Last year I decided that I will miss Advent in Prague. and I'll go out into the heat. No frosts, no stress, just disappear for three whole weeks and not come back until Christmas Eve. I combined business with pleasure and set off for a language course in Barbados. How did I spend these three weeks?
When the bus doesn't run and the whole of Oistins smells of fish
Friday's Barbados taught me that plans are fine, but reality in the Caribbean is sometimes much more spontaneous and tastier. Today I had planned to conquer the other end of the island, but in the end I ended up with a rum punch in his hand and fish on a plate.
School through play
In the morning I sat down on the bench again to he polished his English. I'm already getting the hang of it after a week, but the lecturer prepared a real challenge for us today. We had to summarize the story in our own words and record ourselves on our phones.
The truth is, hearing your own voice in a foreign language is a bit... purgatory. Even though I stuttered a lot at first, I finally managed to do it and submitted the recording. The teacher even complimented me on the huge improvement I saw after six days, which really boosted my self-confidence.
The (non)journey to Bathsheba
As soon as class was over, I packed my things and headed to the train station. My goal was Bathsheba and local botanical garden on the opposite side of the island. I had found a state bus that was supposed to run exactly according to the schedule.
Besides, I arrived at the station ten minutes early. To be sure, I asked the information desk if I was standing at the right gate, and then all that was left to do was wait. But in Barbados Time passes differently. and after an hour of waiting, with not even a wheel moving, I gave up.
So I changed my plan, jumped into a white van (ZR taxi) and got take back to the beach to Oistins. My holiday won't be at a bus stop, will it?
Afternoon relaxation and Caribbean waves
The beach in Oistins was beautiful, although the sea gave me a bit of a workout at the beginning. There was one big wave that literally hit me. chopped and it really cleared my sinuses. The Caribbean is shallow and nice here, but it's not worth underestimating.
The rest of the afternoon I preferred to watch the waves from a distance, sunbathe on the beach and enjoy incredible sunset. These are exactly the experiences that make it worth flying halfway around the world.
Legendary Friday Fish Fry
Since it's Friday, I couldn't miss it. the famous fish market in Oistins. It's about a five-minute walk from my accommodation, so I was in the heart of the action before I could finish my first rum. It's one big party under the open sky, where locals and tourists mix.
The smell of barbecue was everywhere, there was loud reggae music playing, and the atmosphere was absolutely electrifying. What did I taste?
Grilled fish with roasted potatoes – a $20 portion that completely blew me away.
Traditional Fish Cakes – little fried balls that I fell in love with immediately.
Rum Punch – a classic without which traveling around Barbados would not be complete.
Once the evening got underway, I watched the program on the main stage and browsed the souvenir stands. Rum flows like a stream on every corner and people are just having fun.
The truth is that I could have stayed there until morning, but I have another big trip tomorrow. So I packed up around 9:30. Accompanied by the loud whistling of Antillean whistlers, which are those local mini flip-flops, I fell into bed.
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