Destination: Barbados
History: The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.
Flag Description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident).
Bajans love their national colours. They are so extreme with this love that they hang big blue and yellow strings of lights over all kinds of things, parliament, pubs, bridges, restaurants.... See the picture below.
Location: Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Geographic Coordinates: 13 10 N, 59 32 W
Area Comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Coastline: 97 km
Nationality
noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)
adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)
Ethnic Groups: black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6%
Religions: Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%
Language: English
At the National History Muesum, which was converted from a military prison. You walk into a cell and it jumps to life with flora and fauna, or replicas of plantation houses, or underwater scenes. The grounds, like most of Barbados, are covered in flowers all year long. It rains at night is comfortable in the day.
Government Type: parliamentary democracy; independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth
parliamentCapital: Bridgetown
Bridgetown is the only city on Barbados. Locals and tourists talk about going to the city or from the city. This singualrity made directions interesting. NB: All the buses around the island run to or from Bridgetown, but none run through it. If you want to take a bus from the south side of the island to the west side, you have to get out and cross the city of foot. Somebody shoot the city manager! Also, most busses are rigged with car-size subwoofers that belt out reggae all day and into the night. Busses on the island are very hip. See the spoiler on the one below?
Executive Branch: chief of state: Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn Husbands,
head of government: Prime Minister Owen Seymour Arthur.
Legislative Branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Judicial Branch: Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services)
The Crown!British Hero: Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, Duke of Bronte
Here too, as in all the Commonwealth, Nelson is a hero. We found many things named for him. Though we are neither related or ardent admirers we like the name, so we took pictures.
Currency: Barbadian dollar (BBD)
Exchange Rate: Two Barbadian dollars per one US dollar.
(Making conversions simple!!)
Accommodations: The Pirates Inn, Hastings, Barbados, BWI
Jonathan calling Kensington Oval about a cricket match. The 2007 World Cup is going to be held there, so there are no matches as the field is being prepped.
We liked this sign.We had a lovely stay at this quiet, European-style inn. It attracts mostly older couples who stay for long periods on the island. Hastings is just outside the capital, Bridgetown. The noisy American crowd mostly stays in St. Lawrence Gap, further east. We were glad that the Europeans knew how to balance peace and fun. Located across the street from the ocean, the corridors are all open to the tangy salt breeze. There are beautiful wrought iron grates over the window to protect one from falling out. There are no silly screens to mar the view. Barbados has very few bugs, so screens are unnecessary.
The staff and guests were very friendly and only teased a little bit that we were so young and just newly married. They did ask if we found any buried treasure or mermaids at the bottom of the pool when we took our snorkel gear in for a dip. We told them that if we found any gold we would take the Inn out for dinner.
The Inn has its own bar, complete with an ancient bartender named Trevor. Trevor introduced us to all kinds of rum-based beverages, rum & coke, coconut rum & pineapple juice, white rum & sprite with lime. Barbados rum is the best in the world... More on that later.
Attractions:
Old Churchs: Our favories, St. James, parish church and St. Matthias'.
Oistins' Fish-Fry: Each Friday and Saturday night locals and visitors assemble at Oistins for the Fish-Fry, an opportunity to enjoy the very best local food fresh from the sea. There are a scad of vendors whose wares waft out at passers-by. They proffer fried and grilled fish, fish cakes, sweet potato, macaroni pie, and coleslaw, accompanied by just about any beverage you want. We ate at Chez Danielle, where we discovered that a Tiger Malt is a local non-alcoholic beverage. It is molassas soda. The first one is is fun and different; thereafter, the experience succumbs dramatically to diminishing marginal utility.
Queen's Park: residence of the General commanding the British Troops in the West Indies. Prior to the succession of Queen Victoria it was known as “King’s House”. On the withdrawal of the British Regiment from this island during the early years of this century, it was taken over by Government and the control was vested in the then Vestry of St. Michael, and turned into a park. It was opened on the 10th June 1909. It now falls under the National Conservation Commission. In the grounds of the Park there is one of the largest trees, if not the largest in Barbados. This is a “Baobab” and is 61 1/2 feet in circumference, and is estimated to be over one thousand years old. The “Baobab” is a native tree of Africa; no one knows how it ever got to Barbados.
Driving on the other side of the road, and cars marked "Left Hand Drive"
Airport: Grantly Adams International Ariport
We arrived at the airport, and they landed the plane on the runway, several hundred feet from the terminal. They they wheeled a set of stairs up to the plain and wedisembarkd, going down the stairs and walking over to the terminal. On the return to the States we flew out in a little propeller plane, embarking as we haddisembarkd. It was just like in the old movies. Needless to say, we were thrilled.Military: the Royal Barbados Defense Force includes a land-based Troop Command and a small Coast Guard.
One day, we were traveling around Hastings, and we saw on the map there were two forts, St. Anne's and St. Charles. We decided to visit them. We came upon St. Anne's and as you can see in the picture below, they have lovely cannons, on their crenolated walls along with the razor-wire and machine guns. This is still a working garrison. Fortunatlyy, we decided to just look and take pictures, not hop the fence. After our stunning disappointment, we trekked on to St. Charles. It now belongs to the Hitlon hotel - dirty capitalists - and is a part of their resort complex. Fearing the hotel staff much less than the military, we hiked around the outside of the fort and soaked out feet in the relentlessly rising surf. At the base of St. Charles they have the fort's cannons supporting the foundation. This is what we walked over.
St. Anne's Fort
St. Charles' Fort
