Segway Adventure in Antigua

Our day in Antigua started bright and early, as Disney Cruise line opened their 2013 sailings on the Magic and Wonder. Since I had reservations to make for a client, I got up in time to have breakfast, confirm cell phone coverage, and be off the ship in time to call at 9am. Much stress went into that phone call, as we had a segway tour scheduled at 10:10. I had to  finish the call in time! After an hour on hold, I started to give up hope of getting through, but decided to not hang up until I absolutely had to. Right before our guide appeared, a very nice rep at DCL picked up the line.  I was able to confirm the necessary bookings before heading off on our adventure. What a relief!

We walked with our guide to our rendezvous point, where we were joined with other Segweyans. (Our name for the rest of the day). We hopped in a shuttle and drove out to our training facility. Just arriving at the facility was exciting, as the adjacent beach was stunning. With the sand, the palm trees and the color of the water, I will forever call it “Corona Beach”, as it looked like a Corona beer commercial. Honest!

​Inside the facility, we gathered round to watch a training video about using the Segway device. I admit it…it made me very nervous! As it showed a simulation of everything that can go wrong, I could easily envision it happening to me. My heart was pounding at the thought of being sprawled out and bleeding somewhere on this tropical island.

All of that changed, however, as I mounted the segway for the first time and got it to move. It was very intuitive for me, and I got the hang of it very quickly. Before I knew it I was zooming around, spinning, and determined that I need to own one for myself!  We practiced staying in line as a group, giving turn signals, stopping, mounting and dismounting. One fellow Segweyan hit a bump and fall off her device, but otherwise all was well and we were ready to go on our adventure.

​We took to the streets of Antigua, gliding along reservoirs, beautiful homes, and the beach itself. I tell you, the Antiguans are very proud of their 365 beaches, and rightfully so! Each one we came across was more beautiful than the next. We stopped to take a water break and snap some pictures near the beach. Now that we had the hang of it a bit, we got to ride a little faster, or next to one another, instead of always single file. Of course, Dave loved to zoom off as much as they’d allow, becoming the object of many jokes about the children needing discipline! We veered around potholes and rocks, further adding to the fun of it all!

​Fort James was our next stop, the foundation stone laid in the late 1700’s. We rode our vehicles up the bridge into the fort itself, and again soaked in the beauty. The original cannons are still there, looking out on the water, and creating a striking contrast. Our guides brought out some sugar cane to chew on, as well as some fresh tamarinds to peel and taste. Two new taste adventures for all four of us!

​Before leaving the fort we were given a few minutes to zoom around on our segways as we wished. It was at that point I saw my life flash before my eyes! I was driving, and turned 180 degrees just in time to see Susan come zooming right at Dave and I. Somehow she managed to squeeze right between us, narrowly missing a monstrous collision. It all happened so fast that I don’t know how she did it, but the pounding hearts lasted for quite some time.

After an hour and a half, we made our way back to the training center, where we parked our vehicles and said farewell to our guides. With an hour to spend before our taxi came to return us to the pier, we enjoyed some drinks at a beachside restaurant, and cooled off in the crystal clear water. I got a little homesick when I spied a super-friendly kitten who looks just like our Sunny (only about 1/3 of the size). I gave him a little bit of lovin’ and enjoyed the sound of his purring.
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It truly was a wonderful day today. Different than our other days on shore, but just as enjoyable. All of us had always wanted to try segways, and we’re so glad we did. We are hooked, and hope to find another tour in the near future!