Barbados: From Rihanna to Rum
From Rihanna and rum, to bras and bananas -- even sexy soaps! Caribbean blue is for real...
Caribbean Island
Barbados is the first Caribbean island you encounter when sailing west across the Atlantic. If you check it out on a map, you’ll see it’s part of a volcanic chain—volcanoes that eventually morphed into the islands we know today.
This is our third time visiting, and I’m once again blown away by the incredible turquoise waters. Walking along the pier, I’m always tempted to leap straight into the sea.
The vibrant blue hue even plants Enya’s “Caribbean Blue” firmly in my head—because Caribbean blue is a real thing!
A Rum-Soaked History
At first glance, you might assume the giant container at the port is holding petroleum, but nope—it’s packed with molasses for rum making. You can even smell it in the sultry sea air!
Barbados is credited with inventing rum during its sugar plantation days. These days, the island imports molasses, which reminds me of the Great Molasses Flood in Boston—but that’s a story for another time.
As you can see, we crossed paths with Captain Morgan shortly after docking, but surprisingly, Larry and I didn’t sip a single drop of rum this time.
Rihanna and Bridgetown
Barbados is also famous for pop icon Rihanna, one of its most beloved exports. On a stroll through Bridgetown, we passed a monument honoring her and other notable citizens.
Last year, we drove past Rihanna Street on our way to Harrison’s Caves. Our van driver, Peter, shared plenty of fun facts, including one about the street where Rihanna grew up.
“The house she grew up in is now a bed and breakfast,” Peter explained, “but Rihanna don’t stay there no more when she visits. So don’t go looking for her there. All you’ll find is a nice plaque. She stays on the other side of the island, where the movie stars and rich folks go.”
Bras and Bananas
This time, instead of spelunking, we had a more prosaic mission: finding Neosporin and visiting the cathedral cemetery (more on that later).
“Rough and tumble” is the phrase I’d use to describe downtown Barbados. While they clearly cater to tourists, the area remains very much a hub for locals.
From Bras to Bananas
Street vendors lined the sidewalks with an eclectic mix of items—everything from bananas to bras displayed side by side.
Eventually, we found a small grocery store with a pharmacy in the back, but a tube of antibiotic ointment cost $16! (It’s only a couple of bucks in the U.S., so we decided to wait.)
Sexy soaps
Visiting grocery stores in other countries is always fascinating. This shop had at least four security guards stationed around, glowering at shoppers—not exactly subtle in their surveillance.
And then there were the soaps: Virgin Soap, Hip Lift Up Soap, and Man Sex Fancy Soap (which promised “savageness top ranking” and claimed to “take effect in three minutes” per its French label.)
How much of that do they actually sell?
Wrapping Up
Eventually, we made it to St. Michael’s Cathedral, but I’ll save that adventure for another post. For now, I’ll just say that Barbados, with its rich history and natural beauty, always leaves me intrigued.
Maybe next time, we’ll embrace the classic Barbados beach experience and finally take a swim in that gorgeous water of Caribbean blue!