Today we are visiting the Spice Island of Grenada. They are known for the production of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and mace to name a few. The population of this rather small island is 111,219 people that speak mostly English. The capital is St. George's and that is where we will dock today.
The last time we were here was in 2022 on back-to-back Caribbean cruises. Due to Covid, there was no world voyage that year, so we created a trip with almost as many days but stayed close to the USA. On our initial stops here, we were not allowed access to the town unless we had booked a ship's tour. Having done most tours here over the years, we chose to stay in the Esplanade Mall and not exit the building. On our final stop, we were able to go where we wished. We pretty much did our same hike today as we did back then.
We had company today…..the P&O Britannia was also docked across from us. And it was big compared to the Zuiderdam. They have up to 3600 passengers with a crew of 1350. Unlike us, they were on a 14 day round trip in the Caribbean and many of their passengers were young kids. The town and the excursions will be busy today. Speaking of tours, there were 5 choices which included Grenada Island drive 4 hours for $65, and the best of Grenada for 7 hours and $150 with a lunch. Snorkeling from a 60 foot catamaran in Flamingo Bay was $75 for 2 ¾ hours, but a really fun one was a Rhum Runner Pleasure Cruise, enhanced with a powerful rum punch we were told for $75 and 3 hours. Lastly a rainforest visit was $80 for 3 ¾ hours. And from the looks of it, rain passed over those high peaks most of the day.
We lucked out and had the portside view of the harbor where we watched the Rhum Runner load its guests. A little further up, several water taxis filled up with folks heading towards the beaches. We read somewhere that the cost of these taxis is about $4 USD. Between the Britannia and the Zuiderdam, these small boats operated all day. Our guess was that these rides went to Grand Anse, the main resort area south of the St. George's. They boast white sand beaches and nice resorts, something you will not find in downtown. The highest number of hotels, bars and cafes are also located in Grand Anse.
North of St. George's is an underwater sculpture park consisting of 80 life-size works. Made from concrete, these statues have become encrusted with coral growth. It is accessible to both snorkelers and divers, however not offered on any ship tour. The tickets reportedly cost $2 USD to get into the park.
What kind of food is served here? Roti, which is seen on most all of the Caribbean islands. It is more like a sandwich filled with all types of meats and veggies. Oil down, an odd name, is a beef and salt pork stew with coconut milk. Another favorite is salt fish baked with onion and veggies with a side of fried bread. Dishes made with conch are called lambi and is typically washed down with Carib beer. Jack Iron rum is a lethal local brew, but the chocolate produced at the Diamond Chocolate Factory, called Jouvay, is sold throughout the island. Among the fruit grown here are papayas, custard apple, and a soursop, an acquired taste.
Leaving the ship by 11am, we headed through the huge Esplanade Mall to the main street. Turning left, we walked through downtown to the bus depot. In that same area, we found the fish market, where most all of the fresh catch had been sold already. Not a surprise, because today was Saturday, their biggest market day. Turning back, we went up one street and found their marketplace where you could find everything. There was the produce, but also tents full of souvenirs. The biggest seller had to be the bowls of assorted spices as well as necklaces made from nutmeg seeds. We still have these mementos at home from our first visit here back in the late 80's.
Running into friends, we all headed towards the Sendall Tunnel which runs 350 feet under a steep knoll. It connects the downtown to the Carenage waterfront promenade of an adjacent inner harbor. This tunnel was built for horses and carriages in the old days, so it was narrow and not very high. We walked through this one way tunnel the last time we were here and there were no ceiling lights. Sure made it creepy as well as dangerous without any lights. We recall the locals bringing out their cell phones and holding them up to see inside the tight tunnel. Now there were bright lights and we could see without the use of cell phones. It worked for us as we safely made it to the other side. Here we made our way to the water of the Carenage and walked the entire promenade passing many fishing boats. It was written that there are many beachside restaurants here, but the biggest one was a Pizza Hut. There may have been some bars, but they were not opened yet. We all took many pictures of the boats in the harbor, especially when the sun came out and the houses on the hillsides were brilliant.
On the way back, we wanted to stop in the House of Chocolate Museum, a very small shop with a tiny café where the folks can enjoy chocolates that were crafted on site. Going into the door, we saw that the place was wall-to-wall jammed, so we left. Continuing walking uphill, we realized that we had summited the top of the steep knoll that by-passed the tunnel. It was not as strenuous as we had been led to believe, although some of those higher streets were downright vertical. Most of the sidewalks had to be stairs. We went as far as a Cathedral and a school, then turned around heading the same way we had come.
Back to the Esplanade Mall, we headed out the doors to the ship since we had not found any restaurant at all for lunch. Our best bet was room service salads and a sandwich. Once again, it was so warm outside, we appreciated cooling off in our room. We had the best view from our veranda and stayed outside most of the time watching the boats fill up over and over.
Sail away was after 5pm, followed by the Britannia. We're not sure where she is headed, but we are on or way to Curacao in a couple of days.
Dinner was good, but different items are popping up on the entrée section. Chicken noodle soup, a crab and shrimp appetizer, and salads were our starters. One of us ordered the roast lamb, which looked nice, and the other a pasta dish with Italian sausage. However, there was no sausage to be seen. By the time our waiter came around, it was too late……it was all gone. Oh well, pasta with a cheese sauce was fine for a change. Desserts were a chocolate cake with caramelized popcorn, a scoop of ice cream, and a glass of sliced bananas. They must have bought some onshore today. Lucky.
The entertainer this evening was a flautist by the name of Andrea Amat. Described as "Virtuoso de Valencia", she was guaranteed to blow everyone's minds.
We did have a message waiting for us on our bed concerning updated ADA signage in parts of the ship…… specifically, the Lido, self-seating bar areas, and the World Stage. There are disabled signs on some seats with another sign designating a companion seating. We have been asked to respect those signs and sit elsewhere if we do not need these ADA seats. Not a problem for us, since we do not frequent these areas very often.
Looking forward to a day at sea.
Bill & Mary Ann
