The Visitors. We aren't tourists. We live here.

It is when people visit us in Barbados that we venture out into the world of dining, tourist stops and shops.  It isn't that we aren't interested at all, (at least I have some interest, Didier not so much), but that much of the island's activities are set up for tourists or for repeat offenders (Norms, regulars).  For example, when you call to make a reservation at a hotel, for scuba diving, for a tour to anywhere, they ask at which hotel you are staying.  Locals either don't or can't afford some of the activities and ex-pats have either done it all before or wouldn't be caught dead participating.  We have fallen into that category at times, but have now discovered that we were missing out on some things.  Even if just to say we would never do them again.


Didier's best friend whom he has known since he was eighteen years old, and his family came to visit us for two weeks and stayed in our guesthouse.  As they have three children ranging in age from eight to sixteen, exciting activities and events had to be generated to prevent boredom.  A pool, the sea, and some sunshine were just not going to cut it.  So they made haste out of the compound and oftentimes, we followed, sometimes led.  We went up north to show them the Animal Flower Cave and to our favorite beaches and sights on the East Coast, as well as a visit to our favorite seaside restaurant and bar, Cassareep in Speightstown.  At their suggestion, we took a long drive with multiple roundabouts to go to Rockley Beach near the Accra Hotel and Resort, which seems to cater to Americans, on the South Coast.

I will say, that if I were visiting Barbados and not living here, I would more than likely stay on the South Coast.  It has a more energetic vibe and lots of options to eat, drink, and be merry and my favorite, sidewalks!  It even boasts a beautiful boardwalk along the beach.  The waves were more exciting at Rockley and the fine sand and sun made the water almost glow turquoise with layers of cobalt blue.  Not so great, driving back 40 minutes in the car with two little girls under 5 years of age who were hot and tired and bothered.  We ate gyros at Opa, Lily had a slice from New York Pizza (yeah, right), and we all gorged ourselves on ice cream from Chilly Moo's before we left for home.  That was a treat for all.

While we still haven't done the Mount Gay tour or the Banks Brewery crawl, after one year on the island, we did venture out to dinner at Zacchio's and almost, almost ate at Surfside in Holetown.  Steel drum music, tiki torches on the beach, and fruity cocktails add to a gorgeous Caribbean vacation; people dream about those sunset scenes.  But we live here and are not really fans of any of that hocus pocus.  Sure, there is more offered in Barbados by way of fine dining and entertainment, so this is not about a lack of exciting things to do.  It's just that our focus is on the girls who, while precocious, are indeed quite young and not particularly interested or thrilled by late night dining or alcohol-fueled tours. 

Our guests, like others before them went surfing, and loved it.  We've visited the Soup Bowl where expert surfers show their stuff during a well known tournament every year and are thrilled at their feats.  But we haven't gotten out there on a long, or short board for that matter...yet.  Didier and Frederick did scuba dive, once with Fred's daughter, Fiona and another time just the two of them, and they all loved the experience.  Thanks to Didier's week off from work, he was able to enjoy these activities. 

Generally speaking, Didier works like a maniac and once summer ends, our routine will return.  Lily will start school, Virginie and I toddler and mommy activities and lessons, and all of us will go back to the business of living here.  Enjoying the sun and sea and year round heatwave, but doing day to day tasks and chores, paying bills, going to the grocery store, doctor's office, dentist, and swimming lessons too.  We may get around to doing all of the stuff the brochures boast, but we may not.  We are not tourists.  It's not all sunshine and piña coladas.  We live here.

(c) Copyright 2010.  City Mom in the Jungle.