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BASSETERRE
If you don't want to leave the property, you can walk around downtown Basseterre which is the largest city and the capital of St Kitts. It's just a 12-minute drive from the hotel but I found absolutely nothing there but a few cool street sellers. Basseterre is a French name that simply means "lowland", a description that must have made its way onto a French sea chart sometime during the late 1620s. Unfortunately, I found it to be dirty, with lots of stray dogs, chickens and not many interesting shops or good places to eat. I walked by the three biggest attractions: the treasury building, St. George's Anglican Church and Independence Square. The latter was built in 1790 for slave auctions but it got its name in 1983 to commemorate the island's independence from Great Britain.

CIRCUS GRILL
In Basseterre, I ate lunch at the second floor, open-air, centrally located Circus Grill. The view is excellent but the food was below average. They serve Caribbean and Asian cuisine for very reasonable prices. I had the soup of the day (split pea soup) and it was good but my chicken roti was just okay. But then again, at $3.95, who's complaining? Circus Grill, Bay Road, Basseterre; +1 869-465-0143.

ROMNEY MANOR CARIBELLE BATIK FACTORY
If you're looking to bring home a St. Kitts souvenir, then consider going to the Caribelle Batik Factory. It's a scenic 20-minute coastal drive from Basseterre on the west side of island where all the rich people live. The entrance to the factory is through a mini rainforest where there are a ton of those monkeys. The store is in a former sugar plantation, up on a hill surrounded by a botanical garden and a 350-year-old sprawling Saman tree. The property was once owned by Sam Jefferson II, the great great great grandfather of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, and the house was renamed Romney Manor after its acquisition by the Earl of Romney in the early 17th century. The store and grounds are nice and the prices are reasonable for shirts and the tie-dyed tapestry. They offer free demonstrations of the colorful, tie-dyed clothes being made. Tour Caribelle Batik Factory; tel.: 1 869 465 6253.



BRIMSTONE HILL FORTRESS
I highly recommend visiting the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park. It's a 45-minute drive from the hotel (down the same scenic coastal drive as Romney Manor) and there are three tight entrances to go through. Once at the top, it's about 800 feet above sea level and I enjoyed incredible views. To my left was the island Nevis and to my right was the island of Saba. Brimstone Hill is so spectacular that UNESCO made it a world heritage site in 1999. The Justification for Inscription Criterion reads, "Brimstone Hill is an outstanding British fortress, built by slave labour to exact standards during a peak period [between the 1690s and 1790s] of European colonial expansion in the Caribbean." I was up there for a party put on by the Marriott. They demonstrated that it would be a fine place to have an unforgettable wedding reception and what a way to spend my last night in St. Kitts.

A MAGICAL MOMENT
I'm not big on souvenirs so the most memorable thing I brought back from St. Kitts was a moment. It happened while I was out on a sunset catamaran cruise. Nightfall quickly descended upon us and I can still remember lying on the bow, away from my friends who were partying on the deck below. It was a beautiful night and though there was a slight breeze I wasn't cold, not even for a second; the warm ocean air covered my body like a cozy blanket. I was soaking it all in and if it weren't for the shimmering shoreline lights, I wouldn't have been able to see the coastline. There were no other boats around and it was the first time in a long while that I felt truly disconnected from the modern world. My Crackberry was turned off and the only noises I could hear were the muffled sounds of my favorite songs coming from the makeshift dance floor below and the waves crashing against the hull of the boat. I laid back for a moment and that's when the magic happened. The black night sky was dotted with stars. It was indescribable, especially for someone like me, who has a limited vocabulary. But I do know it was one of the top five celestial experiences of my life. And to top it all off, I saw a shooting star.

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VIDEO
Here's a four-minute Johnny Jet video of my trip to St. Kitts. We also have all the Johnny Jet videos ever made on YouTube.

NEXT WEEK
Next week, we rack up some serious frequent flier miles as we travel to Florida, Los Angeles, New York and then on to a country that's so far away it requires a stop over to refuel. Hmm ... I wonder where that could be? I'll give you a hint: I have never been there before and it was at the top of my destination wish list. I know. That does nothing for you. How about this phrase: The Big Five. Join me next week for the trip of a lifetime.

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Happy Travels,
Johnny Jet

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Note: This trip was sponsored by the St. Kitts Marriott Resort.




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