Barbados - Days 8 & 9

On day 8 we decided not to venture to far as I had not been well in the night - we took a drive along the South Coast and walked along one of the beaches before returning back to sit on the beach in front of our hotel,which was nice and relaxing.  I went for a swim in the sea and the waves were quite big - when I was trying to get out I stumbled when a big wave knocked me over and dragged me on to the beach - when the waves went back in to the sea I was lying face down on the beach with a ton of sand down my swimming costume - luckily Peter didn't see it happen! I had to have a shower when I got back to the room as my front was covered in sand (more sand in my swimming costume than on the beach!).

Walk along the South Coast Boardwalk

On day 9 we went to the 'Barbados Concorde Experience' at the Airport - Concorde used to fly regularly to Barbados (3 times a week in the peak season) up until all concordes were taken out of service. BA then gifted Concorde to Barbados and so we did a tour of plane!  It was very well done as they showed us a film and then we were allowed on to the plane.

Concorde

Front of Concorde

We're sitting on Concorde!

Afterwards, we drove on to Oistins, the fishing village where we had been to the fish fry earlier in the holiday, to have a look around, and then drove up to Rockley Beach to look around the shops and have some lunch.

The view at Oistins

We are flying back today and have really enjoyed our time in Barbados - the people are friendly and there is a very laid back, chilled out atmosphere which makes you want to do the same!  We have had a good mixture of relaxing and sightseeing - I am glad that we rented a car as it gave us the freedom to go where we want but we have never been on such bumpy roads!!!

Cocktails have been a regular theme whilst in Barbados...so long Barbados!

Barabdos - Day 7

Today we went to Welchman Hall Gully which is a tropical forest inside a gully.  We enjoyed walking through the gully looking at all the different plants, and we were again the only people there so it felt very tranquil.  There was lots of bird noises and rustling in the trees and we caught sight of some monkeys playing on the path and near the trees.

 

 

Our next stop was Harrison Caves which is a crystallized limestone cavern with flowing streams, deep pools of crystal clear water and unusual stalactites and stalagmites formations.  On arrival, you watch a short film on how Barbados was created (which was quite interesting) and then jump on an electric tram where they drive you around the cave.  It was quite interesting but they didn't warn you on how wet you were going to get... in places it wasn't the odd drip but more like it was raining in the cave!!  I don't like getting wet so I wasn't amused!

Look at the drip spots on us!

Inside the cave - looks like melted wax

 

Stalagmites in the cave

We then drove over to Holetown, the 2nd largest town in Barbados, for some lunch and a look round the shops - they had a shopping mall there that had Cartier, Versace and Louis Vuitton but I couldn't persuade Peter to buy me anything there!

Barbados - Day 6

Our first stop today was the Flower Forest, a horticultural park with flowering plants and tropical trees. The 50-acre property was formerly a sugar plantation set in a deep gully - of course I hadn't thought about the logistics of getting in to the gully and we went down the steepest, most bumpiest road we have ever been on!  The road was so bumpy, because it has so  many potholes in it, that you had to go down the road slowly or the steering wheel would be bumped out of your hand!

At the Flower Forest

 

On the way to our next stop we stopped at a roadside cafe which we would NEVER have stopped at if it hadn't been recommended to us but we were glad we did - it was one of the best meals we had (and one of the cheapest) and it was homemade bajan food.

Hurry up and take the picture so we can eat!

In the afternoon, we stopped off at the Barbados Wildlife Reserve where animals such a Maras (look like long legged rabbits!), Tortoises and Deer roam freely within the enclosure and green-tailed monkeys come in and out of the reserve as they please.  We did see some monkeys but they were so quick we didn't get the camera out in time!

A Mara and a tortoise

Strolling around the Wildlife reserve

Peter and his new friend (Peter is the one on the right)

Our next stop was St Nicholas Abbey, built in the mid 1650s, is one of the oldest buildings on the island. This mansion was a working sugar plantation during the days of slavery, and part of the house is now open to the public, with a working rum distillery in the grounds.  I was a bit disappointed with the house as there was only 3 rooms to look at.

Outside St Nicholas Abbey

Part of the distillery where they brew the rum

Peter talking to 'Baby' the parrot - she could say hello and blow kisses

 

Barbados - Day 5

Today we were up early as I had booked us to go to the Gospel Breakfast at the Crane hotel which is a posh hotel on the other side of the Island. It was definitely worth going to as it is not everyday that a choir sings gospel songs whilst you eat breakfast.



The Crane Hotel Beach

The Gospel Choir

The short film below shows the gospel choir singing. Towards the end of the video, look at the greedy guts on the next table - the lady was actually half way through her breakfast - you have never seen anyone with a plate piled up high with food!



After breakfast we went to a secluded beach called Bottom Bay - we had to go down a small road (practically a dirt track) to get there, and then climb down some rickety wooden stairs but it was worth it - the sea there was turquoise with lots of palms trees - we sat under one to be in the shade and I was convinced that a coconut was going to fall on my head!

The beach at Bottom Bay

 

It was a REALLY hot day today - it was 86F but it felt like 100F so we only stayed on the beach for a couple of hours (and had to keep moving our towels so that we stayed in the shade!).

We then drove on to Sunbury Plantation House, which was built around 1660 by Matthew Chapman, an Irish/English planter, who was one of the first settlers in Barbados.  Loads of people arrived around the same time as us, but we found out they were all going to a church fundraiser lunch in the restaurant at the House (all the locals were dressed up in their Sunday best) and we were the only two people there looking around the house.  The cashier had fallen asleep and we had to wait until she woke up before we could pay and go in (I kid you not!).

After looking around the house we were sweltering in the heat (we looked a right sweaty pair!) so we decided to go back to the hotel to chill out and cool down, and spent the rest of the afternoon watching Xfactor.

Sunset

Barbados - Day 4

Today was the first day we had a hire car and we rented a jeep - how exciting!  We were glad we rented a jeep as some of the roads there was more potholes than road!

Our jeep!

Our first stop was Bath Beach- a beautiful, peaceful beach where we were the only people there!

Bath Beach

We then drove up a bit further up the coast to Andromeda Botanical Gardens - which is a six-acre garden containing several varieties of orchids, palms, ferns, heliconia, hibiscus, bougainvillea, begonias and cacti. There were two walks you could do - we chose to do the easier walk as it was so hot and humid!  It was very quiet and it was only us and another group of 3 there.

At Andromeda Botanical Gardens

 

After lunch we made our way up the East Coast road, stopping at Bathsheba beach, Cattlewash and Barclay Park - the scenery was amazing with massive waves rolling in (we watched people surfing) and huge rocks on the beach.  It was a lovely day and we really enjoyed driving around and stopping at different places to take in the view.

Bathsheba beach

 

Barbados - Day 3

Today we went in to Bridgetown, which is the main town in Barbados.  We had to catch a bus and the first one that came along was one of the privately owned minibuses, otherwise known as the Reggae Reggae bus, which packs as many people in as possible and has Reggae music blaring from the front.  When we jumped in we realised there was only one seat left so I had to perch on the end of a seat that was only meant for two (and there were two people already on it!) - luckily, after a few minutes a couple got off and we fought our way to the back of the bus.

Once we arrived in Bridgetown we did a walking tour that I had in my guidebook - nothing screams tourist more and two very white people walking around with a guide book and camera in their hands and we must have been asked 20 times if we wanted a taxi as we walked round the town!

Bridgetown was busy, with people going about their daily business - it was interesting to come out of the tourist area and in to the town.

Montefiore fountain in Bridgetown

One of the busy shopping streets

Peter outside the Parliament building

 

 After lunch we went back to the hotel and sat on the loungers next to the pool just relaxing, reading and having a swim.  In the evening we went to the Oistins Fish Fry which is a must do in Barbados -  locals and visitors alike congregate in Oistins (a fishing village) to enjoy some freshly cooked fish, sample some local rum and enjoy some Caribbean music. To get there we had to catch another bus - it was quite a dark road to get to the bus stop and as we were walking quickly to the bus stop one of the locals shouted 'slow down, you are in Barbados'!  On the way there we encountered a very friendly, but rather drunk, local who decided I would be his companion for the journey there (I was sat next to him, with Peter on the seat behind).  He even ended up singing to me on the bus!  Once we arrived we sat down and ordered our food which was delicious - we shared a plate of Marlin Fish and Shrimp with Macaroni Cheese pie.  It was a really good night, with a great atmosphere but boy were the rum punches strong!  I only had two but felt quite tipsy and had to go straight to bed when I got in!

At Oistins Fish Fry - you can see the queue of people behind us waiting for the their food!

Our delish food!

People at the fish fry - you just had to grab a seat where you could.

Barbados - Day 2

It's my birthday!  I sat opening my cards and presents on the balcony overlooking the sea - that is how it should be done! 

View from our balcony - with a rainbow!

We had decided to have a nice relaxing day so, after breakfast, we walked down St Lawrence Gap to a nice quiet beach called Sandy Beach.  We rented a couple of loungers and an umbrella and spent the next few hours relaxing and swimming in the sea - Peter brought me the new James Corden book for my birthday and I read half of it in those few hours on the beach!

Just relaxing!

Our view from our loungers

Yoohoo Peter - I'm here!

In the evening we went to a restaurant called Champers - I had booked beforehand and asked for a table overlooking the sea and we had a great table right on the corner so we had the waves crashing beneath us on both sides.  The food was lovely!  I had the seafood pasta and Peter had Cajun style Mahi Mahi fish.  For desert Peter had bread pudding with rum sauce and I had the coconut pie - delish!  It was a very enjoyable evening and a great end to my birthday.

At Champers - the sea is on the other side of the railings!

Peter with his Mahi Mahi fish

Hmmm Coconut Pie - delish!

We're in Barbados

We flew from Miami to Barbados today - we had heard of horror stories going through Miami Airport but we were checked in and through security in about 20 mins (and we didn't have to empty our bags this time!). Our flight was only 3 quarters full so we had no-one sitting in front or behind us, and we had a spare seat next to us too (these things get us excited on flights!).

The flight went well and we arrived in Barbados 3.5 hours later - we were the first off the plane as they opened the doors right behind us (we were at the back of the plane) and we were through immigration and collecting our luggage within about 15 mins of landing (this is another thing that gets us excited whilst travelling - two excitements in one day is just too much!).  We jumped in a taxi and arrived at our hotel.  We were told that our room wasn't ready but it would be in a few minutes...here is where we had our first experience of being on 'barbados time'.  When she said a few minutes she actually meant 45 mins........but we kept telling ourselves we are on holiday, we are in no rush but of course secretly we did feel a bit annoyed.  At least they gave us a drink and we were sat watching the ocean whilst waiting.

It was worth the wait when we got to our lovely room!

Our bedrooms with a massive bed

Bathroom

Living room overlooking the sea

Kitchen area

Our balcony

Peter admiring the view

Apart from popping over the road to get some groceries (which of course I mean the necessities such as milk, beer and wine) we have not yet ventured out in to St Lawrence Gap (where we are staying) and as there is a storm rolling in we are going to have dinner at the hotel and have a look around tomorrow (of course after I have opened my pressies as it will be my BIRTHDAY!).