Saturday ~ Must be Barbados......

It's kind of fun re-living these little memories. I actually did write these journal entries  while on the boat, but I didn't do very good at editing them, so now what is taking me time is the edit process. I'm trying to pay attention to detail here, so this process is long and laborious.... yuck.

It's so fun to see who all is reading these posts. I'd love feedback! I'd really love it if you became a follower! And I'd really really love it if you spread the love and come find me on Facebook, and “Like” my page (Janet Cruz Photography).... just sayin'. I'll love ya back!

The point of this blog started out to be about my photography, but I have expanded it to how I see everyday life.... So ~ go “Like” my page! Please and come back here to visit!

Back on the Boat....

Saturday March 2, 2013 Barbados

We got to Barbados around 7am. We headed to the buffet for breakfast. Kosti can eat ~ let me tell you! He loaded up his plate with food. We all watched in amazement. This morning we noticed one of the young girls waiting on us was from Russia. “Elana” After talking to her we found out she was from Kosti's home town.... What are the chances? She was a very sweet young thing and a very hard worker. We have a friend. I'm not sure what it is about our Russian, he isn't always the friendliest. We gotta work on that.

One of the things I noticed, at every port our boat is one of four. 15,000 tourists converging on these little islands!!!! Caaa rrrr aaaayyy zzzzeeee! Simply crayze.

Mark and Maurya went on an excursion to some local Rum~maries (you know where they make Rum) ~ I'm not really sure what they call them. Distilleries? I like Rum~maries! We didn't sign up for that excursion....

We spoke with a few of the waiters/waitresses and they all recommended the “BoatYard”. They said that's where they all go if they have the day off and can leave the ship. Sounds like a plan.

Well right away I like Barbados....  First of all when we disembarked (how do you like that? Big word!) you could walk the length of the boat along this narrow cement walkway or you could take a shuttle bus to the port entrance. We chose the shuttle bus.

Once we got to the port, it was lovely. NO VULTURES! Barbados has figured how to keep them under control and keep the tourists happy. Once we got to the buildings all the taxis are behind a barrier in one location.  They have a security guard who kind of manages all of the chaos, directing people to taxis.  

One of the things we noticed is that all the ports we have all the same little stores... on each island~  Stores like Diamonds International, Emeralds International, & Del Sol.....

Del Sol has the greatest deal on Sunglasses. You purchase a pair,  & they are pretty nice glasses. Like everything with Del Sol, they change color in the sun. Not only that, but they have a lifetime guarantee. If you scratch them, break them, lose them or they are stolen you just contact Del Sol with your registration number and they send you a new pair. For free for life. You could break them regularly.... not on purpose of course!) and have them replaced each time FOR LIFE! Of course the Russian bought himself a pair only to lose them at the next Island.   Low and behold, they replaced them at the next store …. NO QUESTIONS ASKED. Amazing! Check out Del Sol. (of course we had to get our boys some.... Josh, Mike and Marky).

Off to the beach....We were loaded into a bus with a bunch of other folks going to various spots on the Island.   Eventful bus ride, almost had a woman brawl! Apparently they don't like taking ripped bills on the Island. One passenger tried to pay her fare with a bill that was ripped. The bus driver would adamantly not accept it. She and the woman trying to pay the fare really got into an argument, wow! Eventually, the bus driver drove off, not giving the woman her change because she gave her a ripped bill. Later on in the day the boys tried to pay the guy who took them snorkeling with a bill that had tear in it, they wouldn't take it. They said the banks don't accept American money with rips.  Who knew?  Now we do.

We got to the Boat yard! Nice beach. It had a very spring break feel to it. People were very friendly.  Lounge chairs and umbrellas on the beach. When we got there and looked around there were no available chairs. Low and behold a nice gentleman was getting out of his lounge chair, he and his party were leaving, must have seen us looking for a spot and waved us over! How nice. Front row to the water chairs. One for each of us, with umbrellas!!!!  Life is good.  Fun people watching beach.

Looking around it did seem like many of the people there were staff from the boats in port. It was a fun active beach with lots of “water sports” and toys. There was a big dock that they had a rope people could swing on over the water and jump off. Yup ~ you can figure out already what happened! Kosti made a b-line right to the dock to swing on the rope and jump in the water. Tracy followed shortly after.

Kosti

Tracy

There was an entry fee to get on the beach, good news is ~ it included a free drink. Drinks were good and they were cheap. Periodically the bar offered “free shots”. Of course the boys all made their way to the bar every time “free shots” were announced. And they weren't your usual shots in a glass. They were the kind of shots that the bartender stands on the bar and pours the shots right into your mouth. Kosti and Jay had their first “spring break” experience here!   I think they had fun.

Tracy and Kosti went snorkeling they saw a great sunken ship lots of fish and beautiful healthy turtles.  Popi and I relaxed on the beach....finally!

We did enjoy ourselves. Opps, time to go...rush rush rush to get back to the ship. We needed to leave the beach at 3:30. Tracy and Kosti got back from snorkeling at 2:50. \


We made it back to port in time, but then had to catch the shuttle to the ship! This
proved challenging. Jay and I stood on 3 lines and never made it on a bus until the 4^th pulled up with a different boat name it.  We were able to go on that one, and it got us back to the Emerald Princess.

Dinner was dinner. Kosti scared the waitress with his honey and DEATH story. He is allergic to honey and in his strongest Russianglish he sternly says he can't have any honey on anything he eats or he will die, no “I am serious, it will kill me, like dead”. After he told the waitress this, she turned white and went right for the Head Waiter. He came over and helped picked out dinner for Kosti and suggested he pick out dinner for the next night as well so the cooks can specially prepare it ahead of time. Good news! No honey, Kosti lives!!

After dinner, I gambled away the rest of the $7 we had on the card. Big spender I am. Hey Jay works hard for our money! I don't want to squander it away on slot machines. Lenses maybe, but not slot machines... After losing my last $7 on our gambling card, Jay and I went to Movies under the Stars.  I'm not good at keeping tack of Mark and Maurya and Kosti and Tracy at night....  We'll hear their stories in the morning, I am sure.

"Movies Under the Stars"  is by far my favorite! I have to figure out how to have “Movies Under the Stars” at the Casa Cruz' Tiki Bar this year.   I'm sure there is a way. AND, I'm sure Jay will bring me a warm blanket, popcorn and milk and cookies! He's so good to me! The movie was very entertaining! “Perfect Pitch”. The Breakfast club of this generation. I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it.  

Another day, another Island. Tomorrow, St Kitts. Good night!

                                                                           Janet