We’re not beach people. Trish and I find beach culture monotonous. Getting sauted in the sun whilst under-sized speedos on oversized bellies strut around isn’t exactly the height of culture. Just recently I skipped el cheapo beach destinations in Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and India. So why go to Barbados? Well if you’re asking, you don’t live in Ottawa over the winter. Besides we have Mel (aka Old Spice) a buddy down there so free digs, yippee! And yes, after 4 plus months of travel I needed a bonafide vacation.
Barbados was once inhabited by Amerindians whom the Spaniards called Caribs, hence the term Caribbean. Raise your hands if you knew that, we sure didn’t. Anyway the Spaniards had a hand in wiping out the native population in much of the Caribbean, leaving Barbados largely uninhabited until the English colonized it in 1625. For a while more English lived in the West Indies than the Americas.
Then they discovered how wonderful Barbadian sugar cane was. But who was going to work those sugar plantations? Slaves from Africa of course, ya silly. Then they figured you could do more than just sugar with the those towering canes, and we don’t mean molasses, that’s boring. How about a rum and coke? Pretty soon Mount Gay, the world’s oldest (legal) rum distillery started up.
Trish was first in line at Mount Gay for the 4 itty bitty samples included in the $10 USD tour.
It seems nobody moves without a rum-based drink nearby. The locals say there are as many churches as there are rum shacks —think combo of divey pub and liquor store (1500 shacks).
But most of the half million plus tourists come for the beaches, all of which are free and public:
Accra Beach, south coast
Miami Beach, south coast
Bathsheba, Atlantic/east coast also a primo surf spot
Martin’s Bay, east coast
So who are these ladies?
Well dearest Mel (beside Trish) is a native Barbadian (Bajan if you’re feeling lazy) living in a veritable mansion, and mom to Andrea, a buddy in Kanata.
Mel and her network would show us around the tiny island (smaller than Metro Toronto) but more importantly immerse us in their highly community and family-oriented lives.
Annette (in the middle) is one of the kindest women around, and Wendy (white top) is a suppository of all things known to and about Barbados.
Barbados smells of money, most of it white.
We posed as potential buyers ( I can talk white) in a couple of private resort and residences.
This slum started at $2.5 mill US, plus mooring fees
Architecturally speaking you can count on many Caribbean and Latin American places to be dominated by Spanish colonial influences. Not here however as Barbados may be the only colony to not change hands as the English hung onto it right up until the peaceful independence of 1966.
Nevertheless, a couple of decent looking buildings are worth poking around.
The local fare is seafood heavy and the stars are flying fish (below—also a joy to ‘flying’ over the water) and dolphin (aka mahi mahi).
Mel cooked up a storm of flying fish one night… seasoned with lime, salt and her own own sauce, then rolled in flour and fried…lip smacking good.