🙂 Rum. Reggae. Tropical beaches. Oistin’s Fish Fry on a Friday night. Rainforests and Gardens. Bathsheba Beach. Speightstown.
🙁 Swimming with turtles (and feeding them – too many people – should be regulated). People offering drugs. Do not wear camouflage clothing – it is illegal!
Currency: Bajan Dollar
THREE things we did not know about Barbados:
- Garrison Savannah has a British air about it, and rightly so – it has been rooted firmly in the Barbadian landscape since the colonial era, 1845 to be precise. History suggests that troops were once stationed in the area where Garrison Savannah can be found in Bridgetown, hence the name. In late February and early March, Garrison Savannah plays host to the Barbados Gold Cup, a thoroughbred horse race which has been on the events calendar since 1982.
- As Barbadian legend would have it, grapefruit was discovered in Welchman Hall Gully in the 18th century. Its existence is said to have something to do with a cross-pollination that occurred naturally, between Shaddock and Sweet Orange.
- Barbados which was colonised by the British played a large role in the African Slave industry: In 1846, there were nearly 500 active sugar plantations, functioning through imported manpower.
23 March 2017
Vicky invited Charlotte and her best friend and her sister in law and me for her 50th in Barbados – what a treat! We flew from Gatwick …obligatory champagne!
We stayed at Almond Beach Resort on the west coast of the island and which was a great all inclusive resort with a lovely beach. We were welcomed with a rum cocktail and headed straight to the beach for some R&R!
The resort also offered yoga …
We did a tour of the island… Animal Flower Cave is located at the most northerly tip of the Island – the sea was wild and we were unable to go into the cave as it was too dangerous – but the coastal scenery was awe inspiring.
A highlight was the rum tour at Mount Gay Rum Distillery. I hadn’t actually realised that I really like rum! I bought Paul a bottle with his name engraved…
You might hear this garden before you see it, its delightfully eccentric owner, Anthony Hunte BCH, plays classical music throughout the garden. This is the working end of old Castle Grant plantation, where sugar cane was once processed into syrup. Step through the gate and you’ll soon tread on the old weigh bridge, where loads of cane were tallied. Just past the old stone outbuildings, where statues lurk among exotic plants, you’ll find yourself on the lip of a great, hemispherical sinkhole in the limestone substrate. Steps lead down and paths branch out through an exquisite profusion of flowering plants, with towering trees around the edges. Both here and farther along the top are a series of small secret gardens, where you can sit to absorb the serenity and enjoy a picnic. Be sure to climb the upper level steps to Mr. Hunte’s house, a transformation of the old stables. He’ll invite you for refreshments-including his legendary rum punch or freshly made lemonade (for sale)…The gardens were stunning and Mr Hunte was a very charming gentleman.
It was too wet to lie on the beach so we headed into Bridgetown via Reggae Bus (Very cool playing loud reggae music!) which is the capital of Barbados anda port city on the island’s southwest coast. It’s known for its British colonial architecture, 17th-century Garrison and horseracing track. Near the central National Heroes Square, which fringes the Constitution River, Nidhe Israel Synagogue and its museum explore the island’s Jewish history. Carlisle Bay is home to 6 shipwreck dive sites, Browne’s Beach and a yacht club. We wondered around taking in the sights.
We headed out to the Fish Pot near Speightstown for dinner – while we were enjoying our meal I received a Face Time Call from Paul – Thandi was in labour! I passed my phone around we were streaming live to Barbados from Berkshire! The chef, waiters and all the diners were cheering every time a puppy was born! LOL.
We chilled on the beach and by the pool the next morning.
In the afternoon we headed off for a jeep safari of the island with Island Safari. We spotted Chattel houses, which is a Barbadian term for a small moveable wooden house that working class people would occupy. The term goes back to the plantation days when the home owners would buy houses designed to move from one property to another. The word “chattel” means movable property so the name was appropriate.
This excursion is great fun and takes you across the Eastern and Northeastern parts of Barbados. Island guides will navigate you over mixed terrains, on and off-road to some of the best parts of the island, keeping you entertained with interesting anecdotes while showing you Barbados’ booming history and rich culture and discovering the island’s hidden gems. The custom-designed 4×4 Jeeps stops at some the island’s local hotspots like Edge Cliff, Bathsheba, Joe’s River Forest and Little Bay and the tour with light refreshments at a beach shack on Bathsheba Beach.
Bathsheba beach is famous for its rock formations that have been eroded by the Atlantic Ocean into the distinctive shape of a mushroom.
On Friday night the big thing to do is go to the fish fry at Oistins Bay Gardens. The food is the main draw – excellent fish, (tuna, swordfish, marlin, mahi-mahi, flying fish), lobster, chicken etc served in an extremely informal setting. You can get your fish grilled or fried depending on which vendor you choose from. It’s all cooked on the spot in front of you. There are also art and craft items on sale, including jewellery, pottery, ceramics, leather craft, wood carvings, straw craft, clothing and accessories, and original paintings and prints. There are two sources of music – one plays mostly back-in-time (Bob Marley, Platters, Jimmy Cliff, Jamaican ska, even old country and western!), the other calypso, including the current Crop Over hits. You can dance if you want or watch the others dance! Some nights there’s a live band. Really vibey and atmospheric – loved it!
Unknown to me, the manchineel tree can cause severe medical problems. The milky sap causes blistering, burns, and inflammation when in contact with the skin, mucous membranes, and conjunctivae. Smoke from the burning wood may injure the eyes. Luckily there are signs warning of the potential danger.
We had some down time just relaxing on the beach.
We did a catamaran cruise which was fun – great Baja music and a bit of twerking! Twerking is a type of dance that came out of the bounce music scene of New Orleans in the … hips back or shaking their buttocks, often in a low squatting stance. Highly entertaining! The only down side was snorkelling with the turtles as they were being fed and there were so many people – Not really ethical …
The resort provided a lovely birthday surprise for Vicky.
We had a great time jet skiing but we didn’t realise that poor Kate was in tears as she was so afraid – horrible for her, she was so shaken.
It was our last day – hence the sad faces … final rum cocktail and steel band session and it was time to bid Barbados farewell…
