IPhotos by Victor Block unless otherwise noted
Most travelers know that most Caribbean islands are soaked in rum, but Barbados goes the rest one better because here, locals say, is where rum was discovered. In capital Bridgetown one early-17th-century day, the story goes, a tavern owner was searching for an empty shipping barrel when he inadvertently stumbled across one filled with a concoction worth selling -- a barrel of sugar cane fermented over time.
The author and husband at the corner on Roebuck Street where tavernkeeper Rumball discovered rum.
Well, Mr. Rumball -- the tavern owner -- knew a good thing when he tasted it and soon the Caribbean's signature tipple was being served and sold all over the island -- and very quickly well-beyond. Presumably asking for a "tot" of Rumball's elixir was too cumbersome and the name was shortened to rum. The drink's popularity was so pervasive that the King of England decreed that the Royal Navy should partake on a daily basis and George Washington insisted that a barrel be available at his 1789 inauguration.
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So it seemed only natural that I headed to to a tour and tasting 4the world's oldest distillery for a tasting - Mount Gay, founded in 1703. I've recently come from the Scottish Highlands where I sampled some of their famous scotch whiskys. Now bein g anything but a whisky connoisseur, I couldn't tell any difference among the several "drams." After multiple tries, I slinked out of the distillery. But I like rum. I drink rum. I know rum!
The distillery tour started with a welcome rum punch - though that doesn't really count for anything in my book. We had to go through a two-hour introduction to the whole history of rum and the very intricate process of making it to finally earn the right to actually taste some (top). Some of it, thanks to our energetic guide Romal - the sound of whose very name reflects his occupation - was actually interesting. From its first inception, recipes were never written down but rather passed from blender to apprentice. Each blender takes what exists and builds upon it so that the results are more than just another version of the same rum -- but also a whole new experience. Most of the information is proprietary to Mount Gay and, as we were told, the process emphasizes quality over quantity, meaning nothing is rushed. Their motto: It's ready when it's ready! I figured somewhere there's a little old grandmother in charge.
But finally we got to the tasting. Romal instructed us how to hold the glass, to twist it to reveal "legs," to take in its aroma. One rum, aged three to seven years, was "robust and bold." The second, older, was "more complex with a more definitive 'mouth feel.'" That was the tasting. Not much to go on. At least my quasi-sophisticated familiarity with rum (after all, I had been in Barbados for almost two weeks) told me the second rum was smoother than the first. Did I taste the hints of salted caramel, cinnamon and fruitcake? Not a chance! More slinking.
A Bevy of Bajan Bites
However, after even a moderate imbibing of the smooth golden liquid, sustenance is required. And in keeping with island tradition, a food tour exploring typical Bajan specialties is called for, courtesy of Lickrish Food Tours. First stop was - well, not food, actually. Before, and during, our ingesting of island edibles (in this day and age, is it necessary to emphasize that, in this context, that refers to actual food?), 400 years of Bridgetown history must also be digested. The conquest by the British, the thriving slave trade along the Careenage (harbor); the UNESCO World Heritage House of Parliament; Nidhe Israel, the oldest synagogue in the Americas (1652); and of course Roebeck Street where Mr. Rumball found the world's first rum. But let's get to the important stuff: Black Cake.
Our guide Paulette led us on an enthusiastic journey, warning us that upon completion, they may have to roll us back to the bus. With an emphasis on spices, seasonings and sugar, we stopped first at Crumbz bakery, because, according to Paulette, after eating Bajan food, that's all that's left. After a minced beef roll, coconut bread and the Caribbean's famous rum Christmas specialty, Black Cake, about which a New York Times bestselling novel of the same name has recently been written. I could have gone home sufficiently satiated.
But no - next onto a "hole-in-the-wall" eatery, the kind locals frequent, for chicken, macaroni pie, and casava (above). It was a full meal masquerading as a mid-day snack. Observed Paulette, "We need to have such a heavy diet to weather all the rum that's drunk."
At the thought of fish cakes yet to come, my stomach started to rebel. Until I tasted them. Okay, so apparently I wasn't done after all. Then at a food market (go figure!), we sampled locally grown fruits and juices before moving on to another mini-meal of fish, peas and rice and more root vegetables. As delicious as everything was, I wasn't disappointed to hear that we only had one stop left. For the first time since I had arrived in Barbados, I wasn't thinking about where I wanted to go for dinner!
Onward to the Rest of the Island
But tourists cannot live by food and drink alone. A little island culture is also required, offered by many tour operators. But do not even think about taking this tour after eating and drinking. That would be the Island Safari offroad tour, part sightseeing, part adrenaline rush. As we got into the open-air van, our driver/guide Wayne casually mentioned we should be prepared for a bumpy ride, along with mud and water. Truer words were never spoken. Yes, lots of history, horticulture (the only thing Wayne loves more than mud are trees), culture, tradition, legends punctuated by panoramic views of the islan like the impressive Caribbean surf below. Then he casually mentioned that we might go off-road a bit.
A mile of hair-raising, terrifying, mud-driven insanity just for the sake of adventure. Then on to more sightseeing. But by the time my various organs returned to their normal locations in my body, we were off again. Wayne delighted in leaving the rough, pot-holed, winding, and supposedly paved roads to take also winding, rough, potholed, muddy dirt paths that cut through sugar cane fields. His usual patter rescinded as did any attempt of mine to take notes. Hard to do when you’re holding on for dear life. Incredibly harrowing -- but oh so much fun. Not for the faint of heart or body, however.
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My favorite stop among many was an array of colorful carved animals sculpted into a mountainside along the road. A life-size giraffe, elephant, baboon, rhino, hippo, zebra - certainly legitimized the "safari" in the tour operator´s name.
There are signs everywhere admonishing you not to sit or park under coconut trees. Now that's something you pay attention to. But if you still crave the milky white liquid, there are numerous roadside stands -- often tended to by men with machetes -- offering juice without any threat to bodily injury (despite the machetes...).
Did I mention Wayne's jovial discourse? A sample of Wayne humor: Royal Palm trees, which reach higher in the sky than their less mighty cousins but lack their coconut bounty, are a symbol of wealth. "Just like a politician," remarked Wayne, "they stand high above you and do nothing." Bada boom.
So much to see and do, and with a two-to-one exchange rate of the Barbadan dollar to that of the U.S. - and very reasonable prices throughout the island - you can actually afford to do almost all. And yes, there are also beaches -- lots of beautiful sand beaches. If you're into that sort of thing.
For more information, check out VisitBarbados.org.
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