Last week with my two good friends Virginia and Dawn in tow, we decided to take a quick trip into the countryside to the eastern parishes of St. Andrew , St. Joseph and St. John - my rustic bajan garden
BU read the blog posted today by islandgal246 who is the Blogmaster of a quaint little blog called my rustic bajan garden. Sometimes unless reminded we can forget what a beautiful island we inhabit. Maybe it explains why some of us are willing to do whatever it takes to build on the blood, sweat and tears of our forefathers gave to build our strong foundation.
We were on a mission looking for some thunbergia grandilflora both white and blue. I had seen some growing in the wild in Chalky Mount St. Andrew when I had hiked there a few weeks ago.
The views were spectacular.
An Anthurium farm nestled into the hillside in the distance.
A health spa nestled into the hillside in the distance.
We also came across this plant I believe it is a clerondendron growing in the wild.
This magnificent display by the allamanda cherry jubilee, yellow allamanda and purple ruellia.
A cute holiday home in St. John with a view to die for.
We stopped to check out this quisqualis or rangoon creeper that had run amok.
An older style house reflecting our Colonial past
Yes, may I ask why are you staring and pointing that thing at me? Go ahead then, point and shoot fool! Are you happy now? Then be on your way and do not tarry! Maaaaa. To be continued............
Truly beautiful; nature’s scenery turns her skirt and invites us to see, it is this beauty that surpasses all others and makes us glad to be alive, all free and there for the taking.
OMG David ! You have blown my cover man LOL! Thank you for highlighting my blog. We have to stop and smell the country air and flowers, to remind us that this little island needs our care and protection for future generations. Merci beaucoup!
@islandgal
David in the BU household has been labelled wimpy because of our ambivalence perspective on capital punishment, by confessing we are a fan of your blog God knows where the labelling will go…lol. Keep highlighting the things which many are too busy to appreciate. It is why a society is a collection of individuals all understanding their respective roles on the planet.
Reap even more benefits
9/22/2010
While the local athletes’ inexperience may have hindered their campaign to make an impact in the competition, Barbados can still count the successful hosting of the recently concluded AIBA World Women’s Boxing Championship as a feather in its cap. The Local Organising Committee has reported that feedback from participants was positive. It was also said that officials remarked that it was the best organised and delivered of the six World Championships and that their accounts would be accurate as they have attended them all.
It is indeed a plus for the island that our international guests are leaving with such positive impressions, given that it was not all smooth sailing for the organisers. Two days of interrupted water service at most of the venues where athletes and officials were staying shortly after the start of the competition, led to speculation that the championship would be abandoned. Presumably, the swift response to the problem may have contributed to the praise given to the Local Organising Committee.
While the hosting of these boxing championships may have been a first for the island, it was just one of many sporting events held this year which have attracted international participants. The Barbados Tourism Authority in 2009 had promised to push sports tourism this year, with an aim of having a different sporting event each month, and it would not seem premature to say that they have done a commendable job thus far. Just prior to the AIBA World Championships the annual Banks International Hockey Festival was held, and over the course of the year, we have seen a number of tournaments and competitions across the sporting spectrum – polo, segway polo, horse racing, golf, tennis, football, motor sport, surfing and sailing and there are still more events to come before year end.
These events have brought hundreds of competitors and supporters from around the world to Barbados and have contributed to the goal of diversifying the local tourism product. However, as the organisers of these various events do their assessments and make plans for future competitions, our suggestion is that they put an even greater focus on developing local athletes and sportsmen and women wherever feasible. Certainly, the mere experience of being witness to world-class competition can do wonders to inspire and instruct aspiring local athletes and coaches, so imagine the even greater benefits that would be reaped from having interaction with foreign coaches and athletes in a training capacity.
Such an initiative did take place prior to the boxing championships. The two-week long ‘Road to Barbados’ training camp, in which Barbadian athletes took part, catered to competitors from developing countries and received kudos from Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu, AIBA President. Also noteworthy is last year’s ‘Tennis Pon de Rock’ exhibition match series, which included a clinic for young Barbadian tennis players with the then number 2 and 4 seeded players, Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki.
Such interactions are priceless and can only serve to inspire local athletes to push themselves further in their chosen discipline. To date, despite our limitations as a developing country, Barbadian athletes have performed commendably on the world stage, at times reaching the pinnacle of their discipline. The fact that we are able to host such events suggests that the sporting infrastructure of the country is improving. Therefore, let us continue to upgrade our facilities and equipment to be able to attract more sports tourism dollars. But bear in mind that we can benefit even more if there is an active transfer of knowledge to the local sports community.
@Annonymous
who yuh trying to fool wid dat eulogy?
This is my island in the sun. What beauty!!!!!!!!!!!
@island gal
Did you finish cleaning up the weeds from the garden. The last time iread your blog you were trying to motivate yourself to doing just that. I also enjoyed the pictures you posted with a few of your freinds. Who say Barbados isn”t a jewel in the sun!
@Ac ….yes it was finished, not by my hand but the job was done. I am now waiting for the lake in the field to dry up and then back on the mower to keep the damn grass down. It never ends but that is the joy of gardening……..sometimes. Just finished making some carambola salsa…hmmn it is good. Will post the recipe sometime.
@Bonny Peppa…….luv dat name,
Bajans nowadays don’t know the island at all. All dem know is the way to work and to home. I love to ramble around this piece of rock, and if I find a road ah doan know I gine find out where it gine to. My hubby hates to drive with me for that reason. I enjoy getting lost and found yuh know, but he ain’t got nuh patience, he was the last in line when it did sharing. LOL.
That is one way to learn the island. The other is to attend the National Trust Walks on Sunday mornings.
islandgal
i luv de ‘gal’ in you name too, so we even. but I cann laff cause I is one a dem bajans dat doan kno B/dos, nor like de sea. I kno from home ta work fa tru. one day there was a traffic diversion because of a fatal accident by Trimart Haggatt Hall. Lord have mercy. I ended up almost back up in St. Philip. I was a stone’s throw away from home. I only realise it when i get by what i now kno as Buckley’s Factory and the bus sign said ‘Out of City’. well i mek a spin-roun in de road an heading back to town or so i thought. I end up by St.George parish church and the car by now low,low, low, pass E in gas. i give up. i call one a my sons tell he whay i is n ta come fa me. so i had ta folla he home. Bonny doan kno de country a’tall. So i is one a dem bajans too. doan laff.
Georgie Porgie
you kno nuff bout dem walks pun a Sundee. you like you rite hay amongst we. watchaaaaaaaaa. ya tricksta.
Went regularly from 94-98. Even led some.
Barbados easy to learn
Just take a highway and drive it to it forks. Follow one fork one day, follow the next fork the next time.
E.g Highway 2 forks at Warrens left takes you on 2A all the way down to Mile and a Quarter. If you continue on @ you can branch at D and go Edgehill Shop Hill Dukes Porey Spring etc down through Hillaby and Turn left and go down Turners Hall and take a right down the Hill and go through Bawden to St Andrews Parish Church.
You can keep on 2 and go via Rugby Hopewell Welchman Hall etc and down the hill right to St Andrew if the road still standing before you reach Trio Path. Next time you can get out your car at Trio Path and take an up hill walk from about 150 ft above sea level to about 1000 ft above sea level up to White Hill and through a track to Mount Hillaby.
Use the churches as your land marks and you cant get lost.
In St Philip St Martins Beulah st Catherines St Marks are great land marks. Dont do like the tourisses who cant read a simle map of Bsrbados to save thier lives.
CBC antenna at Sturges is a majo landmark I taught my lads from when they were real small.
@Georgie
Lordy loh yuh muss know me too, I uses to walk in dem years too I think. Colin use to call me the butterfly lady, now muh cover really blown now.
Waittttt Georgie
yuh ain dat fat belly redman who like to help dem yung girls up de hills or was it de odder way round? LOLLLLLLL
I vaguely remember that name, but the joy of the walks to me was that after the stops, you usually walked off with other walkers than before the stop. That way you talked to lots of folk and visitors to the island. I often took in two stop n stares per Sunday- except the walk East Coast up through the hills or the one that started on that pasture by Richard Goddard…..that always ended coming up hill regardless to what direction it took
Not red at all. But I used to help the girls in certain places. I did not want to have any fractures or serious falls on those walks
I did that est coast one a few weeks ago and dat nearly kill muh. But muh live to tell de tale LOLLLL.
I used to be with Tom Parkinson and with some English people Kevin and Jane from the Isle of Man.
That and the other one in St Peter are the hardest. Conquer those two and you can get your Hiking Diploma in Barbados in my view.
Colin loved the gullies! But walking in the interior of the island and relating your position to land marks like Churches and Plantation Great Houses etc is a great way to really appreciate the beauty of Barbados. I learned a lot about Barbados too.
Are you talking about folk who used to come over by the Concorde for about six months?
Yep dem two…had to part ways wid em a few years ago. The mister used his friendship with us to try to mek a move at muh girl chile.
Hmmmm
Georgie Porgie pudding and pie……lol.
You the man GP
islandgal
yeppp, Porgie is de big-guts red man, well not really red, but fair-skinned man dat did like helping all dem young girls up de steep inclines and he did barely able ta get up dem inclines heself. um is he. tell ma sum mo ’bout ‘e. ‘e good looking? ‘e hairline recedin? ‘e fairly tall? yup, um is he. murdahhhhhhhh
@Bonny
HA!HA!HA!HA .I was tinking along thesame line.Recently he mentioned he had to get the bowflex up and running .
ac
and de good doc should kno dat de excess flab in good fa de hart. LOLLLLLLLLL