7 hrs, 8 kms

"Barbados" has usually been equated in my mind with "luxury vacation"--not the place a backpacker on a shoestring budget would go to . But I've learned that many of the pre-conceived ideas about the Caribbean were incorrect, so I'm expecting to be surprised by Barbados as well.

I have gleaned some information over these last coupe of weeks. Alex, the fellow traveller in Grenada spent two weeks here and said the prices were reasonable. She didn't like it because she said the people were pushy and always trying to sell her stuff. I've also been told that the landscape is pretty flat and boring... AND... on the internet I found some pretty nasty crime stories...

Oh, and to make it more complicated, I'm arriving late at night with no guesthouse reservation. I figure since, there is plenty of accomodation, I should be able to find it on my own--rather than trying to negotiate with a shady taxi driver to take me to a pre-arranged guesthouse... right? I've been lucky finding accomodation so far--why should this be the exception.

We'll see .

Anyways, we arrive at a very modern airport, receive a pleasant welcome from immigration... get some money... stop at the information office to grab a map...

"What's an area where I can find cheap guesthouses? I have a reservation already--I'm just curious to know" I lie.

She points me towards St Lawrence--and tells me there are public buses--even late at night!

I'm liking this place already. I head out across the bus station, and sure enough, there's a regular bus stop with full size buses that actually have lit up signs telling you where they're going... Cool! I guess I just assumed in all the Caribbean they just use mini vans that run at random times and charge different fares depending on where you're going. With these buses, 1 US dollar will take you anywhere on the island.

This place suddenly feels very well organized and efficient . And as we drive along, I notice tourists walking alongside the road, even though it's almost 10 o'clock at night. I guess this country must be pretty safe then!

I get off around St Lawrence where, yes, there are a lot of hotels and restaurants catering to tourists, but no guesthouses. Finally I ask a woman at a bus stop.

"There definitely aren't any up ahead--but if you go back you migh find a couple--but it'll be hard at night like this. Oh--and don't let the police know that you don't have a hotel reservation you can get in trouble for that. And whatever you do, don't try to camp on the beach!"

Now I'm even more worried. I'm starting to wonder if I might have to cough up a small fortune to spend the night at a regular hotel. I backtrack and start checking out the side streets, realizing that "guesthouses" are probably going to be unmarked, so I just start asking people sitting out on the porches. Sure enough, a lot of these are guesthouses ... but, no, they have no vacancies. This is high season after all.

I find "the strip" a street near the beach where many of the restaurant and beach shops are clustered together. It reminds me of... well... pretty much every typical beach town I've been to. Riccione, Italy... Ocean City, USA... Agadir, Morocco... Hua Hin, Thailand. They all kind of feel the same.

"Are you looking for the Rio Guesthouse?" A fellow selling coconuts asks me. Normally I would just say no--as it's probably going to be followed with a request for money at best or a trick to send me down a dark alley at worst... But I'm kind of desperate right now and allow him to point me in the right direction.

Sure enough. It is a guesthouse. It has vacancies--and it's within my price range. What a relief. That was a close call.

And as it turns out, the coconut vendor never asks me for money--although I buy stuff from him several times out of gratitude . Looks like it should be smooth sailing now. I head back down the strip to look for something to eat. As expected it's all pretty pricey--but I do find a guy selling blocks of macaroni casserole from a cart for 3 bucks... Works for me...

Next morning

Next morning I'm ready to experience Barbados without fear or trepidation. Here's the order of business for today: 1 Go check out the beach. 2. Get some breakfast 3. Find a cheaper guesthouse, if I can. 4. Start my hike around the island.

I walk a short ways and a young fellow setting up a clothes boutique asks me to play something for him. Normally I would assume it's just a trick to get me to buy something--but this guy seems sincere. So I accept.

"I'm just starting to learn guitar" he tells me, so I let him have a try--and give him a couple of pointers and encouragement.

I'm quite pleasantly surprised that even in this touristy area, I'm able to have real, sincere interaction with people, rather than just being seen as a source of income .

I find a walkway down to the beach. It's a semi-enclosed beach, a couple hundred meters wide with white sand and stunning turquoise water. Yep, if white sand and turquoise water is your thing, then definitely Barbados should be your Caribbean island of choice. Personally I prefer the more undiscovered, rugged feel of Grenada and St Vincent beaches... but hey! I'm up for experiencing something different.

Some of the tourists are walking briskly up and down the beach to get their morning workout. They do look kind of like animals pacing in a cage though...

I head on the east down the main beach road, stopping in whatever looks like a reasonably priced guesthouse. Still can't find anything less than what I'm paying at Rio. Finally at one guesthouse, the fellow tells me, "take this road, turn right at the bar... then take the first left... second house on the left... the lady there rents out rooms sometimes ."

Worth a shot. The lady does rent rooms--but they're both occupied. She then calls up a neighbor two blocks away who... sure enough does have a room.

Actually, it's more of a studio apartment, with a kitchen--and even a clothesline outside--and much cheaper than what I was paying for a tiny room at Rio! I immediately decide that this is where I'm staying for the rest of the time I'm here in Barbados. No more guesthouse searching for me!

The last night I tell the lady (who is in her 80s) that I'll just spend it at the airport as I have an early morning flight. She says "I can't let you do that. I couldn't stand to think of you trying to sleep at the airport--tell you what, you can stay that last night for free--and in the morning I'll drive you to the bus stop where you can catch the 5 am bus."

Wow... I'm touched... That idea that Barbadians are all just trying to milk that tourists for all they're worth was way off...

I get settled in, wash some clothes, then quickly set out to start some serious hiking and Parkbenching.