We made it all the way to Grenada
11 August 2016
Grenada has been the ultimate destination for this year's cruise. Our insurance dictates that we be below 12 degrees north latitude between July 1 and November 1 to lessen the chance of hurricane damage. We stayed north of 12 in Carriacou for the month of July risking it. It didn't seem like much of a risk. We are well blow the normal path for hurricanes. If one was imminent, we could sail 4 hours and be in the “safe” zone.
Grenada was a destination for a good reason but also a place we had not visited and heard much about. I'll get the bad part out of the way. Several weeks ago a man was walking his dog on the beach at Hog Island, right in the area where most cruisers hang out for the season. Two local men, one with a gun, insisted that he take them back to his boat. They then ordered him to sail them to Puerto Rico. His engine didn't work and he ran aground. I don't know if that was a smart move on his part of just luck. The guys kidnapped his wife and took her ashore in the dinghy. They roughed both of them up quite a bit. Eventually they figured out that holding her as a hostage wasn't the smartest idea (as if they ever had one). They let her go after assaulting her, requiring a hospital visit.
These two guys were caught last week and face multiple charges. This was big news on the coconut wireless. We were stunned. But let's put it in perspective. Grenada is an island of 100,000 people. This type of crime is almost unheard of. In Milwaukee there is gunfire every night, In Chicago there are murders almost every night.
It did cause me some sleepless nights thinking just how devastating this would be to us. I also worked out in my head just where the bear spray and machete are in case of attack. I hate the fact that it caused me to go through just what level of violence I would visit upon these guys if I got the upper hand. This is not who we are.
Carnival was quite the opposite. Sure, J'ouvert was craziness to the extreme. It didn't quite meet the level of fraternity pledging but brought back some memories! People were so welcoming of us “white people.” We weren't white for long! The revelers brought buckets of paint and used motor oil. It was liberally applied to all who were in the streets dancing to soca. This started at 6am and went until about 10am!
The Carib Beer band that night consisted of thousands of people who purchased the Carib bling package. We had white hats with blinking LEDs, LED bracelets, necklaces and best of all, light sabers! OK, we also got a Carib sippy cup that was refilled with Carib beer on demand.
Organization didn't appear to be their strong suit but suddenly, we were all in the street with a huge sound system truck leading the way. They blared soca music that will never quite leave my head. A rope was run around the “band” and in the back of the procession was a Carib beer truck. Everyone danced and jumped to the soca music. Lisa was in the Bahamas with Paul and the kids. I was with a group of cruisers we met in Carriacou. At times I was alone among the locals. It was a heady experience just to feel the energy and dance around with everyone. We were in this formation for about 4 hours but the time went fast. We moved about ½ mile the whole time! I saw a lot of other cruisers we met throughout our trip. Carnival is a destination.
Sophie and I slept quite late the next morning. The next event didn't start until around 2, Fancy Mas. Sophie was so excited to get painted with pink and purple spots for Fancy Mas. That dog loves to dress up, just like Wishbone.
Fancy Mas was just as unorganized as anything in the islands. But pretty soon, bands of dancers would appear in the streets, following trucks laden with speakers. Those costumes were spectacular. Food vendors lined the parade route, all serving chicken. But I do love BBQ chicken. The parade started to peter out around 5:30. We waited at least another hour for the bus back to our harbor. Another night of early and deep sleep. Sophie received a thorough shampooing but still has pink spots. Next time I buy a hair product, I'm going to look for the label, “This product was tested on animals!”
Grenada so far has been a whirlwind. Lisa and I like to spend time getting to know an island but were thrown into a whirlwind of activity here. We had some fun in St. Georges and the Carenage before she left. We especially enjoyed the chocolate museum and the best chocolate brownie in the world. We look forward to really getting to know Grenada.