Barbados

#2 Barbados – March 2022. Age: 28

I’m extremely privileged to have been to this paradise island a couple of times. My first visit was with the family back in my youth for my parents anniversary. 

Just to touch on this, we stayed near Holetown at the Westmoreland hotel. We ventured out to Holetown to soak up the atmosphere on many occasions, listening to Bob Marley and other Island Time music. We saw live music, ate local dishes, including but not limited to chicken rotis, plantain and drinking Banks beer. There is nothing like being on Island Time. Everyone is so full of love and joy a everyone is just chibing out. Yes, chibing. 

Chibing you say, for a third time? Ironically, my nearest death experiences have both happened in Barbados. Who’d have thunk? 

The first was on my first trip. My brother Charlie and I took out a jet ski from a local legendary watersports salesman. Spliff in mouth, “Jack Sparrow” set us up on the jet ski for 30 mins and we whisked off into the ocean. We quickly tested the limits of the ski by chasing a large yacht before deciding to attempt to leap into the wake at full speed. I recall flying about 20 feet through the air and hitting the water hard before subconsciously seeing my life flash before my eyes whilst my conscious brain computed the jet ski itself flying over my head upturned into the water about 10 feet further. 

It took us several minutes to remount and beckon Jack Sparrow to help us restart the engine; I think he was probably having an introspective moment and hadn’t noticed his most expensive asset flying through the air at great speed; how fortunate for us. We finished up there and cautiously proceeded back to the beach. 

My second trip was a lads trip to see the cricket; what a privilege this was. 10 days, including 3 days of test cricket at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown with the Barmie Army. Unfortunately, Brathwaite produced a couple of days of the most defensive and boring cricket ever, but I digress… Aside from the cricket the 5 of us were treated to nice dinners out and nights out around the island by the lovely Sophie and Richard Wood, with their son Max. It would be remiss of me to mention that one of our best friends from university, Billie Wood, had tragically lost her life to a brain hemorrhage in 2020 and this was somewhat a healing process for us all, along with the family. 

Days were spent by the beach playing beach volleyball, relaxing in the sun, drinking beers. Nights were, on more than one occasion, spent getting high and playing Shitface, or heading to Harbour Lights for a late one. Either way, we’d usually end up back at the AirBnb following drop off from Jenelle’s taxi service (she’s a legend), before doing something stupid like Iguana wrestling (look it up) before passing out. 

 I think one of my favourite memories was having a couple strong weed cookies and strolling along the beach super high; before arriving at dinner with Sophie and Richard. Sophie after 30 seconds new exactly what was going on, grabbed the remaining half cookie and slotted it in one, not only holding her own but showing the rest of us veritable youth how to have a good time in Barbados.  

The near death experience was actually horrifying. Our AirBnb was beachside and we had to cross the main North/South highway to get to the nearest supermarket. We walked up one more to get a load of beers for the day before returning in a quick taxi ride to get back. We were at the T-Junction to cross the main highway, and a geezer is driving along, spliff in mouth (I think) and on the phone; he goes to turn off the highway down our road and just gets completely T-boned by a large cargo lorry, fortunately for him, it clipped the back half of his car, which comes careering directly at us at speed. He luckily veered at the last moment and came within a hairs breadth of clipping our front left (I was in the passenger seat, so I’d have been toast). He continues on before landing drive-side first into a ditch to my left. The best part about this story is the response. I jumped out, shaken, without a clue what to do. A couple of guys strolling buy run over to check on the guy. I tentatively peer through the passenger side window and the dude, spliff still in mouth, just goes ‘No worries guys, I’m okay’. So chibed.