Barbados, Bajan Civility in the Caribbean Sun
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Barbados, Bajan Civility in the Caribbean Sun By Lee Foster Travelers, primarily from the United States, Britain, and Canada, choose the island of Barbados in growing numbers. Visitors savor the warm and sunny weather, plus the white coral sand beaches. Fine dining on seafood occurs at landmark restaurants, such as The Cliff, and at upscale resorts, epitomized by The Crane. The island of Barbados ranks as an outpost of the British legacy in the Caribbean sun. It is the easternmost land mass in the Caribbean. The name Barbados came from early Portuguese navigators. They noted the strands of vegetation, or “beards,” hanging from the fig trees that dotted the shoreline of the island. The island became the “bearded” place. Attractions of Barbados: What to Do and See When venturing out from resorts, a tour of the island shows the solid British management of the place without interruption from 1624. Finally, Barbados finally declared independence in 1966. Barbados played a critical role in the American Revolution. An impressionable 19- year-old surveyor named George Washington visited here for six weeks in 1751. What he learned, mainly, was that England’s overriding interest was its wealth from sugar and slave trading in the West Indies. For this reason, he later evaluated that England would not strenuously oppose the breakaway of the mainland colonies. A visitor today can see the Changing of the Sentry, where British troops were housed. The ceremony takes place in front of the 1804 Main Guard House. Another appealing tour is a candlelight repast, called “Dinner with George Washington,” at the house the Washington family rented during George’s visit. At the time of Washington’s visit, Barbados’s Bridgetown was fabulously wealthy. Barbados was the first island that traders from Europe and Africa found when sailing to the New World. As a result, London, Boston, and Bridgetown became the three main ports in the British Empire at the time. Experience the beauty of this green island of manageable size (14 by 21 miles) on a one-day-drive around the perimeter. Engage a knowledgeable guide driving a car or small tour van. The rugged east coast boasts some of the freshest and cleanest air on earth, as winds blowing west from Africa hit the island. Due to the wind, few people inhabit the east coast. Dramatic rock formations dot the shore. A nature attraction known as Harrison’s Cave and a horticultural treasure called Hunte’s Gardens rank high on a must-see list in a circle-the-island outing. Flying to Barbados I flew to Barbados from San Francisco on American Airlines, going through Miami. As a result, I could check my bag in San Francisco and pick it up in Bridgetown. Prepare for a long flight. Beyond the hours of flight from your home city to Miami (5 hours for me from San Francisco), it takes another four hours by air from Miami to Barbados. Barbados is south of Miami, but not too far to the east. Due to this, there are no further time zone changes. Resorts in Barbados The island has competent resorts at the upper end of each price category, meaning budget, moderate, and expensive. Furthermore, Airbnb is also catching on. This was not my first trip to Barbados. On an earlier trip I had stayed at a cozy small lodging known as Cobbler’s Cove (www.cobblerscove.com) in the northwest corner of the island. I was happy to hear that Cobbler’s Cove was still flourishing. On this trip I spent half my time at The Crane (www.thecrane.com), an example of a luxury time-share lodging. In contrast, I also stayed at the Hilton Barbados Resort (www.hiltonbarbadosresort.com), an expression of what a known brand can deliver. The Crane is the epitome of one-of-a-kind high-end luxury. Each unit in my complex boasted a full kitchen, ample bedroom, and spacious living room. All units also had their own patio and their own small pool, beyond the large pool serving all. The complex included a small village of shops and a lovely elevated restaurant, L’Azure. From the dining area, poised on a cliff, you look down on a pristine white beach, which beckons for a swim. Well-spiced dishes of local fish, such as grilled marlin and dolphin fish, await a visitor. At night, the whistling tree frogs sing in symphonic performances amidst the quiet and remote setting of The Crane, south side of the island. Most of the major resorts are on the calm and protected west side of the island. In contrast, the east side gets the high waves and major wind. The Hilton Barbados Resort exemplifies the brand resorts, providing a large number of rooms, with elaborate pools and ocean swimming. Groups favor The Hilton because of its resources. The Hilton has two large white sand beaches. Rare hawksbill turtles sometimes come ashore to lay their eggs. Barbados is warm, so you will likely enjoy your air con, especially at night. Dining in Barbados The island is a Caribbean leader in terms of both resorts and culinary offerings. For dining, the seafood bounty is primary. Another specialty is the hairless blackbelly sheep that you will see on an island tour. These sheep look like goats, but in fact they are sheep. This special breed yields tasty meat but no wool. Lamb/sheep meat commands an honored place on many Barbados menus. Aside from several meals at the Crane’s L’Azure, I was fortunate to dine for two nights at The Cliff, one of the island’s top gourmet establishments. The setting is romantic at night, with candlelight in the open air, on a hillside cliff overlooking the sea. One night was at The Cliff Beach Club, which is more casual. The other night was at The Cliff proper, adjacent, which is more formal and was the original. An interesting experience was that huge tarpon fish that swim in the shallows by the restaurants. You can see these fish in the floodlit sea within a few feet of shore. The dishes I enjoyed most at the Cliff were the jumbo prawns, scallops, seared tuna, and baked sheep. Both Cliff restaurants are like half-amphitheaters set into the cliffside above the water, extending from the cliff top down to the water’s edge. Rum Drinking in Barbados Of special interest on the culinary front is Barbados’s most important export beverage—rum, made from sugar cane molasses. The place to enjoy this rum is at the Mount Gay Visitor Center in Bridgetown. There you can do a rum tasting, perhaps with a cocktail mixing class or dining. Full details are at www.mountgayrum.com. The Mount Gay rum growing lands are in the St. Lucy Parish on the north end of the island, but the visitor center in Bridgetown is the main place for an instructive tour and tasting. The name Mount Gay honors a skilled early manager of the operation, John Gay. Mount Gay was founded in 1703. Some Barbadians claim that rum was invented here. One story is that a local character, Rumbullion, made the discovery. He found that molasses, a byproduct of the sugarcane refining process, could be fermented. The fermented beverage was rough tasting, but seemed to smooth out if a barrel was aged while traveling by ship to England. As a result, the beverage became named, in a shorthand manner, after the inventor, Rum for Rumbullion. Among the many attractions of Barbados here are my recommendations: The Garrison Changing of the Sentry A colorful Changing of the Sentry ceremony occurs weekly at the primary British fort on the island, in Bridgetown, at the 1804 Main Guard House. Check the main Barbados tourism website (https://www.visitbarbados.org/) for current day and time. The show includes a narration, music, and precise military drills, all a reminder of Britain’s steady control of the island. Music is courtesy of the Royal Barbados Police Band. The Barbados Historic Garrison area, largest British fort in the Caribbean, is a UNESCO World Heritage site (https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1376). England fortified the island heavily against possible French attack because there were huge profits in the trade of slaves, sugar, and other goods. England’s comparative profit in the United States and Canada was minimal compared to its interests in the West Indies, a reality apparent to George Washington, as mentioned earlier. Dinner with George Washington Nineteen-year-old George Washington accompanied his older brother Lawrence to Barbados in 1751. Lawrence was ill with tuberculosis, and the family felt that the cool damp temperature of Virginia was not conducive to his health. The family wanted Lawrence to experience the warm climate of Barbados. The Washingtons rented a house and stayed six weeks. An elaborate, candlelight, five-course Dinner with George Washington, complete with a re-enactor impersonating George, is a popular tourist attraction on Barbados. City tour historical character explains the British history of Barbados, including the slave trade in Bridgetown, Barbados Downtown Bridgetown Walking Tour A walking tour of downtown Bridgetown comes alive on an outing called the Characters of Town. It’s helpful to have a guide/re-enactor explain the significance of the port and the extent of the slave trade. Buildings and statues requiring interpretation include the parliament and Admiral Nelson statue. A visitor learns about Independence Square and historic Victorian architecture, such as the Mutual Building, originally an insurance exchange. Coming to terms with slavery is on the minds of modern Bajans, as Barbadians call themselves. On one hand, the island benefited greatly from slavery.