“Saint Lucia dropped their entry test and quarantine requirement for vaccinated travellers!” “Let’s book it!” So this weekend we are heading to a different Caribbean island. We had originally planned to travel there in December of 2020. After three months based in Barbados, we were looking forward to exploring nearby islands. Covid numbers were low: … Continue reading Flying Back to “Normal”
“Wow,” messaged Ruochen, a former student who had just seen my blog. “There’s a lot of content!” It’s true. This post, on December 2, 2021, the third anniversary of my first post, is my 120th. I started my blog as writing practice, and it was supposed to be a travelogue for friends and family, but … Continue reading Welcome to Brave Travels!
We had a hard time finding coffee. In March 2020 it was because nothing was open. So novel that I took a picture. March 2020 We’d arrived two days before and all seemed normal. Restaurants were open but there was hand sanitizer on the counter, and only every second table was being used. Yes, there … Continue reading Two Trips to Tofino: Pandemic Progress
My beach at Freight’s Bay is different again this morning. The tide is low, but some of the sand that had returned after the scouring of the winter storms has been scooped away again. The beach is angled instead of flat, and fist sized pieces of coral lay scattered on the soft sand. The same … Continue reading On the Beach in Barbados
Some of you have been on this journey with me for a while; here’s updates on a few posts! Learning to Surf: (February) Yes, that’s me on my board, this week! Letting Go, Yet Again: (January) My apartment in Canada is rented for the first time, a 6 week stay. Yay! Slacking Off, Tightening Up: … Continue reading A Few Updates to my Brave Travels
“So what are your stories going to be, from Barbados?” Richard and I were swapping accidental travel stories: my participation in a parade and horse race in Italy, his in a small French village’s wine festival; my travels on a local water taxi on Aberdeen harbour in Hong Kong, his line dancing at a small-town … Continue reading Not a Tourist any Longer
Mention Barbados and most people think turquoise waters and white sand beaches, colourful houses and friendly people. Yes, those are all here, but those are not unique to this Island. After being here four months, I keep finding more to love about this place. There are no private beaches in Barbados. Your way to the … Continue reading What I Love about Barbados
“I envy your brilliant pandemic plan.” Wait, what? The comment from a friend whom I was messaging with, for the first time since I’d moved to Barbados, took me by surprise. I hadn’t thought of it that way. I did it for love. The closed Canada-US border meant that Scott and I were separated. After … Continue reading Caribbean Covid Plan
The waiter brings another Rum Punch as we lounge poolside, deciding which catamaran tour to take the next day. Just kidding. We cling to the seat back in the ZR van as it careens at high speed around a corner, reggae music blaring, headed to the fish market. We’ll buy the catch of the day … Continue reading It’s Not a Holiday
“Covid test?” I had the printout of my negative result in my hand with my passport. I was sent to the left; those without or with a stale dated or non-PCR test went to the right. My plane had been full, because it was the last flight into Barbados from Canada where you could board … Continue reading Welcome to Barbados— 2020 edition
Brave Travels 