Day 14 – Mystery Solved
Off to the pool for a little sun and fun. Having soaked up a few rays, killed some time at the pool and replenished our cash, we headed off to the Sand Bar. Gordon was waiting for us with his usual rum drinks, but something had changed. We had graduated. We were now entitled to actual glasses (not plastic cups) and the ‘good’ rum that Gordon drinks at home. We had been accepted at the Sand Bar. Nonetheless, we stuck with the plastic cups, given J’s proclivity to break glassware.
We wiled away the time watching the locals pass by, when what to my wandering eyes did appear – a group of Canadians and not a single beer. These were no ordinary Canadians. These were traveling schoolteacher surfers with two boys in tow. They sat right down, pulled up a few chairs and grabbed some rum drinks. They too had planned an around the world trip this year to teach their kids about the world. Sadly, COVID forced them to come to Barbados and camp here for many months. We had a great chat with them. They are also doing a blog, but we can’t find it. They were really nice, like most Canadians. We then went back to the perfect beach to catch the perfect sunset once again.
We returned to the room to pack as we are leaving tomorrow. S packed in three minutes and took a nap on the balcony. Some hours later, still not fully packed, J decided it was time for dinner. Just before we headed off, we learned that our flight the next day had been pushed forward by four hours. Thanks for the notice, SVG Air.
Dinner was at the Horny Ram. To our chagrin, the menu had changed. No more Full Monty burger. S had some barbecue wings and J had barbecue chicken. It was fantastic. The coleslaw, while very good, could not match last night’s perfection. Although the evening started off a bit slower than last week, Alan Sheppard worked his magic and the place began to rock. Please check out his music and one of our new favourite songs, ‘Welcome to Barbados’ (link above). We met a large group of Brits who had come here in October to escape the second lockdown and are staying until January. Their kids had fallen asleep on a bench while their parents partied. S got a little teary eyed when Alan sang ‘I love you baby’ as it was the anthem of one of his close friends Tommy M, who passed away prematurely in 2018 (listen to the clip above).
Sadly, we knew the night was winding down when the conga line started. S and J got pulled in by a statuesque blonde in an evening gown who is apparently the manager of Nikki Beach. After the conga line, we made our way to the owners, Brigitte and Andrew, to say farewell and thank them again for all the great times we’ve had at our two favourite restaurants in Barbados. Brigitte bought us some drinks and we bought her a round back. We chatted away for a good hour or so. Anyone coming to Barbados must try out the Seacat and the Horny Ram and tell the owners S and J sent you. You will be treated like old friends.
So back to the hotel bar for our final final. J scoured the place for barstools to no avail – they are still missing. She asked again, this time to somebody who knew the scoop. It was the government. While the government of Barbados has been quite benevolent during these COVID times, they draw the line at barstools. Breathing a sigh of disappointment and relief, J decided that the case was finally closed and we could now leave Barbados with a clear conscience.