Island Safari

We had some kid of ocean thing we were trying to do that kept getting canceled. I can't even remember what it was. So we gave up on that and decided to go on a jeep tour. I thought we were going to be exploring the caves, but was actually happy with everything we ended up seeing instead. Caves next time, though. We saw lots of sugar cane, which is the main crop. We were surprised that almost all of it gets exported, and then they import molasses back in for making rum. 

This was our jeep. Our driver was pretty cool. 

This area is called Scotland. 

We drove up to the highest point in Barbados which was around 1100 feet. It was actually getting a bit chilly. 

We saw lots of interesting plants. I had my eye open for animals too. We saw cows, goats, and cats, but no monkeys. The driver called these Christmas candles. They bloom around Christmas time. 

We saw a lot of breadfruit. I thought we would get to try it, but never saw it on any menu. 

I'd love to take this home to use as a Christmas tree!

This building is soon to be torn down. It was damaged by earthquakes and is all cracked and crumbling. We didn't get to go inside. 

We got to see the "bearded" trees that Barbados is named for. They are so interesting. It's actually one tree that is all connected below ground. The vines touch the ground, and then take root, and a new tree grows up. The process just repeats and the tree spreads itself out that way. 

Lots of banana trees. I didn't realize you have to cut down and replant every single year. 

This beach was exciting to drive up to. It features in most post cards and commercials for Barbados, and I can see why. 

I almost can't believe we were really in such a lovely place!

All that seaweed though. 

The red flag means no swimming. 

I can't remember what this is. Maybe part of the school donated by Eric Holder? Maybe just a building I liked? 

This windmill is still in use. That's kinda fun. 

the north part of the island gets some really fun waves. Barbados being a coral island, there are all kinds of caves and crevices for the water to spray up through. We actually weren't allowed to walk down onto the beach. Our driver was telling us about fishermen who get a certain type of sea urchin here, that will be standing there one moment and just disappear in a wave the next. 

We got some cool video of the waves and sprays. 

It's another thing I might not have expected to want to see, but was so happy once I'd seen it. We almost missed out on snacks and drinks with our group because we stayed out there so long watching. 

Look at the arch down there. I've got that as my phone screen saver now, I liked the look of it so well. 

I kind of wanted to go stand down there and look around. Almost. 

Catamaran Sea Turtle Tour

Of all the activities we planned to do on vacation, the most exciting to me was seeing the sea turtles. Everyone with the tour company was very excited for us to get to go out on the new boat. I haven't seen the old boat to compare, but this was super nice. 

We were the first group to be brought out, so we got lots of time to look around and find good spots to hang out. 

The day was gorgeous and sunny, and of course the only day I ended up with a bit of sunburn. I was reapplying sunscreen every 20 minutes, and Ben just used some at the beginning of the day. But he just doesn't burn easily. 

This was the best swimming of the entire trip. We were really in a great spot. We saw another ship that had a slide off of it, and it looked like those people were having lots of fun too. I'd like to try that. 

Ben was diving off the side of the boat, and there were some very impressed ladies. They asked me if he dives professionally ???

He actually hurt his hand pretty badly by diving into a cable. But it did look impressive watching from above. 

We saw for the 5th time the golf course where Tiger Woods got married. But this time we saw it from the water instead of the road. I can't recall the name, but everyone in Barbados knows all about it. 

Snorkeling with the turtles was obviously the highlight. I could have stayed out there all day. They are so fun to swim with. 

But kind of hard to take pictures of. They sneak right up on ya and then sneak away. 

I enjoyed trying to follow them as far as I could before I'd lose them. 

A couple times Ben saw a turtle swimming right next to me that I hadn't even noticed. 

I decided I needed to touch some turtles, so I went on the hunt. They're pretty good at diving when I least expect it. 

I did eventually get my hands on a few of them. I tried to dive for one of them, but my dumb waist belt pulled me back up. I didn't like it, and didn't wear it again after that. I am happy that I got to swim with and touch sea turtles. It's one of my favorite things ever. 

We also swam with lots of fish. I actually ended up swimming out away because they were all over me, and I didn't like that. 

When can I go back?