Away From It All And Still There

This is probably the best time to be on vacation in Barbados. The madness that is Crop Over is coming to its climax as the wukking up has become frenzied and the mud is just ready for the lead up to Kadooment. What better time to head to the beach and just get away from the mad and maddening crowd. So, pack the car (with a small bag of swimming trucks, tee shirts and underwear) and hit the road. It was a better journey than I expected as I reached Burke's beach in just 10 minutes. I never believed that Carlyle Bay could be so mysterious. I had seen the houses as I walk the sand but to see the sand as I watched from the patio was intriguing. Now, I could gawp at the joggers and walkers and exercising people; with their dogs and iPods, and radios; with plastic bags and umbrellas, too.

Food was the best thing. Guavas from my yard were added to mangoes from my friends' parents' yard, were added to sour tamarinds that feel from the tree beside the beach house.But heavier food was just two minutes away at the Jamaican eatery, Kingston 10. Yea, man. Stew peas and rice and salt pig tail. Callaloo and salt fish and green banana and yam and sweet potato and dasheen. Stewed pork and rice and peas. Steamed snapper and pumpkin rice. Whooi! Too much of that.

The children? All day long on the sand with boogy boards. All day long in the sea. All day long not saying "I'm bored." Then night time came and they could stand by a bonfireand roast marshmallows.

Was it really a week of vacation? For my hosts, yes. But for me, just a few days passing through. Now I have to get back to reality. No Internet but just the ability to read messages on my phone. It was not the world's end.

Some great converstation with one of the country's former PMs: on cricket and not on matters of state.

That is what I like about a short holiday. You pack in a lot.