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When You Get Here, You’ll Know – 10 Fascinating Things to Discover about Barbados - Part 2

Barbados
August 14, 2020

From interesting facts about sheep to fun facts about monkeys. Here is Part 2 of 10 Fascinating Things to Discover about Barbados.

6. Black Belly Sheep Are Indigenous to the Island

Black belly sheep are the domestic sheep of Barbados, likely originating from crossbreeding centuries ago on sheep of African origin. The Barbados Black belly sheep have – you guessed it – black bellies, that contrast with their golden-brown hair. They are gentle, shy creatures and if you see them crossing the road, simply wait till they’ve crossed before proceeding

7. Monkeys Roam Freely and Are Very Cheeky!

The Barbados Green Monkeys are mischievous creatures that can be found roaming in areas where there’s a lot of vegetation, trees and bush. They are called Green Monkeys because the fur of adult monkeys appears slightly green, although newborns can look a bit blue until their fur grows in fully. To see them in all of their full glory, a visit to the Barbados Wildlife Reserve is in order. The best time to go is around their feeding time to get as close as possible to them.

8. Barbados Is Reputed for Its Healing Qualities

Barbados has long been known for its healing powers. It was one of the reasons why a young George Washington, future American President, visited the island in 1751. He was accompanying his sick brother who was suffering from tuberculosis and had heard about the island’s healing powers. Ironically, whilst here with his brother, George Washington caught smallpox which turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as this early exposure meant that he was immune to it in the Revolutionary War, where the disease killed many of his troops. Located near the Historic Garrison in St. Michael, the George Washington House has been faithfully restored and is a fantastic attraction for American tourists and history buffs to visit.

9. Barbados Is the Birthplace of Rum

The first documentation of rum referred to Barbados in the year 1651. Barbados is also home to the world’s oldest continuously operating rum distillery, Mount Gay Rum Distillery. It  conducts fascinating distillery tours, and an amazing tasting and lunch tour that we highly recommend and which you should definitely check out.

10. Bajan Directions

Bajans love to help people, and we especially love to help wandering souls (tourists and locals alike) figure out how to reach their destination in the far-flung corners of the island. The amusing part about this is that we can be very creative with our directions. For instance, instead of saying “keep straight, take two lefts and then a right”, it is far more interesting to say “go straight, straight down the road, then turn on the same side of the road as the pink house that is now white, turn left again at the brown cow, and then make a sharp right by that rum shop that closed down a few years ago.” You may be even more surprised when you realize that these detailed directions actually help you find your destination remarkably well. Interested in exploring the fascinating idiosyncrasies of Barbados as a second-home buyer or semi-permanent resident? Pre-construction prices at East Resort start from US$595,000 for a luxurious one-bedroom ocean view apartment. For more information, contact stay@eastresort.com or call +1 246 416 6560.