In the year 1536, Portuguese sailors stumbled upon a tiny (20 miles x 15 miles), uninhabited island while searching for Brazil. They did not establish any settlement at that time, but in 1625 the island was claimed by the British, and in 1627 settlement began. Within 10-12 years, sugar cane was being cultivated and the island was on the way to becoming a huge source of revenue for the British Commonwealth. Within the next 20 years, Barbados was at the center of a sad chapter in history, the capture and sale of men and women from the continent of Africa. These slaves planted, tended, and harvested the vast quantities of sugar cane. Many of them were also sold by the British to other countries. It was not until 1817 that this practice ended, and the slaves were freed.
All of the land was still owned by the wealthy planters, but for the first time the men and women from Africa were allowed to build their own houses on the unproductive portions of the plantations. They had to pay rent to the landowners for the use of the tiny patches of ground, and they could be evicted by the property owner at any moment with only hours in which to move.
For this reason, the houses were erected in sections which could be quickly dismantled and moved by oxcart. The panels were constructed of wood, and the small dwellings were placed on piles of stones.
These chattel houses, as they were called, are of great interest to tourists. The houses are lovingly cared for and are painted in colorful hues and kept in good repair.
Sam Lord was a most colorful character who lived on the island from 1820-1834 in a magnificent castle overlooking the sea. He would put up lanterns to guide ships to the coral reef where his men would board them and relieve them of their cargoes. Not surprisingly, Sam Lord had a firmly established reputation as a pirate. His castle became a resort, but financial reverses have left it abandoned with its furnishings auctioned off and an uncertain future. It can still be seen, but cannot be visited at the present time.
Today, Barbados is a tranquil island with blue skies and temperatures ranging from 82 to 88 degrees every day of the year. At the quayside in the Port of Bridgetown, we were greeted by a calypso band. There is a long line of passengers forming under a canopy as men and women driving taxis and vans leave their vehicles and vie for passengers seeking complete island tours, city tours of Bridgetown, or excursions to the beach. Over the next 30 minutes, miraculously, with much roistering an shouting, it is all sorted out and the loaded vehicles have departed down the narrow road leading from the cruise terminal into the city. ${QuickSuggestions} We share a taxi with some UK residents who are going to Grantley Adams International airport in Christ Church. As suggested, the fare was negotiated in advance ($15US). The drive will take us through Bridgetown, the capital, and up into the hills to the suburbs. There is extensive construction once we leave the city as massive development is being undertaken in the direction of the airport. There are intermittent patches of small houses in little settlements, but there is no commercial development nor do we pass any affluent areas. There is a shopping mall that seems to be a relic from the 1960s with a large fast food area, a large mobile telephone store, a rather shabby theater, and a shoe store with meager stock. A bank and a large Federal Express facility (both closed on Saturday) complete the complex. The distance is only 9 or 10 miles across the southern tip of the island, but the drive will take close to 45 minutes.
From the driver, we learn that in contrast to its neighboring islands which are of volcanic origin, Barbados is formed entirely of coral limestone. The limestone is a natural filter for water, and the mainly flat land is dotted with low hills containing a number of caverns and underground lakes. The beaches are covered with fine coral sand which is powdery in texture and white in color.
After the ride through the South, we board the local bus for the return trip to Bridgetown (US1) and enjoy the walk from the bus stop through the market areas of the city. Produce is spread out on tables and along the pavement. Perhaps 100 or more vendors offer their wares for sale. The sidewalks are crowded, but it is safe to walk in the city. There are watchful police officers at frequent intervals.
Bridgetown:
Barbados is one of the few Caribbean Islands colonized by just one nation, and its British heritage is apparent. Names such as Trafalgar Street, Worthy, and Hastings are examples. Broad Street is the main thoroughfare and is lined with banks, department stores and duty-free shops. At the top of Broad Street is the Parliament Building (the third oldest parliament in the Commonwealth, dating from 1639), which faces National Heroes Square. Opposite the Gothic parliamentary building is a statue of Lord Nelson, which was erected in 1813 and is older than the one in Trafalgar Square in London.
The statue stands in what was formerly known as Trafalgar Square. Times are changing, however. In 1999 the name of the Square was officially changed to National Heroes Square, and Lord Nelson’s days may be numbered. The fountain in front of Lord Nelson’s statue was commissioned in 1865 to celebrate the introduction of piped drinking water into the city.
The capital city is populated by about 80,000 inhabitants. It is a busy port with a natural harbor inlet known as the Careenage where the many cruise ships dock for their almost daily visits. ${BestWay} Our guided tour of the island takes us outside Bridgetown, into the parish of St Michael, to the Lazaretto Garden where a magnificent waterfall cascades over a rock face. A little further inland we stop at the Ayshford Ratite Gardens, with their tropical plants and fine restaurants.
In the heart of the countryside, surrounded by sugar plantations, is a six-acre former chicken and pig farm that is now known as Orchid World. Visitors can take self-guided tours through five orchid houses.
The west coast is known as the Platinum Coast and here we pass by many of the luxury beach resorts.
We learn that scuba divers prefer Folkestone Marine Park, which has an artificial reef created by the sinking of the ship Stavronikita in 1976. In St James, near Holetown, is a reef that contains numerous marine species, corals and sponges. The Park also has a museum and an aquarium. The Barbados Wildlife Reserve is a monkey sanctuary set in a mahogany forest in the parish of St Peter. Green monkeys, ducks, turtles, tortoises, birds, peacocks, otters, raccoons, and deer live in this natural habitat.
All too soon we are back at the Careenage and on board our ship
From journal Barbados