Barbados

My Barbados travel summary:

Visited: November 2017

Duration of visit: 3 days

Capital city: Bridgetown

Country population: 290.000 (2017)

Barbados travel blog reading time: 7 minutes

• I was denied entry into Barbados until I could provide a ticket for my return to Slovenia.
• Beside exotic name and some wonderful white sand beaches, there is not much to see.
• Jumping on and off the bus and going for a swim to gorgeous beaches anywhere around the island.
• Close encounter with turtles.

My Barbados travel adventure marked the last stop of my nearly month-long Caribbean Islands trip in 2017.

According to Lonely Planet, Barbados has it all for perfect vacations: “Beach resorts, beautiful beaches, nightlife, wild surf, interior dotted with gardens.”

Barbados, the most easterly Caribbean island, gained independence in 1966. Despite being classified as an Atlantic island, Barbados is considered to be a part of the Caribbean, where it is ranked as a leading tourist destination.

The island’s historic link to the United Kingdom means most tourists are British, followed by Americans and Canadians. During my visit in November, the island was not that busy and I didn’t notice many foreign visitors.

I expected it to be easy to get the passport stamp. Instead, the officer pulled me aside and directed me to the back office.

At that time, I was living in Panama, but I didn’t have a resident visa, because the authorities allowed me to stay as a tourist. I showed him a return ticket from Barbados through Miami to Panama City, but the officer was persistent that I am obliged to present him the ticket back home to Slovenia.

We kept discussing, but he stayed firm in his position.

After more than an hour of explaining my travel intentions to visit Barbados, the boss on duty told me there were only two options:

“To enter Barbados, you need to show me a return ticket to your home.”

“So, you have only one option. You buy a ticket back home to Slovenia or we won’t let you enter Barbados.”

The best I could negotiate was a ticket to somewhere in Europe, and I had to buy it immediately. He offered me a computer with internet access to proceed. I was going to travel to Germany two weeks later from Panama anyway, so it was not a big deal buying a ticket right there.

Nevertheless, I was really pissed off that they didn’t accept my ticket from Barbados to the US and then to Panama as proof of onward travel. I had absolutely no intention of staying in Barbados for the rest of my life.

Although I received the passport stamp, I was so upset that I couldn’t relax for the rest of the day. My high expectations for exotic Barbados were dashed even before boarding a local bus from the airport to downtown Bridgetown.

For the first time in the Caribbean, I rode a large public bus. I enjoyed the high seat’s great view and a pleasant ride, as the driver wasn’t competing with other vehicles. We stopped on every corner to pick up a grandpa, grandma or a scholar.

The town was first called Indian Bridge, named after the very rough bridge the Indians built over the river. The southern area of the capital used to be a swamp in the past.

People know Barbados for many things. If you ask a local, they’ll likely say it’s most famous for Rihanna, rum, and Sir Garfield ‘Garfield’ Sobers, one of the world’s greatest living cricket legends.

Since Rihanna spends most of the time in the US these days and Sir Sobers is gone, your best chance is to try local rum. Mount Gay Distilleries in particular has been famous for the oldest rum in the world, which has been produced since 1703 in Barbados.

I made my temporary home in a pleasant wooden house in eastern Bridgetown. I only had to cross the main road to feel the sand under my feet. An early swim before breakfast was just as good as another one in the late afternoon before sunset.

The owner, George, was a funny guy that spent most of his life in New York City. Now retired in Barbados, he shared many stories about American life. The main topics were local corruption, black inferiority and the corrupted government.

Over the next few days, I explored the island.

White sand, calm water, and turtles close to shore are spectacular anywhere on the island. A high volume of American tourists and extensive infrastructure define the southern coastline.

It was funny to jump on a bus and get off whenever I felt a nice beach was nearby. I’d have a swim, grab a drink, and then hop back on the bus to the next beach.

While swimming and snorkeling, I saw many turtles, and one of them even started to follow me. I was uncertain about how to react. Was it attempting to engage in play, intending to bite, or merely curious about my presence?

Mutual interest ended with a little fear from seeing exotic creatures on both sides.

You don’t really need to go to any specific beach or area to spot a turtle in Barbados. I got the feeling they’re so common that you’ll find turtles even when you’re not looking for them.

I took a bus to the northern part of the island, where cliffs and strong waves make it ideal for surfing. What a contrast to the perfect sand in the south!

I don’t surf, but I enjoyed watching surfers in Bathsheba, where the waves are good and the rides are long. I was stuck there for a few hours because no buses came by. Finally, I caught the last one back to Bridgetown at night.

I still had enough time to try one of Barbados’ most popular traditional dishes.

Cou cou with flying fish is similar to dishes in other Caribbean islands; only the type of fish may vary. Cou cou tastes similar to polenta; it is made with corn meal and okra.

I tried it in a tiny restaurant set inside a movable wooden house (Chattel Houses), which are closely tied to the island’s heritage. Their origin goes back to the 17^th century, when movable houses would be purchased to move from one property to another. Most of these houses have fallen into disrepair.

Barbados was the last destination on my Caribbean travel journey. In general, most of the islands have very similar lifestyle. The smaller islands, in particular, rely heavily on tourism and visitors from abroad. Some islands are more connected to the US, others to the UK. The French territories in the Caribbean are a world apart.

I can affirm that the description of Barbados by Lonely Planet as a paradise island is accurate. It’s characterized by beach resorts, stunning beaches, lively nightlife, exciting surf, and an interior dotted with lush plants.

I enjoyed my stay in Bridgetown and used it as a base for day trips around the island. Distances are short, public transport is available, and the beach is always close for a quick swim.

The main purpose of my trip in Barbados, as well as the whole Caribbean, was to explore local customs, places were people live and taste the local food.

I was based in the capital cities in guesthouses rather than in all-inclusive resorts. I was eating in local restaurants and buying goods on local markets. The beaches I explored were accessible and open to the general public. I navigated the islands using public transportation.

My conclusion after my Caribbean travel is this:

Most Caribbean islands are small and offer beautiful beaches, though many have limited places to visit or things to do. Only a few islands provide extra sights or activities, and Barbados is not one of them.

Caribbean countries are highly vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters. A single storm can reshape an island’s surface within just a few hours. Nature on land and in the sea provides life, jobs, and progress for the local economy.

I hope global warming and climate change won’t significantly limit the future progress of these small nations.