I thought it was time I had a go at this "blogging" thing, can't let Mon have all the say! Anyway, we have managed to make friends with a local taxi driver, called Al, and he has become our unofficial tour guide. As with everyone here, he can be a little "late" in arriving when we book him, yesterday's 10mins turned into 45mins! So, at the end of the cricket yesterday I planned ahead and gave him 40mins notice and he was on time! He had a mate with him, Mike, and on the way back to the hotel they asked how much a beer cost at the hotel, Al nearly drove off the road when I said $6 (approx $5 NZ). Not that bad we thought when you can sit in the pool and order a beer! With this they offered to buy me a beer at one of the local bars, basically very dodgy run down buildings in residential area's of Bridgetown where a beer is only $2. Even Heineken is only $3, slightly smaller bottles that in NZ. (It is brewed in nearby St. Lucia) With a little trepidation I said "sure, why not?". The bar has a cage around it with a gap big enough to pass 3 or 4 beers through it and a few tables but mainly stools to sit on, a couple of TV's playing different stations and piles of old boxes and rubbish fill up the corners. As you can imagine not many tourists frequent these places (actually none!) and I looked completely out of place. But my friendly hosts made feel welcome and filled me in on the local ways. Which include, for them anyway, having about 3 or 5 rums (about the size of a beer bottle) during the course of the day! I think this might explain why Al was 45 mins late picking me up earlier in the day....So, a couple of beers each later I suggest we should go as I have work to do but actually just didn't want a drunk taxi driver taking me home! Then the trip home was an even bigger eye opener, through every dodgy street he could find I think. Which included the "red light district" of Bridgetown where Al informed me "a little time" with a woman would cost me $60! Bizarre when you consider a steak in a restaurant can cost over $70.......Well, we made it back safely, the beers were cold, and the education fascinating.
We will be calling Al again......
