{"id":14140,"date":"2026-03-20T09:23:05","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T09:23:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/florinacestach.cz\/?p=14140"},"modified":"2026-03-20T09:23:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T09:23:10","slug":"barbados_den_7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/florinacestach.cz\/en\/barbados_den_7\/","title":{"rendered":"Barbados Diary (Day 7): The Secret of the Oldest Rum in the Heart of St. Lucy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Last year I decided that I will miss Advent in Prague.<\/strong> and I'll go out into the heat. No frosts, no stress,<\/strong> 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<\/strong>. How did I spend these three weeks?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Transportation as an adrenaline experience in the Caribbean<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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My plan was clear \u2013 to take the state bus. But he caught me at the station yellow bus driver<\/strong> and with a smile he promised me that I would get there much faster with him.<\/p>

The truth is that these yellow "\u201ereggae bus<\/strong>\u201c" are an experience in themselves, so I jumped in and got a ride to Speightstown<\/strong>. There, the driver willingly pointed me to a white van, the legendary ZR taxi, which dropped me off in the direction of the distillery.<\/p>

I got off about two kilometers from the destination and wanted to walk. But after a while I a local lady stopped by<\/strong> and she gave me a ride half the way in her car. The people here are simply incredible and this willingness immediately lifts your spirits.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Mount Gay in St. Lucy: Where History Began in 1703<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The distillery in St. Lucy is a true production facility. The history of Mount Gay Rum Distillery dates back to 1703, making it the oldest continuously operating distillery in the world<\/strong>.<\/p>

The tour cost 60 US dollars and lasted a little over two hours. Our guide took us through the entire distillery, explaining and showing us how they make rum. See those endless rows of barrels<\/strong>, where the rum matures in the heat, is really powerful.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Fifteen thousand barrels in one place<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Walking through halls full of barrels is an incredible experience for all the senses<\/strong>. They have fifteen thousand in one hall and there are five such buildings on the campus. It smells everywhere wood, vanilla and aged alcohol<\/strong>.<\/p>

Once you soak up the atmosphere, you'll understand why this rum is so famous. I spent two hours there, exploring every detail of the production. Seeing the process with your own eyes is something completely different than just reading about it in a guidebook.<\/p>

The culmination of the entire expedition was the final tasting<\/strong>. I tasted four different types of rum and each one was a completely different world. Of course I'm taking two bottles home and I just hope my suitcase isn't overweight when I leave.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Travel tips<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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If you're planning a vacation in the Caribbean, Mount Gay is a must-see. Here are my tips for your trip:<\/p>