow tails and their chick, trying to steal the regurgitated squid the parents delivered, and probably the chick as well. It was an extraordinary, up close wildlife experience that we will never forget. I took an amazing photo of the attack, which I posted on Facebook. On Saturday, we returned to civilization at Puerto Ayora , a city on Santa Cruz of about 20,000 population, where we visited the Darwin Research Center and its giant tortoise breeding facility, which has been successful in re-introducing tortoise populations on islands which had been impacted by human introduced goats and cattle (now largely removed.) We departed the Galapagos Sunday to return to Quito and toured sites in the Andes, where we saw Pululahua (an extinct volcano ), a variety of hummingbirds, a small coffee tree reintroduction “finca,” and a tiny chocolate production operation in Mindo. This was a great way to finish our adventure, where we experienced events and saw wildlife we will never forget and made many friendships among the 95 or so we shared our adventures with.

Ecuador Adventure #4, Isabela Island & Fernandina Island, Galapagos Islands

Wednesday we experienced two unscheduled special events that Pinky and I had never seen before, except on TV. The first required our awaking at 5 AM to go on deck to observe in early morning darkness the bright glow of flowing lava from the Sierra Negra volcano on Isabella Island. Because the island is uninhabited, as are most of the Galapagos islands, there was no danger to humans. Volcanic activity has been

quite common over the years – in fact the islands were all created from volcanic activity. The second happened when we were returning on our zodiac from Urbina Bay on Isabella Island and saw a mother and pup hump back whales, which passed between Isabela Is and our ship. To watch such large animals breach from below the water’s surface is unforgettable. Actually, everything we have seen and experienced here in the Galapagos is unforgettable! Our hike around Urbina Bay included stops to examine huge tortoises, serenely munching on poison apples – at least they are poisonous to humans. Our hike on Thursday took us across very slippery lava, where Pinky and I walked hand-in-hand to avoid slipping and falling down. We saw all sorts of wildlife on Isabella Island, including stinky marine iguanas, lots of sea lions, including a mother and her hours-old pup, flightless cormorants, “Princeton“ crabs and a Galapagos hawk. So far my pictures are great – it’s hard to for them not to be considering the subject matter. When friends and family have nothing better to do for a few hours, I’ll be happy to show them off.......For those who may be interested, I have posted a few on Facebook.🌎