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ST. JOHN'S, Antigua -- This is crazy, I think, stumbling out of bed at 3 a.m.

Who goes to a party at this time of night? Apparently thousands of people -- Antiguans and visitors alike -- who take part in the annual carnival ritual known as J'ouvert.

It seemed like a good idea a few days earlier when I signed up for the event as a participant. But now, with just two hours sleep, I am having second thoughts -- I guess I shouldn't have stayed up so late the night before watching the Calypso Monarch finals.

J'ouvert, a contraction of the French jour ouvert, or day open (morning), is a wild event where revellers dance through the streets to the sound of heart-thumping calypso and soca music. It begins before dawn and peaks a few hours after sunrise on the first Monday in August in recognition of the day of Emancipation in 1834.

J'ouvert is one of 14 fun-filled events in Antigua's annual Carnival, which is considered one of the best in the Caribbean -- some say second only to Trinidad's in style and energy, according to the guidebook Caribbean Vacations (Avalon Travel).

This year's festival is 13 days long and runs from July 24 to Aug. 5. Other typical events include the calypso competition, junior carnival and Caribbean queen show.

Unlike the Parade of Bands on the last day of carnival, where participants are attired in elaborate, eye-catching costumes, no fancy dress is required for J'ouvert. In fact it's advisable to wear old clothes because chances are you may be smeared with paint or mud or have coloured powders thrown on you!

It's still dark when we arrive in downtown St. John's to get our wrist bands and assemble in time for move off at 4 a.m. The full contingent of our "band," estimated at 500 strong, has yet to show up. The term "band," by the way, refers not so much to a musical ensemble as to a group of revellers.

I riffle through the bag of carnival paraphernalia we were given: A bandanna (to wave in the air), a wash cloth (or "wash rag" as they call it) to pat yourself dry while dancing in the heat, a pouch to hold money, and a plastic water bottle (which some participants will no doubt fill with beverages other than water)! We're also given yellow Liat airline T-shirts to wear to help us keep with our group.

By joining a band, and paying a fee, you get all this plus food and drinks along the way. But it's not necessary to be part of an organized group. Anyone can show up and dance through the streets during J'ouvert.

All around me people are blowing up thundersticks -- long plastic inflatables that become noisemakers when you bang them together. Banners are being unfurled on vehicles, spectators have placed their chairs along the route, and vendors have set up kiosks selling plastic toys, juices, fish, chicken, salad, avocados and popcorn.

By 4:30 a.m. we're finally moving. We've been positioned behind a large flat-bed trailer carrying the Gemonites Steel Orchestra which entertains with live pan music. Behind us is a truck similar to ours, with huge speakers blaring out this year's carnival tunes.

It takes me a while to perk up, but before the sun begins to rise, I find myself moving to the beat of the music.

"Awe ya walkin' or ya jumpin?" a spectator on the sidelines calls out to a friend.

I break away from our band for a time to photograph the entertaining scene around me: The party girl with a T-shirt that reads: "Express Yourself" in big bold letters; the vendors selling cognac and Carib beer on High St. (how appropriate), and characters dressed as blue devils racing through the crowds carrying tree branches. And then there are the revellers on trucks who have positioned themselves at the top of massive speakers so high, they have to duck for power lines as their vehicle moves through the streets.

If anything enhances the festive atmosphere, it's the lively music. In any other context, the cacophony of so many different songs all playing at the same time at high volume (bring ear plugs) might be annoying, but during J'ouvert it's an exhilarating experience!

SUMMER ON THE ISLAND

Aside from carnival (now in its 51st year) there are several other good reasons to visit Antigua in the summer. It's low season and therefore cheaper (by about 25% to 30%). Don't worry about sweltering heat either. Unlike some other Caribbean islands, Antigua is not a lot hotter in July and August than in January or February.

Turtle nesting season peaks in the summer (officially the turtles nest from June to November). In Antigua, Hawksbill turtles have been found nesting on Galley Bay, Hawksbill Bay and many other beaches on the mainland as well as on off-shore islands such as Jumby Bay.

Visitors staying on the mainland are welcome on an organized "turtle watch" at Jumby Bay every Friday night with the Environmental Awareness Group. For more, check jbhawksbillproject.org or jumbybayresort.com.