Beautiful Barbados

As usual, the rest of Wednesday didn't work out quite how I thought it would.  We ended up going out to breakfast at the Crane and saw that the surf was a little high, possibly due to one of the hurricanes forming out to sea.  So, we decided that we wouldn't have the afternoon as an ocean day but would go to the pool instead.

Tom did some work and I did some reading/napping and he got a new job coming in.  So, it was about 3 before he suggested that it was pool-time.  I thought I should take a serious nap since we'd be out all night at the Bajan Roots and Rhythms show (this site has music and video) at the Plantation.

So, I stopped the pretense and put down my book and fell asleep for real.  Tom continued working, calling people, checking email - the usual.

About 5, we started getting ready since the shuttle pick-up was 5:30.  We got to the Plantation early - our shuttle was the first one there - even before the payment booths were open.  That was a first for us, to be anywhere early.

We talked to others from our shuttle and the nice crew of the Plantation set up a table so that all 10 of us from the Crane could sit together.  That was nice and we got to talk to others from here.  One couple is staying right over us, in 221.   They had spent the day driving around, getting lost, making their way up to Bathsheba.

We all got our complementary drinks and were taken to our table, very close to the front.  Last time we were a little closer - actually on the dance floor - but those are four little round tables.  Since we were a group we had a nice large table with more room for our food and drinks.  We were as close as we could be without being on the dance floor.

The waitress kept bringing us more drinks.  I finished my one rum punch and switched over to piña coladas.  She would bring a fresh drink whenever I had only about half the previous drink.  She also brought water, which was a good thing!

After a little while, the steel drum band started playing.  One guy had a double drum, one on bass, a few on other parts, one "real" drum and an electric guitar.  They called themselves The Casablancas and they were very good.  They continued to play while we ate.

We also got to go through the buffet line first, maybe because we were seated first, whatever.  The meal was as I described earlier, with the addition of the macaroni pie and also beef stew.  They had a wide selection of desserts, too.  I got way too much food and couldn't finish most of it.  I never found any hot sauce so I didn't eat much of my flying fish.

I just love that hot sauce, made with Scotch bonnet peppers.  We got some to take home one year but since we never have flying fish at home it's still unopened.  I'm sure I could eat it on something else but it wouldn't seem "right".

After everyone finished eating, there was a little Name That Tune contest with the steel drummers.  Unfortunately for me, they played music that most people would recognize.  Had they played local music I might have won.

Then the MC came out and introduced the show.  The first set was from Africa and had belly dancers, African costumes, and the stilt walkers made their first appearance, entering right next to our table.  The music was loud, with a great beat, and the costumes gorgeous and colorful.

Also in this show was a little "street scene" from Bridgetown about 100 years ago.  This was my least favorite set.

The set from Cuba, old-time Havana cabaret was great and I loved the Crop Over enactment.  Included in that is a "Mother Sally" character, tumblers Shaggy Bear and more stilt walkers.

The stilt walkers were fabulous and they did way more than walk.  They danced, jumped, did splits in the air.  I was sure that they might hit the ceiling sometimes, they were so tall.

There was a tribute to local superstar Rihanna and they danced to some of her music.  Bob Marley also warranted a tribute and some of his reggae music was featured.

The fire eater was amazing, too.  And the limbo dancer did her limbo-ing under a rod of fire.  When they had the limbo contest at least the rookies who volunteered from the audience didn't have to go under fire!

When the show was over, a singer came out and sang popular music.   People sang and danced to soca, reggae, calypso and more.  What a great party!