...IC!!! EPIC!!!*

Noemster and Ilana making a postcard.

I can honestly say, without a hint of exaggeration, that our recent trip to Barbados was the BEST vacation that I’ve ever had and I know Ilana feels the same way. It’s hard to put into words just how awesome it was.  To try to use a simile, if this vacation had been a concert it would be like if Led Zeppelin played a reunion show for your surprise birthday after finding out that John Bonham hadn’t actually been dead this whole time he’d just been gone working on his masterpiece, a whole new kind of bacon that gives  you a 6-pack, slows aging, and prevents cancer.... it was like that. 

Barbados as a whole was extraordinary. With a population of only about 300,000 it’s small enough to feel like a community. It is also very developed: extremely clean, potable water from every tap, electricity all the time, and everywhere we went the people were super nice (even outside tourist hotspots).  

Ilana and I arrived 2 days earlier than everyone. We spent our 3^rd anniversary at the Butterfly Beach Hotel, which was really nice. The hotel was not crazy expensive, right on the ocean, walking distance to a supermarket=  awesome.  We definitely experienced a period of adjustment going from remote Guyana to Barbados (hence the reason we dropped a serious wad at the supermarket our first night (mostly on salad ingredients, cheese, and wine (ok and bacon))). 

Then, they came. Some might say we had our cake and ate it too. Others might say it was like watching a cake ice itself, cut itself up, then dance it’s way onto your fork. First Noemi, sweet sweet Noemi. Then Alex and Cat, glorious. Then, about an hour before the New Year began, Drew and Hibby (is there an emoticon for holding back a tear?). Again, I’m having trouble finding words. 

I got a little excited to see the washing machine.

About what transpired from then, it is only fair to say “holy $@%, that was the best $@^*%@^ time of my life.” We laughed, we sang, we gained a combined weight of 14 pounds (just Ilana and me). I literally woke up each morning saying, “man, that was the best dream....” and then I’d realize it was really happening. 

'Nuf said.

Activities included: going to beautiful beaches, snorkelling with sea turtles, going on a pleasure cruise, swimming in caves, taste testing rum, karaokeing, mini bussing, and eating delicious food the best of which was prepared by Ilana and Drew.

For those thinking about going to Barbados and interested in the details of the trip, this is what we found worked well for us:

Staying in a 3 bedroom condo in St Lawrence Gap (called the Terraces), close enough to bars that it was walking distance, but far enough that it wasn’t loud. Thanks to Noemi, our card-carrying travel agent superpal, for finding it. I think my compatriots would agree that the condo made it the best vacation².

Were able to take the mini bus to Carlisle Bay, where you can snorkel with ship wrecks and turtles. We also did a 6-hour catamaran tour there that was this** good. We used a crew called Jammin and would highly HIGHLY recommend them.

Pleasure cruise.

We went to Oistins Famous Fish Fry Fridays to on a Friday, but were happy to discover that it’s better to go on a weeknight because there were alot fewer people. At the pier right behind the fish market you can take the guts of the fresh you just bought and feed it to sea turtles for free. We got in and swam with them there too.

To the northern parts of the island we went to a beach called Sheba Bath that looked right out of a James Bond movie. Also went to Harrison Cave and Animal Flower Cave.

Rum tour close to Bridgetown is fun if you love Mt Gay rum, but it’s not actually where they distil it. For that you have to go to a different place up the island. 

Animal Flower Cave.

Thanks to our friends for coming and seeing us in Barbados. We look at the photos often and say that was just one of many awesome vacations we’re going to have with you guys. Alex, it was ok to see you too I guess. Our plan of joining the Peace Corps to get you to buy us an iPad has finally worked. Didn’t see that coming did you? Gra

*Works better with “legendary”.

**As good as the blacked out parts from Hang Over but on a boat.

 

Coincidence or Barbados love bubble magic?

Despite the Rainy Season...We Got Our Second Visitors!

Well…Mother Nature you tried, but I am sorry to inform you that you failed. My parents arrived in Guyana on January 7th, and despite the enormous amounts of rain we were able to make it out to Mabaruma, even if it was two days later than planned, and show them what our day to day mostly consists of.

Echevarria’s-1, Mother Nature-0…

After returning from our kick-ass trip from Barbados (Nate will be posting about these glorious 10 days) we were quickly welcomed by my mom and dad who arrived the same day as us. We spent the first two nights in Vreed en Hoop were we trained prior to moving to Mabaruma and introduced my parents to our host mom Debee and the rest of the clan. We commemorated our reunion, yup…you guessed it, with an awesome bottle of wine my parents brought us and finally made it to sleep at 2am after all the excitement of seeing each other began to wear off. The next day we caught up and our host mom cooked my favorite Guyanese meal for them to try and then that night my parents treated us all to dinner at the Brazilian Restaurant. That night we had an impromptu little party, were my mom showed our Indo-Guyanese friends how to dance Puerto Rican reggae (this was just one of the many times my mom showed Guyanese how to dance Spanish music). Needless to say, they now ask me on a daily basis when my mom is returning to Guyana to dance with them, because they don’t see me dance and well they like her better. Haha! Thanks MOM!

We spent the remaining two days trying to get out to Mabaruma, but since our air strip is a dirt road and there are no lights, the rain was too much for us to fly. So we were forced to stay in Georgetown for a few more days. But because my parents are awesome and brought multiple bottles of wine and tons of snack goodies, we spent those days just catching up drinking and talking.


We finally made it out to Mabaruma and only had a few days to show them the highlights of our village. We showed them the market, went for a day-long hike to the falls, played pool, went out to WhiteCreek and cooked some Guyanese food, walked around our village and introduced them to about a hundred people, we took them to our jobs and gave them an idea of our daily work schedule and lastly we went to a rum shop, where yes my mom danced again, but this time it was Salsa. My dad spoiled us by cooking almost every meal and giving us a break from the kitchen, and then as quickly as they arrived they were gone. Bummer. We didn’t even get to show them how we do our wash (wink…wink). I think they figured if they kept us occupied they would leave before we would realize wash needed to be done. Smart.







Our holiday season was epic. Between having both sets of parents come visit us, not only to Guyana but all the way out to the middle-of-nowhere-Mabaruma, as well as having five of our closest friends travel all the way to Barbados to spend new year’s with us, well I don’t want to get too mushy, but we feel soo unbelievably lucky. Thank you Thank you Thank you. Thank you for not only coming and seeing us, but also for bringing us sooooooooo many goodies, loving us and then making sure we got to see, eat, drink and do everything we have missed this last year while we were with you.

Karen & Charlie, Edda & Jose, Alex, Cat, Hibby, Drew and Noemi WE LOVE YOU!

Till next time.