Today's port of call was St. George's, Grenada, situated 12 degrees north of the Equator. It is 21 miles long and 12 miles wide. Nicknamed the Isle of Spice, it would have been nice to explore the city outside the terminal. But it was not to be. Once again we were required to take an HAL tour, or use a local approved taxi to go anywhere. Even if we chose just to walk the city streets, we would have to have a guide. Not for us. Now that really makes no sense to us other than it was a "money" thing. You cannot fight city hall.
Anyway, here is what we didn't see, but learned from reading maps and books. St. George's is the capital of Grenada, and has not changed much from colonial times. The narrow streets are filled with shops built along the steep hills. Old brick warehouses are now shopping malls that surround the waterfront. Many of the homes are painted pastel shades that blend with the lush vegetation. It is said that the harbor here is the prettiest in the Caribbean.
We worked in the room until 10:30am, then headed off for the short walk on the pier to the terminal building, located within the Esplanade Mall. Before we went inside, a nice couple of folks came over and asked if we had been on the ill-fated 2020 GWV. Yes, we had been there. Turned out this couple had a room down the hall from us on the Amsterdam. They remembered seeing us coming and going. We are pretty sure they admitted to reading the blog, and had been on the lookout for us. Small world…….
The Esplanade Mall was a series of duty-free shops with jewelry, electronics, liquor, gift items, clothing, local crafts and oodles of souvenirs. Needing a warm sweatshirt, we finally bought one at one of the shops. The owner gave us the cruise ship discount of 20% without hesitation. We did not see things flying off of the shelves so much today. Then outside this store, we ran into another couple who we have already met. They are also doing a blog on this trip. Before we knew it, a half hour went by as we realized we had traveled some of the same places and knew some of the same people. Again, a small world.
With that, we went back to the ship, and stayed inside the room until dinnertime. All aboard was 2:30pm,but we did not leave on time due to a late tour coming back. It was too late for lunch in the Lido for us, so we had some rooms snacks instead. It was nicer to watch sailing out of the harbor from our veranda.
Here are a few interesting facts we came upon. Back in 1961, a 600 foot cruise ship, named Bianca C, caught fire and sank in the harbor. Going down 100 feet, it has become a diving site these days. Encrusted with coral, it is home to giant turtles, eagle rays, jack, and barracuda. A monument called Christ of the Deep was donated to this area by the Costa Cruise Line marking the spot.
A particularly disturbing piece of history happened in 1651, when the indigenous Caribs, after losing their battle with the French, committed mass suicide by leaping off a 100 foot vertical cliff to the sea below. The site is named Carib's Leap.
Finally, back in October 25, 1983, the assassination of the Prime Minister and some of his supporters prompted Grenada's government to request help of the US troops. We remember that incident being called a one day intervention that prevented a war.
Dinner was with Barb, and was fun as always. We ordered one lamb shank, tenderloin slices, and Rudi's special brisket. All were good and served nice and hot. Desserts were also good of course.
Tomorrow we should be in Saint Kitts, a much different port than today's. At least it appears we will be able to explore on our own without a babysitter.
Bill & Mary Ann
Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Report # 53 St. George's, Grenada Tuesday - February 8, 2022 Mostly sunny & 82 degrees
