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After reading an article on Barbados, I knew I had to go. Turns out, Kim's co-worker, Moira, will be visiting her father at the same time. He and his wife are long-time residents of the island, who enjoy visitors. Read more
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  • Abuse your passportSurf and Turf in Barbados

    And they're off...

    April 15, 2011 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 46 °F

    I always think I can get more done than I actually can before vacation. Despite being awake late to finish tax filings (and the State website isn't working), we are packed and ready to head to the airport in the morning. One stop in Texas and then we'll be flying over the Caribbean the rest of the day. Looking forward to fresh fish at the end of the line!Read more

  • Abuse your passportSurf and Turf in Barbados

    A shrimp for sore eyes

    April 16, 2011 in Barbados ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    The six hour flight seemed to take no time from Dallas to Barbados. We found Moira and her husband, Bill, at the airport, as soon as we cleared customs. Renting the car was simple, however, driving is another matter. Luckily, the first leg was just a short drive (following Bill) to the Fly Over Bar and Grill, across from the airport. Kim and I shared a plate of fabulous tasting grilled shrimp and dry pea rice (our first culinary adventure). WOW! I'll be packing on the pounds if the food is this good everywhere. We sat on the patio, eating our dinner, whilst swapping stories of driving on the "wrong" side of the road. Barbados is an old British colony, so driving is on the left. That's not bad, except for roundabouts, which I can't even manage in the US. By the end of dinner, Kim had decided to ride back to the house with Bill, but Moira was kind enough to brave it with me. I didn't disappoint. As soon as we got in the car, I started it, and it lurched forward...forgot I was driving a stick.

    The roads are narrow and it was dark, but we arrived safely at Ralph and Judy's farm. Moira got us settled in our room and briefly showed us around the place. I'm very excited to use the contraption in the kitchen which looks a little like a hand-cranked meat grinder but smaller. It's for frenching green beans. Oh, the simple joys of life. I can't wait to see what else I can try on the farm in the light of day. For now, though, I'll get caught up on Words with Friends and fall asleep to the sounds of frogs outside.    Read more

  • Abuse your passportSurf and Turf in Barbados

    A Day on the East Coast

    April 17, 2011 in Barbados ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    There's no better way to start our first official day on the island than scrambled eggs fresh from the chicken, toast made from freshly baked bread, and straight-from-the-cow milk in my coffee. I needed all the brain food available to get psyched up for driving.

    The day began with a leisurely tour of the farm. The citrus and banana trees are on the side of the house, then we came around to the side, where the large garden offered papaya, beans, squash, herbs, and the most gigantic eggplant "trees." We crossed the property to the pasture, where the retired horse and sheep hang out all day with the chickens. There are more citrus trees to the side of the pool, and Judy introduced us to her bay tree. The only bay leaves I've ever seen are those dried up, crumbly ones my mom used to put in a stew recipe. These leaves, however, were incredibly odorlicious! I'll be stuffing a few in my bag for cooking when I get home.

    Our tour ended at Judy and Ralph's apartment wing of the house. We changed into swimsuits and jumped in the pool for a bit before taking our drive up the coast. It was nice to get a little sun, as most of the day turned out to be cloudy, with some rains.

    We set out in a northerly direction, headed toward Bathsheba. A town that hosts international surfing competitions. Unfortunately, we missed the turn (which is incredibly easy to do), so we agreed to stop on the way back. Instead we continued north, through the rain, maneuvering tight turns and steep inclines. We stopped at St John's church, which was originally built in 1650 or so. It stands sentinel on the top of a hill, protecting parishioners from all directions. I guess you just never know from where a sin might come. The old church had an amazing pipe organ, but most endearing were the doves in the belfry, whose cooing echoed throughout the silent hall.

    From the church we headed toward St Nicholas Abbey, which isn't an abbey at all but an old sugar plantation and rum distillery. While transiting one small neighborhood, we were distracted by the playing of cricket on a local pitch. We abruptly pulled into the parking lot and took in a bit of the game. It wasn't until dinner that Judy provided us all the in's and out's of the game. At the time, it was fun to try and figure out what the heck the players were doing. But I won't bore you with a description of a game that can take several days to play. Not here at least.

    The tour of the Abbey was nice. It includes the old plantation home, with an original Thomas Crapper brand flush toilet. That's right, we have the picture to prove it. I got to use an official Crapper. After that excitement, we visited the outbuildings, the distillery, and watched an 18 minute film shot by the owner's in the 1930's.

    I was ecstatic to return to the farm with all the mirrors and hubcaps that I started with in the morning. The roads are terribly narrow, so I hope tomorrow's adventures result in equally positive outcomes. We were treated to a fantastic dinner of farm fresh goodies: roasted chicken, green beans, squash, stuffing (amazing herbal combination), and basmati rice. Although the farm is amazing, I'm pretty sure the rice wasn't grown here.    Read more

  • Abuse your passportSurf and Turf in Barbados

    Adjusting well to island time

    April 18, 2011 in Barbados ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    There's something very comforting about having no time to wake up, no schedule to eat, and nothing but time on your hands. It was just such a day today. Kim and I were up before everyone else (except Judy who is up at the crack of dawn to tend to farming duties). We decided to throw on some shoes and take a leisurely walk around the area. This sounds easy, but it's quite a challenge to keep from getting killed. The two-way roads are terribly narrow (less than 18 feet wide) and there are no sidewalks where we are, only cane fields. Depending on the direction of a curve, we had to decide which side of the road would give us the best chance of survival. At one intersection, we had a spirited argument about which direction the oncoming cars would turn in order to choose where to walk. Who knew a little stroll would consume so much brain power?

    During the walk, I declared that I wanted to try out the sugar cane. Kim watched as I stepped into the field and broke off a foot long piece. Sugar cane looks similar to bamboo, in that it is skinny and tall, with round ribs in the stalk about every 4-8 inches. It's a little harder than I expected. I tried to peel it with my Swiss Army knife, but that was an utter failure, so I went with the best multi-tool instrument: my teeth. I think I read somewhere that the jaws have the strongest muscles in the body, and mine are no exception. I was able to peel the outer layer and get to the fibrous center. Once there, I bit down and sucked as the cane juice squeezed into my mouth. During our walk, I must have had a couple feet worth of cane juice, which mixed in my veins with the coffee's caffeine, made me unusually alert and talkative.

    Upon returning to the farm, Moira introduced us to Filbert, the gardener, who agreed to help us out with a coconut. He grabbed a long stick and took us to the palm trees. I learned all about the coconuts in the meantime. The younger ones have the good juice, which is beneficial for your organs, while the older coconuts do not have the juice but have the meat used for cooking. He poked at some of the coconuts hanging from the tree, then took his machete to the side of one of them. We all sampled the juice, then Filbert whacked it in half, exposing the coconut "jelly" lining the inside of the nut. He made us a little spoon from the outer shell, and we scooped the slippery goo into our mouths. Apparently, there is some complex natural process that occurs, which results in the liquid and the "jelly" turning into the harder coconut meat that we use for cooking. Not sure how it all works, but I'm feeling more confident now, should I ever be stranded on an island.

    The weather was beautiful, so we spent a little extra time in the pool this morning before heading out to Earthworks. This is a large pottery operation, which I had no interest in visiting, until Moira showed me the pottery in Ralph and Judy's kitchen. I was prepared to spend a week's wage, but they didn't have quite the same pattern any longer. Kim and I settled on a simple bowl and butter plate.

    We ended up passing most of the day driving to, from, and shopping. It was late afternoon when we returned to the farm. A nap came upon me completely unexpectedly, so I gave in. The rest of the evening was spent watching fireflies, trying to find the Southern Cross, and eating some delicious creole food. Did I mention my jaw is killing me? Never should have ravaged those canes!    Read more

  • Abuse your passportSurf and Turf in Barbados

    Bridgetown-The Human Maze

    April 19, 2011 in Barbados ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    The day started with coffee on the porch and a multi-generational discussion of legalizing marijuana. Our think tank concluded that legalizing, regulating, and taxing the crap out of it might be a good idea. Of course, that's why we're relaxing here and not legislating there!

    (Actually, now that I think about it, the day actually started with a sore jaw, but I'm not getting any sympathy out of that story anymore, so I won't digress.)

    Judy wanted to go into to Bridgetown to pick up an iPad for Ralph's upcoming 88th birthday. We decided it would be fun to accompany Judy on the errand, as well as follow her into Bridgetown. It's virtually impossible to get around anywhere directly, so this was our opportunity to ease into B-town and see the few sites we had read about there. Moira rode with Judy, and her husband, Bill, rode with Kim and me in case we got separated.

    As soon as we started to hit the more urbanized area, I was immediately grateful to be following Judy, an island resident since the mid-60's. With every unmarked one way, blind curve, and road that looked like an alley, I felt myself completely at the mercy of Judy's driving. My blind trust took a huge hit the first time she had to stop and ask for directions...and the second time...and the third time...Fortunately, we got to the computer store after one last wrong turn and one more set of directions. We quickly acquired the iPad and asked the clerk for directions to the Jewish Synagogue. Supposedly it was "just down the street" but I didn't hold my breath.

    A short two blocks later we arrived at the site of the oldest Synagogue in the Western hemisphere. The original structure, built in 1654, was destroyed but a "new" one now stands in its place. Over the years, the Jewish population left the island, so there were few here by the mid-1800's. The property then fell in disrepair and has only been recently renovated and the Nidhe Israel Museum added. During the archaeological dig, they discovered several different grave sites and historical debris. Interestingly, only just a few years ago, they found the first Mikvah of the Western Hemisphere. It is an underground structure, built over a spring, which allows for the full immersion of a person into the water for religious purposes. Apologies to my Jewish friends, but that's a short version of what I understood. The museum was fascinating and very informative. The Jewish community's contribution to Barbados is still evident, as they were critical to establishing the country's sugar industry.

    Judy left us after the Synagogue, so we were on our own as far as getting out of B-town. We definitely took the scenic route out of town but did finally manage to get on the coast road: Barbados' equivalent to Highway 1 in California. I'm still baffled as to how an individual is supposed to get around: the roads that DO have signs are usually not on the map, and the main roads DON'T have signs, but they do appear on the map. The most used question of the day: Were we supposed to turn there?

    We had lunch on the beach, drove by our pending accommodations, then Moira and Bill drove with us to give directions back to the farm. The hope was that Kim and I would be able to backtrack to the same location (fat chance). However, after a swim, we packed up and tried to navigate the island for the first time by ourselves. It only took three turns, before we had to make a u-turn and return to the road we missed. But we did well after that. We bought some groceries at Emerald City (no wizard), then I insisted that we get a bite at Chefette, via the drive-thru. It's a chicken place, but there's something very bizarre about going through a drive-thru in a clockwise direction. Silly, I know, but fun nonetheless.

    We got to Mike's Holiday Apartments with only one or two more missed turns. The place is great and exceptionally clean. We unpacked and got settled in for the night.

    Tomorrow looks like a good day for the beach, but who knows where we might end up with our dumb map!    Read more

  • Abuse your passportSurf and Turf in Barbados

    R & R

    April 20, 2011 in Barbados ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    I realize it's Wednesday, but it was an official day of rest. There is a small stretch of sand just a block away, so we settled in for a few hours. It was just us and a couple of Barbadians. I felt pretty spoiled. I spend the entire time in the water, and Kim did a bit of reading. The water is differing shades of turquoise and at least 80 degrees at the surface. There were several needlenose fish hanging around the shallow area with us, making Kim extremely nervous when they started feeding on some smaller, less fortunate fish. I swam out several hundred yards to investigate with my mask. There wasn't much out there but a few fish, a couple sting rays, some sea grass, and lots of broken coral. We're on the boundary of the leeward and windward sides of the island, so I suspect it may get a little too churned up here for a large number of fish to dwell. There's just nothing to hide in or around.

    We walked back to the apartment around noon and made PBJ's, with the homemade guava jam that Judy sent us off with. Yum. We caught up on some reading and napping most of the afternoon.

    I think we've agreed to try a little surfing tomorrow, but that may or may not happen. It's vacation.    Read more

  • Abuse your passportSurf and Turf in Barbados

    Very righteous!

    April 21, 2011 in Barbados ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    We slept in later today than any other day during our vacation. I guess we're finally starting to unwind.

    After breakfast we headed to the post office for stamps. The traffic was awful, so Kim jumped out of the car and just started walking. I finally arrived and parked behind the building, overlooking the ocean. I decided not to stand in line for stamps but to sit and watch the waves. Upon her return, we drove up the coast to Dread or Dead Surf Shop to explore the possibility of surfing. It sounds like it will not work out today, given our late start and delayed arrival due to poor traffic. Instead, we agreed to go to Barbados Blue dive shop, just up the road. It was almost 1pm, so we signed up for the 2pm snorkel trip and ate our lunch on their picnic table.

    ***WARNING*** social commentary coming up...

    The trip was just under two hours, and most of it was spent in the water. First we anchored just outside of the Marine Reserve, where a small population of hawksbill turtles congregate for the snorkeling visitors. Several came to visit us and weren't bothered by the heavy petting. We had several interesting people on the trip, who had no qualms drowning small children, if they were between them and the turtles. Everyone flailed and kicked to get their chance to touch the little critters. Not being a big crowd person, I hung way back and watched the madness from a few yards. They were like all the rotten little kids in Willy Wonka's factory, stuffing their faces with chocolate, never having a second thought. I observed the irony of them wanting so badly to touch what floated within their view that they missed several turtles just outside their view. It was then that I thought it might be fun to be a turtle and sneak up from behind and give them a little bite right on the...foot.

    Following the turtle molestation, the guide gathered us all up and ferried us to the Marine Reserve. There are six (I think) sunken boats in the park, and at least two of them I could dive down to. The marine life was abundant in the area, as corals, sponges, and other various things have found a home on the surface of the vessels. We saw a variety of fish, but I also enjoyed diving down and poking around the ships. Luckily, the pesky tourists, with the annoying children, stayed at the surface, so there was some solace to having sturdy lungs and a strong kick. I sunk down to about 12 feet and stuck my head into the Bajan Queen's shallowest compartment and was surprised with a small hawksbill staring back at me. I was about out of air but had enough time to reach out and stroke its back. He swam leisurely away from the wreck, and I started turning blue. I followed him at the surface for a while, then rejoined the group. The guide was diving through the wreck, entering at the aft and moving through unseen compartments to pop out of the hole about 15-20 feet back. I asked if I could join him, and he took me through the same hole. It's exciting but always a little creepy to go through a sunken ship. Although no one lost their life on this one's sinking, it's just eerie in a cool kinda way. A bit later, just before we wrapped up, the guide asked if I'd like to dive deeper. "Sure," I said, knowing Kim wasn't looking. She had already given me the shake of shame for going through the first time. This second time was challenging. We penetrated into the vessel at about a dozen feet, then went down into the wheelhouse, through a small opening, then up the spiral staircase. The guide took the side door, but I went straight up through the hole in the ceiling, just a little concerned that my brain might pop. When we got to the surface, it was all worth it when he smiled his big Caribbean smile and said, "Very righteous!" High-five included. He later said it was rare that he finds snorkelers who can go that deep. Obviously, he hasn't met too many people who were made to swim before they started walking.

    We finished off our day with a taste of new cuisine. Maybe they are from somewhere else, but I have never had a roti. Moira and Bill had told us to sample them before we left the island, so we got down to it. A roti is a curry mix wrapped in a huge flat bread (think tortilla, Chipotle size). I had a potato curry in my warp and Kim went for a pumpkin, chick pea mix. It was delicious, not to mention huge. We'll both be eating more of it tomorrow. I recommend it if you're in the neighborhood.    Read more

  • Abuse your passportSurf and Turf in Barbados

    A Good Friday

    April 22, 2011 in Barbados ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Well, we hadn't anticipated everything closing for Good Friday. We gave up on trying to scuba dive and tried to find a place to surf. We drove up and down the southwestern coast, but no go. Unfortunately, it's just not going to happen this time. I guess we'll have to return again.

    As Plan B, we went to Enterprise Beach for the day. Following a very long swim, I hit the lounge chair and finished my book (The Lacuna-two thumbs up). I'm not quite in the habit of wearing sunscreen, so I didn't keep up on it like I guess you're supposed to. Kim and I are both quite red this evening, but I've had worse.

    Friday is the regular fish fry in Oistins, just up the road from where we are staying. This weekend it's a whole festival to celebrate the Easter holiday. We walked around the area before dinner and came upon a game of road tennis: think tennis meets ping pong. The court is bigger than a ping pong table but much smaller than a tennis court, painted on the ground between a couple of the fish fry vendors. The players use solid wooden rackets just smaller than a tennis racket. The ball is a skinned tennis ball, although it might start with all its fuzz but just gets worn down from the pavement. The "net" was a solid concrete structure about six inches tall, a couple inches wide, spanning the middle of the court. The serve was like ping pong, but the volleys like tennis, with the players crouching very low to hit the ball across to the opponent. It appeared to be judged by a gentleman sitting mid-court, but he might have just been giving them a hard time, while enjoying his Banks beer. Couldn't tell. We were mesmerized for a long time, watching the players volley in the midst of cooking, vending, drinking, and general milling around. At one point, the player nearest to us stopped to help a car back up and get down the small alleyway. As soon as the car made its way, game on.

    We chose to eat at Shirley's fish fry shack, although there were a lot to choose from: Pat's, Joan and Mary's, Debbie's, Margaret's, etc. We chose this one because it was a little farther from the loud music and looked less chaotic. We ordered dolphin, which was to come with sweet potato, macaroni pie, plantains, rice & beans, and breadfruit. When the plate arrived, I was surprised to see all the side items on the bottom and a large steak of blackened mahi mahi on the top. I'm a little particular about my food touching, but the fish was so tasty, I was able to overlook the culinary intermingling. Everything was terrific, and the two of us were full from one plate of food. It probably helped that we had stopped and sampled a fish cake earlier. The fishcakes were more like a ball of spicy dough, with some fish mixed in. Not bad for 37 cents.

    We drove up to Hastings later this evening, had coffee, and hung out. It was a nice evening to relax and try to forget the end of vacation is near.    Read more

  • Abuse your passportSurf and Turf in Barbados

    All good things come to an end

    April 23, 2011 in Barbados ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Although we had good intentions to walk to the beach this morning, our post-sleep pace was not going to make it possible. Instead, we cleaned up our apartment, packed our bags, and said good-bye to Mike.

    We leisurely drove down the coast to Hastings, where we met Moira, Bill, Ralph, and Judy at Champers restaurant. Ralph turned 88 yesterday, so we thought a nice celebration was in order. We were seated on the deck, which overlooks the turquoise Caribbean. With the waves lapping below, we ordered our lunch and then proceeded to eat, eat, eat. The company was great, as was the view and ambiance. I had a Cajun, blackened dolphin, which was served with a side of rice to take the spicy edge off. We finished dinner with a lemon tart, a coconut pie, and a crème Brule; all of which were tasty. We lingered for a while, until we all realized we might just fall asleep in our chairs. Ralph, Judy, Moira, and Bill headed back to Victoria, and Kim and I headed to the beach one last time. We drove a bit, then bailed out at a public beach access. We enjoyed a breezy stroll along the beach, catching the final rays of sun for the vacation. I gave a final kick to the sand before we got back in the car and drove toward Victoria.

    The day ended with an extra long swim in the pool, followed by pasta tossed with fresh tomatoes, basil, and onions, accompanied by homemade bread lathered in butter and garlic. For a last supper, it definitely outrated the usual bread and wine    Read more

  • Abuse your passportSurf and Turf in Barbados

    Home again

    April 24, 2011 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 39 °F

    Even a delay in Dallas couldn't keep us from being happy to return home. I will miss being able to go to the beach and swim every day, but it's always nice to be back in my own little corner of the world.Read more

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