I'm catching up my diary as Janice goes for her run. I've got a lot to do. Janice arrives back and starts breakfast. It was going to be fruit salad fresh with banana and papaya but we find out we both aren't over keen on the papaya. Back to toast!
If we knew how long it would be until our next meal, maybe we would have had something a little more substantial!
We are picking up the hire car today which we've booked for three days. We plan to do our own tour of the island and Robert has offered to show us a few places we won't have seen as he has family on the island who we can visit.
The car hire place is right near Bridgetown so they are picking us up to take us to the office to do the paperwork. They are on time and before you know it I'm pulling out of the hire place and heading for the nearest petrol station. Then it's back to the Beach Bar to have a quick fruit punch and find Robert.
Robert's cutting hair when we get there but it's not long before we are on our way. We head north through parts of Barbados I've never seen before. There are big companies here, not just the banks but also the likes of Fujitsu ICL. We carry on heading north weaving our way up, past the small prison then out further where the scenery starts to change. We head up hill for quite a long time and then Robert says to pull over so we can have a look at the view. It's not bad. We walk further and there's a house perched high up on the side of a hill, it's on the land over Harrison’s Cave, the occupants own both. We start heading downhill now and Robert tells us that he's taking us to another entrance to the cave. We climb all the way down to the entrance, it's very deep and dark at the bottom. We take a look into darkness but can hardly make anything out. Using the anti red-eye light on my camera doesn't reveal much more and my camera wont auto focus in these conditions. I switch to manual and take a picture anyway. We'll see how it comes out.
Robert says we could go in the cave but neither Janice nor I are very keen. In fact, we really didn't want to.
The climb back up is tough going, I've put some pounds on since I've been here and I'm not feeling particularly fit at this precise moment.
We got back to the car and continued on our way. Next stop "Bamboo House". The owner welcomes us in to this amazing place. Inside is a small bar and lots of mementoes he has collected. Outside he has turkeys, ducks, geese and tortoises (which he calls turtles), and a fishpond full of "orange and brown fish". He's big into conservation and also self-sustainable living. He tells us his plans for more animals and a bigger pond and asks for a donation, we offer him in exchange for a glass of water.
Next we stop at a rum shop, cheapest Banks on the island so far, it's only .80 for a bottle of Twist (Banks shandy), a Banks and a "Plus" - energy drink. Next it's onto St Andrew, Roberts home parish. He's not been up here for a year even though he still has family here. We drive up a hill and take in another view. We parked the rental near some kids building trikes out of wood and tiny metal wheels. One of them takes his trike up to the top of the hill the hurtles down at an amazing speed and then stops using his feet as breaks on the rough road. Ouch! We drive up the hill a bit to turn around and another kid demonstrates his trike, he seems to go even faster.
We drive on and then park up another road to walk up the hill to Roberts Uncle's house. Robert had explained that he lost the use of one arm a while ago but he still manages to run a small farm and also works as painter for the Government. Roberts uncles name is John, and we shake hands left handed when we meet him. He shows us his pigs and chickens but explains that he's sold the cows and sheep. There's been a brush fire recently which got as close as 20 feet to Johns house, he explains that he dowsed the ground with water to stop it getting nearer the house. Robert gets a telling off from John for leaving it so long between visits.
After taking some photos we thank John for showing us the farm and we are off.
We had a look at St Andrews Parish church, which is currently being restored, and Robert has a look in the cemetery to see if he can find any of his families graves. No luck.
We are really getting hungry now so Robert says we'll head back to the city. What I havent mentioned is that everywhere we go, people are shouting to Robert, everyone seems to know him. The next stop is no exception. Robert gets us some coconuts, we drink the coconut water and then they get chopped open and Janice is given flesh from hers. Mine isn't so ripe so I'm given a spoon made from the coconuts own husk to scrape out the coconut jelly inside mine. It's different! Robert has also bought some sugar cane and some fruits that I'd never heard of, nor can remember! But the fruit is attached to something I do recognise, a cashew nut. I'll look it up.
Nothing much to report for the rest of the journey back. We agree to meet Robert in the Beach Bar for a drink in 5 minutes.
Robert and I talked for ages and drank to much rum punch again!
I got back to the apartment and quickly got ready to go down to St Lawrence Gap for dinner at Sweet Potatoes. Had a G&T and half a bottle of wine, it just about finished me off. It didn't spoil my enjoyment of my surf & turf - lobster and steak. Naughty but nice (I try to avoid red meat).
We got a route taxi back and I don't really remember much more!
Drinks tally:
1 Banks (on tour), 5 rum punches, G&T and wine with dinner.