On a cruise ship there is absolutely no chance of having any sort of real meaningful experience in any port. We know that and are fine with it. I think everybody on board was happy to see the lights of a foreign port early in the morning after five days at sea.
To me it is always exciting sailing in and sailing out from a port. Sailing in there is a sense of excitement and one somehow has a expectation level that in most cases is not met, but instead is replaced with a sense of discovery. Things very rarely turn out as you expect on a day ashore. They do however usually turn out very very nicely.
All four of us have been to Barbados before, a few times actually. We had compiled a short list of things we would not mind seeing, either picked up from the Port Talk given a few days earlier, or memories, however faded, from previous trips here. On that basis we trundled off after a hearty breakfast and a good slather of what we used to call 'sun tan oil' but now call 'sun block', crazy world.
The Terminal is exactly as it was on every previous trip, two steel drum bands were playing for us and the other five ships in port today. The ships all streamed in line-astern around seven thirty in the morning. Somehow we got in first and had the ideal berth right by the terminal, so it was a short fun walk. We all seemed to stagger as we walked on land for the first time in those rocky five days at sea.
There was one private Yacht in port that looked like Captain Nemo's ship. It was reportedly owned by a Russian, and it was almost evil looking and likely cost as much as the liners parked around it.
We did a short reconnaissance of goods and prices in the Terminal and then had a visit to the tourist bureau where they nicely arranged a cab for the four of us. $80.00 U$ for 2 1/2 hours. Seemed good to us so off we went. Our driver's name was Junior, middle aged and knowledgeable.
The long and the short of it was a great tour in a clean cab, windows down, hot as heck outside but not to the point of uncomfortableness, except when stalled in traffic for a very brief time.
First stop was a place none of us had been to before, Tyrol Cot House and Chattel Village. The residence and estate of the first Prime Minister of Barbados. Sounds boring but it suited us and was very interesting to get inside what was considered a stately home in those days, still furnished exactly as it was. Built about 1840.
Also on the estate was a collection of Chattel Houses, [houses that could be dismantled and moved], along with a replica of a stone slave hut that housed around 12 people. Sugar and rum were the main crop then as now. The Chattel Houses could be built by freed slaves but they could not afford to buy the land, so they came up with the design and construction of these prefabricated houses that several men could take down and move in a couple of days if they found a better location or were kicked off their existing site.
Then a run up to Gun Hill, a central island viewing site manned by soldiers to look out for those pesky marauding Frenchmen. Built over 150 years ago and restored 29 years ago and in need of some TLC again.
Next to an orchid farm which we decided not to visit at length. Then we took a run to the Atlantic side of this 21 X 14 mile island. A quaintsy picturesque strip of interesting homes and beach called Bathsheba. Passing banana, sugar and other tropical fruit trees in lush growth.
What struck us the most was the lively colours that people paint their homes in. Of course, right next door to it may be the crumbling ruins of a previous building now overrun with creeping vines. Such is life in the tropics.
Back to the ship after noon where the temperature was now uncomfortable to be outside in. The AC in the terminal felt like a breath of fresh air. Back to the cabin where I was able to talk to our three children, my sister and the contractor and all was right with the world.
We went shore again, me after a large beer and a small lunch, as we had a little shopping to do as a result of packing too light!
Barbados is similar to Canada in form of government. Commonwealth, about 240,000 people, 99% black, national health care, unemployment insurance and a form of welfare, a well run and stable little piece of this earth whose main concern does not seem to be Afghanistan, Irag, or Iran. Such is life in the Caribbean, where the main issue is how many cruise ships are in port and the world price of sugar and rum.
The captain never misses an opportunity the have the ship tidied up and rust marks and bumps painted off whenever he can.
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