Once in a while everyone craves alone time, preferably in a relaxed atmosphere and away from the busyness of daily life. With a long weekend in mind, a trip to the Caribbean offers a reasonable flight time and a sure bet for warm weather. I was browsing guidetocaribbean.net latest vacation deals. Wanting a place where beaches and pool areas aren't filled with chattering guests and the constant clang of steel drums, I chose the Carlisle Bay area of Antigua.

As the plane broke through a field of dark clouds, I glanced out the window and breathed a sigh of relief as bright terracotta roofed houses and sprinkles of lush, green-carpeted hills filled the view. Just moments before, my plane had flown through a darkened sky, dropping into a series of deep downhill swoops. I heard the pilot announce that he was unable to fly into Nevis, the tiny island southeast of our departure in Puerto Rico, and our scheduled first stop.

An emergency landing would be made further south, in Antigua, which thankfully, was my destination. Antigua is the largest of the British Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean, with temperatures averaging 80 degrees throughout the year. There are as many white sand beaches to visit as there are days in a year with a day off during leap year. You have the choice of staying on the side of the Atlantic Ocean or the Caribbean Sea, and I headed toward the southern tip to the exquisite Carlisle Bay area. In what I know as the passenger's seat, my driver guided me through the St. Thomas's area to my hotel. For more St Thomas resorts and hotels go to http://www.luxury-resort-guide.com/caribbean/all-inclusive-resorts-in-st-thomas/

We drove through poverty-stricken clusters of dwellings, and long the roadside, locals stood in front of old dilapidated houses while donkeys, horses, and goats grazed along the twisted road. I arrived during a rainstorm, and with each whip of lightening I found the way to my room. When I passed bald patches of grass between larger patches of mud, I was left with no doubt that Hurricane Ivan had visited the area. The waves of the Caribbean Sea harmoniously guided me down a narrow path between the beachfront and a string of elegant white cottages. Drenched and fatigued, I arrived at my door, which was framed in a vine of hot pink and purple bougainvillea.

A perfectly intact coral conch shell lay on the floor, and I later found out that placing the shell outside would signal my desire for privacy. Relaxation is sipping a cappuccino and glancing out the back window of my room at the Mangrove swamp.

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