March 23: Barbados

Barbados is a sovereign island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is 21 miles in length and up to 14 miles in width, covering an area of 167 square miles. It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 62 miles east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about 104 miles east of the islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and 250 mi north-east of Trinidad and Tobago. Barbados is outside of the principal Atlantic hurricane belt.

Barbados was discovered by Spanish navigators in the late 15th century and claimed for the Spanish Crown. It first appears on a Spanish map from 1511. The Portuguese visited the island in 1536, but they left it unclaimed, with their only remnants being an introduction of wild hogs for a good supply of meat whenever the island was visited. The first English ship, the Olive Blossom, arrived in Barbados in 1624. They took possession of it in the name of King James I. In 1627 the first permanent settlers arrived from England, and it became an English and later British colony.

Barbados has a population of 277,821 people.  In 1966, Barbados became an independent state and Commonwealth realm, retaining Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State. Barbados is one of the Caribbean's leading tourist destinations and is one of the most developed islands in the region, despite it actually being classed as an Atlantic Island.

[source: Wikipedia]

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TOUR:  Segway Barbados

Description

Come and enjoy the incredible scenery of Barbados interior with its verdant gullies and fantastic ecosystem on an eco-friendly, battery-operated Segway. A scenic drive brings you to the starting point, where you will be given instructions on the use of your all-terrain Segway—a single-person scooter that is self-balancing and operates with intuitive interpretation of your body language. This simple, easy-to-handle system is sure to have you feeling confident in no time. Put on your helmet; then head off on an off-road adventure. The views are fantastic, the ride is easy and you'll enjoy every moment of it on this exciting and different mode of transport. A pause for a refreshing beverage will allow you time to cool down before your return transfer to the ship.

 [source:  MAASDAM cruise website]

Experience

We were pleased to learn that the tour would take place at the north end of the island, so we had a 45 minute driving tour on the way to our Segway tour.  It having been over 20 years since our last visit here, it helped reorient us. 

This Segway tour was different than the urban ones we had done, part of it being off-road.  Perhaps in consideration of the condition of the pavement in the on-road portion, we had to wear knee and elbow pads as well as a helmet.

The morning was windy and overcast.  Our first stop was a scenic overlook of the sea, during which we were given an eclectic assortment of information about Barbados.

Back on our steeds, we were off to our next stop.

It was a plantation house, but I did not get a good picture of it. 

We continued along to another ocean view.

Along the way we passed by one of the interesting naturally formed rock 'structures' found on Barbados.  The rock is limestone.  The base had been eroded at its base and weathered to a rounded shape above.  The cow next to it gives you a sense of its size.

The tour ended too soon and we were back in the mini-bus headed back to the ship via a somewhat different route, passing by the place we stayed with Alexa, Hadley and Elizabeth years ago.

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The weather improving, we opted to walk into Bridgetown rather than go back aboard MAASDAM.

Pam got to put her feet in the water at the Bridgetown beach.

We had a flying fish sandwich at the Bridge Café.  I suspect the locals may also call it the sucker-the-tourist sandwich, billed at $20 US.  While we ate our expensive sandwich we took full advantage of the wi-fi connection that was available and enjoyed our balcony view of some boats and the central church.

The berth MAASDAM occupied was at a right-angle to one where two other cruise ships were berthed.  Getting out of it was a testament to out captain’s skill…and the capabilities of side-thrusters.  We were definitely close to the other ship.  Note how clearly the shadow of the anchor stands out. 

Next stop Dominica.