Barbados is one island that we have visited numerous times over the years. And we have fond memories of the various tours we had taken…..some more than once. Barbados is a lime stone and coral based island, with Bridgetown the capital. This island is 21 miles long and 14 miles wide with 280,000 people living mostly in the Bridgetown area. The interior is still full of sugarcane plantations.
Upon arrival to the port, it was raining and heavily overcast. An occasional rainbow appeared, and we figured it would rain all day. The Viking Sea, the Tui Mein Schiff 2, and the schooner Alexander von Humboldt 2 were already docked. Offshore, was another ship that we would identify later as Cunard's Queen Victoria. She had no passengers we were told. Don't know the story there, but we are sure there is one.
Nice resorts, hotels, and golf courses can be found, and the watersports are excellent. Barbados is the most British of the islands in the Caribbean. It is not unusual that the folks attend an Anglican church in the morning, have tea in the afternoon, then watch a cricket match while sipping a Pimm's cup or rum and coke.
Deep sea fishing can produce dorado, kingfish, snapper, flying fish, and shellfish. It is then cooked with west Indian spices and condiments. Banks beer and Mt. Gay rum are made here. Mt. Gay is the world's oldest distillery dating back to 1703. For 300 years, British sailors were given 2 oz. of rum as a daily health ration. Who knew that?
Tours here include scenic drives, turtle snorkel/beach, a rum tasting train, beach break, Harrison Caves, Mt. Gay Distillery, a green monkey sanctuary, and finally the Atlantis submarine. The prices ranged from $40 to $120.
One tour that was not offered was a drive to the Sunbury Plantation for a special lunch. Years ago, we did that with our group of travelers and our host. It was a farewell lunch, since it was at the end of a world cruise. When half of the group went back to the ship, the other half of us stayed, lingering over conversation and never-ending wine and spirits. Our host asked the owners to bring out all of their liquor, and he would pay extra for it. Well, neither of us recall the ride back to the ship. All we do remember was that it was one heck of a farewell.
So when it was announced that we would not be able to leave the port today, but only take certain taxis to approved areas, we were disappointed. While doing emailing at the Front Desk area, we had a conversation with the guest relations manager. She told us that sometime around 10am, that restriction had been lifted for independent guests, and we were free to go into town. As far as we know, this was not publicly announced. To tell the truth, we had planned on challenging this anyway….all they could do is send us back on the ship.
Once off at the gangway, we saw a shuttle that was taking people to the terminal. No way did we wish to cram into a small shuttle or van. So they motioned us to the wall catwalk, where we could head towards the terminal and stay out of the traffic. It was a bit of a walk, because the ship had the last spot and the furthest away. And being that the N. Statendam was the largest of the ships in port today, we figured that was why we got the last spot.
Entering the mini-mall, we had to stop and use Purell, while our temperatures were taken automatically. Guess we passed, since no alarms went off. The first thing we noticed was that about half of the shops were closed. Few passengers were in there, so we assume many of them had taken tours. There was an info kiosk with a nice map, so we picked one up. Out the back door, many tours were filling buses and vans. Then we ran the gauntlet of taxi drivers offering us rides to wherever we wished. We wished to walk, and they were quick to leave us alone.
Eventually, we came across the fish market, where we love to stop and see what the catch of the day happens to be. Many of the vendors were busy dicing and fileting fish of all sorts. But first before entering the open-air facility, we had to stop and be Purelled and temps checked again. Good to go, we took photos then went back out. Just about the same time we were leaving, another couple passed by the local checkers (perhaps police). Since this couple were not wearing their masks, they got yelled at to put them on. Then they had to do the Purell and temp check. We could tell they were annoyed, but some folks just don't get it. We did notice that every local person wore a mask. Every establishment said no mask? No entry. In fact, just this morning, Jonah handed us a pack of six KN95 masks, so we can change them every 3 to 4 days, like the crew does.
Eventually, we found our way to downtown and walked the Careenage, a narrow bay where old schooners used to be scraped of their barnacles and re-painted. Now it is a spot for pleasure boats and water taxis. We did notice a sign that stated this was the place that slaves were bought and sold. Quite sobering.
As we worked our way into town, it was like walking into a beehive. Locals were out and about doing their shopping. Traffic was heavy on the narrow streets as well. We had hoped to locate a fabric store where we purchased two pieces of fabric for blouses years ago. Do you think we could find it? Not a chance as all of the streets looked the same, and we did not remember the name of the shop. Of course, there is a chance it is not here anymore. Maybe next time we come here, we will research its location online. Good time to head back, because it began to rain.
Glad we brought the umbrellas, we did not need them for long. The cloud passed over, and the sun eventually came out full bore. On the way back, we wandered into Pelican Centre, which was mostly closed. There may have been six shops opened at the most. Coming back through the security gates, we had to put our stuff through xray. Then it was a long walk through the terminal and back to the ship. It took us three hours for the round trip.
Our sodas never tasted so good once we were home. By 2pm, we went to the Dutch Café for our usual lunch there. We added Heineken beers as well. This venue has caught on because it was full of people.
Due to the fact we were late in docking, the ship's time here was extended to 5pm. That gave us time to work on photos, and relax on the veranda. By then, it had gotten so hot, you could have cooked bacon on the deck. Taking some closer photos of the ship outside the harbor, we could read the name clearly. It certainly was the Queen Victoria.
Dinner was good tonight. So far, we are seeing some repeats on the menu, but there is always something we like. Tonight they had prime rib as well as meatballs and spaghetti, two of our favorites. All three of us had the beef with baked potatoes. There was a new appetizer with rice balls mixed with cheese, then breaded and fried. It was served on a bed of Bolognese sauce, and was simply delicious. Could have doubled it and made it a main. Both of us had the baked Alaska, and Barb enjoyed her favorite butter pecan ice cream. It seemed so strange to be walking out of the dining room with just a scattering of folks still eating at 9:30pm. Of course, this is anytime dining, and most passengers opt for the earlier dinner time these days.
Tomorrow's port will be Grenada, supposedly with the same restrictions as today. We shall see…………
Bill & Mary Ann
Tuesday, January 18, 2022
Report #31 Bridgetown, Barbados Monday - January 17, 2022 Showers, cloudy, sun - 80 degrees
