December 23, 2023

Barbados is the furthest east of the Caribbean’s Windward Islands. For that reason, it doesn’t get the hurricanes that the other islands to the west are vulnerable to. The distinct white sand is so different from the black sandy beaches of other island.  Unlike its volcanic neighbors, Barbados was formed over millions of years by the accumulation of coral and deceased sea creatures, resulting in those distinctive white sandy beaches.

Barbados has a rich and diverse history that has shaped the island into what it is today. Originally inhabited by the indigenous Arawak and Carib peoples, it was claimed for the Spanish Crown in the late 15th century. However, it was the English who established the first permanent settlement in 1627, marking the beginning of the island’s colonial period.

The sugar industry played a pivotal role in Barbados’ history, with the introduction of sugar cane plantations and the reliance on enslaved labor from Africa. This period of slavery and colonial rule has deeply influenced the island’s culture and society. There is still a lot of sugar cane here and it is the top industry followed closely by tourism.

Barbados remained under British colonial rule until gaining independence in 1966, becoming a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth. The legacy of British influence is still evident in Barbadian culture, language, and political institutions.

Today, Barbados is known for its vibrant culture, stunning beaches, and diverse heritage. The island’s history continues to shape its identity, blending influences from its indigenous roots, colonial past, and modern developments.

Today we acted on advice from our ATW Oceania Ambassador, Cella. We hired a taxi to take us to Harrison’s Cave. Our taxi driver was Mr. Smart. He was very informative about the country and told us lots of facts about the country. Barbados has a population of 380,000 and Bridgetown is the most populous city.

The education here is interesting. School is compulsory until the age of 18. Law is a major subject in the university. Students must get 3 certificates to go on to higher studies. If they don’t achieve that, they often go to trade schools. For medicine, the students complete their education in either the US or England and must come back to Barbados and work for 15 years.

When we arrived at Harrison’s Cave, we watched a short movie about the formation of the island and the formation of the caves,

The large limestone cave, named after the original landowner who discovered it, is simply amazing. We donned our helmets and were met by our driver and guide for a tram trip through the caves.

Here are some of the amazing formations.

A few times we could get out of the tram to see the sights more closely. One area, called the “cathedral” , is a place that weddings and small concerts are held. 

There are other things to do at the surrounding park such as zip lines. There are also many monkeys but we didn’t spot any.

We returned to the ship (Mr. Smart waited for us) and had lunch. Much to our surprise, because the Insignia (the ship we sailed around the world on – for 4 different trips) was in port, we saw some of our favorite crew members and officers aboard Vista for a visit and lunch. 

Farid is the most wonderful chef – very innovative and also very charming. We miss him but we’re so happy we got to see him.

Mark, Ramsay and Adam went to Browne’s beach and enjoyed some of the local beer.

I spotted this sailboat from our balcony. Mount Gay rum is a huge product that is produced here. You can’t clearly see their logo but this boat looks like a lot of fun.

We did our usual trivia with our team and actually placed second! Later we had dinner with the family in Terrace Cafe and then went early to the show – “Into the Night” which was truly amazing. The dancing could have won on dancing with the stars, and the choreography was done by someone from that show. Wonderful show and we are looking forward to more by this great entertainment team.

Tomorrow we will be in St. Georges, Grenada.