Barbados

So, it’s been a crazy week since I got back, between work, trips to New York and sundry. But here are a few photos of Barbados, as if you needed convincing that you should go.

This is the harbor in Bridgetown, the only real city on the island. Barbados is only 20 miles long and about 14 wide, meaning that I live in a city whose suburbs are bigger than the whole island. When someone asked me where I was from, I told him that, but I don’t think he believed me….

This is what the water looks like when you try to take a picture as it rushes under your boat.

A storm rolling in from the sea.

The sun that left us burned and satiated.

The Cardiff University cricket team: our rowdy companions on the boat. Piquant and I hadn’t seen such a blessed, favorable ratio for us since, well, never! We went swimming with sea turtles and through shipwrecks with this crew.

Wandering along the Atlantic coast at nightfall.

Driving along the Eastern coast. That little red sign inthe middle is the bus stop. All of them on the island are the same, just a little red and white sign saying “To City” or “Out of City.”

Looking to the south from Barclay Park…the roughest waves are here, which we know from lamentable experience.

That’s me, reveling…

We saw about a thousand of these lizards. Not that it stopped us from freaking out and taking pictures. Every single time.

We ziplined through the jungle in the rain. Marvelous.

The botanical gardens, one of my favorites places on the island. Beautiful flowers, strange plants, the ocassional monkey…

I don’t know what this flower is, but it’s beautiful.

Making friends with the local fauna…

This is a traveler’s palm, so named because it’s lucky to find one. The base of each leaf holds up to a litre of collected rainwater: hence the luck. You’re also supposed to be able to make wishes on it — can you guess what wish I made?

A new friend showed us how to crack open and eat these almonds, as well a dozen other kinds of fruit I’d never heard of.

Your typical Caribbean shot. White and pink sand, palms, turquoise water. Etc.

When on vacation, it’s nice to relax. But I think it’s better to explore. Which is why we did a lot more of this than sitting on the beach. Though my tan would be better if we went with the beach plan…

Going down in a sub to see what remains of the coral reefs…

…many have been destroyed by effluent from the island, and coral is too delicate to cope with change in its environment. The fastest-growing species only grow about a millimeter per year, so when it’s gone, there’s practically no way to restore it.

Our guest house was up on this hill, overlooking the Atlantic. The rugged East Coast is less “Caribbean,” if Caribbean means white sand and calm water, but I liked this better. We had to move around the island a lot more, and got to talk to more of the local Bajans. More neighborly, more beautiful.

Our last evening, and not at all ready to leave.