Saint Kitts (Part 2!)

And I’m FINALLY back with Part 2 of my recent vacation to Saint Kitts! My plan was to have this post up a week ago last Thursday…obviously, that didn’t happen. I was having difficulty uploading pictures to my blog, and turns out my hosting plan was maxed out and I literally didn’t have any available space left on my site for even ONE more photo! I was so confused at first why I was having so many issues and was wondering what I was doing wrong! Thankfully, that problem is now resolved and the hosting plan is upgraded. 🙂

I left off my travel recap after only 2 days on the island of Saint Kitts. Monday was a very relaxing and slow day. I slept in (which I never have the opportunity to do anymore!) and spent most of the day reading and relaxing on the beautiful Marriott beach. I was so impressed the entire week at how the beaches were not busy or touristy!

We ate dinner in Monday; a yummy maple salmon dish that I definitely want to get the recipe for to make at home sometime soon!

On Tuesday, I was more than ready for some action and adventure after spending all day Monday at the beach. As much as I do love the opportunity to read a novel for fun and lay out on the beach, I personally wouldn’t want to spend the entire vacation doing that. Something my husband and I both agree on is that we love active vacations!

All that to say, the highlight of Tuesday (and I daresay the entire trip to Saint Kitts!) was hiking up Volcano Rim. I literally cannot describe how exciting and FUN it was to hike in a RAINFOREST/JUNGLE. It reminded me of what I would envision the Amazon Rainforest to look like. I’ve never hiked in the midst of dense palm trees before.

It rained on and off the entire hike, which seemed rather fitting considering we were in a tropical rainforest. Most of the time, the dense treetops shielded us from the rain and kept us pretty dry. I didn’t capture a picture of this, but there were literally monkeys swinging back and forth between vines and the treetops.

I was almost too nervous at first to go to the top of the peak. The only way to reach the very top was using a rope my friend had brought and FREE CLIMBING up a cliff. It was like rock climbing without the harness. It was INTENSE. I have to say, I’m so glad I challenged myself to climb to the very top! The view was breathtaking, and I would have regretted it had I not completed the entire hike.

Since we were all tired from hiking all day (it was about a 5 hour hike and an hour car trip each way to the start of the trail), we ordered take out for dinner. This was my first time trying butter chicken, a popular Indian dish. I’m a complete wimp with spices so I was nervous if I’d like it…but it was yummy! (Granted, we got the “mild” spice version though).

Wednesday involved yummy caramel iced lattes at the most adorable coffee shop, which is actually a converted old shipping container. Here are photos of the interior and exterior! I thought it was so cute. Not to mention, iced coffee hit the spot considering the weather was in the 80s every day (which I am most definitely not complaining about!).

After getting our lattes to go, we drove down to “port,” which is where the cruise ships will dock (although there were thankfully no cruise ships there that day so it was much less busy). This is where the tourist shops are located. I bought a Saint Kitts coffee mug which I’m so excited about, as well as a hat for Chris.

The rest of Wednesday afternoon was spent relaxing at the beach again! This time we went to the pool for a bit too. There is a beautiful view from our friend’s apartment complex’s pool: you can even see (and definitely hear!) the ocean, there are mountains in the background, pretty houses on the huge hill/mountain, palm trees everywhere, etc.

For dinner on Wednesday, our friend took us to his favorite local restaurant on the island! It was most definitely a very authentic meal. It’s called Sprat Net and it’s also a local fishery. They had a wooden boat there with live lobster in it! Talk about fresh haha.

We all got combination meals. I got the chicken and fish. I thought it was hilarious my meal had so much food they had to use two plates (my order is on the two oval plates in the bottom of the picture below)!

And can I just say that fish was a little intense! Eyes and teeth and scales and everything. I tried taking one bite and it was full of small bones! Needless to say, I was glad I got the combination meal because the BBQ chicken and sides were delicious.

Following dinner, we went to tour Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. Sadly, I wasn’t allowed to take pictures while touring the labs, but it was so interesting to see! We saw a lab where students were dissecting an animal body part (it’s probably best if I don’t say what it was haha). Our friend also took us to a lab with lots of different skeletons and some toxicology plants. I thought the toxic plants were interesting. These plants weren’t necessarily considered poisonous or dangerous to us or even in general but are to certain animals that may eat them. For instance, red maple leaves, sunflowers, etc. were examples of plants that can be toxic even deadly to certain animals that eat them.

A few times throughout the week we went on short runs/walks along the golf course right next to our friend’s apartment. Loved this view while running! Quite a bit different than back home.

Thursday was short and sweet; I went to the pool to read before leaving for my flight Thursday afternoon. And that finally about wraps up my vacation to Saint Kitts! My sister-in-law Sarah and I had an incredible time together, and are so thankful for our friend’s generosity in sharing his home and being the best host. Our time on the island absolutely FLEW by.

My only regret was that Chris wasn’t there to share in these experiences (especially hiking!). Hopefully we can go back together sometime soon so he can share in the fun. 😉