if only every country was like Barbados

After achieving independence, many former colonies of European empires have struggled to shake of the negative legacy of colonialism and prosper as independent states, and this is as true in the Caribbean as in several other parts of the world. It is not, however, true of Barbados, which can claim easily one of the highest standard of living in the Western Hemisphere. it is indeed an amazing little country, not dissimilar from Bermuda in its prosperous and pleasant lifestyle. I find myself chatting to a local driver about driving in Moscow and traffic "laws." It soon becomes clear that this guy has no idea what a bribe is, he simply doesnt know what i am talking about. once i finally get the idea across, he looks appalled and assures me such things would never happen in Barbados. Other than perhaps a bit of bankers and white collar crime, it is a safe and law abiding place. the locals are helpful and friendly, and hotel is so incredible that we wouldnt have to leave it if we didnt want to, but of course, we do. This is an island with serious history and sites. There is a beautiful botanical garden to explore, and St Nicholas Abbey, one of only three Jacobean manor houses in the Western Hemisphere (my fathers swears to have taken me to Bacon's Castle, one of the others, but i have no memory of it!). St Nicholas's Abbey was a sugar plantation, which now produces its own very smooth but very strong rum. It has all the necessary characteristics of a grand old house with its curved Dutch gables, chimney stacks, coral stone finials, and great rooms filled with fine antiques and china, as well as an amazing retro radio and some old editions of the Telegraph. but my favourite part was after the rum tasting when there is a short film of the island made by British travellers in the 1930s. what is amazing about the video is its sheer amateur nature. It wasnt meant to be shown publicly, and simply shows glimpses of every day life in Barbados, and people going about their work, crafting wagon wheels and so on. when travelling it is easy to take photographs or write blog entries that highlight the noteworthy, the incredible, or the interesting aspects of a place that is different to what one knows. but this short clip captures the everyday, and as a result seemingly transports you back into to time with it. incredible.