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It was a tad cloudy when we woke up in port at Basseterre, St. Kitts on the 26th of January.  I was excited and somewhat terrified of my excursion for the day:  zip-lining.  I’ve never been zip-lining before.  While I’d swung across a hay mow on a rope, yodeling the cry of Tarzan, in my youth… I’ve acquired the very unsexy condition of Panic Attacks.  That’s right, panic attacks.  The sweaty-palmed, hyperventilating pandemonium of freaking out over things that I’ve done before and things I’m trying for the first time.  It’s GREAT!!!!  That was sarcasm.

We headed to the buffet line for breakfast, and I armored myself with cottage cheese and yogurt (probiotics are good for me).  My stomach was firmly clutched in the grips of …. anxiety.  I had mixed emotions.  I was excited to try zip-lining, and yet terrified.  The panic was working in conjunction with my brain and coming up with every “What if” question it could.  What if the harness fails?  What if the cable snaps?  What if I crap my pants?  What if I throw up?  You get the idea.

The time of departure arrived (isn’t that ALMOST, but not quite, an oxymoron?) and I slipped two Prince Valiums in my pocket.  I was prepared!  It doesn’t matter that the bottom of Valium that I have is 2 years old and only 1 mg pills.  I had it.  It was peace of mind; if I panicked, I would be able to pop my “Happy Pills” and… well.  Knowing the effect they had on me, I was hoping I wouldn’t fall asleep mid-zip, but I’d worry about that when the time came.

Our guides at the sugar cane-plantation-cum-zip lining-adventure-site were “Mel Gibson” and “Juicy Fruit”.  These guys were awesome, funny and took care of us.  You’ll be glad to know I choked back the rising panic that started before it could rear its ugly head.  Of course… the fact that the harness I had to wear made me feel like I was hauling a load around in my pants helped to add humor to the situation.

I have to say that zip-lining is… A W E S O M E (<<<CLICK THERE FOR VIDEO!)!!!!  I LOVED it.  Okay, the first practice run, I was scared, but I survived, and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.  The first ACTUAL run, I think I clenched my butt tighter than the knees of an 80-year-old virgin who mistakenly ended up in a whorehouse on a Sunday.  But, that didn’t last long.  My mantra of “this is fun, this is fun, this is fun” finally sunk in and I told myself “For Christ’s sake… sit up and look around you Fool!”  So I did.

We met Deborah and Patti on our trip, two extremely funny women (to quote Deborah – “If I had wienied out on this I could have kicked myself!”).  We ended up having lunch with them at the Circus Grill (check here too) and I confirmed that I shouldn’t eat conch (even though it tastes REALLY good, but is different from Floridian Conch Chowder; conch a has similar affect on me as do scallops).  I had the Conch Chowder and the Vegetable Roti (enough for two people… I couldn’t finish it).  DH had the Conch Fritters and the Chicken Sate.  We also had Rum Punches.  Our friends R & M also had rum punches and a Ginger Beer (DELISH!).  Patti and Deborah got the Red Snapper and the Seafood Coquille, a rum punch and I believe a rum and coke.  I think we spent the better part of two hours at the Circus, eating, drinking, laughing and talking.  By the way… if you see Patti, ask her how Monkey tastes…

We had a great tour of part of St. Kitts (St. Kitts is paired as a Nation with Nevis [pronounced NEE-vis]), and I would REALLY like to go back and spend more time there.  They had beautiful black sand beaches and vendors grilling whole lobsters on half 55-gallon drums right on shore.  There is the volcano to explore along with the sugar cane plantations.  St. Kitts is also home to a top-rated veterinary school and nursing school.  Honestly, St. Kitts was one of my favorite islands; maybe it was due to the monkeys?  The people were fantastic, I had a great time and I just really want to go back there again.