OUR TRIP TO BARBADOS

WHEN WE WERE IN OUR 30'S WE WE GOT A FREE TRIP TO BARBADOS VIA AN EMPLOYER. WE SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME IN AN AIRPLANE GOING FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO FLORIDA AND THEN GOT ON A SMALLER PLANE TO BARBADOS. ONCE THERE IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL HOTEL WHERE WE STAYED. WE ALL PARTICIPATED IN A GREAT EXPLORATION BY CAR TO LOCATE SOME BUILDINGS AND CHURCHES AS WELL AS HISTORIC SITES, SOME FOLKS HAD FLAT TIRES AND WE TRAVELED WITH A SMALL CAR TO THESE PLACES AND FOUND THE NEXT CLUE AS TO WHERE TO GO NEXT. IT WAS GREAT FUN TO EXPLORE THIS SMALL ISLAND WITH MOSTLY DIRT ROADS.

WE LEARNED ABOUT THE CULTURE BY INTERFACING WITH THE BARBADOS FOLKS AND BY HAVING THEM TRY TO SELL US JEWELRY AND VARIOUS CRAFTS THAT THEY MADE. THE TEMPERATURE WAS VERY HOT AND THEIR BEACHES ARE VERY BEAUTIFUL WITH WHITE SAND. WE GOT BURNT AS WE WERE ON THE BEACH MANY DAYS. THE RESORT WE STAYED IN WAS A GREAT ONE WITH LUAU TYPE MEALS THAT CAME WITH THE TRIP. WE EXPLORED SOME OF THE SMALL TOWNS AND MUSEUMS. THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THIS AREA IS THAT THEIR SMALL HOUSES ARE PAINTED ALL KINDS OF BRIGHT COLORS. IT IS A FASCINATING PLACE TO VISIT. OF COURSE THERE ARE ENGLISH PEOPLE WHO TRY TO SELL THE TOURISTS SOME SHARE CONDOS.

THE BEACHES ARE NOT CROWDED AND THEY HAVE SMALL CAVE LIKE SHELTERS WHERE YOU CAN HAVE A SCREEN FROM THE SUN. ON THE STREETS PEOPLE ARE VERY RELAXED AND PLAY GAMES SIMILAR TO CHECKERS AND STRUM GUITARS AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS.

WE WENT ON A CATAMARANS BOAT AND SAT UP FRONT. IT WENT QUITE FAST AND WE WERE SPLASHED WITH THE COOL WATER AS WE WATCHED SMALL FLYING FISH JUMP OUT OF THE WATER. AT SOME PORT TOWNS THEY SELL ALL KINDS OF FISH WHICH ARE INTERESTING TO LOOK AT. APPARENTLY THE FLYING FISH ARE GOOD TO EAT AS WELL. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I EVER SAW SUCH FISH JUMPING OUT OF THE WATER.

THE RASTAFARIANS SPEAK WITH AN ENGLISH ACCENT AND THERE ARE MANY FOLKS WHO SLEEP ON THE BEACHES. THEY LIKE TO SELL COCONUT MILK AND JUST TAKE IT EASY MEETING AND CHATTING WITH EACH OTHER.

MANY OF THE ISLANDERS RIDE ON MOTORCYCLES AS THE ISLAND IS SO SMALL. IT REMINDED ME OF HAWAII EXCEPT THAT IT WAS MUCH HOTTER AND THEY HAD FEWER TOURISTS AT THE TIME WE WENT. WE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED OURSELVES.