Day 10, Grenada

Grenada

This was our first look at Grenada––it was raining.

Grenada

But by the time we were ready to leave the ship, the sun was again shining. This photo shows the Carenage (meaning safe harbor) at the inner harbor. Some facts about Grenada: The island is 133 square acres, its population is about 90,000, it is an idependent nation under the British Commonwealth, its official language is English though French patois is also spoken, and it is known as the Spice Island because of the number and amount of spices grown here: nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Grenada was hit recently by two very powerful hurricanes: Hurricane Ivan in August 2004 and Hurricane Emily in July 2005. Damaged structures and roads still remain.

Grenada

Three tours were offered by easyCruise today: “Adventure River Tubing,” “Hide, Wade, & Soak,” and “Land Rover 101 V8 Jeep Tour.” I signed up for the jeep tour––my tour ran. I don’t know about the second tour, but the river tubing one didn’t, perhaps because of what would become a rainy day. Here we are getting into our Land Rover––an Ex–British Military Issue. All of people on my tour were from easyCruise and were a mixture of the young group (a couple from Miami and two young men, one from England and one from Scotland) and the older group (a couple from San Antonio, TX, a party of four from Barbados, and me). Our guide’s name was Spice.

Grenada

We drove around the Carenage to begin our drive along the east coast of the island to the center of the island where we would visit a sulfur spring and view Grand Etang Crater Lake––a four–hour tour into the wilderness.

Grenada

From the Carenage, you need to go through the Sendall Tunnel (built in 1864) to reach the capital city of St. George’s. Both cars and pedestrians share the tunnel––the pedestrians need to judiciously keep to the side of the tunnel (I know as I walked through it later in the afternoon). Photo of the Sendall Tunnel.

Grenada

Entering St. George’s. All the photos that I took from the jeep are looking backward as I took the backmost photographer’s seat. A new cruise terminal is being built in this area.

Grenada

Going through St. George’s.

Grenada

A view of the Caribbean. Our Land Rover was really moving, never stopping for the many potholes in the road left from the hurricanes. We bounced and bounced. My camera’s built–in antishake mechanism got a very good workout.

Grenada

Through another town.

Grenada

Going inland––very very lush and very pretty.

Grenada

Farther up the hill.

Grenada

And even higher.

Grenada

A Catholic church devastated by the hurricanes.

Grenada

Another view of the Caribbean.

Grenada

Farther along.

Grenada

Even higher up.

Grenada

Man we passed on the road. I don’t remember if he waved at us, but so many of the people we passed along the way did wave. It felt good.

Grenada

We are almost there. Entering the rain forest.

Grenada

We have arrived. It was somewhat chilly up this high. Some people had brought along light jackets––this was the first time that I needed one in my whole time in the Caribbean. Of course, I didn’t take one along with me.

Grenada

Our guide Spice. We had a separate driver for this trip.

Grenada

Spice showing us what a nutmeg looks like. The nutmeg husks are allowed to fall off the nutmeg trees and are harvested from the ground.

Grenada

Starting our hike through the rain forest to the sulfur spring. Before I started hiking in, I asked Spice if there were any snakes here. He said no. I believed him and we see any, but I found out later that there really are snakes in Grenada, but, hopefully, they hang out in another part of the rain forest.

Grenada

Crossing the first stream.

Grenada

And the second stream.

Grenada

Onward and upward.

Grenada

Grabbing the handrail, but to do so, we first had to negotiate a very steep part of the trail, trying to find a nearby tree to hold onto.

Grenada

Arriving at the sulfur spring. We are missing two of women from Barbados––they went off into the rainforest. Since they made it out alive, I did later. Don’t drink coffee before you take this trip.

Grenada

Another view of the sulfur spring.

Grenada

Spice is telling these three brave men in our group of what you do with a sulfur rock.

Grenada

You apply the sulfur that you rubbed off the rock onto your face and body. This has a soothing effect on the body.

Grenada

We thought that a good name for the people in this photo would be the “Lost Tribe of Grenada.” These guys were having a ball.

Grenada

Yes, they certainly were: “Beware the Sulfur Spring Monster.” Those of us who didn’t go into the spring had just as good a time as those guys who did because we were laughing hysterically at them.

Grenada

I thought that our (my) walk back down from the spring would be so much easier if I had a walking stick. One of the women from Barbados found two bamboo pieces that could be used for walking sticks and she took branches off one of them for me. I then asked John if he would wash it off for me. Spice also showed the men how to rub together two of the small volcanic rocks that are on the bottom of the sulfur spring to form a paste that you can use for great facials.

Grenada

Hiking back down. My new walking stick worked great.

Grenada

Beautiful rain forest scene from where our jeep was parked.

Grenada

On the road again. We saw this man walking here.

Grenada

And, yes, he is carrying a machete. Spice told us that this man works in the fields and carries his own machete to and from the fields.

Grenada

Banana plantation passed along the way.

Grenada

Cocoa tree.

Grenada

Convenience store along the way.

Grenada

We had to stop about here to be given rain attire––it had started to rain heavily.

Grenada

Grand Etang Crater Lake, our next stop. This lake fills a crater of an extinct volcano and it is believed that it has no bottom. Another possible name for this photo: “Dressed for a Caribbean Holiday.”

Grenada

My now–dressed–for–the weather tour mates.

Grenada

Leaving the lake in the rain.

Grenada

View of the lake from the hill where we stopped at for souvenir and drinks shopping and to use the WC. All of a sudden a downpour, which one of our group likened to a monsoon rain, fell out of the sky.

Grenada

We waited for the rain to subside and then started our trek back to our ship. I didn’t get many photos coming back down as the monsoon rains started again and this time Spice rolled on top and back coverings over the jeep which we couldn’t see out of. However, I did catch this photo of one of the wonderful people of Grenada waving to us.

Grenada

And this one of our Big Orange Boat in the harbor.

Grenada

Spice dropped us off at our ship. It wasn’t raining too hard and I had my umbrella, so I took a walk on the Carenage and through the tunnel to St. George’s. I have put the photos that I took of my walk on a slide show on this website: Go to Slide Shows, Caribbean, “Grenada, The Carenage & St. George’s.” This photo is of the Carenage.

Grenada

Tonight there was a free excursion offered by easyCruise––to the crab races. You could also have dinner at the restaurant where the races were being held, but you had to pay for your meal. I opted for the dinner, which was a large buffet of Caribbean foods, and ate with a couple who I met on the schooner the day before. A steel drum band entertained us and I have put a movie clip of the band on this website: Go to Movies, Caribbean, “Steel Drums, Grenada”

Grenada

Crab Races

This turned out to be a media event––Sky TV was filming it. The man on the left of the photo, wearing a blue shirt, is the captain of easyCruise I, Captain Rocher. The man sitting down took our bets.

Crab Races

First race: The crabs are numbered, with each crab having a corresponding name of a Caribbean Island. For this race, you bet on which crab would cross over the white line of a circle drawn on the floor. After all bets were placed, the odds for each crab were announced. I picked a long shot and lost, I believe, $3 U.S. I have put this crab race on a movie clip on this website: Go to Movies, Caribbean, “Crab Races, Grenada.”

Crab Races

There were several other races, one in which the slowest crab would win. And also the big, big race. This one ended up with 31 crabs as contenders. The crabs were placed in a box in the middle of the floor and you had to pick up your “winning crab” out of the box and take it the man in charge of the crab race to get a number put on it. You also had to give your crab a name. Looking over the crabs for the winner.

Crab Races

The crabs that were left when I decided that I would join in the fun. Don’t ask me what I named my crab––it will remain a secret.

Crab Races

All the 31 crabs were placed under a metal bowl. This volunteer turned to bowl over and the race began.

Crab Races

One of these crabs would be the winner. Can you believe that the crab that won this race was given the name “easyCrab”? And can you as well believe that this crab had been entered by the captain of our easyCruise, Capt. Rocher? He took the grand prize of the evening back to the ship. Thinking about this later, our captain must have a very analytical mind, and after going to enough crab races, he was able to figure out exactly which crab had the best chance to win. Anyway, it made you feel that you were in good analytical hands when traveling on easyCruise I. It was the end of another great day for me after the races were over.