Caribbean with Simon Reeve: Part 2

 The island of Barbados is on the eastern edge of the Caribbean. Dotted along the Barbados coast on the glorious beach are fabulous villas. This is the part of the Caribbean for the rich and the famous. Tourism is the main way of income in Barbados. Many wealthy people enjoy traveling and staying in Barbados. Many of the local people who live full time on the island are hard to find. There has been such an influx in wealthy people moving to Barbados that many of the locals are being pushed out by property developers and other real estate investors. The most beautiful beaches in Barbados used to be swampy mangroves and only the poorest people were able to afford them. Now it is some of the most expensive real estate in the world. People were offered over eight million dollars for the land alone for a spot on this beautiful beach. That is crazy to think that some people still will not leave their home for that amount of money. It goes to show how special the island and beaches must be for someone to not take the money. “Somebody came here and offered me eight million dollars US” (Episode 2, Olly Bootle). The man doesn’t want to leave his home until he is dead. I don’t blame him for this. He has a house on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Where else would he go? 

Comments

  1. Christina SparaneseOctober 4, 2020 at 12:48 PM

    Stephen, I also thought it was very interesting the amount of money people are offered for their small homes on the beach in Barbados. What stood out to me the most from the documentary was when Neville, the local who showed Simone around his town, was offered 8 million dollars for his grandparent's home that he has lived in all his life. Even though Barbados is now filled with beautiful beach villas and wealthy people touring, the locals are very poor. That is how it is for most islands in the Caribbean. These islands rely on tourism as their source of income. It really shocked me that Neville passed up the offer for 8 million dollars. I didn't think many people could pass up an offer like that. That clearly shows how money does not buy happiness.

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