Skip to main content

Lost in Antigua: From Sugar Ridge to Halcyon Cove

You know how nothing on the TV show “Lost” was coincidental? Well, I had a “Lost” moment on my recent vacation on the Caribbean island of Antigua.


One night while my husband and I lounged in our mosquito-covered canopy bed at the luxe boutique hotel, Sugar Ridge, we came across a local hotel beauty pageant on the tele.


Sugar Ridge room/J.C.
Halcyon Cove/J.C.
The Ms. Rex pageant included five contestants representing two Antiguan Rex Resorts -- Hawskbill and Halcyon Cove.  The pageant seemed like a throwback from the ‘80s and reminded me of the “Miss Black America” pageant from that era.




Ms. Rex winner/Caribarena
The flamboyant Ms. Rex host was a bald, bow-tied black man who spoke with a dramatic, “Showtime at the Apollo”-reminiscent delivery and stressed that the contestants speak with “clarity.” 


The winner, Donella Loncke, wore a sparkly blue gown and had a certain twinkle in her eye. I picked her as the winner before she was crowned.  We found the pageant amusing. 


Little did we know, the next night we would literally become a captive audience at a Rex resort. After our flight on Delta was unceremoniously cancelled due to mechanical problems, Antigua’s less than courteous Delta crew informed us we would be put up for the night.

  
When we arrived at the Halcyon Cove, it dawned on us that this was the hotel from the pageant, and there was nothing amusing about it.  This was certainly no Sugar Ridge, and the staff certainly wouldn’t win a Miss Congeniality prize.


Our room reeked of mildew, had a lock that was partially unhinged, and the WiFi was intermittent.  I know I sound like a Yankee brat, but this was not the best way for Delta to make amends for their inconvenience. On a more positive note, the hotel was right on the beach which allowed us to take another dip in the calm, baby blue Caribbean sea.




Me with Ms. Warri Pier/J.C.


The highlight, however, of our impromptu stay at the Halcyon Cove was the local celebrity we spotted.  Bussing tables at the hotel’s beachside eatery, Warri Pier, was none other than Anne Marie Phillip, Ms. Warri Pier from the Ms. Rex pageant.  Anne’s solemn demeanor changed when my husband greeted her with her pageant title.  She also beamed when I asked her to pose for a photo.


The buffet lunch at the Warri Pier was nothing fancy, but not bad.  The seagulls sure like it.  In the evening, we ate at Halcyon’s more formal dining room, Arawak Terrace. Alas, no sight of Ms. Rex runner-up, Ms. Arawak Terrace.


As we dined, a local musician played a Casio keyboard and sang ironic pop tunes barely above a whisper.  One Republic’s “Apologize.”  Phil Collins’s “One More Night.”  Peter Cetera’s “Hard to Say I’m Sorry.”  Indeed.  At least I met Ms. Warri Pier.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Conway Discount Clothing Chain Closing in New York City

(Tracy E. Hopkins) It's the end of a budget shopping era. Conway discount stores are closing in New York City . As of this weekend, a sign on the sole Herald Square location (34th Street btwn 7th and 8th Ave) says the store will close in "7 Days." Before I relocated to the Big Apple, I was introduced to the discount chain while on a bus trip from Baltimore.  I recall the first time I saw Conway's signature pink bags carried by hurried shoppers in midtown. And Miss Foster, the trip organizer and a bargain hunter from way back, took me to the store for the first time. Conway store in the Fulton Mall./Tracy E. Hopkins When I moved here in 1994, my love affair with Conway continued.  I furnished my first apartment with discount knick-knacks and home goods from the store.  And much to my chagrin, in hindsight, I curated most of my wardrobe for my first full-time job from the long-shuttered 42nd Street and Third Avenue store. One regretful ensemble: Lime green and

Giveaway: Thank Your Friends with Merci Chocolates!

National Friendship Day was August 4, 2013, but Everything She Wants has decided to continue the celebration with a giveaway from merci fine European chocolates . While some friendships are for a season or a reason, other friendships are built to last a lifetime.  I’m fortunate to have two best friends: Cindy, whom I’ve known since junior high school and Deanna, who started out as my amusing intern.  Besides my mother and my husband, these girlfriends are my greatest confidants.  They’re like the sisters I never had and we’ve supported each other through personal trials and triumphs. So what better way to say ‘thank you’ to your friends than with merci chocolates?  One lucky reader will win a ‘Friendship Kit’  that you can either keep to reward yourself for being such a great friend or share with a deserving comrade. The kit includes: $25 Target gift card (yay!) 7 ounce box of merci chocolates A picture frame to display a photo of you and your friends A choc

Enter to Win the Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste Regimen Giveaway!

Jessica Simpson may not brush her teeth.  But we all know that white teeth and fresh breath are as essential as adding a floral pattern to your wardrobe this spring.   Crest wants the readers of Everything She Wants to have pretty pearly whites.  So the brand is offering three lucky readers the chance to win a tube of the new Crest Pro-Health Sensitive Shield toothpaste, plus a Crest toothbrush and floss! The toothpaste  offers sensitivity protection with no trade-offs by also protecting the seven areas dentists check most: cavities, gingivitis, plaque, tartar, sensitivity, whitening and fresh breath – all in one package!  If you have sensitive teeth, you no longer have to spend your time and money using more than one toothpaste to get comprehensive oral health protection for their teeth and gums. To enter the giveaway, follow these three easy steps: 1) Respond to this post with your first name and email address and tell me your favorite toothpaste (hint, the answer sho