Nick filled small yard with numerous flower pots with mountain herbs and flowers , and he made big windows to let sun come into cottage. “This will be our permanent house when we retire,” he adds. “Meanwhile, we visit Kerkyra 2-3 times a year and our kids come over in between their holidays too. We also let some close relatives to use it and some friends.”

Nick is just one of four other residents of village neighborhood. A few meters further on, a couple from Holland have rebuilt their own house and visit it every summer. The neighbors keep an eye on it when they are away, and they even take care of their small vegetable garden.

Some of benefits of this kind of tourism, can be listed below: 1.Save on rents of hotels, apartments etc. 2.Save on meals of restaurants 3.Carry no baggage 4.Make new friends 5.Ideal for retired people 6.Ideal for relaxing in a natural environment 7.Learn new lifestyle 8.Try new food Permanent tourism is nevertheless a new trend that will stay!

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Liana Metal is a writer living in Greece. Contact her at lianamet20@yahoo.co.uk

We departed Gun Hill with first rum punch under our belts. There are 900 miles of paved road on island, but we were on safari, so we took bumpy route through sugar cane fields. The cane grew high and we were lost in maze of green lush. Philip pulls up to chop a couple of cane stalks for chewing and chomping on at next rum punch stop. Then we were splooshed into "Pigsty", so named because there is always knee-deep water in gully. "You don't want to be here in a hurricane," said Philip. Did you know that hurrican (sic) is an indigenous Amerindian/Arawak word that describes these horrific winds?

Suddenly we were high and dry, looking down on Pigsty from 250-year-old Molasses Bridge, held together by mortar of molasses and eggs, one of strongest spans in Barbados.

Because 70 miles of Barbados coastline is closest landmass to African continent, slavers first came to Barbados to use island as a slave distribution center for rest of Caribbean. But slavery was outlawed in Barbados long before Britain or United States emancipated their slaves; country became independent in 1966, with a parliamentary system based on British system of government. There is very little land sold for development, it is saved for agricultural purposes, so there is plenty of green space on island, and all beaches are public, even in front of luxury hotels dotting coastline.

We were off to visit Edge Cliff, so named because it is edge of a cliff. The wind blew a streaming constant from Atlantic Ocean 140 feet below. Yes, it was time for rum punch and a snack of sugar cane stalks.

Later, we passed Malvern House Plantation, now a colon clinic with riding stables. Don't ask about any analogies. There is an old sugar factory across from Malvern House. Philip pointed out an Indian Almond tree, similar in appearance to poisonous Machioneel. The croplands were planted in sweet potatoes and yams, with young sugar cane growing between sweet potato rows. The sweet potatoes will mature first, so farmers get more use from same acreage.

We pass Andrew Sugar Cane Factory that still produces more sugar cane mash than modern factories. It is not biggest, but it has been in operation for over 116 years. There are two types of molasses, but black strap variety is used in Barbados for rum. The local Sugar Cane Research Institute is nearby, #1 home for cane species in world. The first whites in Barbados were indentured Scots and Brits serving petty crime sentences of 5-7 years, and they developed first cane fields. They harvest cane now with combines. They don't burn cane like on other islands, so they can cut cane back for additional growth and cuttings. Come to Barbados for annual "Crop Over", a celebration of traditional cane-cutting era, held in July and August each year.

Read this entire feature FREE with photos at http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/globe02/Carib02/barbados/safari/safari.html

By Kriss Hammond - Jetsetters Magazine Editor - at www.jetsettersmagazine.com