BARBADOS AND CARIBBEAN VACATION

THERE ARE 1000'S OF ISLANDS THAT ARE PART OF THE CARIBBEAN.  MY HUSBAND AND I TRAVELED TO BARBADOS IN THE LATE 80'S.  IT WAS A VERY HOT ISLAND WITH VERY WARM WATERS.  BOTH OF US GOT SUNBURNT.  WE STAYED AT SEVERAL NICE HOTELS.  THE COMPANY MY HUSBAND WORKED FOR GAVE US THIS FREE TRIP.  WE WERE GIVEN SMALL CARS AND WERE ON AN EXPEDITION OF THE ISLAND WITH ALL OTHERS TO EXPLORE VARIOUS SITES AND FIND SPECIAL CLUES.  SOME FOLKS GOT FLAT TIRES AND WE WERE ALL QUITE TIRED AFTER THAT.  THEY DRINK A LOT OF COCONUT JUICE AND THEY PLAY BOARD GAMES.  RASTAFARIANS ARE ALWAYS AT THE BEACH SELLING THEIR SHELL JEWELRY AND OTHER TRINKETS.  THEY HAD UNUSUAL FLYING FISH THAT WE STARED AT ON A CATAMARAN TRIP.

MEXICO, NICARAGUA, U S, VENEZUELA, BELIZE, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, COSTA RICA, AND PANAMA OWN SOME OF THESE ISLANDS.

THERE ARE ABOUT 700 ISLETS  OR 41  CARIBBEAN ISLANDS.  MANY FOLKS COME HERE.

BARBADOS IS A SOVEREIGN COUNTRY.  THIS ISLAND WAS INITIALLY VISITED BY SPANISH AROUND THE LATE 1400'S.  THE PORTUGUESE LEFT IT UNCLAIMED WITH THEIR ONLY REMNANTS BEING THE INTRODUCTION OF WILD PIGS.  THE ENGLISH SAILED HERE IN 1641 AND THEY CLAIMED IT.  IT HAS @ 284,000 FOLKS.  BY 1966 BARBADOS BECAME THE LEADING TOURIST DESTINATION IN CARIBBEAN.  THEIR ETHNIC GROUP IS COMPOSED OF MESTIZOS.

IN 1994 THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF CALIFORNIA LED BY ROLLO BECK STAYED HERE COLLECTING MATERIAL. TOURS AND SMALL HOTELS.

THE FIRST PROTECTIVE LEGISLATION FOR THE ISL;ANDS WAS IN THE 1930AND IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE 1950'S THAT POSITIVE ACTION CONTROLLED NATIVE FLORA.  BY 1990  THE ISLANDS BECAME A WHALE SANCTUARY. AND A WORLD HERITAGE SITE.

INTRODUCED PLANTS AND ANIMALS WERE BROUGHT ACCIDENTALLY OR WILLINGLY TO THE ISLANDS.  THERE ARE SPECIES OF NONNATIVE PLANTS.  THEY HAVE MANY MORE NON NATIVE ANIMALS THAT DESTROY NATIVE ANIMALS.  WE DID NOT NOTICE THIS ISLAND TO BE VERY CROWDED WITH TOURISTS AT THE TIME IN THE 1980'S.

TODAY IT IS VERY POPULAR TOURIST DESTINATION.  I REMEMBER BEING IN A A ROOM WHERE THEY WANTED US TO BUY INTO A CONDO SHARE - E SAID NO.  THE NATIVES LIVE IN SMALL VERY COLORFUL SHACKS AND TAKE IT EASY MOSTLY. 
OUR FLIGHT THERE TOOK QUITE A LONG TIME I WAS THANKFUL NOT TO HAVE GOTTEN TOO MUCH OF A SUNBURN.

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