F4 barbados from F1
al to him.” The hikes are intended to show
locals and tourists that there’s more to Barbados than beaches. Cane fields, gullies and tropical forests also contribute to the is- land’s rugged landscape. “We want you to enjoy the natural world,” Gollop said. “It’s educa- tion and pleasure combined.” Usually, the hikes cover five- to
14-mile stretches of the former route of Barbados’s now defunct rail system, which transported sugar cane from Bridgetown to Belleplaine on the eastern side of the island. But once a year, in February, hikers trace the entire 24-mile route, asHudson did. I wanted to do the hike to see
the island and mingle with the locals in a way fewtourists do. I’d thought that I might actually be able to cover all 24 miles—lots of people can’t make it— but now I wasn’t so sure. Bruce grabbed my backpack,
flung it over his shoulder and tookmy hand. “Will we make it?” I asked
nervously as we began our de- scent. “Nobody dies in Barbados,” he
said firmly.
Traveling the train We’d gathered for the hike in
Independence Square in Bridgetown at 5:30 that morning, morethan300people,mostwear- ing hats and backpacks and all abuzz with excitement. Gollop pulled out a loudspeak-
er. “Take it in stride,” he instruct- ed. “I know some of you want to challenge yourselves and do it in four hours, but that’s impossible.” At 6 a.m., he blew the whistle,
and we set off, walking in one huge pack. “I’ve always wanted to travel
the train,” said Barbados resident Arriett Goody. Goody had filled her backpack with enough power bars and water to make it to the end. I quickly lost her in the crush,
though, and started chatting with two local artists named Benita andGena.The twowomenhike at least once a week and were used to walking. “Here in Barbados, everyone is a walk away,” said Gena. The two credited Hudson for
showing Bajans how environ- mentally rich their land is. His mantra was “renew and recycle,” andhewasknownto teach Bajans such environmentally friendly tricks as turning an old tire into a planter. Not only did he start the popular hikes, but he also helped develop the modern sugar cane harvester. British by birth but Bajan by heart, Hudson became fascinated with Barbados while studying agriculture at Cam- bridge University. During his 43 years on the island, he fought against its overdevelopment. “He was an extraordinary
man,” Gena said. “He could tell you anything about the island.” Added Benita: “They always
say it takes someone from the outside to show you what you’ve got.” The sun rose dramatically overhead as we traveled through flat neighborhoods, walking more than hiking. The yellow arrows marking our route took us into the sugar-cane fields of St. George parish. More than 1,000 small farms produce 30,000 tons of sugar a year on this tiny island. It is Barbados’s “white gold.” The large pack had broken up
by then, and hikers were strung out along the route in smaller groups. I started falling behind the group I was with as I strug- gled to make it through the tall cane, feeling like a character in
DETAILS
GETTING THERE American Airlines has one-stop flights from Reagan National to Barbados for $400 round trip.
WHERE TO STAY The Crane Residential Resort Crane, St. Philip 246-423-6220
www.thecrane.com Resort overlooking Crane Beach with pools, restaurants, shops, an art gallery and a general store. Rates from $228.
Coral Reef Club Porters, St. James 246-422-2372
www.coralreefbarbados.com Family-owned resort with 12 acres of landscaped gardens. Rates from $232.
Sea-U Guest House Tent Bay, Bathsheba, St. Joseph 246-433-9450
www.seaubarbados.com Colonial-style inn with lovely views of the ocean. Most of the simple rooms have shared balconies. Rates from $109.
PHOTOS BY CHRIS ALLEYNE FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Clockwise from top, a group approaches Tweedside Road in Bridgetown; one of the inviting views from the trail along Barbados’s east coast; and a hiker devises a way to sit down and keep moving.
We were now in St. Philip, the
largest of Barbados’s 11 parishes. This southeastern parish is what the locals consider the “country.” We walked past the Bushy Park Plantation, where race car drivers from around the world compete. Then we took another break at what had once been the Car- rington railway station. We had gone nine miles and it was not yet 9 a.m. The sun was beating more strongly, and we were all thirsty and sweaty. But we didn’t linger long. I started chatting with Laon
the movie “Children of the Corn” and wishing that I had a machete. Caylen, a 20-something loan offi- cer with whom I’d earlier struck up a conversation, abandoned his friends to help me. “There’s a camaraderie in hik-
ing,” he insisted when I told him not to wait for me. We pushed through the cane.
Caylen broke off a stalkandhand- ed it to me, urging me to suck on the tip. It was a lovely treat after more than an hour of walking.
Going beyond Our group finally arrived at the
closed Bulkeley Sugar Factory, which some locals are pushing to turn into a sugar museum. We were six miles into our hike, and we needed a break. “No matter how long you’ve lived here, it is still beautiful,”
Gena said as we gazed at the farmland. “This is a very typical field,
before it started getting built up. We’re seeing less and less of this,” she lamented. We resumed the hike, walking
past a one-story house in the middle of a field. Two men came out to wave at us. “See how many people I brought you,” shouted out Gollop, who at 64 seemed even more fit than I am. “This is a great way to see the
locals,” he said, turning to me. We snaked past oil refineries,
natural pipelines and tamarind trees. Caylen pointed out sweet potato crops. Then he turned my attention to the mahogany trees, tall and wide and reddish-brown. “The school that I went to used to have these trees,” he said, looking nostalgic.
Celebrate “Life Moments” at Gaylord National® FOR THE IN YOU.
Lionel, another bank employee anda regular hiker. “Whenyoudo these hikes, you come across things you wouldn’t expect to see,” he said.“Not all of it is pretty. This takes you beyond.” In fact, some of the homes we
passed were small and rundown, with gritty front yards. Not the usual tourist views. We made it to the coast shortly
after 10 a.m. Our hike became more arduous as the land got hillier. We stopped at Ragged Point, a village in St. Philip whose lighthouse marks the eastern- most part of the island. Then we moved on to Consett Bay in the parish of St. John. We walked up a hill under a
canopy of trees whose branches were so long and thin that I was temptedtoswingfromone.That’s where I met Bruce, who was star- ing up at the trees deep in thought. “The last time I was here I was 15,” he told me. I liked Bruce’s spunky attitude
and stuck close to him, as did locals Angela Lynch, a travel con- sultant, and Christina Sandiford, a student. There was no question whom we would turn to when we came to a fork in the road. “Bruce!” we shouted in unison. “Turn left,” he instructed. We were all tired and hot, but
Bruce encouraged us to continue. He was full of energy. “I’ll come back for dinner,” he shouted,wav- ing his green cap at a man loung-
ing on his deck. We reached a bluff that offered
a spectacular view of the beach. At the bottom of another hill, I pushed through my fatigue and climbed. At the top of that hill,we reached another fork. Right, Bruceinstructed.“Gotowardsthe sun.” We hiked down a narrow tree-
lined path and up another hill for several minutes, Angela and Christina several paces in front. Bruce, thankfully,wasstillbehind me. Then came the hill. And the
steep clay path that seemed to fall perpendicularly about a third of a mile downward to the beach. I froze. It looked as though hiking was suddenly to become rappel- ling without a rope.
Mission accomplished “I’ll go first,” said Bruce, look-
ing not at all concerned. I took a deep breath and put all
my faith in a Bajan farmer I had justmet.Somehow, I trusted him. There is a camaraderie in hiking, after all. I stayed close behind Bruce as
we made our way down, holding on to roots and branches to keep from sliding to the bottom. Bruce tested each handhold before tell- ing me which ones to grasp. Christina and Angela had made it to the beach and were shouting encouragement. “I’m not going to leave you,”
Bruce kept telling me. It took us at least 30 minutes to
make it to the bottom.Angela and Christina ran up, and we all hugged in triumph. My knees were covered in
scrapes, but I didn’t mind. De- spite the scare, I was feeling ac- complished. I’d done what I had set out to do. I’d seen more of the island, both the good and the bad, than most tourists do. And I had gotten to interact with the resi- dents in a way I never would have had I stayed at a resort. But I was tired and decided
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WHERE TO EAT Round House Inn Restaurant and Bar Bathsheba, St. Joseph 246-433-9678
www.roundhousebarbados.com Casual restaurant with outdoor seating overlooking the ocean, serving local delicacies such as breadfruit soup and flying fish. Dinner entrees from $21.
Spago Restaurant and Bar Second Street, Holetown, St. James
246-432-7394
www.spagobarbados.com Italian restaurant in the heart of Holetown. Pastas and pizzas from $12.
Sand Dunes Bar and Restaurant Lower East Coast Rd., St. Andrew 246-422-9427 Tucked-away open wooden house with a big patio serving Bajan cuisine from $5.
WHAT TO DO Hike Barbados 246-228-8027
www.barbados.org/hike.htm Free Sunday hikes. The morning hike starts at 6 a.m., the afternoon hike at 3:30 p.m. and the MoonlightWalk at 5:30 p.m. Meeting places vary each week.
GeorgeWashington House Bush Hill, the Garrison, St. Michael
246-228-5461
www.georgewashington
barbados.org The house whereWashington stayed during his visit to Barbados in 1751 is now a museum. Open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. $10.
Welchman Hall Gully Welchman Hall, St. Thomas 246-438-6671 www.welchmanhallgully
barbados.com Hike through this tropical forest formed by the collapsed roofs of caves.
INFORMATION
www.barbados.org
—N.T.
that 16 miles was enough for me. Bruce, Angela and Christina were determined to finish the hike. I wished them luck, exchanged contact information and bade them farewell. Then I grabbed lunch withsomeother hikerswho had also opted not to complete the route. Days later, I got an e-mail from
Bruce.He wanted to let me know that he had made it to the end of the trail. At the bottom of the message he’d signed off: “Your Guardian Angel.”
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Celebration
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