BARBADOS 1
During my 4 years in the US Navy, I was stationed in Puerto Rico around 1962 and 1963. My job was as 1st radio operator on an air crew with The Hurricane Hunters. Our mission was to fly in to hurricanes and send the weather data back to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Most traffic was sent via Morse Code, thus my job. Our hurricane season was from the first of May until the last of November. During the off season we trained- new people, new equipment. Every day or so, we flew short training flights around Puerto Rico and the neighboring Virgin Islands. Once a month, if we had done enough things right, we got to pick a place in the Caribbean to ‘overnight’. In time we went to Panama, Jamaica, all of the Virgin Islands, and Barbados.
I didn’t really remember much about the island other than it was a very pretty place and the people were very friendly.
In 1998, it seemed that computers were beginning to become a necessary item in every household. We had had one for a while, but the Internet was not very active as far as selling things. Then sites like U-bid and Ebay came along. U-bid was the stronger of the 2 at this time. So, one day while checking the items on U-bid, I happened upon the travel sections. And there it was- 4 days, 3 nights at the Almond Beach Club in Barbados. The Almond Beach Club was an all-inclusive resort, meaning once you paid the cost of the resort, everything else was free, so to speak. All of the food and drinks and tipping and water sports were included in the price. There were 6 trips being bid on and the retail price was $1400 for 2 people. Crystal was recovered enough from her accident to take a trip like this, so I bid $400. I won.
Now we had to book a flight to Barbados. I called the trip people and set it up for January 24,25,26,27. The I called Air Jamaica, who flew there, and booked roundtrip tickets, leaving Miami on the 24th at 8:30 in the morning. This would get us there around 1 pm, enough daylight left to check out the resort. So far, so good.
We arrived at MIA around 6:30 that morning and waited for the Air Jamaica counter to open. Finally some one showed up and informed us that our flight had been cancelled, and that we were being put on a British West Indies Airlines flight that didn’t leave until 2:20 that afternoon. Bummer! That means we have to spend 5 hours waiting. We kill time by reading, eating, and drinking. Finally we depart.
We arrive in Barbados at 6:30, clear customs, and find our pre arranged transfer to the resort. It’s a taxi, not very new, but the driver was friendly. About 45 minutes later we arrive at the Almond Beach Club. The check in area was a big thatched open aired round building, with no counter, just a few desks and chairs. A nice young lady checked us in, and in just a few minutes, we were shown to our room. It was a second floor suite, one room with a couch and chairs, with a big ceiling fan, no A/C. It opened on to our private balcony. The bedroom part was air conditioned, and nicely furnished, with a king sized bed. We were tired, but hungry, so we spent a few minutes refreshing ourselves, then, walked to the pool area where the action seemed to be. There was a big open air restaurant and an outside bar. First we ate dinner, then, went to the bar. Remember, from the time we checked in, no money was necessary. No need to sign for anything. To test this theory, I ordered a Johnny Walker Black. It was served right away, and it was a fair sized portion, and it was free. I asked the bartender what the local beer was called, and he said, “Banks”, so I said draw me one of those, please. Boom!- there was a beer next to my scotch. I think I’m going to like this place. Crystal was having a frozen Pina Colada. So, we sat there until about 10, then retired for the evening. Tomorrow was looking to be a good one.
We get up and hit the dining room for a great buffet breakfast. Next, we book an ‘all over the island, all day’ tour for tomorrow. The Almond Beach Club is set up for couples only, no children allowed. For people who bring the brats along on vacation, there is the Almond Beach Village, a little further down the road. Our place has a very small beach, just large enough for the natives to try to sell you beads, t-shirts, ganga, or braid your hair, the latter not applying to me. The A B Village has a large beach. Where we only have 2 pools, they have 9. We have 2 exclusive restaurants, Enid’s and Sunsets, they have 4- Enid’s, The Reef, The Horizon, and La Smaritta. The nice thing is that there is a free shuttle bus that runs between the 2 places, so if you are a guest at the Almond Beach Club, you can enjoy all of the facilities of the Almond Beach Village, and vice versa.
So we hopped the shuttle to the Village. It was a much bigger layout that our place. We stopped at the adult end pool bar for a while, then walked to the pool bar at the end catering to children. An interesting thing about Barbados is that it claims to be the birth place of rum. For every church on the island, there is a rum shop. It just worked out that way. A rum shop is like an English Pub in a lot of ways. It’s a place where the locals can get together for rum and gossip. As we will see tomorrow, as we tour the island, they are everywhere. On the premises of each Almond Beach Resort was a bar called Tommy’s Rum Shop. We ended up on a first name basis with the bartenders of these places. The main rum of the island is called Mt. Gay. It is bottled in several different ages, the older being the smoother. A mighty fine rum it is, so I’ll be taking as much of it as I’m allowed, back to Miami. We have dinner at Enid’s, which features real Bajan dishes. Very good food. Then we close out the night back at the pool bar.
We are up, have a breakfast, and meet the tour guide at 9. We are in a little mini bus with about 6 other couples. We head north thru Holetown and Speightsville, then turn inland. First stop, the Barbados Wildlife Reserve, where the Green Monkeys run wild and loose. You can have close encounters with them. Green Monkeys are exported for leprosy research. Next we stopped on Cherry Tree Hill, a vantage point, 850’ high, looking down on the Atlantic coast. This coast is a wild one, with waves that have traveled all the way from Africa. We make a stop at the Chalky Mount Pottery Factory, where hand made pottery is available for purchase. Next stop, a Bajan lunch in Bathsheba. Excellent stuff. Then we drive along the coast to Sam Lord’s Castle. It was built in the 1700’s by Sam Lord, who put lights out to lure ships onto the reefs, so he could loot them. It must have worked, because it’s a mighty fine castle. It’s been turned into a hotel, but the original character is still there. We are now at the opposite end of the island from where we started, when we visit St Johns Parrish church. It’s perched on a 825’ cliff with a magnificent view of the coast back to the north. It has a very interesting and old grave yard.
From here we drive towards the capital of Bridgetown, where we hit rush hour traffic, but the slow pace lets us view the city and the people up close. We had passed the Oistins Fish Market, where every Friday night a major happening. The Fish Fry, occurs. Unfortunately, we wouldn’t be there. Finally we get back to the hotel, and head for the pool bar. It’s been a dry day. Every Monday night there is a party at Tommy’s Rum Shop, so we attend and have a good time. We have dinner at Sunset’s, then go pack for a departure tomorrow, the close out the day back at the pool bar.
We go to the airport and check our bags, then do the duty free shopping thing. I stock up on rum, of course. We have to transfer in Montego Bay, Jamaica, so there is a little more shopping. The customs in Miami is really tighter that normal, as though they were expecting something to arrive on our flight. But when they learn that we weren’t in Jamaica, just passing through, they wave us through. We finally arrive home at 9:15pm.
All in all, it was a very excellent trip, worth the money it cost us. We’d go back. In fact we do, but that’s another story
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