George and Deborah's Great Adventures

Thursday, 9 January 2014

A Day In St. George's

Fort George's On The Hill - Carenage on Right

Today was the day to explore St. George’s. It isn’t a large place but full of history with forts dating back to the 18^th century. We motored across the harbour in the dinghy to the Carenage. The name Carenage has its root in the word careenage, a word used to describe the act of careening ships to the shallows in order to get the boats high and dry enough to effect repairs. While the careening doesn’t take place anymore it is a very convenient place to tie up the dinghy and explore the nearby streets.

A Little Tight When a Truck Rolls Through

Our initial target was the old British Fort. We walked through the tunnel dividing the town and took a quick left to climb the hill to Fort George. It was an easy walk and the rewards were the great views of the sea, harbour and surrounding hills. For those used to all the trappings of a well-preserved museum piece, this fort does not fit in that category. Much is left exposed to the elements and descriptive plaques are few but as it is, you still get a sense of what it must have been like back-in-the-day. The Fort is where Maurice Bishop (and his pregnant wife) and cabinet were taken in 1983 before meeting their deaths by firing squad. We were told some of the bullet holes are still in the walls but we didn’t find them. There is also an old French fort perched on the hill overlooking the town but that will have to be for another day.

Looking Across to Port Louis - Our Marina

We had a short walk around the town and lunched at Deyna’s, a small eatery across from the bus terminal. Deyna's served authentic Grenadian food and caters mostly to locals. Even though each cruise ship brings nearly 3000 tourists, at least three times a week, places like Deyna’s see few tourists as most folks eat on board. Meals were about $8 each. Deborah chose the traditional Grenadian dish called Oil Down and Pam chose Lambi (conch in other places) and everyone enjoyed their meals.

Oil Down

After a further short walk about we enjoyed Soursop smoothies for desert. Soursop is a green fruit that resembles a knobby pear reknowned for its cancer-fighting properties

The large outdoor market was under repair but we still managed a short walk around the produce market and to make a few deals.

The Royal Grenadian Police Force

Pigeon Peas and Turmeric

Pam Finds a Breadfruit

Our last stop was the National Museum. We were lucky to get a guided tour for our $5 EC admission. Our guide was originally from the U.K. but has lived in Guyana and Grenada for the last 44 years. I think she thought we were Americans because she wanted to emphasisze to us the great benefits Cuba bestows on Grenada through the supply of doctors, nurses and teachers. She was passionate about her subject matter and well practised in her delivery. For the price, it is well worth the tour.

Measures Left Over From The Spice Trade

So Passionate - She Followed Us Onto the Street

Back to the boat, more pool time until happy hour, and another day in paradise concluded.

Wednesday, 8 January 2014

A Day With Cutty

Between Winston and Cutty we have now driven the entire road system of Grenada, including the two 100 meter straight stretches. Cutty picked us up in his mini bus at 9 am and we joined a small group including one man from Florida, another from Alaska, a young couple from Ottawa, and a retired couple from Britain that had just concluded a round-the-world sail in their 36-foot boat.

Our New Bus Friends

We cannot recommend strongly enough to hire an endorsed local as a guide. Cutty took great pride in his country and made every effort to ensure our individual needs were met. The tour itself was a little hilly, much windy, and included mostly narrow, mountain roads that required a little backing up to let others pass but well worth the drive.

Grenada seems to have this foreign aid concept down pat. According to Cutty, the fact that the United Nations provides one vote per nation, plays very well in favour of smaller nations. Grenada is an equal to the U.S. in voting power and therefore is courted (as many tiny nations are) by many countries to ensure voting support on specific U.N. resolutions. On our tour we passed: 1) the National Stadium completely rebuilt by China, 2) housing developments built by Venezuela, 3) the modern hospital built by Cuba, 4) a large secondary school built by Canada, and 5) several bridges built by Japan. As well, Japan has cornered the market on used vehicles. Every vehicle we have seen in a used, Japanese right-hand drive.

Our first stop was in the jungle surrounding Concord Falls. We arrived in a squall so the water was running strong. So was the Rum Punch we enjoyed, 10 am seemed the right time to imbibe. Due to the protection of the mountains, this area’s vegetation was spared the 2004 hurricane Ivan and is home to many concentrated moutainside farms. The drinks made the narrow road return drive much more bearable.

Concord Falls

Two Spices in One: Nutmeg Pod with ripe Nutmeg surrounded by Mace

For Sale

Our second stop was the nutmeg factory in Gouyave. We had a short-guided tour of the process in a working factory. While tourism has surpassed farming as an economic factor it is still an important industry. Male workers earn as much as $44 EC a day (about $16 U.S.) while the women earn $22 EC.

Arriving in Gouyave

Nutmeg Drying Racks

Nutmeg Ready for Shipping

The third stop was Carib’s Leap. As mentioned in an earlier post, the cliff was the Carib’s last stand on Grenada. Superior French weapons made the war fait-a-complete so the Caribs tried to kill as many Frenchman as they could and then leapt to their deaths off the cliffs. There is a cairn to commemorate the event and a wire mesh fence to guard against tourists from falling but this has been well trampled. My former elementary principal mind turned quickly to risk management, as the area and adjoining cemetery, serves as a playground for the elementary children next door.

Every Playground Needs a Cemetery & Cliff

Guard Fence Fully Trampled

It is a Long Way Down

The fourth spot was the chocolate factory in Belmont Estate. The entire process, from cured beans to wrapped bars takes place in three rooms. We were witness to the process and tasted chocolate with different gradients of cocoa; we preferred the 60%, compared to the 82% and 100%. Each bar is produced singly and hand wrapped. They have an order of 50,000 bars to make in the next month. I am not sure how productive they will be, the supervisor giving the tour finished his beer as we entered and picked up another before we exited the building.

After a Short Argument with Worker (and his beer) Ready For Tour

WCB and Food Safe Are Foreign Concepts

Our lunch spot was the rum factory at River Antoine. We enjoyed a lunch of local dishes that was comprised of: pigeon peas, okra, turmeric noodles, plantain, breadfruit, green bananas, fish, pork, chicken and Stag beers and Sorrel juice from local flowers. We ambled over to the rum factory that still produces rum using traditional methods that remain unchanged since the 1700’s.

Arriving at Rum Factory

Lunch Spot

Our next stop was the chocolate factory in Grenville. Unlike the factory that make the bars, this processing plant took the raw beans from the cocoa pods through the drying process to the finished cocoa beans ready for making chocolate.

We ended the trip with a last drive over the mountains back to St. George’s. We made one stop at the summit to see the monkeys. At first they were not there but Cutty took a walk in the woods and called for a few to join us. Ten years ago, after the hurricane devastated the monkeys’ habitat, Cutty made daily trips to the mountaintop to provide them food. They know his call and were eager to entertain. Deborah volunteered to have one jump on her shoulder, leave some muddy footprints on her blouse, and get a banana for its troubles’.