Stuff to do at Pier

[progcas]

Do I need to book a tour in St. Kitts, or will there be stuff to do at the pier - shopping, food, drinks, etc....?

 

Thanks!

[kcdancerkc]

Yes, shopping, food, drinks.....abound!

[seashinesunshine]

Do I need to book a tour in St. Kitts, or will there be stuff to do at the pier - shopping, food, drinks, etc....?

 

Thanks!

 

All the shopping etc you want at the pier, not much else though. We have gone away from the port area in St Kitts a very few times to walk thru the city, and this is the ONLY time I have felt very unsafe in the Caribbean. Nothing specific, just that feeling. I'm not talking the immediate area, but a few blocks away from the port. While we were walking one time, a guy passed my daughter (15 years old) and said to her, " get out of this area now" Then he walked on. Don't know what that was all about but we were in a group and stayed together.

There is a sidewalk off to the left of the port along a black beach that can make for a nice walk. Lots of traffic on the road there, so I felt safe there. The beach is a black sand beach and pretty dirty, no swimming or anything, but TONS of sea glass if you enjoy that.

[ve2dx]

All the shopping etc you want at the pier, not much else though. We have gone away from the port area in St Kitts a very few times to walk thru the city, and this is the ONLY time I have felt very unsafe in the Caribbean. Nothing specific, just that feeling. I'm not talking the immediate area, but a few blocks away from the port. While we were walking one time, a guy passed my daughter (15 years old) and said to her, " get out of this area now" Then he walked on. Don't know what that was all about but we were in a group and stayed together.

There is a sidewalk off to the left of the port along a black beach that can make for a nice walk. Lots of traffic on the road there, so I felt safe there. The beach is a black sand beach and pretty dirty, no swimming or anything, but TONS of sea glass if you enjoy that.

 

ouch sounds like a pretty bad experience...

 

how was the rest of the stay there...

[seashinesunshine]

ouch sounds like a pretty bad experience...

 

how was the rest of the stay there...

Well, If you really want the rest of the story :D:D

We went to Cockelshell to swim and ride horses. Horseback ride was great, the guides were very nice and kind to my daughter and she loved her dream of riding in the ocean.

Then he even let her ride his donkey, her first donkey ride. She is now an equine science major in college.

Then we decided to leave the kids on shore and go snorkeling. We are swimming away, passed a raft full of people (remember it was full of people) and kept on. I kicked or stepped on something. I grabbed my husbands arm and said something like "ouch I stepped on something, I gotta go back to shore" He shrugs and says ok, and keeps snorkeling. He is constantly telling me to wear waters shoes, which I just may start doing. I look under water to see what I kicked and all I see are rocks and sea urchins. yep, stepped on a sea urchin. I am half way back when I start to get the chills, venom is kicking in. Some people say urchins don't have venom, I say step on one!!! I go to the raft full of people, climb on and say, " I need help I stepped on a sea urchin" I open my eyes and there is no one on the raft except a girl about 9 years old, looking at me with her mouth hanging open. Then I see her dad in the water, he asks if I need help, I ask him to just watch me swim to shore and make sure I make it. I took the time to look at my foot and there are 7 black spikes in it. I can see the swelling spread. So I swim back. Ok, Cockelshell beach has sand, then 2 feet of rocks, then sand. My son sees me coming and I tell him I need help hobbeling over the rocks. He says " do you want my walking stick" (he picked it up on shore somewhere). He hands me the stick and I lean on it to get across the rocks one footed. As soon as my weight is on the stick, it snaps, breaks and jabs into my other leg. Son helps me ashore, I sit on our chair. My son helps me to the bar while daughter watches the stuff. On the walk thru the bar, everyone is offering to help me by peeing on my foot. Yeah, no. I ask the bar for help. A very nice lady tells a young man how to help me. He was really kind and gentle as he is explaining he is going to "put fire on my foot" He first gets vinegar, which acts the same way as pee to stop the pain only a little bit uhm cleaner? :D Then he puts antibiotic cream on it, yes, I am allergic to triple antibiotic cream, and yes that is what he used. I decided I probably needed the cream though and would put up with any allergy reaction. My foot is all swollen by this point anyway. Then he takes a can of sterno and lights it. He puts it up to my skin so the flame is almost touching. I really couldn't feel much other than the heat felt good. I asked him if he should take out the spikes, he said no, but didn't speak enough English to really help me understand. Along comes my husband who says he didn't know I got hurt for real. I forgave him. We hobble around, the kids got to see a monkey and we take a taxi back to the ship. I go to the ship doctor and she tells me they did everything exactly right and there is nothing more she can do, so she didn't charge me for the visit. She told me they don't take out the spikes, they let them just dissolve in the body. If you take them out they can get infected. So a few days later as I am filling out my customs form, I feel like I am committing a felony when I say I am not bringing any plant or animal life with me. Does it count if it's in your body? I found out later my parents go ripped off my the scammers who put monkeys on you and then make you pay. I even warned them about those guys!!! Anyway a bad day in the Caribbean is still better than a good day at home in a blizzard.

Oh and while I could see the black spikes in my foot for a week or so, the swelling was gone and no pain by the next morning.

[obnurse]

Oh my gosh! What a story! I hope the experience didn't dampen the rest of your cruise and I'm glad you got better. Water shoes for me from now on :-)

[seashinesunshine]

Oh my gosh! What a story! I hope the experience didn't dampen the rest of your cruise and I'm glad you got better. Water shoes for me from now on :-)

 

Yeah it was all good, takes more than that to ruin a cruise for me. Of course, I did get bit by a fish earlier in the week and we got into a car accident in San Juan after the cruise, but hey I was still on a cruise and no in freezing North Dakota! :D

[chelsearay]

I hope that this whole ordeal was towards the end of your cruise! must've been hard to walk around the ship with that in your foot!

[seashinesunshine]

I hope that this whole ordeal was towards the end of your cruise! must've been hard to walk around the ship with that in your foot!

 

I think it was in the last half anyway, but actually by the time I woke up the next morning, I was walking fine. The spikes didn't stick out beyond my skin and I could see them, they were black colored, it was like having toothpicks in there, but I couldn't feel it at all, just could see it. All in all, it was a strange experience, but an awesome cruise! :)

[BeagleOne]

We have gone away from the port area in St Kitts a very few times to walk thru the city, and this is the ONLY time I have felt very unsafe in the Caribbean. Nothing specific, just that feeling. I'm not talking the immediate area, but a few blocks away from the port. While we were walking one time, a guy passed my daughter (15 years old) and said to her, " get out of this area now"

 

Wow, how creepy. Glad you were all okay. I've walked around Basseterre twice by myself (adult female) with no problems. If you like glass, there is a shop called Glass Island Designz with some really cool, creative jewelry, plates, etc. Last time I was there just under two years ago it was located on the north side of Independence Square, about ten minutes' walk from the ship.