ming

There is only one place to be on the island on a Friday night: Oistins Fish Fry.

Great food and Bajan music outdoors. Oh, did I mention it is very inexpensive (!)

We never miss it!

If you miss finding a hat in Panama you can have one sent directly to you from Ecuador.

Not cheap but they look very, very nice.

http:// https://www.panamahatsdirect.com/

Enjoy your holiday!

It has been awhile since I’ve used the busses on the island but I’ll share with you my take on the situation. Fellow cruisers please correct me if I am wrong.

The big blue busses with the yellow stripe (transport board busses) generally want exact change in Barbados Dollars (BD$). Bus fee now is BD$2 (Two BD$ to one US$). I have taken them and thrown a US dollar in the till and they said OK BUT it has gone the other way, too. So, if you see that big blue bus and you don’t have BD$ I’d let it pass. There are ATMs and stores on the way but I wouldn’t go to that much trouble for proper change as you have a few more options.

Now, there are two other types of busses: Mini-busses (yellow with a blue stripe) and the infamous ZR vans that are white with a maroon stripe. I’m fairly sure these will take US$ but you’ll get change back in BD$. When they stop for you and open the door ask if they’ll take a US buck. Bet they do especially the ZRs.

Driving is on the left in Barbados so as you are going north to Holetown just stay on the water side and walk left when you leave the gatehouse. You’ll see MANY ZRs and MINIs, probably every 5 minutes, going your way.

Taking the bus on the west coast of Barbados is an easy deal!

(Try the ZRs if you want a thrill!):eek:

If you really, really love airplanes then you will love this tour.

If you’re not really an airplane buff I wouldn’t put this tour at the top of my to-do list.

It fits nicely when you have a couple of hours before your next flight or if you’re staying on the island for a week but with the short stay you’ll have on the island you may wish to consider other attractions first.

Barbados Concorde Experience Exhibit

OPEN: Tuesdays to Saturdays: 9am - 5pm (last tour at 4pm)

TOUR DURATION: 45 minutes

ADMISSION: US $20.00 (Adults) // $12.50 (Kids 2 - 12 years)

Another consideration is the fact that if you miss the ship in a port you will be unable to catch a flight to meet it in the next port unless you have a passport.

A birth certificate won’t work. :(

It looks like Panama and the Canal Zone are not on the “can’t donate” list, but there are a few other areas that are. Here is the Red Cross’ position on the area:

Panama City and Canal Zone area is acceptable.

Travel to rural areas of the provinces of Bocas del Toro, San Blas including San Blas Islands, Veraguas and Darien provinces – Not eligible (to donate blood) for 12 months.

From what I am able to gather, Crux, or the Southern Cross, is visible below 25 degrees North latitude.

That means the Florida Keys should be able to see it in the southern sky and Panama, at about 9 degrees North, should certainly offer a view a little higher in the southern sky.

Happy star gazing! :)

“It's called San Francisco or The City, not San Fran”………

Or….SF or SFO but never F****O (they’ll take your birthday away for that) ;)

” Even dividing the prices in half, still leaves pretty steep prices for lunch at the beach.”

Agreed. A little too much when you’re covering five or six islands, yes?

Unless someone else is buying, we just enjoy the beach there and a drink or two and head up to Holetown to Ju Ju’s for lunch. They have the best FF cutters (flying fish sandwiches) on the island at 1/3 the price of Lobster Alive.

Even with the cab fare it is still less expensive and a meal to remember.

It’s been a couple of years since we’ve been up there but it was quite worth the trip.

Here is their website....please remember that the prices are in BD$ (Barbados dollars) and are twice that of US$...so divide their prices by two (2) and it won't scare you as much.....They fly the lobsters in during off-season from the Grenadines, so they are not cheap, but quite good...as good as you'll get in Maine, or better! :)

http://lobsteralive.net/menu.php

This may help a little......

If you look at the very bottom of the photo, you'll see a ship docked.

The tourist compound with the attractions we are discussing is located at the far right of the photo. It is the green, or dark, patch before the end of the jetty.

It is perhaps a 10 minute easy walk as was disclosed earlier.

As you can see, ships' tours bring you back to the ship and bypass this nice attraction, so ask to be dropped off before you reach the ship, or walk back.......

......it's worth the extra effort. :)

Good advice by English Tim!

This is a great spot that one may miss if you were taking a ships' tour.

Yes, there is most everything that you may want there including food and beverages.

So if you take a ships' tour, ask to be dropped off there or walk back, it's quite worth it.

Here are three parrots that live there (Curley, Larry and Moe) ;)

Bingo!

You're an astute consumer, my friend. ;)

The question that we should be asking ourselves is why there is such a tremendous price disparity in pharmaceuticals between the US and Canada?

Why should the same drug manufactured by Up john or Pfizer cost 50% less in Canada than in the US?

Why should folks that live in the northern tier states that have serious medical problems requiring expensive drugs to exist have to travel into Canada to be able to afford them?

If that problem can be solved, the south of the border pharmaceutical prices won't be so attractive.

" We were notified with less than 4 weeks to go that we could still sail w/out a passport but would not be able to leave the ship in this port."

Not being able to leave the ship was a blessing in disguise.

It is quite apparent that Martinique doesn't choose to entertain western tourists.

Eastern Canadians are tolerated because most speak the language, but they are not embraced and welcomed as friends.

We've traveled there eight (8) times and now we never get off of the ship.

We were treated better in Paris than in Martinique.

Don't get the passport and stay on the ship. You'll be better off, or take the ship's tour where you'll be shielded from the arrogance and distrust that permeates the island toward westerners.

Sorry to be so blunt, but that's the real story, my friends.

"Never been to Martinique - what's best thing to do?"

---Stay on the ship---

The fisheye is great, but this is what I admire:

The smooth, graceful palm trunks framing the picture. A better one I haven't seen. First class composition. :)

Exquisite photographs, Mr. Aplmac. (Especially the last two)

National Geographic quality.

...Keep 'em coming! PLEASE! :)

You’re fortunate to have such a famous neighbour, Mr. aplmac.

I met Mr. Connell in the early ‘60’s, he was a good friend of my father. We lived in Edinburgh at the time and went on holiday to Barbados where I was introduced to Mr. Connell and his family.

I distinctly remember him giving me an after-hours tour of the museum.

I also seem to remember him having something to do with the flag of Barbados (?), but the details escape me now.

A fine neighbour you have, Mr. aplmac.

...And a small world, indeed.

".......across Mrs. Connell's roof, next door".

Any relation to Neville Connell?

If I lived in IDM and my water was controlled by Venezuela and my gasoline was also controlled by Venezuela at US$.12/gal, I’d probably support Chavez, too.

I’ve been there many times and have never seen any group hanging-out that I would classify as “bums”. The people all seem genuinely friendly and hospitable. Perhaps you went to a different part of the island (?).

That being said, it’s not my favorite island either, but it is a long way from purgatory. It’s South American. IDM is all about South America and this is the way South America presents itself, just as Mexico portrays a different experience than Miami or St. Lucia.

I believe everyone should experience this island himself or herself, then make up their own mind.

If you just stay on the ship, you’ll never know, will you?