JE 93

Barbados

Tim

Sunday, January 22 – Barbados

After yesterday’s journey I’m kind of tired today , so I think I’m just going to hangout around the apartment. I did work on a journal entry though!

Barbados Trivia: It’s illegal to wear camouflage in Barbados.

Monday, January 23 – Barbados

Today’s itinerary is to explore the island’s main city – Bridgetown. My plan is to walk there from my apartment and then to take a bus back. The walk should take about two hours, which doesn’t bother me, as I like exploring the areas I visit on foot.

In general, I’d say the walk wasn’t all that interesting. And some of the roads had no shoulders or sidewalks, which made walking on them a precarious proposition!

Another view of where I’m staying. My apartment is on the lower level, and the airbnb hosts live above.
Thankfully this street does have a sidewalk! The round red sign ahead is a bus stop (cars drive on the left here – British influence; English is the spoken language as well).
View along my walk
The Barbados Museum & Historical Society. It was established in 1933 in the former Military Prison at Saint Ann’s Garrison.
A plaque and bell at the entry to the museum commemorating Queen Elizabeth’s visit in 1985
The museum provided interesting information, but the presentation was in need of updating. (I’m probably a museum snob though!)
This is Pebbles Beach, near the Town Center.
Independence Square. The city of Bridgetown and the Garrison is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Looking from Independence Square across the inner basin to the Parliament Buildings.
Chamberlain Bridge and the inner basin.
A view of some charter fishing boats from Chamberlain Bridge
The Parliament Buildings, ca 1874
This is Queen’s Park. It was originally established in 1780 as the home of the Commander of the British Troops stationed in Barbados, and later turned into a national park in 1909.

The bus system here in Barbados has three types of buses: normal size city buses operated by the country’s Transport Board, smaller mini buses, and even smaller maxi taxis, both of which are privately run. I thought I had it all figured out, but when I got to a bus stop to return home, I wasn’t entirely confident about which bus would get me back to my apartment. So I ended up just walking back!

I need to figure out this bus system though, because I plan on using it as my method of transport on the island!

At least my step count appreciated my ineptness – 34k for the day! That tops my highest output of 31k steps from last year’s Hawaii trip. Although, even after today’s big effort, I’m still only averaging 12k/day so far; well below last year’s record-setting average of 16k steps per day!

A couple more examples of Barbados bank notes.

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