2019-12-26 - Barbados
Barbados is the easternmost isle of the Lesser Antilles and special for being east of Caribbean Sea. This means that it is completely surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean. Barbados means "the bearded ones" and may refer to the long, hanging roots of the local bearded fig tree Ficus Citrifolia. Geologically, Barbados lies between the South American and Caribbean Plates. Subduction of the South American plate beneath the Caribbean plate raises the Caribbean plate as a phenomenon known as an accretionary wedge. This causes Barbados to rise about 1 inch every 1000 years and the island itself is actually composed of coral 90 meters thick as well as surrounded by coral reefs. The land slopes in a series of terraces in the west and inclines up in the east.
Erosion of limestone in the northeast Scotland District has formed many caves and guilles. My brother and I joined a wild cave tour of one such Harrison's cave. After changing and going over safety procedures, the pair of guides introduced us to some of the local flora and fauna. We smelled leafs and ate almonds extracted via rock smash from large almond shells that had fallen from trees.
Erosion of limestone in the northeast Scotland District has formed many caves and guilles. My brother and I joined a wild cave tour of one such Harrison's cave. After changing and going over safety procedures, the pair of guides introduced us to some of the local flora and fauna. We smelled leafs and ate almonds extracted via rock smash from large almond shells that had fallen from trees.
The cave tour itself was a long strenuous adventure. The milder portions involved walking through lit flat corridors built to accommodate the tram tours. The wilder portions involved swimming through a lightless pool, climbing ladders, crawling through crevices, jumping through a waterfall surrounded by the endlessly fascinating patterns naturally formed by nature's forces. One of the most memorable parts was a long pitch-black crawl through a man-made pipe built to control water flow. The overall adventure was actually shorter and less extreme than the two other wild cave dives I've done in the past at the Hidden River Cave in Kentucky and with the Adventuras Tierra Adentro in Puerto Rico. Regardless, my brother and I had a blast. The guides even found the headlamp my brother lost, waiting for the dust in the water to settle so that they could spot its light. I loved the friendly guides and how they taught us not just about the cave but the surrounding wildlife.
Exhausted and dirty after the tour, we retired to our cruise ship and did not have time to do anything else in Barbados. The cave tour was definitely one of the most memorable adventures on our Caribbean vacation and thus, Barbados will always be associated with that cave in my mind.