The Day Vacation At Barbados - 1266 Words

This summer my family and I had the chance to embark on a seven-day vacation to Barbados. Tucked just above Venezuela, the island country known for its rum, mahogany, and flyin’ fish is situated three degrees north of the equator. During our stay, we tried to avoid the tourist traps, seeking authentic cuisine and local lifestyle, hoping to experience Bajan culture in its purest form. Wherever I go, be it down the street or across the globe, I crave authentic and more importantly honest food. This is hard to find. I’ll often ask these questions to locals — â€Å"Where do you go to eat?, â€Å"Where do you go when you get off work?†, or â€Å"Where do you take your family?†. These questions usually yield restaurants that most travelers never reach,†¦show more content†¦He sat down, asked us where we were from and created small talk. Then out of nowhere Billy whipped out an aloe vera plant, knife, and empty rum bottle. With no provocation from us, he proceeded to cut open the plant, scored the inside and dumped its contents into the bottle. He informed us that it was indeed real aloe, that it was all natural and would â€Å"cure the burn, mon†. After his stunt, he handed us the bottle and said â€Å"there ya go, now who’s in charge here?† I pointed to my dad. Billy said that will be B$20. (The Barbadian doll ar (B$) is worth exactly  ½ of the USD and merchants accept both currencies). My dad said how about B$10. Billy countered with B$15 and we agreed. We really didn’t want the aloe, we didn’t ask Billy what he was selling, but for some reason Billy singled us out. Immediately following our encounter with Billy, we were approached by an unnamed fellow, who I noticed earlier seemed to be smoking some of the local grow. He once again asked us where we were from, then proceeded to give us small pamphlets and placed colored silicone bands on our wrists. We thanked him for the wristbands, continued the conversation for a bit more, and then began to proceed with our walk. He halted us, once again asking us who was in charge and stating that the bands he just gave us cost $30 USD. My dad gave him a dollar, my parents