Parrot’s Beak’s (Gmelina Philipensis) is a tropical shrub native to the Philippines. The long pendulous flowers are comprised of yellow blossoms which emerge at the end of a tube-like structure of overlapping bracts. (Source: Flowering Plants of Thailand - A Field guide by Patrick D. McMakin). I first encountered this unusual looking plant in Barbados at the Flower Forest (picture 1-2 top left). During my travels to Thailand, I also stumbled across Gmelina Philipensis (where it is known locally as Ching-chai) in a unique shrine-like setting in the gardens of one the small guesthouses near Chiang Dao (picture top right).

Pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia Pulcherrima), a small evergreen perennial shrub with colorful red, pink orange or yellow flowers, is native to the West Indies and Tropical America. As the name suggests, the flower of this plant is Barbados’s National flower. A member of the legume family, this plant has a flattened bean-like pods which pop open at maturity spitting out the seeds. Note how the flower has very long stamens.

I have also seen the yellow version of Pride of Barbados (aptly named ’ the yellow bird of paradise’) in Koh Chang, my favorite beach resort in Thailand, and it is a popular ornamental featured in many gardens throughout Thailand. I took this picture of Nok -Yoong Thai ’ growing in the ” garden just outside my bungalow. There is considerable exchange between Tropical America and Tropical Asia when it comes to colorful tropical ornamentals. Other common names for this colorful perennial are dwarf Poinciana, fence flower, and peacock flower (because of the long stamens).

Source: http://www.tropilab.com/caesal-pul.html

The flag of Barbados is very simple but very elegant.

The left blue stripe represents the sky and the yellow/gold stripe symbolizes the sand. The right blue stripe represents the sea. The trident in the middle of the Barbados flag represents Barbados independence from the British, with each point of the trident representing the three principles of democracy which are government of, for and by the Barbados people. The trident is also the symbol of Neptune, god of the sea in greek mythology; as such it also denotes the very important relationship between Barbados and the Sea.

Source:http://www.worldflags101.com/b/barbados-flag.aspx and http://www.barbados.gov.bb/natflag.htm

Indigenous to Southeast Asia, this spectacular looking member of the ginger family is cultivated throughout the Tropics. I have seen torch ginger (Phaeomeria Magnifica or Etlingera Elatior) in a botanical garden setting in three of my favorite destinations - Costa Rica, Thailand and Barbados. The cherry red or pink flower heads grow on leafless stalks that sometimes reach a height of 15 feet or more and in appearance, look like they could have made out of candle wax or porcelain. A white variety of torch ginger is found in southern Thailand. Other names are Porcelain Rose or Wax Ginger.

The red torch ginger was photographed in the Flower Forest in Barbados and the white variety was photographed at Queen Sirikit Botanical gardens in Thailand.

Worldwide in distribution, the seaside bean (Canavalia rosea) is a very prolific herbaceous vine found along beach dunes on seashores in the tropics and subtropics. Belonging to the Bean family (Leguminosae) this plant is used to control soil erosion in many parts of the world. I photographed this particular specimen on Barclay’s Park, a popular beach resort and picnic area on Barbados’s North Atlantic Coast. Other names for this plant are beach bean, coastal jackbean and Mackenzie bean.

The Dorado (in Barbados, more commonly known as Flying Fish) has had a long storied history in Bajan Culture. This fish is symbolic of Barbados’s very close relationship with the sea for its sustenance and economic well-being. The flying fish (Dorado) is one of the most abundant species of fish caught in Barbados’s Caribbean waters and for many generations, Bajan fisherman have been catching this fish to feed their families and as a source of income. In Barbados, many small community’s livelihood and well-being is dependant on the flying fish. No wonder that this revered fish is considered a national icon!. The image of the flying fish can be found on the back of Bajan dollar coins and one of the most popular indigenous dishes is fried or grilled flying fish with pepper sauce, callaloo and rice; it’s supposed to be very tasty. Walking into the tourist office in downtown Bridgetown, a beautiful framed print of the flying fish against the backdrop of one of the Caribbean beaches is mounted on the wall above the information counter. At one time, the Barbados Tourist Board used this print on the cover of all their tourist literature. Flying fish anybody? Bim, Let’s head to Barbados!
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I have seen this attractive, unusual looking plant at a variety of tropical locales including Barbados, Costa Rica and Thailand. Native to Peru, the lollypop plant (Pachystachys lutea) is a popular ornamental plant in tropical gardens. Belonging to the Acanthaceae family, the plant has delicate white flowers, which emerge from golden yellow scale-like bracts. The most beautiful specimen I found was in the magnificent rainforest gardens at the Casuarina Beach Club in Barbados. This small tropical evergreen shrub is also known as the golden candle or shrimp plant

Of all the old historical churches in Barbados, St. John’s Parish Church is probably the most popular with tourists primarily because of its spectacular setting. Located in the eastern parish of St. John, this classical gothic church is perched on a cliff with commanding views of the Atlantic Coast

St. John’s Parish Church dates back to 1836, replacing a stone version of the church which was destroyed by a hurricane in 1831. Located in the rear of the church is a cemetery populated with the expansive gravesites of members of the white aristocracy and plantocracy of the mid 19th to early 20th century. Buried on these hallowed grounds is Ferdinand Paleologus, a descendent of the last great Greek Emperor. Paleologus emigrated to Barbados and died there in 1678. In contrast to this “high rent burial ground for the dead” with its elaborate vaults and mausoleums is the cemetery for the lower classes, located directly across the street from the church. In this ‘other cemetery”, simple, bare bones gravesites are the norm for the ex -Africans slaves and their descendants who lie buried there. These separate burial grounds for the whites and the blacks are reflective of the social structure of those earlier days. In modern day Barbados, social and economic barriers have been removed allowing everybody, both and black and white, an opportunity to advance and better themselves. In today’s Barbados, money and privilege have no color.

Barbados has many historic chuches including the famous St. John’s Church, which is located on a cliff with commanding views the Atlantic Ocean. If you pass thru the seaside village of Bathsheba, there is a small antiquated church located directly across the street from the sea. The church has a lot of character and charm and I am guessing that it dates back to the late 18th or early 19th century. If you’re in the area, you’ll definitely want to check it out.

Most people who travel to Barbados stay in one of the lavish resorts or small inns on the island’s famous Gold Coast (Caribbean Coast), a real Tourist Mecca with outstanding beaches, golf courses, boutiques,“hoity toity” restaurants, glitzy nightclubs and all sorts of tourist traps. If you travel to the island’s rugged and sparsely populated Atlantic seaboard, you’ll discover another world altogether - nature reigns supreme here. Dotting the rugged Atlantic coastline are small fishing villages, antiquated churches, unusual geological formations and other natural history attractions, and most importantly a peaceful calm. If you look due east, there is nothing but the vast blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean between where you’re standing and the continent of Africa.

Traveling along the East Coast, you’ll pass thru Bathsheba, a picturesque fishing village, a popular recreational area for Bajans and a world famous surfing beach. Looming in the distance just north of Bathsheba is Chalky Mount, a very unusual geological formation that resembles from a distance, the head of a Sleeping Giant. With his mouth slightly ajar, he looks like he is snoring. Locally this formation is know as Napoleon. Just beyond the Sleeping Giant, is the hilltop village of the Potteries, where local artisans carry on the tradition of fashioning clay pottery similar in design to their African ancestors and the Arawak Indians, the original inhabitants of Barbados and the Caribbean.

Touring ‘the other side of Barbados” is a delightful change of pace from the throbbing tourism development on the Gold Coast.