Let The Games Begin

Many people believe that their vacation begins when they have unpacked their suitcase at their destination.  This results in an incredible amount of travel stress, where even the slightest delay or inconvenience results in nuclear meltdown.  You can witness this when you overhear travelers yelling at some poor service agent or complaining bitterly about the lack of “first-class service” they’re getting for their $99 “round-the-world” ticket.

I have a different approach.  My vacation begins when the alarm goes off on the day of departure.  I figure that I’ve got 10 days of play ahead of me, why not enjoy the thought of that?  I consider getting there part of the adventure and make the best of it.  This approach has enabled me to enjoy many new experiences that may have gone unnoticed.

I always enjoy the Limo ride to the airport.  I take the Limo because I do not have to worry about driving, car trouble, traffic jams, parking, plus they provide that final “wake-up call” defense against oversleeping.  It’s one way to get into vacation mode immediately.  Here’s the drill.  The Limo picks Winston and I up at my place, we proceed to Tiny’s where the Round Man has driven his car, pick them up, and then proceed to the airport.

If you are ever traveling and require a seriously professional food and beverage technician, bring Tiny along.  You can usually count on him to deliver some new gastronomic experience, and always by surprise.  This trip was no different.  Planning ahead, this Einstein prepared a reasonably generous flask of Rum & O.J., a perfect kick-start to a vacation at 7:15 in the morning.  Riding in the Limo to the airport with a fresh beverage in hand, watching the commuters crawl bumper-to-bumper in the opposite direction heading off to work, I couldn’t help but thinking “We’re going to the Caribbean, and you’re not”. 

One-Stop Pit Strategy

Air Canada 966 departed Toronto on time and delivered us to Grantley Adams International airport in Barbados promptly at 3:45 P.M.  Our connecting BWIA flight to St. Vincent left at 6:00 P.M., so we had about an hour and a half to kill.  Most people just hang around the airport departure lounge and try to camp out on those uncomfortable seats, or on the floor.  Not us.

Across the road from the airport, there is a local hangout called Frankies Canteen, essentially a slab of concrete with a rickety tin-roofed shack built on top.  However, that slab of concrete makes a great patio overlooking the airport runway, and you can enjoy the warm afternoon sun and cool breezes with an ice-cold Banks in hand as you watch the planes come and go.  It provides a great opportunity to remind yourself that you are in the Caribbean already having a great time, and the best is still ahead.

Barbados Customs was somewhat confused by the one-stop pit strategy.  They could not understand why we were leaving the transit lounge to enter the country, when our plans were to proceed on to St. Vincent.  I cleared this up very quickly when I advised them that we had a table reserved at Frankies.

Arrival

We engineered a series of “splash and go’s” (NASCAR refueling term applied to vacationing) at Frankies and boarded our BWIA connector that departed for Barbados on time.  St. Vincent Immigration welcomed us “back”.  Phyllis, proprietor of Phyllis Taxi, was there as usual to take us to Barefoot Yacht Charters.  A quick stop at Sunrise Supermarket across the street from the airport resulted in a vanload of provisions.  I cannot say what was in those bags, because, as skipper, I was barred from entering the store where I was likely to screw up the process.  Upon arrival at Barefoot, my crew escorted me directly to the bar to ensure that I continued to be out of the way while they loaded the provisions onto the boat.  I’m still not sure what was in those bags.

Here’s where things get fuzzy.  Utan is bartender at Barefoot, and he is the engineer of the most deadly rum punch on earth.  The St. Vincent Civil Defense have this rum punch registered as a strategic defense asset.  Next thing I know, it’s morning.

St. Vincent Minister of Defense
Utan delivering lethal rum punch
to an unsuspecting Suspect.