The Daily Poem

TWO SLEEPERS

This is the ocean

    Wide and deep,

Where swimmers swim

    And creepers creep,

Where floaters float

    And leapers leap,

With an island where

    Two sleepers sleep.

D. Edgar Lamp

The Daily Poem - 381

Monorhyme

Bridgetown, Barbados

Lat: 13.10, Long: -59.61

JOURNAL: Croton Inn Guest House 

AM: It's morning in Marigot.  I woke up feeling...well.  Aaah!  I'm so grateful to be feeling good again.  And the day looks equally clean and clear.  Our last day in Dominica.  Mimi's sad to be leaving Rashawna.  Over coffee we watched the BBC reporting the 8.4 Japan Earthquake and the insuing tsunami; the largest quake since the 1890s.  Incredible pictures.  Having watched 2012 on TV last night, the imiages were startlingly similar.  By the time we get to Japan in December, things will likely be back to normal.  Glad we missed the Big Quake.  We're also happy to have missed the Big Storm in the Southern U.S. that struck last week.

PM:  Hugged Rashawna goodbye and boarded flight 563 to Barbados. Smooth skies all the way. As we were taking off I saw a whale. The cloud formations were beautiful. At the airport in Bridgetown we exchanged $300 into Barbados Dollars. Current exchange rate of $1.00 US to $1.98 BD. Cost us $5.00 US to make the exchange. Mimi talked to the lady at the tourist info booth her suggested we try a Guest House rather than a hotel. Caught a taxi from the airport to Croton Inn for $31 BD. Barbados is an older island than the main chain of islands that make up the Lesser Antilles, and so, being old, it is flat. Worn by wind and waves to 14 by 21-mile bean shaped island. The ride across town was civilized and uneventful. The traffic moves in an orderly fashion along streets wide enough for two cars to easily pass each other in opposite directions without one having to go off into the rough to get around. Everyone speaks perfect English. We had obviously landed in a different country, a world away from the primitive settings of Dominica. We took one of two apartments for $20 BD move than the usual $110 BD guest house fee. Consequently we have our own bathroom and kitchen complete with sink, stove, fridge, microwave and toaster. Mimi said, “At these rates I could afford to live while you go off and do your adventures.” I think she’s has resigned herself to having to spending some alone time while I travel through some countries that she doesn’t want to go through. I feel ambivalent about that. I really want to make this trip with Mimi as my daily companion. I’ve already got Kilimanjaro and Everest Base Camp that are going to take me away from her for a week or two each. We’ll see how things unfold.

We dropped off our luggage and caught a bus (bus meaning van just the same as in Dominica) and rode the short distance up the coast to Oistins for a fish dinner. This was definitely tourist central. There were people from all over; but mainly from Britain, France, and America. It’s an open-air food-court style two-block stretch of eateries, arts and crafts booths and picnic tables. We chose the longest line and got in it; a place called Angels with whole fish frying on the grill in front of the order window. After a good half hour wait we finally made it to the window. We both had Flying Fish, Macaroni Pie, Coleslaw, and Garlic Bread. Since I’d already had my fill of pre-flight punch at the airport in Dominica, I ordered a couple of waters and Mimi got a large glass of Mango Passion Fruit juice. As we left Oistins, a crowd had gathered by a stage where a young Barbadian was doing a spot-on impersonation of Michael Jackson to the tune of Billy Jean. We paused and watched a few minutes and then caught the bus back our Bridgetown apartment. Mimi turned on the TV to channel 8; turns out the only channel available, and hopped in the shower. I lay back on one of the two twin beds under the ceiling fan and sighed. Here we are in Barbados!

~ The Daily Poet