Barbados

By SharonFebruary 22, 2016 ( 1 )

I’ve been busy with school for the past year and haven’t done a lot of traveling, so this was a nice vacation in the bleak month of January during school’s winter break. The sun shone every single day and the temperature was warm – both a pleasant break.

We enjoyed fine dining every night at Cobblers Cove where we lodged for the week. Nice place and the staff was fantastic – friendlier staff I’ve not experienced to be quite honest. I didn’t spend a whole lot of time hanging about the pool but rather spent my days exploring the area within walking distance of our hotel and meeting the local residents.

I will tell you this, Bajans (native to Barbados) have to be some of the friendliest people I’ve ever come across. I truly enjoyed the hospitality of some local residents enjoying their day off fishing out on a jetty near our resort. I had gotten up one morning, early, and saw these guys out fishing. I grabbed my camera, hoping for a couple of photo opportunities from them and instead ended up hanging out with them for a bit, enjoying their laughing and silly antics and general ribbing of each other. One fellow decided that if I was going to hang about then he’d put me to work and tossed a couple fish at me to put in his bucket.

I also had the opportunity to meet a few other people, Pierre being one. He was an older gentleman that I passed several days in a row while he was fishing with a net. Finally, on the third day he held out his hand and asked me my name. I hung with him for about an hour, sitting and sharing our stories with each other. I love when people are so generous as to give me their time and allow me a glimpse of their lives, their person. It’s an honor.

My husband and I did rent a car for a day and explored the east side of the island, stopping along the way at a few recommended tourist stops. The east coast was crazy crazy different than the west….surf was unbelievable in it’s strength and power. A beaut of a find was St. Joseph’s Church, an old abandoned church (though I probably shouldn’t use the word abandoned.) In 2011, parishioners had to vacate the 300 year old church because it was/is in danger of falling down. Though its days are numbered, St. Joseph’s Church still maintains it’s exquisite beauty despite the destructive nature of time and the elements. I’m only too happy to have had the opportunity to see this church, even in it’s present state. The doors were nailed shut from the inside but I was able to get the shots of the inside of the church via a single pane of glass that was broken out. Gotta love digital cameras for the multiple shots necessary to get a few good ones when I couldn’t see most of what I was photographing.

Beautiful island but to me, the beauty of Barbados is it’s people.

Historic Speightstown