Second impressions

Wow, we're already more than half way through our nineteen day trip to Barbados. Only eight days to go and we'll be back in chilly Canada! We notice that November weather is in full swing across most of the great white north.

When we arrived here on October 25th, our first impressions comment was... The people are friendly. It's not as "modern" as I expected it to be, but we haven't seen very much of it yet. Eric says "it'll look really nice when it's finished". We can't figure out how the locals survive given the cost of food.

Now that we've been here for a week and a half, we'll give you our updated impressions...

My first comment was "the people are very friendly", and we stand by that. Almost all of the locals say hello when we're out walking around, even the children.

Barbados is very safe. Some of the other Caribbean Islands have problems, but Barbados is probably near the top compared to them. Still, crime does occur so you still have to exercise some traveler smarts... but we certainly haven't worried about walking just about anywhere during daylight hours.

We went to Oistins for fish lunch yesterday with Gwynne and Carl.

Yummy mix of swordfish and marlin, with a small salad and grilled potatoes.

Things are expensive. Sure, we've found the occasional bargain, but on an overall basis, Barbados is a very expensive country to visit. Most food, beer, wine, and liquor is expensive, although some of the cheaper rums are reasonably priced. Public bus transportation is cheap! But, because of the road system, they are not that reliable, and can be quite crowded and slow going. Still, it's a good deal!

There is more garbage lying around than we would have thought there would be. And an awfully lot of abandoned and unfinished buildings. But to make up for all of that, the beaches are among the most beautiful we have ever seen. 

We were supposed to go to the horse races yesterday with friends Gwynne and Carl, and we met them there but there was nothing going on. The website still said that the October race had been rescheduled to November 4th... but I guess it was a no go. Maybe we'll try again next Saturday! Instead, we went for fish lunch with them in Oistins, and then back to their place to relax and have a cold drink.

Taken from the back patio of their rental apartment.

This is the bus stop to get to the city!

There is lots to see and do on the island. I doubt we're going to get to everything before our time here is up. So for anybody coming for only a one week vacation, you'll have to pick and choose your activities carefully!

Today, we're headed back to the east coast, and along the way we're stopping in to do some racing at Barbados Bushy Park Raceway!

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