Grenada “the Spice Isle”

Two days ago we left New Orleans and flew to Grenada. Our good friend Scott who lives in downtown N.O. put us up for a few days and drove us to the airport. Grenada is a small little island in the Caribbean down near the end of the Lesser Antilles. Its also know as the “Spice Isle”.
If you want any further information…Google it. (Hey, I’ve only been here two days.)

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].

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.

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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