Barbados Days: Diving and Drinking

Barbados is crazy, beautiful and down-right brilliant. I tried to write something in expressive prose to communicate these facts but that wouldn’t do justice to Barbados. It is a truthful and fun loving country and I for one loved my time there.

Carlisle Bay

We got to the port early in the morning as usual. I stepped off the gangway and touched land for the first time in a week. It was hard to believe I had actually crossed an ocean. I was in Barbados! It was sunny! It was hot! … and we weren’t working for the two days we were there! Win!!Two days of sun, sand, diving and cocktails! I couldn’t wait!

The Boat Yard Beach

The port in Bridgetown a world in itself, filled with shops, cafés, restaurants and bars. A taxi to town will cost you only 5 Barbados dollars ($2.50 USD). I’d heard most of the crew would normally go to a beach bar called ‘The Boatyard’. Crew members could gain use of the beach, the facilities, get a free cocktail and a free ride back to the port for $5USD. That sounded like a pretty good deal! So off we trotted, past fishermen unloading the mornings haul for the waterfront fish market, past the steel drum workshop and through the morning rush hour of uniformed school children until we reached a small backstreet car park with bright murals painted on the walls. A wooden archway led through to a tropical bar and a beach full of sun-loungers ready for us to wonderfully sizzle on for the rest of the day. A pier led out into the turquoise Carlisle bay with a rope swinging from huge industrial sized pulley ready to plunge us into the clear water.

Another good day was starting, I could tell.

I have a love of diving and had heard from my good friend Sheldon that Carlisle bay was a great place to dive. After a mornings laziness we headed over to dive the 6 wrecks that lie hidden just off shore. The wonderful (not to mention handsome 😉 ) dive instructor held my hand through the wrecks and the squeezes through submerged portholes and darkened sunken propellers. Lobsters hid under the vast hulls, huge mysterious fish glided by nonchalantly and the hot midday sun made the silhouettes of turtles on the white sea-bed sand. The next hour slipped by filled with hazy sand clouds, imposing ship wrecks and weightless gliding through the turquoise deep.

My Wonderful Dive Partner

Prep before the dive

Me and Sheldon

After retiring to my sun-lounger hungry for jerk chicken and rice (and a few rum punches) I spent the rest of the day swimming with friends, jumping off the peer and climbing inflatable pyramids in the luke-warm sea.

Unfortunately, much like Monica in ‘Friends’ my hair got bigger and bigger during the day! As my fro threatened to cause a small eclipse night fell and we headed of to ‘The Gap’. ‘The Gap’ is a street of restaurants located just Past Turtle Bay where you can get local dishes, cocktails and music all night. I had a fab night surrounded by great folks and good food at ‘Sweet Potatoes’. It was not a night easily forgotten. 🙂

On board deck before heading out

Nearly time to leave ‘Sweet Potatoes’… Amy wasn’t happy!

The next day, our last day in Barbados, started early with a solitary journey to Carlisle Bay where I indulged in a little time to myself meditating on the beach. It was quiet time where nothing much happened but was just lovely all the same. As friends joined later we spent another day filled with rum, water trampolining, swimming and general horizontal existence. We meandered back to port as the afternoon drew to a close. Myself, the fire officer and one of the officers adjourned to a local pub for a beer to break up the journey. The pub was small and filled with locals who all slipped into silence as we entered. Obviously this wasn’t a pub for tourists! After 10 minutes of awkward waiting and narrowed looks, the proprietor of the establishment brought us our drinks and wished us a happy visit: all smiles and open-hearted welcome. Sated, we set off home. Passing the local pirate ship and the playthings of the rich and famous. By the time we had walked back to port the sun was setting a bidding us farewell over the western seas of the Caribbean. Next stop Grenada and after that…. the Amazon. Could I be the luckiest girl in the world? At that moment I truly thought I might be! 🙂