Sunday, March 7, 2010

Barbados days 1-3

On our first day in Barbados we took a catamaran tour up the west coast which provides calm water for snorkeling and spectacular views of the island.

The boat departed the port of Bridgetown under motor power. Sails were hoisted once out of the port and we enjoyed two 15 minute periods of sailing with two 20 minute snorkeling excursions. I wish I had an underwater camera. On the first excursion we swam with sea turtles and on the second we were guided around a nature sanctuary filled with coral and schools of fish.


We were served lunch in a picturesque cove. Anyone want to go in on a house with us?


Sophie had a great time enjoying the views from the boat.


From left to right: Casper, a captain on a different catamaran, reserved our cruise and got us the local rate. Jess, Sophie's cousin, provided lodging, transport, and suggested activites. Jamal, Jess's man, informed us of local customs and insight about how to really enjoy his country. Sophie planned our vacation.


On the second day we went to one of the most popular beaches on the south coast called Accra. Pictures weren't that great due to the sun but it was a good time. That night we took a 3 hour guided hike in the "highlands" and caught some really good views of the southern and western coasts. To avoid sun burn we went inland on the third day. This view is looking north from Flower Forrest, a botanical garden near the center of the island.


It was, as some other tourists said, "like Jurrasic Park".



The next stop was Welchman Hall Gully, formed when a cave collapsed and home to some rare native plant species. This day was a real adventure as we travelled into the least populated areas by public bus without any real idea of where we were going our exactly how to get there. Thankfully the locals pointed us in the right direction. We bummed a ride from Flower Forrest to Welchman Hall Gully, many thanks for that one.


The gully is an important niche environment for many native species. A gully is characterised by 15-75' walls with a relatively flat floor ~20-40' wide. The Welchman Hall Gully has many stalactites hanging from the tops of the walls as testament to its origins.


Back on the bus system left us in some unknown spot of Bridgetown where we had to ask at least 10 people for directions to the correct bus terminal. There are a bunch of small terminals each servicing a specific region of the island. When you don't know your way around it gets stressful but if you remain calm and keep moving you can get to where you need to be. The locals talk fast and their directions aren't very clear. The trick is to keep moving and asking for directions. Taxi's aren't cheap. We paid a taxi $7.50 US for a 1.5 mile drive at the end of this day, a bus fare of $.75 US will get you to most places on the island but you have to know where your stop is and be willing to walk a little. We ended our day on the brand new south coast boardwalk that extends westward from Accra beach. We had a great happy hour at Tappas on the boardwalk and then watched the sunset.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I got at least 5 bucks to throw down on that house. Hey if the whole chemistry thing doesn't work out you would make a great tour guide.

Margaret said...

Hi
Glad you are enjoying our island and blogging about it.
Lots of other things for you to explore, like a sugar cane factory as this is crop time, some night life where you might enjoy our rum besides our beers, a road trip around the island where you could enjoy the difference in beaches. And the people, and the culture.
And do visit again :)

lilboy said...

Hi Joe and Sophie
I am really happy that you enjoyed your stay in Barbados and most of all is sharing excerpts with the world. Its these stories that help the Barbados tourism product.
Lilboy