This occurred last month by the way :)
When I fell asleep last night at around 11:00 p.m., I had just under six hours to go before I had to get ready to leave for my early morning flight to Barbados. I was taking a connecting flight to London via Barbados from Trinidad, as I clearly didn't trust taking a chance that I would've gotten stranded in Trinidad to go to Tobago waiting for my flight. I reached Piarco International Airport in good time at 6:40 a.m. through a sleepy/ foggy haze. As a result of me, being typical me, waking up at 1:30 a.m. and I kept dozing and waking up until it was time to get up at 5:00 a.m. This was due to my inevitable excitement that I was soon to be off to a foreign country. Yay!
In the airport (Trinidad airport), it was immensely weird to be boarding through Gate 14 and to see BW flight to Grenada. Typical of Caribbean airlines, they doubled up on the departing flights through the same gate. Due to the equipment that this flight was using - Aerospatiale/Alenia ATR 72, it was far too small to have required the use of a finger/ jet bridge (also known as a jetway, gangway, aerobridge/airbridge, air jetty, portal, skybridge or passenger boarding bridge). That was a lot of information in one sentence, back to school time folks! Learnt a bit there didn't you?
Thank god it wasn't raining, as that would've been majorly problematic as where all the passengers walked after exiting the waiting area in the departure lounge was uncovered to actually board the plane. A short flight time to Barbados - only 55 minutes and soon after I was walking on Barbadian soil for the first time in my life. This trip to England was notable for the many firsts that occurred. One of which was just being in Barbados.
Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) is the international airport of Barbados, located in Seawell, Christ Church. It is the only designated port of entry for persons arriving and departing by air in Barbados and operates as a major gateway to the Eastern Caribbean. My first impressions of the airport was that it was a gorgeously laid out airport for a tropical island. And to have water fountains in the main reception area between the food court and the check in counters was a classy touch.
My first vacation trip purchase was a Cookies and Cream chiller from Italia Coffee House in the airport. On my way to use the "facilities" I saw the gorgeous signs for the Virgin Atlantic check-in. I so cannot wait for the flight at this point. The chiller was lovely start to the day.
I should mention that Virgin Atlantic changed the flight time to London Gatwick from 5:15 p.m. to 7:40 p.m., so I had hours of time with my layover in Barbados. The original plan was to spend the day in Hilton Barbados resort but just thinking of the hassle to get there and back to the airport and especially since I had worked to 10:30 p.m. the previous night I changed my mind as the airport was actually pretty decent.
Sitting down next to the snack area in the coffee shop, my eyes were drawn to the Bermudez and Holiday snacks on the shelf. I felt a small measure of pride to see something from my home country Trinidad and Tobago.
Now with, nothing to do but cool my heels, read books on my Kindle and observe travelers walking by for quite a number of hours, my mind inevitably turned to thoughts of food and I inspected the menu for the main restaurant in the airport called Chefette. I have my eye on a potato roti or a cheese pizza at this point. But who knows what I will get? What the heart wants, the heart gets, no matter how bad it is. The blurb from their website indicates - Chefette Restaurants was first established in 1972 and is the largest indigenous restaurant chain in Barbados. From the extensive menu, sample the popular broasted chicken, pizzas, rotis, burgers, ice cream, healthy options, and so much more. Let your first taste of Barbados be Chefette!
Lunch was had pretty late for me at half past two and it was quite filling. I ended up choosing the vegetarian slice and the chips as I couldn't be sure that the meat was Halaal.
As my thoughts gradually turned to how to cope on an 8 and a half hour flight to London Gatwick, I thought to myself, that it will be a challenge to keep up writing my thoughts and feelings down on paper to eventually make it's way into my blog and that I will strive my best to do so. As events transpired I wasn't able to write another word. As I was so extremely busy - the good kind of busy that is.
Next blog post - my Virgin Atlantic Flight experience.
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