“Arrested for Wearing Camouflage”, “”Drinking at 10-years-old”, “Men Gain Power from “Benjo”” … a Visit to Antigua and Barbuda, the Birthplace of the Online Casino

I heard that in Antigua and Barbuda non-military people can be arrested for wearing camouflage and 10-year-olds can legally drink. It is also the birthplace of online casinos. The Domain Island Tour has gone to find out the truth about these rumors. The ccTLD (country code top level domain) for Antigua and Barbuda is “.ag”.

* This fact-finding mission was undertaken in early February, 2020.

◆Where is Antigua and Barbuda??

Antigua and Barbuda are an island nation in the Caribbean Sea between North and South America, also a popular resort area. The name of the country combines the names of the two main islands, Antigua and Barbuda. Locals do not say “Antigua,” but pronounce it “Antiga.” The land area consists of 443km2, with about 80,000 people. It is a member of the Commonwealth of the United Kingdom. The currency used is the East Caribbean dollar.

= Table of Contents =

◆Tourist Shopping Street Looks Like a Ghost Town

◆Why Non-military People can be Arrested for Wearing Camouflage

◆World Heritage “Antigua Naval Dockyard and Related Archaeological Sites”

◆365 Beaches, so you Can Go to a Different Beach Everyday

◆Men Power up with “Benjo”- : And the Dining Situation in Antigua and Barbuda-

◆Purchase a Nationality at the Birthplace of Online Casinos -Around Antigua and Barbuda-

◆Can Elementary School Students Legally Drink?

◆How to Purchase a SIM & Test the Internet Speed

 


◆Tourist Shopping Streets Looks Like a Ghost Town

You can access Antigua and Barbuda via Canada or the US. We went to Antigua and Barbuda after visiting Montserrat. On the Domain Island Tour, we’ve ridden in many small propeller planes, and landing is always the same. Lots of shaking.

We arrive at V. C. Bird International Airport. We head downtown.

It’s a sunny day. The strong sunshine of the subtropical climate.

There’s a great deal of livestock farming centered around sheep and goats; they are left to pasture free-range near the solar panels installed by the airport. Since they eat the plants and keep the area around the solar panel trimmed for free, this can reduce management costs by 30%.

It took about 20 minutes by taxi from the airport to downtown and cost $11. There’s loud reggae music playing. Even at Jackboy Hill in Montserrat, the reggae was thumping.

Many ladies braid their hair and put it in buns.

There are many locals on the main street, but the shopping street for tourists is like a ghost town. There’s no people here.

“Major cities of the world from here” is often found in tourist spots. This way to Tokyo. It seems half-baked to me. Please include the distance.


◆Why Non-military People can be Arrested for Wearing Camouflage

Wearing camouflage (Cammies) is a prohibited fashion in Antigua and Barbuda.
Japanese people will be surprised, but it’s true.

According to Chucky, the taxi driver, you are not allowed to wear it at all, only military personnel are allowed to wear it. The first time a police officer catches you, you will be warned, but the second time you will be arrested.

By the way, if you would like Chucky to guide you around the island, please contact him here.

Just to be sure, I asked five local people around town, but they all said “It’s Illegal”. You’ll be fined $2,000 or imprisoned for a year if you get caught. The British government site also states, “Wearing camouflage is a crime for anyone, including children.” In point of fact, I never saw any camouflage fashion during my stay.

Why is it illegal to wear camouflage clothing? In 1995, a powerful hurricane “Hurricane Luis” made landfall in Antigua and Barbuda, leaving about 3,000 people homeless. According to Chucky the taxi driver, some people wanting food wore camouflage clothes in order to steal supplies, making it impossible to distinguish between the military and the general public. Thereafter, wearing camouflage type clothes was prohibited. More recently, in 2018, a customs officer was prosecuted and imprisoned for having a camouflage uniform that resembled the Armed Forces of Antigua and Barbuda (ABDF). The camouflage uniform worn by the ABDF looks like this.

Reference source http://abdf.gov.ag/potential-junior-non-commisioned-officers-cadre-0115/

Actually, many countries prohibit wearing or possessing camouflage clothing. The reason is that civilians wearing camouflage can be confused with soldiers and the police, and could be accidentally targeted by terrorist organizations. There are 11 countries that prohibit wearing camouflage, and (as of September 15, 2020) it is also illegal in the Philippines and Saudi Arabia. But an older gentleman on the beach just laughed and said, “I wore camouflage trousers on the beach, and it was no problem.” They may look the other way when it comes to tourists.


◆World Heritage “Antigua Naval Dockyard and Related Archaeological Sites”

Nelson’s Dockyard is a World Heritage Site of Antigua and Barbuda, registered in 2016. The shipyard was completed by the Royal Navy in the 18th century and is said to be the oldest existing shipyard. Admission is $20.80 East Caribbean dollars.

The site is beautifully maintained and lined with old stone buildings. After the British acquired Antigua and Barbuda as a colony in 1632, Nelson’s Dockyard became the center of a British naval base that kept an eye on French Guadeloupe, located south of Antigua.

The buildings, built in the 1700s, have been restored and are now transformed into a museum, a hotel, a restaurant, a naval officer’s dormitory, and more. This is the museum.

The museum had ship figureheads on display, including these lovely ladies. Ships are called by the female pronoun “she”.

There are also other tourist spots.

Here’s a souvenir shop. A&F Sails. They sell T-shirts.

At the yacht harbor, there’s Immigration Control for the people who arrive on yachts (Immigration office). The yacht harbor is also home to sailing and yachting competitions.

World Heritage Site “Antigua Shipyard and Related Archaeological Sites” (Antigua and Barbuda) #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

A boat that crossed the Atlantic Ocean. From the United Kingdom, James spent 116 days rowing 3,479 miles (approx. 5,600 km) manually, from Spain across the Atlantic to Antigua and Barbuda.

He needed 8,000 calories a day to row a boat, so he lost 15 to 20 kilos in 100 days. At Nelson’s Dockyard two hours of leisurely walking was enough for me.


◆365 Beaches, so you Can Go to a Different Beach Everyday

There are 365 beaches in Antigua and Barbuda, so with 365 days in a year you can go to a different beach each day of the year. All these warm and calm Caribbean beaches are open to the public. Ronda Thomas, a jazz singer from Antigua and Barbuda, sings a song called “365 Beaches”.

We asked the locals to recommend a beach.

 

  • the beach recommended by our taxi driver

There is also a cafe and bar where you can relax by this beautiful beach. Marine sports are popular as well.

Antigua Village, the beach recommended by our taxi driver #theta360 – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

 

  • Everyone is looks good on Instagram at “English Harbor”

Looking out over English Harbor from Shirley Heights hill. This is a superb look out point where you can take pictures of the beautiful sea.

This is a photo from the beach at English Harbor.

 

  • Mamora Bay where you can stay at the villa of Mr. Eric Clapton, god of guitar

You can stay for USD $50,000 per week, that is. There is also a drug addiction rehab facility called “Crossroad Center” opened in 1998 by Eric Clapton.


◆Men Power up with “Benjo” -And the Dining Situation in Antigua and Barbuda-

A drink made by adding milk and sugar to edible seaweed harvested from the Caribbean Sea is called “Benjo’s Semoss”. Whatever it is, it seems to be a stimulant, and men who drink it are supposed to have enhanced erectile function. Illustrations of high waves rushing over the bottle give you an idea of its strength. The two male members of the Domain Island explorers tried it. However, we noticed no change. Too old maybe? The big wave didn’t come. But it was pleasant to drink with an almond milk taste. It seems that local people like these kinds of health drinks. $8.05 East Caribbean dollar.

 

Sugarcane cultivation is popular in Antigua and Barbuda. You can buy it on the roadside. A little bit of sweet juice came out.

 

Speaking of local cuisine, salt fish (on left side of the photo), which is salted white fish, is famous. The green paste on the right side of the photo is a combination of spinach, okra, pumpkin and eggplant. The things in the front that look like charred chikuwa are fried banana.

 

We stayed at a hotel in downtown, and I asked the staff to tell me a popular local restaurant, so they recommended this pizzeria, “Big Banana.” A shop with eye-catching illustrations of bananas wearing sunglasses. There’s even a branch at the airport.

The lady clerks. Their hair is so cute.

Medium size seafood pizza. $26.09 East Caribbean Dollar. We had to wait for an hour, but it was delicious with lots of toppings. It was pretty big, so 3 people could eat to their fill.

 

“Ana’s on the Beach” a restaurant in Antigua Village

You can enjoy delicious seafood dishes while looking out over the sea.

A snack of meat sauce on top of fried banana. $39.13 East Caribbean Dollar.

Grilled white fish called Mahi Mahi. $36.52 East Caribbean Dollar.

Shrimp fried with spicy gejang. $39.13 East Caribbean Dollar.

 

Seafood restaurant “Papa Zouk”

A stylish atmosphere. The walls were painted with fish and tropical women.

Fried shrimp and fried chicken. Here it is called calamari. $30 East Caribbean Dollar

Deep fried fresh fish. $60 East Caribbean Dollar.

 

A large supermarket like Costco called “1st Choice”

All the vegetables are from Antigua and Barbuda. If you pay with a credit card, you will be asked to show your passport.

On the left are ripe plantains, in the middle are unripe plantains, and on the right are bananas. Plantains are a type of banana, also called the cooking banana, because they are harder and have less sugar than banana, so they require cooking, for example steaming, boiling or frying.

The unripe plantains are very popular.

There were five types of soy sauce for sale. But the taxi driver says there are no Japanese restaurants in Antigua and Barbuda.

IRON BEER is a non-alcoholic juice. It tasted like guarana. $2.2 East Caribbean Dollar.

There was also a lottery ticket booth.


◆Purchase a Nationality at the Birthplace of Online Casinos -Around Antigua and Barbuda-

  • A car race track. It seems that a cousin of our taxi driver has participated before, in a Mazda RX7.

The 500m track.

 

  • The Sir Vivian Richards Stadium was built to hold the “ICC World Cup 2007” hosted by the International Cricket Council. It can accommodate approximately 10,000 spectators. As a long-time British colony, cricket is a popular national sport in Antigua and Barbuda.

The name of the stadium comes from Mr. Viv Richards. He is from Antigua and Barbuda and is a former West Indies Cricket representative. In the long history of cricket, he is considered to be one of the best players in the world.

The color of the seats is based on the design of the national flag.

 

  • The license plate number varies depending on the type of car. In Antigua and Barbuda, the first letters of the license plate letters indicate the type of car. For example, the license plate for ordinary cars starts with the letter “A” or “ABC”, “C” is for large cars, “R” is for rental cars, “BUS” is for bus license plates, “TX” for taxis, etc.
    At the bottom of the license plates is written “LAND OF SEA AND SUN”.

Police cars have the letters “ABP”. The “POLICE” on the front is reversed for some reason.

 

  • In 1994, Antigua and Barbuda passed a law to issue the world’s first operating license for an online casino. The Online Gambling Licenses issued in Antigua and Barbuda are highly reliable, so even now, many online casino operators prefer Antigua and Barbuda to obtain a license for their online casinos.https://mybookie.ag/

https://www.wildcasino.ag/

 

  • Japan does not allow dual citizenship, but Antigua and Barbuda does and sells its citizenship for $100,000 USD. More than 40% of the passports issued to foreigners by the country were issued to Chinese people, in Grenada that number is said to be over 80%.

referenceproblems

 

  • The“Devil’s Bridge” In stormy weather you are likely to be swept away by high waves.

 

  • Found a bubble tea shop. Unfortunately, it was closed.

 

  • A house pointed like a ship.

 

  • Pirana Joe. I was wondering if I could eat piranha! But it was a T-shirt shop.

 

  • Antigua and Barbuda is and independent nation, but still a member of the Commonwealth of the United Kingdom. Trials are held in England via Skype. However, there is an industrial Court. The email address uses the Antigua and Barbuda domain “.ag”.

I barely saw “.ag” except in government agencies and a few shops.


◆Can Elementary School Students Legally Drink?

There was an internet article called: “In Antigua and Barbuda you can drink from the age of 10”. I asked five locals in the town if this was true, but they all vehemently denied it. Then, when I asked at what age people are allowed to drink, many people answered 18 years old, but others said 21 years old and some said 16 years old. Charles, a taxi driver with five wives, answered “18 years old”.

I checked again on the government site for Antigua and Barbuda. There it said that drinking and purchasing alcohol was legal from the age of 18. This business that you can drink at 10 years old is wrong.

reference
Results From The 2005 National Survey On Drug Use Among Secondary School Students

World Travel Guide > Antigua and Barbuda

There was also an explanation that the drinking age was changed from 16 to 18 years old under the Liquor Law of 2015. The local people all have different ideas about this, so it may be because of that change.

reference
tripadvisor.com


◆How to Purchase a SIM & Test the Internet Speed

I bought an Inet SIM card using “.ag” at the airport. It was 3GB, $30 USD per week. It was 33 Mbps when I measured it at the hotel.

The WIFI in the hotel room was 1.5Mbps. GiGSKY’s eSIM was 3.6Mbps. Glocalme doesn’t work at the airport, but it works in town. The speed is 6.1 Mbps.


■ List of Places Visited

■ For access to Antigua and Barbuda click here

■ For “.ag” domain details click here

■ For “co.ag” domain details click here

■ For “com.ag” domain details click here

■ For “net.ag” domain details click here

■ For “nom.ag” domain details click here

■ For “org.ag” domain details click here

Saint Lucia; Easy Access Casinos and Nintendo’ Popularity

After flying 40 hours one-way to get to Tuvalu, and searching for Maltese dogs in Malta, the 11th stop on the Domain Island Tour is Saint Lucia. The ccTLD (country code top level domain) for Saint Lucia is “.lc”, often used for “Limited Company”. All dollar notations in the article are East Caribbean Dollars (XCD).

◆Where is Saint Lucia?

Saint Lucia is located in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean Sea. It also a member of the Commonwealth of the United Kingdom.

<<Table of Contents>>
◆Friday’s Weekly Festival
◆No ID Required? ! Sneaking into a Casino that looks like a Video Arcade
◆Nintendo’s Popularity in Saint Lucia
◆Best to Make a Reservation for the “Central Bakery”
◆The Two Airports of Saint Lucia
◆How to Purchase a SIM & Test the Internet Speed
◆I Can’t Find the “.lc” Domain

 


◆Friday’s Weekly Festival

My flight from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to Saint Lucia only took 25 minutes. I arrived at the George F. L. Charles Airport which is the closest one to Castries, the capital of Saint Lucia.
This small airport has a car rental desk and a taxi stand. I couldn’t find any place to buy a local SIM.

Today is Friday. I head for the Gros Islet area, where there is a street party every Friday night.
Dauphin Street in Gros Islet is lit up with lights like a festival.

There aren’t any people yet.

Walking down the street a little, I see the tents of the street stalls. Maybe because it’s held every week its less crowded than I expected, and easy to walk around.

Deep-fried flying fish called “Tobiuo” are laid out for sale. I bought deep-fried bread with tuna inside. It tTastes like a Japanese tuna sandwich. The price is $5 (about 200 yen).

A line seems to be forming here. Since whatever it is must be popular, I decide to line-up too.

There are all kinds of dishes, from side dishes like deep-fried eggplant and chickpeas, to main dishes made of chicken or seafood.

I had lobster and grilled chicken leg (thigh). When you purchase something, you can eat it inside the stall tent.

The price of the lobster was $50 (about 2,000 yen). It smells delicious after being parboiled and then seared. Is this the usual street stall price? I feel it’s a bit expensive. Note that the price varies depending on the size.

Chicken leg with a spicy sauce is $30 (about 1,200 yen). Whether you like it or not, the meals always seem come with a fork sticking out.

Now that it’s getting later, more people are arriving. Street stalls selling alcoholic beverages are also beginning to liven up.

There’s a local beer here inspired by a famous landmark on Saint Lucia called the “Pitons.” The name of the beer is also “Piton.” The flavor is a little like Corona Extra, but it seems the locals drink it straight from the bottle without adding any lime. The price is $6 (about 240 yen).

In the Caribbean region, considered the birthplace of rum, fruit juice and rum punch are also very popular. I thought it would be cool if the waiter shook it up for me after ordering, but it came already mixed. I guess they are so busy shaking and making cocktails. The price is $10 (about 400 yen).

Hand-made crafts are also for sale. They look like they would make nice souvenirs. The street party is over by 1 o’clock in the morning.


◆ No ID Required? ! Sneaking into a Casino that looks like a Video Arcade

The “Baywalk Mall” shopping center in Rodney Bay. The size of this mall is like an AEON MALL in Japan.
The parking lot was crowded and the cars line up waiting for a space.

Once you go inside the building, you see the shops all in a row like a shopping street.
It’s cute and colorful.

And, there’s a casino in this shopping mall.

Open for business from 11 am to 1 am, and admission free. Only for those 18 years old or older. There are age restrictions, and for the most part tourists are required to present their passports as identification.
However, I was not asked for proof of identification, and I was able to go in.

Located over the first and second floor of the two-story shopping mall, the casino is quite large.
The slot machines are the old-style kind. You can use US dollars too. A kind of back up if all your East Caribbean dollars are gone.


◆Nintendo’ Popularity in Saint Lucia

I discovered an Internet Cafe at the Blue Coral Mall in the capital city, Castries. If this were Tokyo, this area would be like Ginza. The area is full of specialty shops.

This is TIBBS TECH SOLUTIONS, which runs an internet cafe. They also offer PC repairs and printing services.
15 minutes can be purchased for $ 3 (about 120 yen).

I measured the speed in the same way I do for a SIM, its 3.9Mbps. It may not be suitable for watching videos, etc., but its ok for searching and checking your emails.

As I leave the shop, some familiar characters catch my eye. It seems like you can play video games in this shop.

Some young people seem to be playing enthusiastically.

I decided to try Mario Kart on the Nintendo Switch. The fee is $ 2.50 (about 100 yen) for 15 minutes.

The clerk has a stopwatch he gets ready. He actually let me have 5 extra minutes, for 20 minutes of play time.
When you start playing, they hit the stopwatch.

So, Mario Kart is fun, no matter where in the world you are. Immune to the clerk’s sardonic smile, I was absorbed by the race.

You can buy some snacks and beverages inside the store. You can even buy game consoles. This may in fact be the town electronics shop. I enjoyed passing 20 minutes in the great company of Nintendo and Mario.

Here’s the mall food court. There’s only one Chinese restaurant, what kind of food should I eat? It’s not a difficult choice.

Fried rice, practically a staple of the Domain Island Tour, and sweet and sour chicken. The fried rice is like a barley rice, not really suitable for frying.
The delicious looking but not delicious tasting fried rice cost $ 19 (approximately 770 yen). I can’t say I recommend it.


◆Best to Make a Reservation for the “Central Bakery”

The capital, Castries, is a bustling place full of tourists.

There are lots of bright clothes and straw hats for sale.

Alongside the shops, there were outdoor street stalls selling vegetables and clothing.

It looks like these are all the shoes belonging to the staff, but apparently this is a shoe store!

I saw many ladies flocking to a particular shop so I decided to check it out, they were all picking up and looking at wigs. Is this a “must” of Caribbean fashion?

About 5 minutes’ walk from the market, I found a bakery. It’s called the Central Bakery.

Half empty display cases. There are almost no products. It must be a popular store with incessant customers.

If you make a reservation, they can make your favorite color bread. I did not make a reservation, but purchased the two types of bread that were left.

The first one is a muffin. It cost $ 2 (about 80 yen). The crumb is firm like a scone, moderately sweet, with blueberries added in. It seems good for breakfast.

The second is like a pound cake, I bought it because it looked so good. It also cost $ 2 (about 80 yen). As per usual,
it was very sweet, and a bit of a struggle to get it all down.

Near the bakery is the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, the largest basilica in Saint Lucia.

The interior of the basilica was intricately decorated, it is a very beautiful church. The atmosphere seems different from other cathedrals. The stained glass on the roof and windows is also lovely.

As of 2019, it was still being restored, but please visit anyways when you come to Castries. Click here for the view with the 360° camera.

The minor basilica of the immaculate conception (Saint Lucia) – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA


◆The Two Airports of Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia has two airports. The George F.L. Charles Airport, which is close to the capital and has frequent flights to and from neighboring countries, and the Hewanorra International Airport which mainly has flights to and from the non-Caribbean region. When I searched a route from Castries to Hewanorra International Airport, I found out it takes over an hour by car.

I could see Dennery Bay and the North Atlantic Ocean on my way to the airport. It’s not like the Caribbean Sea, but it’s still very beautiful.

I finally arrive at Hewanorra International Airport.

After passing through customs and the security gate, the food court and departure terminal were crowded.

Looking at the flight departure and arrival board, the congestion starts to make sense. There are many major airlines with flights to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

“jetBlue” is a major airline in the Caribbean, with flights to downtown New York and elsewhere.


◆ How to Purchase a SIM & Test the Internet Speed

In Saint Lucia, communication companies “FLOW” and “Digicel” seem to be popular.

So, first of all FLOW. The store clerk activated the SIM for me. I bought a plan of 300 MB for 3 days.
The price was $ 10 (about 400 yen).

Although it wasn’t really great, it was usable without major problems. I measured the speed on the test site and it was 71kbps.

Next up, Degicel, which I am already familiar with from Oceania

The store clerk activated this SIM too. I bought a plan of 300 MB for 1 days. The price was $ 15 (about 600 yen).
I measure the speed of this one too.

It’s 5.3Mbps. This one wasn’t really great either, but I could use it around town without problems.


◆I Can’t Find the “.lc” Domain

Around the city, I searched for “.lc”, the ccTLD of Saint Lucia.
I discover a real-estate agent using “.lc” However, the company website uses “.com”.

I would have liked to find one more, but the domain name “candw.lc” I found being used was for e-mail only and provided by the local internet service provider.
On the Domain Island Tour, I always like to find out how the local domain is used in the area, but unfortunately this time I couldn’t find another “.lc” domain.

Although I couldn’t find it around town, “.lc” is being used by government agencies on Saint Lucia, by pizza places, real estate agents, and by other countries for various services.

=List of Places Visited=

■For access to Saint Luciaclick here

■For “.lc” Domain detailsclick here