Bridgetown , Barbados

What a great place. The Bajans are friendly and the island is beuatiful. The sand is like powder and the sea is BLUE. Island life at its best. We are staying at a great hotel and will board our ship tomorrow to visit other islands in the region. On the plane from Toronto we meet a Bajan who was a very proud ambassador for his country even though he lives in Winnipeg and has for many years. He taught us a lot about the island, what to expect and what to be aware of. I was struck by how the way he differentiated his country from other islands was by using the same criteria and distinctions as I had heard used in Jamaica and St Thomas and St Croix. ” Our water is good.” “We invented Rum.” “Ours is the best fish.” ” Our people are friendlier and they love tourists.” ” Our beaches are for everyone.” It struck me how I do the same thing boasting about what makes Canada canadian and wondered if those same claims made other countries unique … if you know what I mean.

We had dinner with friends tonight, friends I have traveled with before on the Sea Dream. It was a nice evening in the moonlight on the beach. Good food and drink and conversation. Tomorrow we get to unpack for a while. I used to live out of a suitcase for weeks at a time but now after only two days I desperately want to hang things up and sort them in drawers to see what I actually brought. Did I tell you that I bought a bigger suitcase in the end to get everything in.

More insight tomorrow. And as the Bajans say … Good night! (smile)