|
Barbados - our day here
We have been here many times and have seen the Barbados Wildlife Reserve, Andromeda Botanical Gardens, Gun Hill Signal Station, toured the island from caost to coast, walked over town, etc. The one place we wanted to go back to was Harrison's Caves -- but they are temporarily closed for repairs. So we decided to walk over to the Pelican Craft Market (about 200 yards from pier entrance and security) as people we have talked to on other cruises raved about this place. When we got to the entrance, their big "Welcome" sign was down on the ground. This should have given us a clue that something was wrong. We got there about 9:50 and there were about 6 or 7 seven shops open. Some of the buildings were empty. The closed shops didn't even have a sign in their windows or on the door indicating when they would open. We asked in one of the shops and we got was "maybe 10, maybe 11, maybe noon" - no one seem to know. But one thing they all did agree on -- they all close at 5 PM. There was a restaurant at the far end -- again - couldn't tell when it would open for lunch or dinner. The only shops open were a pottery shop, a couple of gift shops and of island dress shops. One of the gift shops had a computer station with a couple of people waiting to use it.
So after walking around for an hour we decided to head back to the terminal and look at the vendors outside and the shops inside. We also used their Internet Cafe -- that was an experience. You pay in advance. The girls taking the money and handing you a slip that has your code on it are behind a window with a locked door (is crime really that bad in the terminal?). The computers are in locked boxes where you look down into the box to see the monitor -- very hard on the neck. I quickly got some posts in and sent some frubals. Didn't even take time to check e-mails. Very hard to type and look down into the box at the monitor.
The Maasdam had the first slot at the pier - not a bad walk to the terminal. But in places the road is torn up and you have to be careful of construction machines. They are starting to erect a couple of buildings right along the pier edge. Our ship got there at 6 AM, a couple of hours early. Shortly after that the Carnival Destiny pulled in and had the last docking space thus their were provided with free shuttles to go back and forth from the terminal and their ship. Then in came Blue Moon (not listed on cruise cal) from Pullmantur cruises. Some of her passengers got off here - their luggage sat out in the open in the terminal. Anyone could have easily taken a piece as there was only one man watching everything and he didn't look as though he cared for the job very much.
|