Barbados

Our next port of call was BARBADOS and was by far our favorite.  We will be adding this one to our MUST GO BACK FOR MORE TIME list.  This was an amazing place.  The locals were amazingly nice and the countryside was beautiful.  We had not booked any excursions this time so we got of the ship and we weren’t exactly sure what to do.  We went to the local tour office and asked what there was to do around town.  We were shocked to find out the cost of what they suggested to do.  We were not about to pay what they were suggesting.  While I was looking at brochures I came across a pamphlet for a local rum distillery.  Having missed the one in Puerto Rico I thought it might be fun to try the one in Barbados.  So Jason and I grabbed a cab and headed out. 

Turns out the cab rides in Barbados are super cheap.  The US dollar is worth a lot in Barbados. When we arrived at the Mount Gay Rum distillery, we had to wait a little while for the next tour to start.  We were invited to hang out in the bar area, grab a drink and visit with the bartender.  We most certainly did!!  The bartender, Ryan, was very friendly and super knowledgeable.  He mixed me the most amazing Rum Punch that would knock you off your feet but I couldn’t get enough of it.  I was starting to become concerned at what the cost of our bar tab might be!  LOL.  I asked him how much this was costing us and he laughed.  He said, “Juice is the most expensive thing we have on tap here.”  Turns out he was right.  Each of my 16 oz. Rum Punches was costing me less than $3 US.  LOVE IT!!  And the rum was amazing.  Jason and I ended up picking up a bottle and bringing it home with us. While you can get some Mount Gay rum in the US, you can’t get them all.  The one we love has to be imported and you can bet we will.  IT was so smooth, perfectly aged and wonderful!!  We got to taste almost every type of rum they make and so we were able to learn about aging differences and how to identify them.  It was so much fun and quite educational.  But WOW on being strong!  LOL. 

On our way out, Ryan recommended we swing by this great Cigar factory.  He hooked us up with this great cab driver who said he would take us.  Not quite sure what made me think it was totally safe to go with a cab driver we had just met recommended by a Barbadian bartender who had spent the afternoon getting us drunk, but hey, seemed safe at the time.  Our cab driver, who was super friendly, had all gold teeth, braided hair with a bright colored cap and a very laid back style, drove us up to this worn down apartment building.  It wasn’t until I was climbing the stairs to the second floor that I started actually worrying about whether it was safe.  Turns out, it was totally legit!!  IT was really a cigar factory on the second floor.  Handmade Barbadian cigars.  They were so fun to watch.  The woman hand made them and hand stuffed them.  Of course, they don’t tell you until you are standing there that all Barbados cigars are stuffed with 100% pure Cuban tobacco.  LOVE IT.  Because they are banded with Barbados seals they are safe to take onboard the ship and safe to bring in the US but I was assured that all Barbados cigars are made with Cuban tobacco.  Guess you learn something new every day. 

We tipped the cigar makers well, in return they gave our cabbie a free cigar, we purchased several and we were on our way back to the port.  We did some shopping around the tourist trap and then boarded the ship for the next port.  It was a truly great day.  We loved BARBADOS!!