Barbados as a Jewel of the West Indies

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Barbados as a Jewel of the West Indies

Most people visiting Barbados only get to see one of the many faces of

the Bajan culture, the glamorous hotels, the hot, sandy beaches and

the beach bars and restaurants. I was lucky enough to see two aspects

of the culture, the tourism and the island's fascination with sport,

particularly with cricket. While accompanying my brother's school

cricket tour I saw the eagerness of the young Bajan sportsmen

even-though they lacked the facilities and funds which are present in

England and so many other sporting countries.

We approached the small green dot in the ocean of blue on a Boeing

777, the massive engines roaring. It seemed to me that, at that

distance, that there was not enough space on the island for a landing

strip. It was an overnight flight and had been thoroughly unpleasant.

I had not slept because of the children and a baby at the front of the

cabin who didn't even stop crying or screaming to eat. The headrest

was also just too high for me so I had to spend the whole flight with

my head bent forward. I stepped off the plane into the sweltering

heat, it was a sunny day and in the summer Barbados is not the ideal

holiday destination. I walked across the sun-scorched tarmac into a

makeshift wooden tunnel built to shade the sun-sensitive western

tourists. I pushed through the heavy glass doors into the terminal,

eager to get out of the heat only to find there was no air

conditioning inside. The immigration was very relaxed, a smiling Bajan

woman sat behind a desk chatting away about sport and the weather

while she stamped our passports. The Bajan baggage handlers were very

efficient and...

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...prohibited!" This was due to the high winds at the moment that caused

big waves and strong currents. We left the hotel and took the same

route back to the hotel by which we came.

Late on Friday evening I left the little island in the Atlantic ocean

with sun-bronzed skin and feeling relaxed and at peace with the world.

In some ways Barbados is an ideal holiday destination, the layed-back

approach to life, the brilliant coastal hotels and the cheerful Bajans

always happy to talk. I had the chance as well though to see the

island's fascination with cricket. I also saw the run down places

where most Bajans live. The Bajans, however, despite their lifestyle

and the heat were always cheerful and relaxed. I saw the second side

of the island, not the hotels built as a safe haven for western

tourists, but the Bajan lifestyle.

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