We finally checked in all of our baggage and were given our boarding cards and so we went to the departure lounge where we ate some breakfast – I had a full English breakfast with a glass of orange juice it was really delicious. Once we had eaten our breakfast we had a look around the duty free shops however I didn’t buy anything. After a while we went and took a seat in the departure lounge and waited for more information regarding the status of the flight. According to the display screen the flight was on time, and that we should be boarding at 10:15. Waiting on the horrible food stained textured seats was bad enough for the 2 hours remaining until departure. It got to about 10’o clock and me and Dad went to the display screen again to check the status – It wasn’t good news it said delayed and that more information was to be told at 11am. 11’o clock arrived and yet again we
went to the display screen this was a waste of time because as we got back to our seats there was a message announced over the speakers that said “Flight XL853 to Bridgetown Barbados has been delayed until 2pm – we apologise for any inconvenience caused and we would like to offer all passengers a free food gift voucher.”
Finally we were able to board the plane. Once on the aircraft you could smell that distinct aircraft smell of unappetising food. The cabin crew apologised for the delay and we were able to take off. Once the final checks had been made the aeroplane started to move on the runway and the plane started to speed up and with this the sound got louder and eventually the plane was up in the air and we were flying over Manchester destine for Barbados. Throughout the flight we were given food & drinks. The food wasn’t particularly appetising but what flight food is? The puddings were quite nice though I enjoyed them. The flight took about 8 hours to get there flying mainly over the Atlantic Ocean. We landed in Bridgetown at about 10pm local time, we went through customs and were then guided to the tour operator’s table. Once we got outside it was very humid although still late at night the temperature reported by the airport said it was 30°c. We were taken to the coach which took us to our Hotel that we were staying at. Whilst on the coach we saw the lively night life at a local tourist point on the south coast. The smell of food just smelt exquisite, I felt like I wanted to try some right there. We arrived at the hotel and were greeted by the friendly staff, they all gave us there welcome and showed us to our rooms and said if we needed anything else or had any problems just ask them.
The next day was awesome we had breakfast at the hotel – it was kind of a big breakfast but different to England’s it seemed more healthy, cooked in less fat and more continental style than the more traditional. Best of all it was an all you can eat, we could keep going back for more. There was a particular item of food that I liked it was called plantain and it tastes a bit like banana. After breakfast we had a quick swim in the pool which was needed because it was in fact quite hot. I got my sea scooter out and tried it out, it was brilliant. What you do is you put it in the water and press the button and it has a propeller which basically transports you through the water, so you don’t have to swim yourself. In the evening we decided to explore the local area, we were staying in a place called Hastings on the south coast near St Lawrence Gap. It was quite lively with people and loud music playing a bit of Bob Marley and other reggae and calypso artists from the Caribbean. The atmosphere of this place was fantastic. It was a really good choice for going on holiday.
The next day we were booked on a Safari land cruise in a 4x4 jeep vehicle this was great and practical way of discovering Barbados and what it has to offer. It’s also able to get to the remote places on the island. The tour stopped at different sites including Bathsheba, The sugar cane plants and the islands Rum distillery. These were all very interesting but we didn’t get to sample some of the products unfortunately. We also stopped on a kind of a hill and what happens is that if you turn off the vehicle the force of gravity pulls you over it or down it and it’s the only place in the world where this happens. It was also getting nearer lunchtime and we stopped off at the west coast where we had some refreshments some sandwiches, crisps and a drink.
On Wednesday we hired a car and drove up to the East coast which is on the Atlantic. The weather was totally different compared to where we had been and where we were staying. There were dark grey clouds which just looked as if it was going to thunder and lightning, we got out and looked at the sea which was very choppy it was perfect for all the windsurfers which were there enjoying themselves. Just as we got back into the car to come back home it through it down with rain. We got back to the hotel and took a shower and went out for the evening again, we went to a local Chinese restaurant the food was excellent much nicer than my local Chinese back in England. Once we had finished we took a stroll along the beach by this time it was dark but it was very peaceful and relaxing.
On Thursday we went back to the area where we stayed last time called Holetown. It took about 15 minutes from where we were staying this time. We travelled past some very dilapidated houses called “chattel houses” These were basically just made of fence panels but shows how people can still live in them in the extreme hot temperatures the island heats up to. Many people on the island have cars some of them have worn out old bangers stored on their driveway which are smashed up and rusted away in the rain over a long period of time. If there are any noises coming from Barbados then it has to be off the car horn, because the island is so small everyone knows each other and therefore if they see each other driving around the island then they get a friendly beep which is returned by the other driver. And not to forget all the loud music at night in the town centres and backstreets where the nationals are having a good time from a hard working week.
The next morning we spent the day on the beach, I spent most of the day sunbathing and then going in out of the sea to cool down every hour or so, however my dad kept being bothered by the sellers trying to sell jewellery and other related products. The beaches can vary all over the island for example in the town that we were staying in this year, the beach was very sandy – which I preferred compared to a pebbly where the texture of the pebbles cut your feet nearly. All over the island the sea is crystal white which adds to the tranquillity of your stay. That evening we drove to Oistins where they have a really big party every Thursday & Friday night with local food being cooked which was Chicken and there speciality flying fish which I recommend to anyone to try. This was great night out for our penultimate day on the island.
Our final day came fast which I had not been wanting to come, however since it was the last day we had to live it to the max so we went into the capital and walked around all the streets and shops to see if we could spend any more of our last remaining currency. Walking up and down the cobbled streets jammed packed with people and traffic and smells coming from the fish stalls and other food stalls. Normally I hate the smell of raw fish without it being cooked but the sellers would cook it for you and you could taste the mouth watering cuisine. It was an experience which I would never forget and to top it all off we went to a posh Italian restaurant in the evening to reminisce such a great time we had in Barbados as tomorrow marked our 2 week holiday over and we had to return to England.