A colourful seahorse is tattooed on his left arm and under it the word Barbados is prominently etched in bold, each letter clearly defined.
It is the constant reminder of the deep love Lyall McFarlane feels for the country he fondly calls his second home.
So much so that Lyall has fallen victim to the Bajan tradition of having a nickname.
As a result, many just call him Mac.
Mac and his wife Anne have been travelling from Surrey, England to Barbados for the past 29 years.
Over the years they have not only made many friends here but have been so bowled over by the beauty of Barbados that they can’t help but introduce others to the island they love so much.
They even wince at the thought of not having had that chance conversation with a friend who first spoke of Barbados and piqued their interest in visiting all those years ago.
Sitting back and relaxing in the foyer at Bougainvillea Beach Resort on Maxwell Coast Road, Christ Church, the couple delayed heading to the pool mid-morning on Wednesday to wax poetic about the country they said had embraced them so warmly.
Anne recalls though that on their first trip they weren’t that impressed by their drive to the Silver Sands Hotel where they stayed.
“When we first came it was at night and I remember saying to myself ‘this isn’t paradise’. It was dark and it was a new country we were visiting so we were not at all familiar with it,” said Anne, snuggled up to her husband on the couch in the foyer.
“By morning though it was almost like if there was a transformation. The shades were pulled in the room and we were definitely in paradise,” she recalled, laughing.
That sealed it for the couple, who said they just couldn’t resist the urge to keep coming back.
About ten years ago, they were attacked and robbed one night as they walked back to the Silver Sands Hotel, where they have stayed in 23 of the 29 years they have visited.
While they share the experience, it is not one that they like to recount.
In fact, they are both a little uncomfortable, especially Mac.
“We were walking back to the hotel from the restaurant in the area and Anne turned around and there were three guys behind us,” Mac recalled.
He immediately told his wife to give him her bag.
“One of the guys asked for the bag and I said ‘no’. I just wanted to get to the Sticky Wicket (bar) because I knew someone there. All this time, I still had the bag wrapped around my hand. I refused to let it go,” he said.
But the whack he got across his back with a cutlass by one of the men and then to his foot made him buckle and fall to the ground.
All the while on the ground, Mac was being hit with the cutlass, while Anne, powerless, was just in shock, screaming for help.
The assailants ran off and left Mac on the ground, bleeding, cuts to his back, leg and even his mouth where the cutlass had landed from one of lashes he got.
There was a call for help and Mac and Anne recalled that they had never seen so many police officers in one area in such a quick time.
He was then rushed to the Elcourt Clinic.
That attack still leaves a bitter taste in their mouths, but not enough to keep them away from Barbados, although Mac confessed that he has had flashbacks of the attack.
In fact, they were back six months after the incident which they believe could have happened anywhere, not just in Barbados.
Robbed in London
“It can happen anywhere. I got robbed twice in Brixton [London],” he said.
The couple said that around the time of the attack, they were supposed to be attending the Prime Minister’s residence to receive an award in recognition of the number of times they had been to Barbados.
They never made the ceremony, but they thought it was a touching moment when tourism officials visited them at their hotel and presented them with the award.
That incident occurred at a time when the McFarlanes used to visit Barbados twice a year. Nowadays with the rising costs, they can only afford to make one trip.
Usually that trip is timed to coincide with Mac’s birthday.
This year was no different. Mac celebrated his 75th birthday at a party at Charlie’s Bar last Saturday with many of his Bajan friends, as well as those who flew in.
On their trips over the years, the McFarlanes have enjoyed the many sights and scenes and sounds of the island, and they easily rattle off some of their favourite dining places, and spots to hang out, including Champers and Café Sol.
But it is the charm of Oistins on a Friday night that has a special pull for Mac and Anne.
“We just love it there,” he said. “We always have to go. Sometimes we just sit and have dinner and watch all the entertainment. We just love it.”
Mac once worked at Gatwick Airport as a high lift truck driver, but now works at a race course.
Anne, who is now retired, said that for her the friendliness of Barbadians was a major asset.
“Everyone is just so nice and warm and friendly and they greet us wherever we go.”
Their daughter Karen even got married here in 1993.
While here, the McFarlanes also get to enjoy some Bajan dishes like cou cou, flying fish and macaroni pie.
“Barbados is just special to us,” said Mac.
In fact, they have booked for next year already.
“We will be back,” said Mac.
