Barbados 2020 Recap

The snorkelling Widow Badass. Taken with my GoPro Hero 5 camera.

I’ve been back home now for 3 days and am totally undone by a horrific cold I picked up in Barbados, thanks to my room-mate, who got it thanks to her grand-niece (who is awfully cute but still deserves the nick-name of Plague Child, IMHO). Feel free to indulge any feelings of schadenfreude here, if you so desire. I’ll wait. 😉

Since I am too ill to mix and mingle with anyone now that I am back home, I am putting together this contagion-free blog post instead.

Seriously, this is one hell of a virus. I was kinda worried they were going to quarantine me at the airport, with suspected coronavirus!

This trip marks 4 years now, of coming to Barbados with my friend CJ, and staying at the same hotel (Coconut Court Beach Hotel), and we are still discovering new things to see and do every trip. One of our discoveries this trip included a wonderful dinner at the hospitality and culinary school in the Pommarine Hotel just 15 minutes walk from our place. We would definitely go back, having enjoyed a delightful 3 course meal for only 38 Barbadian dollars (~19 USD).

Another discovery was the half-day Garrison tour we took with this guy:

Peter, tour guide extraordinaire! He makes history not only come alive, but hella fun too.

We visited two forts, an armoury, re-visited George Washington House (and still learned stuff), and saw the changing of the guard in front of the Barbados Legion.

Changing of the Guard
Cannon overlooking beautiful Carlisle Bay
New this year: We had a lovely friend join us every time we partook of the poolside BBQ dinner (yum!) at the hotel.

But for me, the absolute highlight was coming across some newly-hatched sea turtles making their way to the ocean, on one of my morning walks.

Squee!!! I’ve walked the beach every morning of my annual vacation for 4 years, hoping to see just this very thing.
I stayed to watch every last one of these babies get swept away in the surf.

Most days were spent doing a whole lot of glorious nothing. If you call walking the board walk and the beach, relaxing in the shade, swimming and snorkelling in the warm sea, and reading e-books doing nothing. Ahhh…the life.

Does this woman look stressed to you?
Short video of the amazing fish I see everyday. Taken with my GoPro Hero 5.
Loving my water socks (new to this trip). No more rock-shredded feet! Photo taken with GoPro hero 5 set to wide -angle.

Of course it was of the utmost importance to catch as many sunrises and sunsets as possible.

Sunrise
Sunset
Sunset and sangria (a perfect combo, no?) at Champers Restaurant
Colourful sea and sunset, taken at Champers
Dramatic Sunrise
Picture perfect sunset. Low tide.
And let’s not forget switching out sunrise boardwalk forays with observing the race horses getting their morning sea bath. At Pebble Beach.

There’s always something to learn while in Barbados. Here are some tidbits:

Island wisdom
More island wisdom
The last of my footsteps in Barbadian sand for this year.
Cheers to another successful visit to Barbados! Photo taken by CJ

Rock on,

The WB

63 thoughts on “Barbados 2020 Recap

  1. Wow, how cool to see those sea turtles. That must have been a great thrill. I’ll bet they all made it safely to the surf because you were standing there watching them.

  2. The baby turtles are adorable – what a lucky find! I have never seen a horse get bathed in the ocean – who knew??? Looks like a super fun trip with your pal. Hope you get better soon – sucks being sick for anyone much less an active person.

    1. Oh boy, you said it Pam! I can’t wait to get back to my normal routine. It’s a great reminder not to take good health for granted. I didn’t know race horses got bathed and exercised in the ocean either, until I started going to Barbados.

    1. We didn’t let our illnesses upset our trip. And I didn’t really fall apart until I got home and then I guess my body decided it was safe for me to fall apart 😜. And fall apart I have done ever since!

  3. Jean R.

    You need to take me with you next time, you clearly need a chaperone to protect you from all the turtles, cat, horses and fish.

    1. I thought it was seasonal and the season is summer to November but people tell me that sea turtles actually will nest at any time. One year I did see turtle nesting tracks in the morning so that was confirmed for me. Thank you guys💕 I did have my share of rum but not since I am home…so off to the liquor cabinet I go!🥃

  4. Hi Deb! Your photos are AMAZING! And it looks like you had an absolutely wonderful time. How great that you take the time and make the effort to do that every year. What an awesome idea. Cold-smold. It will be gone soon but you’ll always have those wonderful memories! ~Kathy

  5. Drink rum, be happy. I like that message even if I can’t stand rum. I like your photos and am intrigued by the turtles. So amazing to see them in person, under the beautiful skies. Your vacay looks like it was glorious.

  6. Sorry to hear you are still feeling crappy. From the looks of your photos, it didn’t slow you down much while you were there, but glad you are home recuperating. I know you said it was a contagion-free post, but just in case … 😷

    As an aside, on today’s walk I saw a guy not only wearing a mask, but swim goggles 🤦🏻‍♀️

    Love the kitty (that’s a badass-face if ever I saw one) and I’d be squealing at the baby turtles too. Glad to hear this annual trip continues to delight!

    1. Well, you just know I was feeding ol’ puss some grilled marlin offa my plate. No wonder he kept showing up when we sat down😁🐈. Swim goggles? Now that’s new. I saw a few people wearing masks at the airport. Thanks Joanne 💕

      1. Yeah – some people {mostly in China where the risk is highest} have been resorting to covering their eyes since your eyes are also an entry point for a virus.
        In Toronto though? Definitely overkill.

        I’m not surprised that kitty hunted you down each time he saw you. Smart!

  7. That looks like so much fun! What a great tradition to share with your friend (do you plan to keep it going even after you move to the west coast?). I would have been over the moon to see those baby sea turtles! I’ve seen adults swimming, but never babies on the sand. I hope you feel better soon!

  8. Looks as if you had the perfect farniente holiday. Thank you for the pictures of sunrise and sunset. I can never get enough of those. How fortunate were you seeing the turtles hatch? Glad they all made it safely into the surf. Hope you recover swiftly from your illness.

  9. hilarymb

    Hi Deb – I do hope the illness clears away soon … just makes one feel so ‘frot’. Those little turtles are wonderful to see. Lovely memories of a place I’ve never been to – a dream sometime … cheers Hilary

    1. Thank you Suzanne💕 I need to get much more proficient with my GoPro. I only use it once or twice per year, and then I have to relearn how to use it all over again😜. But I love it for underwater photography and video.

  10. My gosh, Deb, what a wonderful place! Paradise!

    Hope you are recovering well – it is very fortunate you made it through customs with no temperature otherwise it would have been tricky with quarantine.

    The turtles are sooooooo adorable!

  11. Deb, I have enjoyed seeing your photos on Instagram. Barbados looks beautiful! Sorry about your virus. Chances seem almost 100% with any form of travel. Close quarters, air conditioning, Plague Children. The sea turtles are extra special. Great photos! The video was major cool. I put the sound on to get a better effect. A wonderful post from beginning to end (too bad it had to end). Hope you feel better soon, Deb. 💕

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  13. I love your posts.
    The pictures are crisp and to the point. Also, since I am partly a tourist when home, they and your writing make me fill up remembering, and learning too.

    Hope you are better and stay well.
    Beulah

    1. Thank you Beulah💕 I am better, and hope to stay well! I am seeing heart-breaking posts on Facebook from the hotel we stay at, and others in beautiful Barbados and I hope you and everybody else gets through this current crisis safely.

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