“I hope the natives are friendly.” The times we hear this catch phrase, but the hope part of it does not apply to the natives of Barbados. Life for them is uncluttered and the pressures of an every-day existance lacking in their make-up. They welcome tourists with open arms and have a particular fondness for the British. To return though-now, it was mid morning and we abandoned the beach in favour of some shade and a cool drink. This accomplished by courtesy of the ‘Beach Oasis’ we again set off in a taxi, this time for the east side of the island in search of a fishing village with the opulent sounding name of Bathsheba.
BATHSHEBA certainly lived up to our expectations, tiny fishing boats adorned its harbour and beach, and large nets of fine mesh hung glistening in the sunshine. Lobster pots were littered here and there, and in the hot midday sun old men sat in groups under the shade of tall palm trees. I roamed around for a while, simply snapping anything that took my fancy; some children playing, some men with shaded heads mending their nets, and women busy sorting and gutting a wide selection of recently caught fish. Then, I set my Mamiya 220 on a flat surface overlooking the entire beach and harbour setting and recorded it with aid of its wide-angle lens.
Much of Bardados is taken up with a profusion of colourful tropical plants, shrubs and trees, the golden breasted bird, grass finches of many varieties, yellow warblers and parakeets, not to mention a number of types of monkey and a large amount of noisy little whistling frogs. The surrounding seas too offer a wealth in marine life. There are green dolphin, barracuda, shark, flying fish, tuna, and vast numbers of small pretty fish of all shapes and colours. The warm clear depths make it a place of unique beauty for the underwater cameraman.
Don’t miss my further adventures on the tropical Island of Barbados…
