12 Days in Barbados Part 3

Saturday 12 March - Hire car got collected today, then took a gentle walk up to ArtSplash at Hastings Farmers Market for excellent coffees. Beach afternoon, clear blue sky and hot. We were playing the hotel traditional gamble of deciding who to chat with after dinner. The layout forces socialising, and it works very well as we met our good friends this way 2 years earlier (as covered in prior chapters); couple we sat with tonight didn’t gell at all; all a bit awkward. Bad I know, but life’s too short and with Max, Adam, Rene and Carmen gone home they’d got big boots to fill. It’s a shame that Estate Agents Sharon & Chris, as well as the Haulier chap both left today as we enjoyed chatting with them. The former couple did remind me of “what I call”

Patricia Hodge & Noddy Holder though; and they were clearly “considerably richer than yow”; but very pleasant and friendly.

Sunday 13 March - Spent the morning at Browns Beach at Carlisle Bay to swim out to see the shipwrecks and latch on to the boat trips out to the turtles. Impressed that Mrs H up for the 2 swims, especially the shipwrecks which are a fair distance. We were rewarded by seeing a few turtles and a Ray, attracted sadly by the feeding from the boat tour guides. We did get a spot of rain back on the beach, soon passed. The afternoon was spent partaking in the Caribbean culture of liming, essentially chilling have drinks in several bars; sounds a great plan. Firstly at Chill Bar in Hastings, where the heavens opened and it poured down so we all retreated into the bar area. Music was thumping and too loud for us retirees, so we moved onto Babydoll for Happy Hour; $3 for a beer. Right on the boardwalk we spotted Ben Stokes (England Cricket team) jog by; after first googling him as we’d no idea what he looked like! A pleasant few hours passed watching the sunset over the white sand/blue sea before the 20 minute hair raising road side walk back. Pleasant evening spent with Steve and an elderly couple whose name we never got to know; but who turned out to be friendly and entertaining. Much discussion about rats seen whizzing about, the lady being clearly traumatised by their presence.

Monday 14 March - We decided to take a walk along the stunning and hit white sand of Carlisle Bay again into Bridgetown in the morning. To be fair not that much draw in the town; but I really enjoy walking the bay, lots of activities in the azure waters across to the cruise ships. We had a wander round an older part of the town, past the historic City Bar and Parliament Museum & markets. Lovely moment in Woolworths (to get the lovely and charming Steve’s 70Birthday card!) where the locals were singing along to the Carpenters being played over the PA, a 70’s throwback flash mob! After lunch we settled on the beach, and after negotiations for an afternoons Sunbed hire I lost out paying full whack $40 including buying Mr T his beers and/or drugs for the day. Back at the hotel bar Lemar was back after his sick leave and we were greeted like old friends with him coming out from behind his bar to give us hugs; not seen him for 2 years but he clearly remembered us. The hotel is very special in this way, shame it’s our last day & we’ve little time with a proper bar man.

Tues 15 March - Last day always seems a little like waiting for time to pass sadly, & we weren’t being picked up until 5:30. We took a walk in the morning sunshine, back to the hotel for a last lunch preceded by a few cocktails. In the afternoon we settled for a few hours in a bar by the boardwalk with a last view over the white sand of the turquoise Caribbean, enjoying spending the remainder of our $’s. Back to the hotel for a chat with Steve and the pleasant couple as it turned out from Milton Keynes and some goodbye hugs from

Lemar, waiting for our taxi.

After a long wait at the airport due to expected security delays which didn’t happen, and therefore time a few last Banks the flight home was probably the smoothest and calmest we’d ever experienced, no turbulence whatsoever and we crossed the Atlantic in fast time. We departed Barbados at 21:30 & touched down at Heathrow 9:30 the following morning, and with several nap stops & coffee breaks in horrendous weather it took us about the same time to drive home to Derby from Heathrow.

It’s always nice to be back in your own bed after a holiday, and we had a welcome back gift from Daisy as we were woken at 5:30 in the morning to the noise of her throwing up. She was considerate though, nothing on the floor or basket; she did the lot in Mrs H’s slippers. At least we woke up to hear it I suppose and thus avoided a squelchy slipper donning in the morning.