Happy New Years from the Crew at Hop & Jaunt Travelouges!  We’re excited about the new adventures and travels that lay ahead in 2010.  But before we jaunt into the last year of the decade, lets hop back and take a look at some of our favorite experiences from the past year.   Its Hop & Jaunt’s Top Ten Favorite Adventures of 2009.

10.)  Beach Bumming at Roger’s Bar on Hog Island, Grenada

Roger's Beach Bar - Hog Island, Grenada

Roger’s Bar on Hog Island was our first Caribbean experience after joining Alyson’s parents on Quercus.  Roger’s ramshackle beach shack not only had the appearance of being thrown together with driftwood, bamboo and palm leaves, but it literally was put together with nothing more than driftwood, bamboo and palm leaves.  Many afternoon ’sundowners’ turned into late night ‘howl at the moon’ sessions underneath the glow of the single 12 Volt powered light bulb.  Live reggae music, sand between your toes and always a cold beer set the perfect mood for mingling and socializing with the  locals and sailors from around the world.  To read more click here.

9.)  Baby Sitting a Whale in Curacao

Giving baby Sully a tummy rub.

While boat sitting in Curacao we decided to try a little baby sitting as well.  We volunteered to watch after a 10 foot baby pilot whale that was being nursed back to health.  Sully the pilot whale was beached by his family after becoming too ill to keep up with the rest of his pod.  Efforts by local marine biologist and volunteers helped to restore the baby whale back to full health.  We spent a few nights lying by Sully’s pen keeping him company as he vied for our attention by requesting several belly rubs.  It was an experience we will always remember.  Unfortunately efforts to integrate Sully back into the wild have failed, and there are talks that he will be moved to a tank in Sea World, San Diego.  For more click here.

8.)  Oil Down in the Jungle

Hiking into the Jungle for an Oil Down Party

One of the most authentically local island days we’ve had. We joined a young group of locals and sailors for a cook out by the jungle rivers up in the mountains of Grenada. The dish we cooked was a local delicacy called an “oil down” because the different oils sink to the bottom of the pot.  As Grenada is one of the famed ’spice isles’ we drove through the island picking up our fresh ingredients from along the road, people’s yards, and in the trees.  After a hike through the jungle with our pots pots, herbs, and breadfruit we jumped in the river to cool down before building a fire and cooking our very own “oil down” in the jungle. Click here to read more.

Cooking Oil Down in the Jungle

7.)  Windsurfing in Curacao

Windsurf Curacao

While anchored in Spanish Waters in Curacao, we were constantly watching windsurfers whizz by us.  So when we were given the opportunity to learn ourselves, we jumped all over it! Though I would not say we were exactly graceful during our first lessons we did manage to pick up the basics and enjoyed surfing past our friends on the sailboats.  To read more click here.

6.)  Scootering Around Bonaire

Our Macho Scooter from Bonaire

One of our most favorite days was just riding around the small Dutch island of Bonaire on our rented scooter.  Speeding on the curvy roads alongside breathtaking cliffs that plunge down into the blue-green sea was an incredible way to see the island.  We spotted ponds of flamingos, scattering iguanas, and the occasional wild donkey.  Nothing like having the salty sea wind whip by your face as you race full speed through the desert.  We also enjoyed Bonaire for the unbelievable snorkeling.  The underwater wildlife was other-worldly yet beautiful.  Its definitely somewhere we would like to visit again.  For more photos and video click here.

5.)  Scuba Diving in Curacao

Spotted Eagle Ray

Speaking of breathtaking sea life we can’t forget to mention our scuba excursions off the coast of Curacao.  Thanks to our good friend and dive instructor Andy along with some money earned by cleaning boat bottoms, we were able to obtain our Scuba certifications.  The sensation of being 65 feet below the sea’s surface is both tranquil and intense.  The imagery we saw would be difficult to explain in words.  I can only recommend that you do it for yourself.  The fish and coral are like living works of art.  One moment in particular that stands out for us was our very first time diving together.  It was just Alyson and I…and one curious Spotted Eagle Ray.  The sight of that giant ray gracefully flying through the water as he circled us was awesome.  For more Curacao adventures click here.

4.)  Festivals in Cartagena

Festival Parade in Cartagena

Everyone loves a good party, and no one does it quite like Cartagena.  The beautiful old world city is the perfect setting for the week long celebration of parades, fireworks, and concerts.  We had a blast hanging out with our good friends as we all joined in the fun.  The festivities were filled with amazing costumes and dances with plenty of good food and beer, not to mention the all out foam wars.  A not to miss for those energetic enough to last the never ending fiestas.  Plenty of photos and videos here.

3.)  Sailing the Seas

Alyson tanning on deck.

The only way to travel, there is nothing like coming into port by sailboat.  While we have been to some amazing places and done some pretty cool things, one of our favorite parts was just getting from point  A to B.  At times it was relaxing and easy going.  Other times we were wet, tired, and struggling to keep wind in the sails.  Still we love it.  The splashing of dolphins on the bow.  Catching fish underway.  And being alone in the cockpit on a late night watch with just the millions of brilliant stars above.  If you ever want to have an experience of a lifetime…then go to sea.

Click here for more tales of the Spanish Main.

2.)  Turtle Watching in Los Testigos

Watching the Turtles Lay Eggs

We will always remember that dark night on the east coast of Testigos when we watched the giant, dinosaur-like sea turtles emerge from the crashing sea waves.  Their immense size and prehistoric appearance reminded us of how enormous and old the world really is.  Its important to have moments like that every once in a while.  We were also surprised by the gentle nature and careful precision of such an odd and slow animal.  These turtle mothers plan their nests with the most patient manner.  They are actually quite capable of digging with incredible accuracy.  Not to mention the delicate care they treat each egg with.  The whole experience was in a word…beautiful.

Click here to read more.

1.)  Our Secret Cove

Alyson Drinking Coconut Milk at Secret Cove

Everyone out traveling and sailing is looking for that one paradise spot.  The one isolated, remote, and private place that makes you say, “this will always be our spot”, and from then on when you think of paradise its the image that comes to mind.  Ours was secret cove.  Sailing along the Colombian coast and through the morning mist we were awed by the landscape before us:  Beaches, rainforests, water falls, and snow capped mountains.  We spent nearly a week in Secret Cove enjoying the snorkeling, dinghy sailing, beach BBQs, midnight rows, and being away from the rest of the world. You know, this spot actually has it’s own name, but it will always be our secret cove.

See more amazing photos and video of ‘Our Secret Cove’ here.

Beach BBQ at Secret Cove

If you would like to go back and read the blogs about each of these places just click on the link after each paragraph.  Thanks to all our readers who have followed us this year and to all our good friends we’ve made along the way.  We hope you all have a Happy New Years and look forward to seeing you again soon in 2010.

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It’s not what you may be imagining. Oildown happens to be the national dish of Grenada. Last Friday John and I went on one of best adventures since we got to Grenada and our lunch that day was an Oildown deep in the jungle by the river. Let me tell you what happened. A few days before a friend of ours was organizing a “tour” of the island for when his girlfriend flew in. We signed up immediately. Though I have gone on a personal guided tour, and we both created our own tour with the buses, a chance to romp around the island with a group of friends our age just sounded too good to pass up on. At around ten that morning Ian and his girlfriend Lauren came by our boat to pick us up. Ian has been living in the Caribbean for a while with his family and had met Lauren at a sailing regatta in St. Maarten a few months back. We went to another boat and picked up Alex, our ever cheerful and fun “local” cruiser friend and Ian’s little brother Jim. At the docks we met up with a lovely English couple who have been here about the same time as us on their boat fixing it up to head up north, Eddy and Meredith. With Andrew and Sheldon as our “official” driver/guide (these guys are a regular over at Hog Island) this ragtag group were ready to head out. Though we were expecting a van Sheldon showed up with his five seater truck. Thus with an even ten people split between the front and the cab we headed off towards a river off of Grenville.

We stopped over at several stores to stock up on drinks and some basic foods such as chicken wings, garlic, flour, and some plastic plates. The bulk of the ingredients were to come from the land. What Alex had meant by this we found out soon after we left the town of Grenville. Every ten minuets or so he would call out from the back of the cab to stop the truck and we would all load out to watch him go into thickets off the road and come back with one herb or another! At one stop we walked a bit into the jungle and with a long pole picked off some breadfruit, at another spot we picked callaloo (a sort of spinach) from a farmer’s patch. Luckily Alex seemed to know almost every third person on the road and where everything grew. Soon our big cooking pot was full of natural ingredients. The truck came to a stop in someone’s abandoned driveway on a top of a hill and Alex yelled out “it’s just down the hill some to the river!” Everyone grabbed our assorted luggage we had acquired since we began, John with the big cooking pot loaded down, some spear fishing guns for the river, a giant cooler weighed down and everyone’s backpacks. We started trekking down the jungle. It was a good 30min. hike down with no obvious trail. It was beautiful. There were wild cocoa trees, oranges, palm trees, and hundreds of other fauna that I could only appreciate. When we finally reached the river from our high noon hike anyplace would have been great, luckily this place was already amazing and the giant trees created a shaded riverside in which to set up camp. John and I jumped into the river expecting it to be chilly but found that it was surprisingly warm. After a month of living on the ocean taking a dip in warm spring water was as close to a bath as we’ve gotten. I regretted not bringing shampoo!! With everyone cooled off and a cold drink in hand Ian and Alex built a fire and began cooking the Oildown. For the official explanation into Grenada cooking check out their site. We sat around on the big rocks and limed (Caribbean slang for party of hanging out) for a while till the food was ready. This turned out to be one of the best dishes we had had in Grenada. Chicken and dumplings, spices and herbs, combined with some rum and good company was a recipe for a great time.

After a long lunch, some swimming, and a bout of spearfishing by Alex and Ian (where Alex managed to spear a good sized one on his first go) we started packing up and getting ready for the hike up. Though we were slightly dreading the hike it turned out that having eaten our food and finished our drinks made for a much quicker accent. I was in charge of holding the spear guns over my shoulder and felt somewhat like a soldier hiking up the jungle! Though John wasn’t as thrilled as he was behind me and he had to keep ducking in order not to get speared unwittingly by me.

Once back in the truck Sheldon was feeling up to finishing the “tour” properly and insisted that we go home via making a circle around the Island. This was met with enthusiastic approval and off we went for the 2^nd act of the day. The first stop was just south of Sauteurs to one of my favorite spots in Grenada, the Bathway Beach. A long pristine beach with nothing around and a little bar shack right in the middle. The flag for the current was red so swimming was off, but the local security guard sitting at the bar invited us to join him and insisted that we all partake in a shot of everclear looking rum. I sniffed it, at 100ish proof the odor alone was enough to make you feel woozy. The next stop on our tour took us down the west side past Guoyave to a small fishing village where we stopped at Ian’s friends local woodworking shop/general store/bar/when the lights are dim dancing hall(?) and visited his friends. In fact since we left the Bathways we basically stopped every 20 minuets to some friends place or another until we finally hit St. George and got something to eat.

Grenadians love to sing, and most of the way back we had a mini concert with Alex leading the chorus in the back of the cab and a competing chorus in the front led by Andrew. At one point we passed through a village called “Happy Hill” where we all began singing, “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands” and all the villagers sitting on their porches would clap. In a series of fun and new adventures we’ve had so far, this day definitely ranks up high in our month we’ve spent here. Thanks everyone for a great day and hope to see you all again one day soon!

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A few days ago Alyson and I decided to do a tour of the island. It was a very windy day on the boat and conditions weren’t really good for doing any of the boat jobs we had planned for the day. As we get further into the summer months the winds have seemed to pick up much more here. The Skipper decided to give everyone a rest day in which we could do whatever we wanted. Alyson and I had talked about going around the island and taking in the sights, so we decided that we would go ashore and do a little exploring of the mainland.

Our plan was really vague. We weren’t sure where to start. We could hire a driver or rent a car of our own for around $100 US, but we eventually decided it would work out cheaper for us to just take the bus. We threw a few personal items into a backpack (camera, sunglasses, sunscreen, towels) and Donna gave us a ride to shore. There is a small town on the east side of the island called Grenville. We decided this would be our first stop although we weren’t really sure what we would find there.

We were dropped off at a little French marina ‘Whisper Cove” and hiked up the steep Grenadian hills to the main road. We were told there is a bus stop to Grenville located near a fruit stand on down the road. The day was already starting to warm up and after half an hour of walking there was still no fruit stand in sight. We eventually decided to hail a bus.

First let me explain how the buses in Grenada work. First of all, they are not the giant silver greyhounds or large yellow school buses that instantly come to the mind upon hearing the word bus. Think much smaller. They are more a kin to a mini van, but this doesn’t stop them from packing up to 18 people inside or more. The Grenadian bus drivers are very serious about collecting fares and seldom will turn a passenger away. We have been on buses that were packed with every seat filled, and we would still continue to pick up people. “Everyone suck in your guts and hold your breath.” I’m not complaining though. It beats walking and sitting in someone else’s lap is a great way to meet people. Once on a bus ride we were actually pulled over by a fat police officer because our bus was over capacity. Even I was surprised. We could have easily fit 5 or 6 more people in there. Making a stop is a little difficult when a passenger in the back needs off. The bus practically empties out and reloads every time.

Anyhow, if you happen to be walking down a Grenadian street or country road, eventually you will hear the short little beep of the bus. If you wanna ride, just hold up your hand and they will stop and happily make room (by any means necessary). So it came to be that after our brisk morning hike, we caught our first bus which took us on down the road to the small fruit stand that sits at the intersection where we could catch our next bus to Grenville. The bus ride cost $2.50 EC (Eastern Caribbean Dollars) or $5 EC for the both of us. $1 EC is exactly $2.67 US.

While at the fruit stand we decided to grab something for breakfast. This particular little stand offers delicious banana smoothies for $5 EC, so we had two. The lady was very sweet and so nice and she made sensational smoothies; however I couldn’t take my eyes off this little growth that dangled off her left hand. It was the size of a pecan and hung from a long piece of loose skin. I hoped she didn’t notice my stares, but I couldn’t take my eyes away from it (whatever it was) as it swung and flopped around as she made our drinks. I kept imagining it plunging into my smoothie and dipping back out. A cowardly thought I know, but I decided not to let my own ridiculous paranoia ruin my breakfast. It was perfect and I would definitely recommend it to all my friends (all of you). I drank every bit.

We caught the next bus shortly after. A ride to Grenville on this bus is $4 EC a person, so once again $8 EC for us both. Its really quite a nice way to see the country. Since there isn’t adequate air conditioning on the bus, they open up the large sliding windows and you get a really nice 50 mph breeze. The scenery is incredible as well. Towering hills covered in green jungle vegetation and on down the cliffs below to the open expanse of the sea. Brace yourself for the ride. The bus drivers know their routes very well and take the winding mountain roads at break neck speeds. It gives you the sensation of riding a roller coaster through the jungle, and almost made me regret not renting a car of our own. Although I admit that I’m too cautious a driver to speed along with the same enthusiasm.

It was about a 45 minute ride to Grenville including several stops. Luckily the bus wasn’t crowded so we enjoyed the large back seat all to ourselves for a good part of the way. When we arrived at Grenville we weren’t sure what to do next. This was a far as we had planned, so we decided to take a short walk around the town. Apparently, this is the place to buy DVDs. Street vendors are set up nearly every 5 feet selling their stock of movies, games and cds. We browsed a few stands, but decided that if we didn’t purchase DVDs when we had a tv, couch and player there really wasn’t much sense in building our collection now. The selection varies as well. You can purchase DVDs for movies that haven’t even been released yet in the States. You can also have your pick of the countless terrible movies as well. Since Alyson and I aren’t very keen on shopping, we didn’t stay at the stalls for very long. We are trying to travel as light as possible now anyways. We asked a security guard near the gate of a fishing harbor for a recommendation for lunch and he pointed us towards a cafeteria called the Melting Pot located upstairs above a small clothing boutique just a few blocks away. We thanked him and went on our way. On the walk there I found the strangest mens bathroom. It was built on the waters edge just beside the jagged rocks that tumble down into the bay. The bathroom must have been destroyed in a past storm, so when you walk through the door you stand looking out over the water. There was not much left of the structure. I wondered if anyone ever fell over the edge when going to the head at night.

At the Melting Pot we had a great lunch. Some of the best local food I’ve had on the island. For $35 EC we received two plates filled with Bar-B-Que Fish, Chicken, Cole Slaw, Stir Fry Vegetables, Macaroni Pie, Rice and a couple of Tings to drink. Ting is citrusy soda like a Sprite or 7up. I like Ting, but even more I like ordering Ting in the Caribbean. “ Give me some Ting to drink, man.” We discussed our options over lunch and decided that since shopping and vending was all there appeared to be in Grenville, we would make use of the rest of the day and try to go as far north on the island as possible. We got out our map and made plans to head north to the village of Sauteurs next. Alyson went to the bathroom to freshen up, while I decided what to do with our empty plates and trays. I didn’t see any waitresses or any place visibly marked for returning your plates. I decided it would be best to just leave them where they were. As I stood up a young girl walked over and looked as if she were going to bus our table, so I began to walk off. I hadn’t gone 3 steps when I heard her shout, “Security! Security!” I turned to stare at her with a blank look on my face. Out of nowhere 3 security guards surrounded us at the table. “My God, what have I done?” I thought. Surely, not busing your own table may be considered rude, but not illegal. The guards stared at me with suspicion until the young lady began making small talk with them inquiring about their after work plans for the day. I suppose she wanted to get their attention, but it nearly scared the Ting out of me.

Once we were back out on the street we asked a few vendors to point us in the direction of the bus terminal. A word of caution when boarding a bus at the terminal. Be prepared to wait. The bus drivers do not like to leave until every seat is full, which is quite a lot of seats to fill. There is fierce competition for passengers too. Once they knew we where headed for Sauters everyone wanted us on their bus. “Hey! Hey! Over here!” “No, No. You ride over here!” Even buses not headed to Sauteurs were trying to get us to climb in. Knowing that we would have to wait for the bus to fill, we climbed into the one with the most passengers. Unfortunately is was only half full (optimist) and it took another 20 minutes of waiting before we left. This also meant that the ride up the rest of the island would be on a loaded bus, but for a fare of only $4.50 EC a person it was a bargain.

If you ever go to Grenada, I highly recommend Sauteurs as a destination. Aside from Hog Island (Hog Heaven), Sauteurs is my favorite spot. It is situated at the north tip of the country, and its beautiful. We visited a little place called Leaper’s Hill. The island was once inhabited by a group of indians called the Caribs. When the French came in 1650 they fought the Caribs to the point of defeat. Rather than surrender the remaining Caribs jumped from a cliff and landed on the rocks below. Sauteurs is French for Jumpers. The island has changed hands many times in its history. The Caribs had driven out the original inhabitants the Arawaks, then the Caribs were replaced by the French, the French replaced by the English, then the French again, then the English again, then it Grenada became its own country and was at one time invaded by the United States. I suppose every body wants a piece of that sweet “Spice Isle” action.

We found a quaint little cafe/snackshop/nice restaurant to grab a few drinks. For $4 EC each we ordered a Carib beer and found a spot with the most ocean breeze. Alyson’s advice: “Girls, don’t wear anything other than waterproof mascara..and in this humidity that’s not even guarantee to stay on!” I suppose it was obvious that we were a little hot as the waitress gave us not only our cold beer but a couple of glasses with ice to pour it in as well. The afternoon was winding down and we were on the opposite side of the island. The buses on the island stop sometime after sundown and since we were in the boonies we decided that we better get back to St. George. After another 20min wait on a bench in the blazing sun we finally caught another bus headed south. This time in order to complete the tour we rode down the west side of the island through Gouyave. Gouyave is a fishing village famous in Grenada for it’s Fish Friday Festival. By this time the bus was finally emptying out so we grabbed the backseat and enjoyed the scenery as if it were our private tour bus.

That pretty much covers our around the island tour. Our tally for the day:
Bus Ride for two to Fruit Stand: $5 EC
Two Banana Smoothies: $10 EC
Bus Ride for two to Grenville: $8 EC
Lunch for Two: $35 EC
Bus Ride to Sauteurs: $9 EC
Drinks in Sauteurs: $8 EC
Bus Ride back to St. Georges: $13 EC

Total Trip: $88 EC or $32.96 US. Not a bad price to see a country.

Here are a few photos of our recent days:

Here I am with Rusty.  We went to his owner (Neil)’s boat and Rusty wanted to go with us up to the beach so he jumped in our dinghy with us.  He’s the perfect sailing dog.

John and Rusty

This is a photo of us with a really cool Irish couple we met.  John and Shelly are here on holiday.  They really know how to travel and gave us several good tips on how to it should be done.  Thanks, guys!

John, Aly, Shelly, and John

This band plays at the cruiser barbeque on Hog Island on Sundays.  The singer in the cowboy hat is in the Canadian Rodeo Circuit.  A very interesting person.

Band on Hog Island

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We are heading into our final week(s) here in Grenada. Everyday we have been working on the boat and finishing up final tasks to prepare her for the passage. We have also been trying to get online for the past week but every time something has thwarted our attempts, so we will keep trying and will be posting as we catch any internet signals! We are heading south west hitting La Blanquila, Los Roques, the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao) and eventually to Cartegena, Colombia.

Roger's Bar on Hog Island

While we spend most of the daylight hours working on the boat and occasionally jumping off the side to cool off we have been hanging out on the beach at night listening to the stories of other world travelers and cruisers. What makes travel by boat so unique than any other form is that each boat is its’ own little universe, and the people on them always have such distinct and fascinating stories. Take for example this Italian woman we have met anchored off the beach of Hog Island. She lived in Germany before the wall fell, got drafted in to the “social improvement” plans of the era and ended up being taught how to screen print. “I got out of having to do photography, but eye, they got me and I loved it!” Her and her boyfriend at the time ended up opening a print shop and specialized in the punk-rock scene of Berlin at the time. By the time the wall fell her store was doing well and by the time the tourist showed up her store was doing extremely well. They ended up buying an old tug boat (?) from a nickel-and-dime style magazine on a whim that took them to North Africa on several occasions. One thing led to another, and she ended up selling the business, raising a daughter in England, and ended up in Carique (The Island north of Grenada). Here she ran a beach bar for a little while until all those “lazy people’ who n‘ever buy nothing stay all day” made her sell the bar. While walking around town she happened across this adorable building and fell in love with it. She bought it on site without even going inside and with another Italian friend decided to open a pizzeria. “I learn’t how to cook the day we opened, but the hype was there, the place we made so nice, that we ended up being the best pizzeria in the Caribbean! And I found out I can cook.” This conversation took place on the beach over a course of a couple of beers and I am sure there are many more up her sleeve.

Yesterday John and I went over to the next bay for a English Fish and Chips meal. There were about a dozen or so other sailors from around the world there as well. While we got our plate filled with battered Mahi Mahi, coleslaw, and chips (French fries for us Americans) we settled into a table with our new friends. There is Tony (lady) and Joe, a German and Portuguese couple who own this amazing 94 year old Nova Scotian fishing boat that has been re-rigged to be a sailboat. They are very friendly and are quite hilarious. Between the two of them we figured that they spoke about ten languages! They speak great English but modestly tell us English is their worst one. There was also a Celtic/Welch gentleman at our table called Mich. He is quite the ‘ol salt with a range of stories going back to the second world war. Being a rugged sailor type his stories are both fantastic and colorfully decked out as well. By the end of the evening with the bar’s speakers playing Irish music he got his 67 year old body out of his chair and gulping down the rest of his beer began to dance the jig!

These encounters and swapping of stories is what I love about traveling and meeting new people. One day I hope that the stories that John and I bring back will ignite that spark of imagination and wonderlust into someone else.

There are all types of people anchored near us.

Neil and Rusty

Though we only have a little more time left here I think we will have our hands full just trying to scratch the surface of potential friends and stories.

Next blog I will write about our extremely cheap and exciting tour of the Island using just the local bus systems! I’ll show you how you too can tour the island, have a large lunch, and a few beers by the beach for only $40. Stay tuned!

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From the crazy pace of “normal life” John and I are rapidly adjusting and enjoying the different tempo that is Island Time. We have been in Grenada for over a week now. We have been living aboard a 38’ sailboat anchored off a little island with a tiki hut bar and a white sandy beach. So far so good, ehy?

Let me try to break down our “normal day,” not an easy task as you’ll see. The sun in Grenada rises at 6 am and sets at 6pm. living on a boat your days begin to rotate around this schedule. We normally wake up around 7:30 and turn on our VHF to listen to the “net.” It’s a news/weather station of sorts, run by the local cruisers where people can radio in news and issues that concern them. A simple technology and system with instant user-feed back that makes all the new social networking media seem slow on the up take. The captain and crew will normally be drinking coffee and reading a book while listening to this. We may have a quick bite to eat. This week marks our first official week of being “crew” and not just guest. Deck call is around 9am where we discuss the jobs and tasks that need to be done. The plan is that we will be heading out west in the next couple of weeks and the boat needs to be in ship-shape condition before we head out. Today was our first full day or work. I worked on the deck while John loaded our dingy (a small inflatable boat used as a means of transport to and from the boat. It’s a similar to being a cruiser’s car.) He headed out across the bay to fill up our jerry cans with fuel and water. By the time I was done and he got back it was time for a break. The heat and the glare off the water make it easy to ever heat so we need to make sure we stop often for a small break. A few more small chores and we stopped for lunch. We have a couple hours before the 2pm deck call that is to be our lunch/free time. We took this chance to take the dingy over to the beach about 200 yards away. The water here is so clear and clean, even a bit warm that swimming is fast becoming our number one hobby. It just feels so good to jump in after being hot and sweaty earlier. We sometimes just jump off the boat and swim around but we just wanted to get off the boat for a little bit and stretch our legs anyway! The thing that takes a little getting used to is having sea-legs. What I mean is that you get so used to the movement of the ship on water that when you get on land you still feel like it is swaying under you. Mix that with even a couple of beers and it gets tricky!

The afternoons are taken up with more tasks that need to get done before we can leave. What makes time onboard so different from on land is that even apparently simple tasks are never that easy. For example, today we had to cut out a few strips of wood. Simple rectangles. But in order to do that we had to dig through the boat unloading all of the tools from under the floor or under seats. In order to plug in a power saw the inverter needs to be turned on, which is located under the cockpit next to the engine. Est., est., est!

We normally wrap up around 4-5pm. Who said this life was getting away from the 9-5! The upside is I can jump into tropical waters for my coffee break. Tonight we headed over to Whisper Cove Marina, a small marina and even smaller restaurant run by a French couple and their 12yr old son. This is our home away from home. It has wi-fi, a shower, cold drinks (a treat in our world), a washer machine, and the best view of the bay. With a lush tropical garden surrounding the patio there is not many five-star hotels that could compete with the ambiance and view. Though we can’t really afford to eat out I heard the food that the French couple cook up are amazing as well. A two thumbs up for those in the area.

The past couple of nights we have been enjoying the party atmosphere that takes over Roger’s Bar on Hog Island during the weekend. Hog Island is a small deserted island (though I hear four seasons bought it and are trying to turn it into condo lots…boo) with a white sandy beach where Roger has a little tiki hut bar. On Sundays he grills out and cruisers and locals alike take their dinghy’s over to eat, drink, and be merry. We were only there a few min. and were invited to join a group grilling out. An international set of people who had met in Grenada while sailing. They welcomed us in and loaded up a plate for us and filled our glasses with wine. We met a couple who had sailed from Denmark, Australia, and from Germany. Meeting new people and hearing their stories, especially out here, is always a highlight to any trip.

I took a tour of the Island yesterday and took about a million pictures so when I get them uploaded into my computer I will post a round-up of the island. Every day has been different so far but we are enjoying ourselves and learning the ropes as we go.

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Grenada

Our flight went amazingly well. There were no delays, no lost luggage, no problems with security or customs. Overall a very relaxing and enjoyable trip. A very good way to begin, although we have already been on the move for three weeks now.

We arrived around 8:30 pm. It was already dark. There seems to be nearly 12 hours of day light and 12 hours of night exactly here. The night was warm and humid with the occasional cooling breeze. Exactly how we like it. The winters of Nebraska really made me appreciate the luxury of stepping outside and being comfortable.

As we headed inside the airport to the customs line, I was a little nervous. We had been pretty casual in filling out our entry paperwork. We knew we were going to be staying on a boat in Clarke’s Court Bay. The rest of our form, including the departure section, we left blank. Surprisingly, customs went extremely well (Aside from being at the end of a long, slow moving line ). There were no questions asked other than…

“You’re staying on a boat?”

“Yes”

Ka-chunk. Ka-chunk. [sound of two passports being stamped].

We found all four of our bags waiting for us at baggage claim, and no one in the customs line seemed interested in looking through any. A good thing since there really wasn’t anything interesting to find. The whole process was so quick and stress free, I could already tell that I was going to like Grenada. I should also mention how friendly the customs people were by taking our four bags, carrying them through the baggage check, outside the airport and loading them into our waiting taxi. Its a pretty welcoming feeling.

Alyson’s parents were waiting for us with big smiles and perfect tans. They had the taxi waiting, and in no time we were speeding along on our way to the marina. Our first two nights here we stayed in a little hotel on the water called “Island View” run by a very friendly fellow named Cletus. The room was pretty basic, but amazingly comfortable. Amazingly so because it doesn’t look comfortable on first viewing.[See the photos below].

Our hotel room - Island View Hotel Grenada

The room was only $30 a night, which is a bargain for a water front hotel. A bargain for anywhere really. Anyone on a backpacker’s budget should definitely give it a thought. Also I should mention that there are only two rooms, We stayed in room number one, which was great. Cold showers, Air conditioning (or an air conditioning unit rather), patio furniture used as indoor furniture, and no noise or light to disturb your sleep. Kind of like a cave. Also the toilet is broken so you have to manually turn the water on and off before you flush. Give it a try and I guarantee you’ll think, “Well, that wasn’t so bad.” In all seriousness though, the room really was very comfortable, the staff was laid back and friendly, and you’ll sleep like a hound dog on a lazy afternoon (which is a good thing).

Also the view from the hotel patio is great. The stars are so bright out over the water. I think its been years since I’ve actually been able to see the stars sparkle and twinkle as much as they do here. Usually they just seem to shine, but here they shine like Christmas tinsel. Combine this with the melodious sounds of crickets chirping, waves sloshing and a cold beer in your hand and all your worries just melt away. And that was our first night in Grenada.

The next day Alyson’s dad (the Skipper) came and picked us up. We took the dinghy back across the bay to the docks were Quercus floated in her slip. Quercus is their boat. Remember the name as it will come up often. Its a 38′ steel sail boat. If you want any further information…ask.

We had breakfast in the cockpit and loaded our luggage. It was a pretty busy first day, but one that began with pretty ordinary tasks. The girls went grocery shopping, and the guys unpacked the luggage. These tasks take a little longer than it would for someone on shore. Any trivial task can seem to take all day. On a 38′ sailboat space is crucial. So every item has to be stowed away in its proper place. There are literally hundreds of lockers and cabinets spread across the boat. In corners, under seats, under floors. If something isn’t put away in its proper locker, it could take days to find it. Grocery shopping is another all day event. You have to catch a ride to town. Buy your provisions. Catch a ride back. Load them into the dinghy. Motor out to the big boat. Move everything from one boat to the next, and then stow them all away.

Transitioning to the boat life will take some time. Its very different from the life on shore we are used to. Alyson and I are bunking up in the aft cabin. Its pretty comfy now that we have all our gear stowed away. Check us out.

Alyson in her cabin

Me in my bunk

This will be our home for the next few months. We look happy now, but can we take it? Is 38 feet of boat big enough for four adults? How do we get internet connection? Keep checking back to find out.

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