Having a husband and daughter who scuba dive is a great deal for a non-diver.
My husband plans these wonderful vacations to warm, sunny Caribbean islands
in the middle of the grayest, grimmest days of winter. This year we flew
to Barbados, the eastern most island in the Caribbean (which means it
takes awhile to get there but it's worth it).
The name Barbados comes from the Spanish for "bearded ones"
but no one seems to know whom that refers to. The origin is especially
odd because the British claimed Barbados at a time when it was uninhabited.
It's a Caribbean island with a decidedly British accent. One drives on
the left and the sport of cricket is hugely popular. The natives speak
with the most musical cadences and have the most delightful vocabulary.
My favorite phrase was a cab driver who said his daughter wanted to throw
a party and "make merriment".
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The incredible blue water never ceases to fascinate
and enchant me.
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Incorporated into our hotel grounds were the parapets
of the British Fort Charles, built to protect Bridgetown.
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One high point of our visit was our evening at Bajan
Roots and Rhythms, a musical tour of the cultural influences on the
island. The performers were fantastic, the costumes fabulous, and
the music made you want to move your hips. The Limbo Queen danced
under a flaming bar a mere twelve inches from the floor. The towering
stilt dancers performed amazing feats of balance while never missing
a beat. That's me with Edmund and Carrie, two dancers in the show.
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That's me with Bajan dancers Edmund and Carrie.
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Although I don't scuba dive, I still managed to go a hundred feet
under the sea in the Atlantis III submarine.
The coral grows in all shapes, colors and sizes, every one of them
more beautiful than the last. We were lucky enough to see a female
Hawksbill turtle gliding along the reef. (Our hotel's beach was
a protected nesting ground for the endangered turtles.)
Taking photos underwater is tough but hopefully you can see the
turtle in this one.
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That's our submarine on the surface with its escort
boat. The sub holds 48 people plus the captain and crew members.
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We had a friendly escort in this yellow-tailed snapper who posed
nicely in the submarine's windows. The fish come in the most spectacular
colors: brilliant blue, vivid orange, vibrant yellow, gleaming silver,
sleek black, and all kinds of stripes and spots combining them.
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| Being a writer, I couldn't resist collecting a few of
the Bajan sayings. They have a colorful wisdom that's very appealing.
"Every bush is a man." (Translation: be careful what
you say; someone could be listening.)
"De coconut don't grow on de pumpkin vine." (Translation:
Your child will probably be a lot like you.)
"De higher de monkey climb, de more you see of his tail."
(Translation absolutely unnecessary.)
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