From
Diary 1, I now explore some more.
22/4 2019. Today, I head up north. At first, I follow the coast,
although I rarely actually get to it. I find some of the relatively dry
coastal hills I saw yesterday, and do another walk.
I head a bit inland, and everything turns out a bit greener, then really
green.
Despite it is closed today, I stop at Morgan Lewis
Windmill from around 1727. It is the last working windmill in the
Caribbean, and it look
great. The same farm have a lot of dairy cattle on
the quite dry slops around the area.
I
am getting close to the sea in the northern part, and it is mainly
grassland.
Like most roads on Barbados, they are not really
smooth. Here are landslides under the sealing, potholes and general
destruction.
I make it to Cherry Tree Hill, the second highest point on the island
with 260 metres. Only Mount Hillaby is higher with 340 metres. It offers a
great view over the north-eastern coast - although it is a bit distant.
A little and really restored steam locomotive passes bye, filled with
Easter-holyday happy locals.
I
head on a bit, and find the Mahogany alley, leading up to St Nicholas
Abbey - which never have been an Abbey. It was build in 1658, and stand
quite intact. The interior is authentic (even the ancient toilet works), and
the surounding farm still alive, with the original 161 hectares. They grow
Mahogany and cane, and produces various products from them as rum.
I
have a long chat with an old fart, and I actually
think; he is the farther of the owner; Larry Warren. He know everything
about the place, and it is his old restored - and not restored tractors,
that are found in one barn.
Here
are living room, dining room, distillery, rum storage, numerous orchids in
the trees, bats in the sealing, lovely flowers, an old movie about the
island, gullies, museum, cafe, working steam engine, syrup plant, a huge
Sandbox tree, parrots and much, much more. Things are not totally pristine,
they are just well maintained, and many in daily use. I really like the
place! St Nicholas
Abbey
When I finally tear my self
away, I head for the northern beach. The last bit is through flat meadows
with yellow grass and a few cows. Then I reach Archer's Bay, which
should have some mushroom rocks. Well, I have seen better yesterday, but the
tiny bay is nice. The water is crustal clear, and here are a bit of marine
life like the Polyplacophoras. I also find quite
some fan corals, which I actually think are the so-called Black Corals.
I head back south, but in a scenic route - or actually
several, and roads tend to be closed or simply gone. Other times, they are
cross cane fields, and not fitted for an uninsured little car.
I pass a single huge meat factory, like the ones we have in Denmark. I think
it produces chicken meat, but I am not sure.
I
try to follow the eastern shore close, but that is a challenge. Most times,
I have to drive down narrow trails to get to the sea. And many times, I can
only watch the splashes on the rocks from above.
I manages to get down to Little Bay, which is a desert area. Here are
a lot of barren limestone and a few palms.
The bay is protected by a reef, and the big splashes
rarely reach the warm pools. The locals are dipping in the inner pools. As I
head on, my GPS have some issues with the local roads. It refuses to take
the main road, but have no problem with wheel tracks, mend for tractors. To
day, I have.
I
end up with a tour back cross the central island, by minor roads. Some end
in greenery, some at a fence and one in a lake. Never the less; I eventually
make it home. Kettle on, and then I start working. I try to work on the
porch, but can't stand seeing the dog out here, limping around in its
one square meter cage, with a 5*5 centimetre grit for floor. Sometimes, it
screams, when it get trapped in the floor. East
Coast, Morgan Lewis Windmill, St Nicholas Abbey, Archer's Bay, Little Bay
23.
The
Easter is over, and I head in to the capital; Brighton. The sun is bit
slow this morning, and so am I. I'm not sure what it does, but I am doing
accounting. The GPS again want to go by the farmers roads, but that change
when I shift it from bicycle-mode to car... Until that, I get to see quite
some cane and gravel roads.
Besides from the relatively big cane farms, I pass the
rather old sugar factory. Closer to the city, the road is lined with old and
small wooden huts and a few newer. Some have no paint left, others are newly
painted in bright colours. It is back to normal weekdays, but the traffic is
not that intense.
I
park at the Lower Docks in Brighton, quite central in the little
city. Most buildings seems to be rather old, and here are only a few bigger
ones. The sun is back in full strengths, and the lovely Caribbean sky
is
ready.
My only planned sights are the town itself and the market - on a Friday or
Saturday. I actually find three markets around the city - all quite dead. I
think most fruit and vegetables are sold on the street today.
The city is a strange mix of all kind of building
styles - some might not even have
a name! Even the rather long pedestrian street
is a bend of time and style.
I
do some loops around the centre, then I head out along the coast. Here are a
bit of harbour life, but not much. The water is bright turquoise.
I end up at Cheapside Public Market, where one
part is cooled, and contain two lines of coolers for meat. A few butchers
are present, but it is real quiet. Most meat seems to be frozen, and are
most likely imported that way. It is pretty much the same picture in the
vegetable department,
although it is not frozen. It most of all look like a
few strangers have snug in, while the rest are gone.
I
find another temporary market, but it is completely dead. Almost outside
town, I find the Art Market, but as there are no cruise ships in harbour, it
is dead too.
On the way back, I pass the bus station - I think, there are no busses.
Around the corner is a large area with tiny bars, and here are people! The
locals are pretty happy for light-coloured beers like Carib and Stag.

Along the pier, I find Bridgeton Public Market,
this time with a few fish. They are eager to sell me some, I'm determine not
to buy any.
The
sun is getting high, and it seems like everything - but the sidewalk I'm on
- is in the shadows.
I find some lunch, do a few more loops and give up
finding anything new. I head up along the west coast, and it seems like it
is one huge, sandy
stretch. I stop at Brandons Beach, but the sun
have swapped place with some rather dark clouds. After some time, I get the
needed glimpses
of sun, and head on.
Here
are a few old sheets, but the huge resorts dominates the coast. And the
access to the beach is limited.
I end up in Holetown, which should have a nice old part. Well, it
does have a part that have been disturbed by tourists throughout the recent
years.
I find the beach with a few boats, some old sheets and
a few other old stone buildings. I is the river the town is named after -
as it reminded the early settlers about a river which in
common
mouth were called Hole.
I fail to find anything interesting here, and due to
the black clouds, I head homewards. It does lighten a bit on the other side
of the island, but I have seen enough.
Brighton,
East Coast, Holetown
24.
I get a chat with my host, and find a cane-toad in the garden, before I
head up north-west. I find a new route to Holetown, and passes more cane
fields and oil pumps. Eventually I end out at the seaside. I do a single
stop before Holetown, at a great looking beach.
Around Holetown, a single road crosses the island,
passing Orange Hill on the way. Here are a bit of forest, the remains
of an old windmill and a large golf club. The rest of the houses are kind of
small and old.
I
return back to the west coast, and reach Weston.
Weston should be a typical little western town,
and I guess it is: Boring, except from the excellent beach. The town itself
is a few bars and restaurants, huge private houses and small luxurious
hotels.
I walk the beach, and start walking the village. Then I return for the car,
and drive it. No pictures to prove... The next
town is Speighstown, and it is more interesting. It is a proper town,
with shops, old buildings, another perfect beach, a closed fish market and a
cafe, serving
Cappuccino
and calling it Latte. Well, I forgive them due to the view from their
sea-facing porch.
I park at the central square, and start walking. Here
are a few pale people, but only at the "hotspots" like bars and restaurants.
I get around most of the town, from the big bank building to the small huts,
in the back alleys.
I must admit; it is a bit hard to get up after having relaxed at the cafe,
looking over the sea.
To
make the entire north, I head further up north, along the coast. Here
are a few bigger, but pretty decent hotels, then some small fishing
villages. One have several larger vessels on the beach, but it seems like
they have been here for quite some time.
As I reach the north, the landscape dries out
significantly, Here are yellow grass, barren soil, bushes - some without
leaves. The houses are small huts, most paint gone for a long time since and
the same can be said about the cars.
I
reach the cove before Archer's Bay, and it is a rocky area. I don't bother
to get down to the sharp cliffs near the water. I do a short stroll in the
dry landscape, but fail to find anything interesting.
I finish the loop up north, and head back south
by partly new roads. I drive a bit inland, through farmland, which get
richer and richer. Some areas have white fences around their green fields
with a few horses.
I swing by Brighton, and make a stroll around the centre and the
pedestrian street. It is still significantly more alive than the rest of the
country.
I
find a new road home, but it all look the same around here: Flat green
hills, scattered huts, small villages and a truly countryside feeling,
although close to the capital.
At home, someone have treated me with a clean-up, new sheets and alike.
Guess they thought they got rite of me today, despite I told my host: I have
one more day. I just check my flight ticket, just to be sure....West
Coast, Orange Hill, Weston, Speighstown,
North Coast, Brighton 25.
It is a greyish day, and I wait till nine before I set off to the
southern part of the island. I pass a lot of farmland, then some rather
big houses start to show among the small ones. As I approaches the coast,
some larger industries start to mingle in. The small wooden sheets continues
like nothing have changed. I cross the edge, and
get close to the sea. Here I find Oistins and its Berinda Cox Fish Market.
It is quite big, but
also
quite dead. I try to make some pictures, but everything is under a low roof
and real dark this cloudy day. Outside are a few vegetable stands.
I make a stroll along the perfect beach, see some of the birds and the
seaweed
and head off. On the way out, I make a loop
around town by car, but here are
not really anything interesting.
I follow the perfect beach to St Lawrence Gab,
which is tourist centre. I find a place for the car, and do a long loop, all
around town. I fail to find anything interesting, beside the perfect beach.
The sun start to be a bit more active, and the photos improve. St. Lawrence
Anglican Church is on the seaside and fare from as glamorous a the Catholic
ones.
Along the sea line, numerous bars, restaurants and
small to huge hotels are found. In-between, some tiny old huts are still
having a few hens in the lawn, under the trees. It is an odd mix.
I
stop several times along the southern coast, and every time, I find coral
rocks or a perfect beach. Mainly the latter.
Close to Brighton, I find a fortress, but it is still
in use. Next to it is "The house of George Washington". Apparently, he spend
some of his youth here. I fail to find it more interesting than the closed
horse track next to it. Or the army commanding centre for that matter.
I continues almost to Brighton, and pass some
impressive buildings on the way. Apparently, they are now head quarters for
some big international business. Others are governmental.
I
head home by The Ridge, which is significantly less visible than I had
hoped. But nice farmland, all the way home.
I could spend two more hours exploring, but I'm out of sights, and I rather
have a cup of tea and a bath, before my 27 hour tour home.
Oistins and its Berinda Cox Fish Market, St
Lawrence Gab and the South Coast
I return the car, and quite unexpected, the claim the
payment have been done. Economy Car Rentals have sold me to Eurocar, which
again used Rent a Matic, and I can't recall paying any of them. Well, wrong
time to complain.
I have three hours to kill, before my short flight to Martinique, and
nothing else to do, but work on the computer.
HIGHLIGHTS from Barbados
Barbados have been interesting, but it lack some of the
wild nature, the previous islands are so rich in. I have driven 463
kilometres, taken 1144 pictures and spend a bit more money, than I had
expected:

EXPENSES |
DKK |
Barbados$ |
Shared* (part of a 92 day tour) |
918 |
270 |
Flight here |
970 |
285 |
Car |
2.540 |
747 |
Entrance |
197 |
58 |
Hotel |
1.496 |
440 |
Food |
370 |
109 |
Other: Gear, souvenirs |
187 |
55 |
TOTAL: |
6.678 |
1.964 |
*) Error flights+London, return DK, insurance, vaccinations,
guidebook, gear i.e. |
|