My Winter Vacation - Part 1: Island Time

We gave Santa the slip, flew to Barbados and tuned our hearts to the rhythm of the sea. We switched off the internet addiction – traded beep tones for the chirp of the whistling tree frogs and redeemed leds for the light of the moon. The warmth of the sun and gentle massage of the trade winds rendered us catatonic.

For two days we sat at the edge of the ocean at Peach and Quiet Inn and stared at the horizon, watching the surfers spill their boards at Inch Marlowe around noon and spotting sea turtles who stuck their necks out of the water to sip air at dusk. Our only movement was to trace a finger across the screen of our nooks to turn a page, the one e-device we allowed ourselves. 

 

Aboard the Royal Clipper, we dispensed with Tylenol PM and let the ship rock us to sleep every night.  The sparkle of the sea served as our holiday tinsel; the unfurling of the 42 sails at sunset to martial music all the seasonal pageantry we required.

No gift exchange, we filled up our bucket list with the suggestions of the many seasoned travelers we dined with nightly. Better than Christmas cocktail party conversation, we shared the wonder the ship, the beauty of the shore and joy of the Caribbean culture with guests and crew representing over 30 nationalities.

Some highlights of our trip:

·         Snorkeling in the champagne reef in Dominica and off a beach in Les Saintes while pelicans dove for fish over our heads.

·         Swimming in St. Lucia with six-year-old Nativia, who explained that sharks don’t come into the bay because they don’t like sand; chatting on shore with the local spear fishermen.

·          Learning the history of the islands: The English and the French played tug-of-war with these islands from atop a fortress in St. Kitts. The Barbadians claim responsibility for George Washington’s win – they say he learned fortification on a trip to Barbados. Also, he contracted a mild case of smallpox that left him immune to the disease which claimed many lives during the war.

·         Feeling more “present” when there is less to be present to. What’s not to love about beach shack living, al fresco dining and the constancy of the ocean?

Sea-U Guest House, Tent Bay, Bathsheba, Barbados

In this context, I’d like to wish the world more of God’s spirit that leads to an abundance of joy. Happy New Year!