Pictures of the Week 2010-20
Hello All,
Departing Curacao we rounded the island on the north, then set our course eastbound for Grenada. We passed the third Dutch Antilles island of Bonaire and the island of Aves de Sotavento overnight while maintaining a steady easterly course.
Grenada was sighted by Christopher Columbus on his third voyage in 1498, but the first permanent settlement on the island wasn’t established until 1650 by the French. During the 18th century dynastic wars, the island was held alternately by France and England until 1783, when the Treaty of Versailles ceded Grenada to the British. It wasn’t until 1974 that the three-island nation, comprising Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, achieved independence. They became one of the smallest independent countries in the Western Hemisphere.
Grenada is known as the Isle of Spice because it is the largest spice producing island in the Caribbean. It is one of the world’s major producers of nutmeg, mace, clove, cinnamon, and cocoa.
Since we were not scheduled to arrive till midday we got our daily walk in early, had breakfast and were out on deck for our arrival. The island had more mountains than our previous ports of call. The emerald hillsides and tropical forests were quite lovely.
Departing Curacao we rounded the island on the north, then set our course eastbound for Grenada. We passed the third Dutch Antilles island of Bonaire and the island of Aves de Sotavento overnight while maintaining a steady easterly course.
Grenada was sighted by Christopher Columbus on his third voyage in 1498, but the first permanent settlement on the island wasn’t established until 1650 by the French. During the 18th century dynastic wars, the island was held alternately by France and England until 1783, when the Treaty of Versailles ceded Grenada to the British. It wasn’t until 1974 that the three-island nation, comprising Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, achieved independence. They became one of the smallest independent countries in the Western Hemisphere.
Grenada is known as the Isle of Spice because it is the largest spice producing island in the Caribbean. It is one of the world’s major producers of nutmeg, mace, clove, cinnamon, and cocoa.
Since we were not scheduled to arrive till midday we got our daily walk in early, had breakfast and were out on deck for our arrival. The island had more mountains than our previous ports of call. The emerald hillsides and tropical forests were quite lovely.
Just before noon we were
slowly thrusting up to the dock at the capital city of St. George’s.
After securing the ship the
captain gave us the all clear to disembark. Since the tour we had scheduled
didn’t depart for a couple of hours we decided to walk into town.
There was a drum band playing
to greet us. They called themselves the Angel Harps. They were quite good and
the steel drums added a unique sound.
Our walk into town was
disappointing. There were folks constantly hounding us trying to sell us their
wares. It was old and shabby. Streets were narrow and most did not have
sidewalks. So we ended up walking in the street along with the locals, dodging
crazy drivers who were constantly honking their horns. Open gutters ran beside
the streets. It was the exact opposite of the beautiful clean Curacao we had
visited the day before.
After about 30 minutes we had
seen about all we could stand of downtown St. George’s so we walked back to the
dock. At the prescribed time we boarded our transportation (a minivan) for a
tour of Granada. Our driver was very nice. However, riding in a van/taxi on the
streets is about as exciting as walking on them. They drive on the left side of
the road. However, people park cars wherever they want, so most of the time
drivers are weaving around them. We felt like we were cheating death around
every corner. Not only were the streets narrow with many other vehicles and
pedestrians to watch out for, they became very steep the further out of town we
got.
Higher up into the mountains we entered the
dense lush forest of the jungle. When the tradewinds hit the mountains it
forces the warm moist air upward. The air condenses as it rises up into the
cooler atmosphere forming clouds and causing rain almost daily.
Our driver identified plants,
bushes, and flowers not familiar to us. He explained the complicated process of
harvesting nutmeg. Fruits in the following photos are on bread fruit trees. The
tree is a fast grower and can easily reach 85-90 feet in height. They are from
the Mulberry family.
We drove through the vast
campus of St. George’s Caribbean Medical Schools and Caribbean Veterinary
Schools. Campus access was restricted and all the buildings were a light
salmon-pink color with white trim.
Next we visited the memorial to U.S. troops that
invaded Grenada in late 1983. The invasion can be seen as a small part of the
rivalry between the U.S. and Cuba during the Reagan years. A bloody coup in
Grenada, along with a perceived threat to American medical students on the
island, provided the U.S. with an excellent excuse to eliminate a Marxist
regime allied to Fidel Castro’s Cuba. Our tour driver said the people of
Grenada are grateful that the U.S. liberated them from Castro’s control.
We made a welcome refreshment
stop at an open-air watering hole named de Big Fish. It was a quaint rustic
place on a lagoon near the university. We suspect it is a popular gathering
place for students on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Grenada was interesting, but
not on our list of places to visit again. It falls into the “been there, done
that” category for us. Our next port of call will be Dominica.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns