Skip to main content

Barbados:The rum drinker's promised land

When I saw that headline,I had to say oh no...not again...here it is

Taiwan News Warm hearted smiles welcome me as I stride into the John Moore bar, the oldest rum shop in Barbados. I've been in the Caribbean for only a few days, but I feel as though I belong when I order a "Black and Coke," which is the native slang for Extra Old rum served with Coca Cola.
Embarrassingly, my cover is blown when I use a large bill to pay for my drink, which costs less than half as much as the cocktails at the beach resort where I am staying. After obviously outing myself as a naive tourist, I take my drink to an outdoor table and exchange small talk with an old man whose charming grin and musical lilt in his voice overcome the fact that he is missing a few teeth. Soon, I am conversing with a group of islanders as the sun begins to set. A hint of ocean salt lingers in the evening breeze.

Comments

You may also have realised that when you order a "rum and coke" in a rumshop, you will get a bottle of rum, a bottle of coke and a bowl of ice. It's actually very economical!

Popular posts from this blog

Bummed Out on Barbados

Never let it be said that you can please all the people all of the time...but you certainly can please some of the people some of the time Tampa Exotic Travel Examiner: "While I wouldn’t recommend Barbados for travelers on a budget or as a one-day wonder, its west-coast resorts are great for an extended stay. The pink- and white-sand beaches are world class, and most hotels offer outstanding cuisine with top-notch (and expensive) restaurants available via cab on a reservation basis. My wife Kelly and I stayed for three nights at the lovely Treasure Beach Hotel (www.treasurebeachhotel.com) about two years ago. Our villa faced a pool shaded by gorgeous trees, and only a few feet beyond the beach and Caribbean Sea. During our stay we enjoyed golf, fishing and trying new cuisine such as a flying fish sandwich (I didn’t like it). By all means consider Barbados in a Caribbean itinerary, but I’d pass unless it’s part of a package deal that includes a few more interesting locations (like...

Ichirouganaim

I hate to look at the Barbados tourists site that give the history of Barbados.The ones that talk of Columbus discovering these islands and the other foolish tales that the Bob Marley and Burning Spear called 'mis-education'.I agree with them as a matter of fact Burning Spear referred to Christopher Columbus as a 'damn blasted liar'.Thank god for Rastafari. One of the funniest stories is the one of the bearded fig tree and the name Los Barbados which was supposed to mean 'the bearded one'. In the words of Gary Cole from the book reflections; The Colonization of Barbados is one of the darkest events and evil stories of modern history.Four centuries ago,Spanish and Portuguese slavers started to kidnap,kill and drive out the thousands of peaceful Indians found on the island the Indians called Ichirouganaim.The exact location of the island was a carefully kept secret but Spanish and Portuguese soldiers and sailors knew the island as the barbarous island,"Los B...

Kelly Brook jets off to Barbados

Now I don't know who is Kelly Brook and to be quite truthful I don't really care...that much.What I care about like most Bajans...is that she has a good time in Barbados...just slightly beyond her imagination Now Magazine : "Kelly Brook has been showing off her curves in the Caribbean. The glamour model, 29, sported a slinky red swimming costume as she played in the sea near her hotel in Barbados. Earlier this week, she opted for a black polka dot bikini as she canoodled with toyboy Danny Cipriani, 21, on the beach."