By Straight Away Travel
Imagine having a mountain named after you! Would you go there for the ceremony? Of course you would! Well, one of our recent Presidents did not! On my recent trip to Antigua, I hiked the peak that was named after President O’bama, and quickly learned that he has never step foot there after it was named after him. That’s right, the gorgeous hike to the top of Boogy Peak (it’s original name) was changed to Mount O’bama after the natives were ecstatic when he claimed the presidency in the US as the first African American to have that honor. As the locals told me, he has never stepped foot on the mountain or even the island. The locals now call it Boogy Peak again although the new gorgeous sign that was placed in his honor still stands. So, taking the political element out of it, is the hike worth the drive over and skipping your eggs benedict at the resort, the answer is a HUGE, YES! The hike takes about 3 hours round trip. Our guides were spectacular. I will update their names here when the island approves it. I stayed at Sandals Grande Antigua and the commute with Island Routes excursions took about 45 minutes. Our guides filled their bags with water for us and we started the hike. The hike takes you through tall grasses before hitting the trail, but not to worry, there are no venomous creatures on the island of Antigua. There are no rivers on the island, so you don’t have to worry about snakes either! After the short hike through the unpaved trail, we hit the dirt path and start our ascent to the peak. The peak is 1319 feet and the tallest point in Antigua. Along the way, we laughed a ton. I learned about what childhood is like in Antigua and we talked about the difference between our childhood and theirs. I also learned about Stinking Toe Fruit (see picture below), also known as locust fruit or jatobá, is the fruit of the West Indian Locust, the largest tree in the Caribbean. A popular fruit throughout Latin America, it is known as Stinking Toe Fruit as its shape is similar to a big toe and its pungent smell is like a sweaty foot. It totally smells like a sweaty foot and people actually eat it, hench more laughing.
The climb at the very top was a little rough and labeled a 7 out 10 in difficulty. But when you turn the cover at the peak and see that view, wow just wow. I was so excited and overjoyed that I turned on “It’s a Long Way To the Top if You Want to Rock N Roll” by ACDC and we all danced together!! The way down was a lot quicker as we weren’t getting to know each other and laughing at stinky toes!
This is a hike NOT TO MISS on your visit to the beautiful island of Antigua. Straight Away Travel knows the island and the resorts very well and will help you plan your vacation at no cost to you. You pay the same OR less as you would booking your trip online and have expert help the whole way! Contact us today! https://straightawaytravel.com/all-inclusive-vacations/
