Not sure
what Antigua airport has against me. The
last two times I’ve been there it’s cost me thousands.
In 2009 I
had to shell out $2000 just to get on an aeroplane I had already paid a ticket
for.
This time I
left $1000 lighter after a blunder between the Antiguan equivalent of Bureau de
Change and Santander. It was a case of
‘from me to you’ between them with both saying the US dollars I’d tried to
withdraw lay with the other. The
upshot? I left the airport with plenty
of sympathy but no cash.
Thankfully
while it took the best part of three months to get my money back in 2009 it’s
only taken five days in 2019.
It’s weird
coming back to a place that I haven’t been to for such a long time. Memories that have lain dormant are suddenly
sparked off.
From the
Susie’s hot sauce to the Old English Rum, the posh yachts in the harbour, the
cramped streets of St John’s and even the traffic jams leading to the Sir Viv
Richards Stadium it’s all coming flooding back.
And the
goose bumps were in overload when I returned to the Recreation Ground.
The last
time it was used for a cricket match was the last time I was there. With the
shadows lengthening and fans allowed to stream in for free the atmosphere as
the West Indies hung on for a famous draw got louder and more intoxicating as
the day reached its conclusion. Who says
five day draws are boring? The reaction among the home fans at the time suggested otherwise.
And what a
wonderful way it was to spend a couple of hours.
Unlike
Plough Lane or other quietly crumbling sports stadiums in England you can still
walk straight out onto the outfield. Health and safety doesn’t exist in the same
way outside of England and with no security in sight there’s nobody to stop you
taking your life into your own hands by walking up to the scorers box where huge
holes in the floor have now appeared.
Nosing around the decrepit scoreboard reminded me of being a kid when you’d stumble upon and explore an abandoned house or deserted building. The thrill of being caught or injuring yourself outweighed by the feeling you were somewhere you should be. While half expected a flashlight to be shone on your face or an alarm to set off you also knew treasure and adventure was just around the corner. This is living.
