Day #6…Thursday, February 5, 2015

Bridgetown, Barbados

Although the Caribs, Arawaks and Portuguese had occupied Barbados for certain periods, the island was completely uninhabited when the British first settled there in 1627.  The country became independent in 1966.

The easternmost island of the Caribbean, Barbados is approximately 100 miles east of St. Lucia.  Bridgetown is the capital city and the island has a population of 286,000 people.  Dry, tropical temperatures at 85° F are the average and the rainy season occurs from June through January.  Low temperatures average around 72° F and Barbados lies below the hurricane belt. 

The Barbados Dollar (BBD) is the island’s currency, but the US dollar is accepted everywhere.  English is the predominant language.

Bright and early today, we boarded a tour bus and headed to Carlisle Beach, south of Bridgetown.  We passed the commercial section of the city and headed to the beach area where we spent three (3) hours.  The water was absolutely the clearest of any beach we have ever visited.  Dennis forgot to bring the snorkeling gear today and thus had to manage with only a pair of goggles.  He still managed to have sea turtles swim right below him and the water was a perfect temperature, too.  At no place, could we not see our feet as we swam in the beautiful turquoise waters.

Our time at the beach was too short and we debated about staying longer.   We managed to try some local cuisine and ate some bright yellow rice and a flying fish sandwich.  A special spicy sauce enhanced the flavor of the rice and we enjoyed eating with a beautiful view of the crystal blue waters.

We boarded our bus again and headed back to the ship’s terminal.  Many shops were located at the pier and we enjoyed walking through the many stores and viewing the unusual craft items made by the locals.

In the evening, we decided to refrain from dining in the main dining room and headed to the Horizon Court for a casual evening atmosphere.  A new entertainer on board, Ric Steel, a country vocalist, highlighted our performance in the theater this evening.   We also enjoyed a tango duo that entertained a crowd tonight in the Piazza. This duo will be performing nightly to prepare us for our South American adventure.

We retired after enjoying a snack and visiting with some fellow passengers in the international café.