Well, this morning we got the announcement we had hoped for……local officials had granted "free flow", meaning that we were allowed off of the ship and out the terminal doors without a taxi ride or a babysitter guide. So the third time here was a charm as the saying goes.
Grenada is a small island with 90,000 people. The island is 21 miles long and 12 miles wide with a healthy rain forest in the central mountains. Often called the Spice Island, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves are grown commercially. And up high in the mountains, there are monkeys we are told. It was hot and steamy today, and understandable, since Grenada sits 12 degrees above the Equator. And it was wise to have brought our umbrellas, as showers passed over and over during the morning hours.
Other crops grown here are lettuce, tomatoes, citrus, mangoes, papaya, callaloo (like spinach), dasheen (a root veggie), squash, and breadfruit. Ice cream flavors include soursop (a type of apple), guava, rum raisin, coconut, and nutmeg.
St. George's is the capital, and that is where we docked today. We were not alone, as the Silver Moon (Silverseas) was docked across from us. She is one nice ship, as was the Silver Shadow that we took to Alaska one early fall. Good thing we had saved the island map, because none were handed out today that we could see. Turning left out of the Esplanade Mall, we made our way to the Fish Market. This facility was way smaller than the one in Barbados. Only a few nice ladies were cleaning the catch. The most offerings were tuna….yellow fin, commonly caught here.
Continuing up the road, we were in the outskirts of town and near the two sports stadiums. The National Stadium had been heavily damaged during Hurricane Ivan back in 2004. China came along and helped restore the stadium before the 2007 cricket world cup. Having gone far enough, we back-tracked to downtown and located the best way to access the Carenage (harbor) on the other side of the hilltops. It was by going through the Sendall Tunnel built in 1895, measuring 340 feet long and 7 feet high. Talk about raising your blood pressure. This tunnel is narrow with no sidewalks, and barely enough room for a compact car to go through. No lights either. The cars did not slow down as we squeezed along the wall. Obviously, when this tunnel was built, there were no cars.
Once through the tunnel, we found our way to the Carenage where we saw many fishing and tour boats. There was a monument at the far end of this harbor. It is called Christ of the Deep Statue, dedicated to the Costa Bianca cruise ship that caught fire, and sunk a little way off of this coast back in 1961. This 600 foot ship is now home to the corals and fish, and has become a popular dive site. Costa Cruise Lines gifted this statue to the good people of Grenada that helped the survivors.
Had we kept walking, we would have made it to the Lagoon, and the boat marina area. All aboard was 3:30pm, so we did want to make it back well before that time. There were a few restaurants in this area and some of the specialties included roti, curried chicken or beef with veggies, that is wrapped in a pastry and baked. These are more popular than sandwiches. Conch ( the shellfish) is called lambi….go figure. And oildown is salted meat, breadfruit, onions and carrots with celery and dumplings. It is all boiled in coconut milk until the mixture becomes ""oily". Thus, the name. In between these cafes, we saw a Pizza Hut. Funny, huh? Up at the fish market, we saw a KFC. It is not uncommon to see both of these together in many ports.
The humidity had gotten to us, and we headed back to the room for ice cold sodas. Never tasted so good. Not really hungry, we snacked on dips and crackers for a light meal. More important, was re-hydrating. Sail away was around 4pm, and we were happy to be on the move again. Facing the setting sun, our veranda was hot as a pistol. The breeze was most welcomed.
Dinner had the five of us back. The menu wasn't really exciting, but we all found something we liked. Chicken, lamb shanks, lasagna, and sliced beef were the choices. Their tomato bisque soup is the best. So are the desserts.
We did get a pretty nice sunset, despite the clouds that brought driving winds and rain during the evening hours. We must have gone through several squalls that left our veranda door very wet.
Tomorrow will be St. Kitts, but not until 11 am. Maybe we can sleep in a little later…………
Bill & Mary Ann
Wednesday, March 2, 2022
Report #74 Saint George's, Grenada Tuesday-March 4, 2022 Partly Cloudy With Rain 82 Degrees Part #1 Of 3.........80 Pictures
