The first port of call on our Caribbean cruise was Bridgetown, Barbados. It was our first visit to Barbados, and I very much hope not our last. Any island that makes its own rum is a good island in my book, and this island boasts three distilleries. It’s a pretty strong start.
We wandered into town and made a point to check out the fish market. It was a lively bunch – hawking their selection of seafood. There was flying fish, swordfish, and tunas the size of toddlers. Colleen fell in love at once.
Well, that’s awkward.
After that, we thought it best to take it down a notch. We caught a taxi from the pier with a very spirited driver named Eve. She entertained us the whole way to Payne’s Bay beach, where she left us in the care of a man named Marvelous. You can’t make this stuff up. Marvelous was, well, he was marvelous. He got us set up with beach chairs and an umbrella, and pointed us in the direction of the best rum punch on the beach.
Payne’s Bay boasts several villas of the Hollywood high and mighty. Rhianna, Simon Cowell, and Opera are owners of the cool white condos at the the far end of the beach. They were enjoying some of their many other homes that week, but we did spot quite the interesting visitor.
Colleen coaxed me into the ocean after we’d enjoyed some rum punch and tilapia sandwiches. I swim in pools. Anything murkier than that merits my rear end stay firmly planted firmly on shore. But the water was crystal clear, so I thought I’d chance it. If I saw a fish, I could run back to dry land.
I didn’t see “a fish”. I saw a 5 foot wide stingray go casually floating past – just a few feet from where I stood. I managed to keep my cool, and actually stayed in the water as it moved back into the rocky reef. Thank you, Mount Gay Rum punch, for that extra dose of courage!
Eventually, I found my way back to our lounge chairs – and that’s where I stayed until Eve arrived to take us back to the boat. I don’t know that a single day in Barbados can make me a Bajun – perhaps we’d better go back and see.
LetsMake3 