We arrived 13 06 N 59 37 W
Swaraj 2022
Angus Handasyde Dick
Fri 13 Jan 2023 13:11
We anchored at about 2.30pm in Carlisle Bay, Bridgetown, Barbados and immediately jumped over the side to celebrate our safe passage. Then came formal arrival. Which we eventually achieved. It was quite a process. We were informed we had to arrive at the customs office by boat , over a mile by sea from Carlisle Bay. This was slightly interrupted by a quick visit to the fishing harbour where we were turned away and returned to our rubber dingy and sent out to sea to arrive at the port of entry by boat without our feet touching their soil . When we finally arrived at the customs office they were delightful and dismissive of our treacherous dinghy journey to get to them as quite normal! “Enjoy my island!” Sang in our ears. It took visits to four offices . In one there was Fulham v. Chelsea on the telly , another had reggae music and then there was great gospel choir with a lovely lady belting it out which had to be interrupted to clerk us in. All good fun . We decided it would be unseamanlike to all return by dinghy as it was dead to windward. So Angus set off and the rest of us walked back to the Careenage for our return to Swaraj .
We were possibly all a bit more tired than we thought so a quick tin of duck cassoulet and the last of the cabbage onions and toms and we were sleeping soundly by 9.00 pm.
Everyone had an amazing nights sleep and we were awakened by a snorting sound . This turned out to be a man and a horse swimming out . We were quite a way from the beach but the horse appeared fine and when he was turned for home his jockey got the whip out to make him go faster.
Now to go and do chores and check out Barbados.
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