The last 2.5 months in a Nutshell...

Wow...I knew it had been a while, but indeed it has been 2.5 months since I updated this blog, and 3 months, almost exactly, since I arrived in sweet Barbados.

There is no way to flashback through the last couple of months...so I will do my best to post pictures to tell the story. Mind you, there are no pictures of me doing school work, which has been a majority of the last 2.5 months of my life. And...I went to St. Kitts for a week, which was the absolute highlight, and deserves its own blog post...so stay tuned.

I had my first interaction with the Rotary Clubs of Barbados (there are 3 of them) as well as the UWI Rotaract Club at their Cricket Fundraiser. The match went on for hours and hours, and I only made it for about one of those hours. Here I am with Matt from South Carolina, the other Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in Barbados, also studying at UWI. The cricket field behind us is on campus!

Barbados experienced some serious fires this year, worse than in years past. This is a fire in our neighborhood, looking out from my apartment window (just above the roof line). Ash was raining on our apartment, and we were afraid to leave for class...but it wasn't so bad. Luckily, very few of the fires across the island damaged homes or people, and most of it was contained to cane fields. No rain for 2 months made for a very dry Barbados.

Sorry to say, but I have only been to the beach about 4 times in the last 2.5 months. I really need to work on this aspect of my life. The surf has been a bit heavy, and its no activity to do on your own. I just bought my roommate a noodle, so I'm hoping for some more swimming in May. This is a scene from the beach in Holetown, one of my favorite spots for fish cakes! Surfside is the winner so far.

The real highlight of my life (other than the sunsets) are the National Trust Hikes! They take place every Sunday, and only cost a donation. There are usually over 100 people in attendance, and they start from new locations every week. I found a hiking buddy on Couchsurfing.com, and we have enjoyed the pain and gain of seeing some of the most remote and beautiful spots around the island. The guides are wonderful, explaining the sites and telling stories of the islands history. I just absolutely love it, and can't wait to get back on the schedule...at the end of this month.

Here are some more pictures from the hike that left from the Wildlife Reserve.

This is George, the main leader, who has obviously been doing this for years. He starts every hike by gathering everyone in close, tells a brief story, and then shouts - "On with the HIKE!" And boy does George move quick. Its not always a hike....usually more of a walk, or a speed walk, I should say. You have to keep up, or you will be left at the back of the pack, and be hiking in the dark. Allison and I learned that the hard way the first time out!

This Church is built with Coral Stone, like many of the buildings around the island.

Old Mill ruins are a common site around the island.

Another breathtaking view over the Scottish District. Its these moments that make the effort all worth it :)

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I have enjoyed getting to know more of the Rotarians on the island. I did a presentation at Rotary Club of Barbados South, and really got a kick out of how friendly and fun the club was - much like my wonderful club in Canton. I will be visiting the other two clubs...when I have an ounce of free time again - which would be MAY. My Rotary counselor here, Roger Smith has been a great help, and invited me over to his lovely home to enjoy a Sunday lunch (which is about a 6 hour affair here!) with his family and friends. Good food, great company, and the perfect opportunity to just relax and enjoy. When you are away from home for this long, the opportunity to be in a home, and with a family is priceless. Something about it just warms my soul :)

Rotarian David Edwards must have had an inkling that I had been staring over my laptop screen at the big blue sea for days. When he called to invite me out on his boat for the day, I simply could not resist. He and his wife have taken good care of me. We had a lovely ride, lunch, and of course a long, long swim. It was really neat to see the coast from the sea side. I was able to navigate along, checking out all of the spots I have been, and taking notes of the ones I have not yet enjoyed. I was also able to pin point my house up on the hill! There were several other Rotarians who joined us, and I enjoyed learning a bit more about the politics and gossip of this small island. I also have to thank them for introducing me to Bacon-wrapped-Plantains! Wow, I will be attempting to make those soon :)  

The Barbados Flag: Blue = Sea, Yellow = Sun :)

As we came back to the dock, just before the sun set, one of the cruise ships was departing. We got pretty close. Those things are HUGE!

That's all for now. As mentioned, stay tuned for a more in depth report about my incredible research trip to St. Kitts.

Sightseeing.....

More sightseeing around the Island: (from Jan. 13th)

St. Lawrence Gap is 'the social center of the southeast' lined with hotels, bars, restaurants and clubs.

We timed our visit without thought, once again and arrived just after the lunch hour during what we assume is the quietest time of day there. A local catering van must have sensed our hunger and gave us some 'macaroni pie' - the last of their food before they closed for the day.

On to our final destination of the evening - 

The Friday night Fish Fry in Oistins!!!

You all know that I don't eat fish, but it was necessary given the cultural experience. We arrived before the masses and chatted with some of the vendors. I mentioned to one of the women at a grill that I don't eat fish, but that I was ready to try some - she broke off a piece of Blue Marlin, which was absolutely delicious! The fish was all brought into the market that day, as fresh as can be - dressed with magical spices that made my fish eating a simple pleasure. We returned to the vendor after the sunset and had our feast of fish, macaroni pie, plantains, salad and other customary sides.

 

Day Trip Destination : 

Farley Hill National Park &  Barbados Wildlife Reserve

(with a scenic bus tripto Bathsheba)

 

Once the most impressive mansion in Barbados, Farley Hill was turned into a national park in 1966 (year of independence!) after being destroyed by fire.

Just across the road, the Barbados Wildlife Reserve and  Grenade Hall Forest and Signal Station occupy a big chunk of land with a lot to learn about the plants and animals of Barbados.

 The monkeys and other animals are fed by the staff, so they are pretty comfortable being in close contact with people. 

 

The monkeys are incredible, and amazing to watch. Their fingers are so human-like, allowing them to pick apart all kinds of food and things with precision.

 

Inside the wildlife reserve, there are so many different animals, you have to watch your step! Tortoises are literally every where, and they live in unity with the other animals as a big happy family!

The nice lady at Farley Hill recommended we catch the bus to Bathsheba, and just ride it round trip. This was a great recommendation! The drastic landscape driving through the Scotland District is very different from anything we had seen so far, and very rural. The East Coast of the island is rough, and known as a surfing hot spot. The bus trip was quite the adventure too, winding around very tight hairpin turns, through narrow roads, and cruising on the edge of cliffs. We also hit school time, and had the bus packed with school children, giving us a bit of the 'day in the life' experience. 

My first week in Barbados!

My new life begins..

I landed in Barbados Friday night, January 8th after a long day of travel and very little sleep. The warmth was welcoming after leaving the 20 degree wintry scene of Canton, NY. I was even more pleased with the cooling breeze that met our first steps off the plane. Barbados is known for this breeze, and it certainly makes a huge difference!

After meeting my landlord and getting settled into my apartment over the first day, Charles and I began to explore - he was in fact 'on vacation'! and so was I! We played with the idea of renting a car, but were quickly discouraged by the expense, the narrow roads, and of course - driving on the left. We decided it would be an adventure to get to know the public transportation system, and agreed that it would be important for me to know when I was on my own for the year. And quite the adventure it has been...

My roommate, Tanika moved in last semester, but is home in Trinidad for the semester break. I was thrilled to accept her 'welcome to Barbados' gift - in the form of 'the room with the view'! She sent a message saying she thought I would appreciate it - and boy was she right! Here is the view from my bedroom looking over the west coast at the Caribbean Sea. ( I posted this photo with the visible screen, just so you know that I am not exaggerating - it is my window. ).

We decided that our first day should be spent relaxing on the beach at Fitts Village, just below my apartment on the coast, a 10-15 minute walk. When we returned home that evening, we were met by the local monkeys! First one, then two, then about 10! They were scampering in and out of the rubble that meets the little forest leading down the ridge. These monkeys are called 'green monkeys' although there is only a hint of greenish-yellow on some of their tails - they were brought to Barbados from West Africa about 350 years ago.

The University of the West Indies - Cave Hill

 

(The new Graduate Studies Complex)

UWI (you-wee)as it is called, is a 20 minute walk, or a quick bus trip down the street from my apartment. I have already met with Professor Sherma Roberts to discuss my courses and get acquainted with the campus and program. I also attended a brief orientation with other management students in graduate studies. I am beginning to get a feel for how the program is going to go, and am very excited to get started!

My courses this semester: Human Resources Management, Research Methods, Financial Management, Sustainable Tourism and Cruise Tourism - a nice mix of fun and challenging subjects!

The Main Campus sits up on a hill overlooking the sea, and the Cruise Ship Pier (you can see in the background of the road photo) The campus is undergoing major expansions and renovations, and covers several different disciplines both undergraduate and graduate.

 

There is also a Cricket Studies program, and a beautiful fairly new Cricket grounds which doubles as the entrance to campus.