Live Like a Bajan
The night drones on, I am jet-lagged and listening to Tween radio on my headphones. Don’t judge...this is what every photographer does when they come home from a trip. We all pull out our cell phones (nobody wants to lug 50 lbs of expensive gear around the world) and begin to edit, silently cursing ourselves for not bringing our actual gear. But that really DOESN’T matter.
What DOES matter is the emotions that the photos evoke.
The moment when you see a location that is so beautiful it takes your breath away.
Experience striking details that spark your imagination. Architectural gems, tall ships and creatures so tiny that they live and die and the only one watching is God.
This is a place where the island’s thoroughbred race horses swim in the sea with their jockeys every Sunday at sunrise. Where locals and tourists mix at Oistins enjoying fresh seafood and ice cream, the flames leaping off the grill as the chefs sweat and cook with music blaring in the background. Where professional surfers give private surf lessons just because they love the sport. (Alan Burke, you had my husband the moment he realized he was about to catch a wave on the surfboards that you manufacture - ya he’s that famous.)
Now before you start thinking, “Well, good for you.” Or, “Man I hate these people.” Or “We could never afford that.” Let me share the backstory of this trip.
August 2017 we saw this 5 night/6 day Barbados all-inclusive trip advertised on Travelzoo. It was steeply discounted ($1500 for two people), so we did our research. Checking out Trip Advisor (our go to rating system), we discovered that the hotel had decent reviews. Using points, which we have a serious system of accumulating, we then selected flight dates. (I promise to blog about this strategy next week!) And took the plunge.
We didn’t know ANYTHING about the island. Using 10x Travel’s suggestion, we reached out to the concierge for activity suggestions. We did no research about the island. None. We didn’t even know that camouflage is illegal to wear on the island. Our travel buddies shared that fun fact with us about a week before we left.
Our Low Drag Vacation Strategy of Locals and Flexibility was in full effect. We took the concierge’s suggestions and had her book everything for us. If the staff said, take a taxi to Oistins, we did it. If they said drive a car around the island, we did it. If they suggested we see Animal Flower Caves, we went. Low Drag right?
Sometimes we get so wrapped up on doing a specific activity, or having a specific kind of vacation, we miss out on amazing things.
We say, just be ready for adventure and roll with it.
Oh and join Chase Ultimate Rewards so that you can experience the true wonder of a private lounge in airports around the globe with free food, drinks and excellent wi-fi. Because 5am flights come early and clearly I am addicted to coffee.
Interested in following in our footsteps? Try the following tips:
Rent a car. They drive on the left side, but you will get used to it and the interior of the island is spectacular.
Rent an AirBnb. They abound and are way less expensive that our all-inclusive. Popular locations include: St. Lawrence Gap, Hastings and Bridgetown.
Snorkel with the turtles. It is worth every penny.
Try the local cuisine and don’t eat in every night. These people love their food and they love exposing tourists to their way of life.
The public transportation is very reliable and safe, though it might force you out of your comfort zone.
Fly JetBlue - they have amazing rates currently!
Bajans (that is what Barbadians call themselves), say their country slogan is “Sun, Fun and Rum”. A mantra that this island lives up to. Inspired by that, I say…
Rock your swimsuit, even if you don’t look perfect. Post photos of yourself looking ridiculous in snorkel gear. Drink a cocktail at 10am just because it is 5pm somewhere. Seize the moment with your friends before another baby rocks their world. Spend your ridiculously long layover meeting the new baby boy of your best friend from college. Because life is too short not to enjoy it and this is real.
Run after your rainbow. Hopefully we’ll catch you on the next flight to adventure.
