Bridgetown, Barbados

My online ramblings got sidetracked for a couple of weeks, but I must resume them if I am to get the last cruise covered before I head out on the next one in just over a week.

After Bermuda, Barbados is probably my favorite of the islands I've visited. I guess I must like the neat, clean, British feeling. We were there on a Sunday, which was a great disappointment. It is difficult to get a true feel for a place when everything is closed and very few people are out and about. We chose to walk around town rather than do any kind of shore excursion. The parts we saw looked pretty nice and there was much to look at that I found interesting.

On the way into town we passed a long, beautiful garden that was right next to the sea. Further on we encountered a marina, where catamarans were leaving, carrying passengers on shore excursions. Unlike many islands, this area near the docks was nice. On some islands, like Curacao, many of the buildings near the dock are run down or abandoned (however Curacao is otherwise beautiful, and I would like to go back again).

The town square was very peaceful and pretty, with interesting flowering trees, other flowers, and grass. When we continued beyond that we found a beauty supply store open, and that was as far as we went. They had quite a selection of wigs, the biggest variety I've ever seen in one place.

On the way back to the ship we walked through the long, seaside garden. Many things were in bloom, and many of the plants not in bloom had leaves with very interesting colors and patterns. The overall effect was one of great beauty. Many of the plants were unfamiliar to me, but one, the Baobob tree, I was able to identify because of a stamp collection display in the terminal building. There was a beautiful lavendar Bougainvillea and a tree with very interesting, bold pattern on the leaves.

About the most fun thing I saw, which was completely unexpected, was a large number of crabs on the concrete banks of a paved ocean inlet. Unfortunately the photo doesn't show the fish that were in the water.

I hope to return one day so I can do shore excursions, as I'm sure that they will allow me to see wonderful things that can't be found close to the ship.