Author: William Burton

  • The Barbados Trailways Project

    The Barbados Trailways Project

    The Barbados Trailway Project is an ambitious plan to convert the Train Line into a multi-use pathway for use by Bajan cyclists, walkers and runners. Since the train stopped running in 1937 the tracks were removed and the route used by the surrounding farmers to gain access to their fields. It was also used by…

  • Life after COVID-19. Hope for a new world order

    Life after COVID-19. Hope for a new world order

    With the spread of the COVID-19 virus showing no sign of leaving the world any time soon it is probably premature to talk or think of life after it is gone. It appears that the necessary and common sense restrictions on gathering has slowed the COVID-19 infection rate and by extension the COVID-19 death rate.…

  • Manjak

    Manjak

    Manjak and the origins of Barbados and the oil deposits we see in the Scotland area began about 50 million years ago and approximately 4 km below the sea level.  The rivers of South America were depositing layers of gravel, sand and organic material across the ocean floor.  The sea was populated with small marine…

  • Living in Barbados with COVID-19

    Living in Barbados with COVID-19

    With the first day of the curfew caused by COVID-19 life on Barbados has completely changed. Most business are now closed and the essential ones have reduced opening hours. This is bad news for the many who work by the hour or have part time jobs. However it is the only sensible thing that the…

  • Cuba

    Cuba

    Cuba is a country that is misrepresented and misunderstood by the rest of the world. I have a very different view from that portrayed in the press and internet. Cubans are very proud of their heritage and history. Their education and health care systems are much better than most countries. There are many Colectivos (shared…

  • The Great Outdoor Challenge (TGOC) 2019

    The Great Outdoor Challenge (TGOC) 2019

    The Great Outdoor Challenge celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2019. It was conceived by Hamish Brown as a self-supported backpacking crossing of Scotland. Roger Smith was the editor of the TGO Magazine and he supported the idea when Hamish approached him. There are no categories or prizes. Everyone gets the same T-shirt, thanks to Berghaus…

  • Panama canal

    Panama canal

    The Panama canal was an idea that took a long time to come to fruition. The idea of creating a water passage between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea was first considered as far back as the early 1500’s.  Charles 1st of Spain wanted a faster and safer route from the west coast of…

  • Mendoza and Aconcagua. Wine and Mountains.

    Mendoza and Aconcagua. Wine and Mountains.

    Mendoza in northern Argentina is famous for two things. One is the very good Malbec wine that the region produces.   Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside of the Himalaya region, is in the Parque Provincial Aconcagua.  I choose the hike to Plaza de Mulas which is the base camp for anyone wishing to climb the mountain.…

  • The Colin Hudson Great (Barbados) Train Hike

    The Colin Hudson Great (Barbados) Train Hike

    The Great Train Hike was conceived by Dr. Colin Hudson and the first official walk was on 1st June 2003.  This was the only official Train Hike that Colin did as he died in February the following year.   The Great Train Hike was renamed The Colin Hudson Great Train Hike in 2004 to mark the valuable contribution Dr.…

  • Survivors arriving in Barbados in May 1942 from merchant ships sunk by German U-Boats

    Survivors arriving in Barbados in May 1942 from merchant ships sunk by German U-Boats

    In May of 1942 there was intense activity by U-Boats in the Caribbean that resulted in heavy losses of allied shipping. Germany was trying, and succeeding, to disrupt the supplies of war material reaching Europe from the USA and Caribbean. Trinidad and Venezuela were supplying the allies with petroleum products, Guyana with Bauxite and the…