From my adopted island.
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Category Archives: Grenada
Save up to spend a few nights here
The Caribbean is sometimes thought of as a place where excellence does not exist. Well certainly in the Hospitality industry, some hotels have a reputation of offering sloppy service and not delivering value for money.
Enter Spice Island Beach Resort in Grenada, wholly owned by Sir Royston Hopkin, KCMG to debunk the myth that excellence is hard to come by in the Caribbean. Visit the Press page to read more about the owner and the many accolades the hotel has won. They recently refreshed the resort and I got a tour. Have a look at my pictures on Flickr. You might have already noticed them on the right side of these posts.
If you read the Trip Advisor reviews, you will see what visitors have had to say about their stay there. And the location just cannot be beat. On the quieter side of Grand Anse Beach, it offers rooms right on the beach. 1, 2, 3 steps and you’re in the warm azure Caribbean ocean.
So give yourself (and your soul) a treat. Save up. It’ll be well worth it. And fret not about the cost. Do you put a price on your happiness?
Beach Scene
Imagine I have been back in this island for about four weeks and today was the first time I have been to the beach! When I was in a proper job up to the end of last year, working six days per week, mi woulda bex if on the one day off, the weather was not sunny. I had thought that when my employment situation changed, I would have been at the beach several times per week.
In between the sounds of the gently lapping ocean, I psycho-analyzed it. Because now I can go to the beach any time, there is no rush to get there. When I only had one opportunity per week, it seemed scarce and so had to be grabbed.
As you can see, there were few people here at BBC Beach. Just the way I like it. There was a large group of foreigners in my usual spot. I didn’t see the beach chair renter guy so I just took up a lounge chair, along with a regular chair for my first-to-be-used beach bag [because me and bag cyan share chair]. I knew he would come along soon enough and I would pay him. He came. I did.
My beach essentials are very simple. Two types of sunscreen (the quick tanning one for the body and the stronger one for the face), music, a hat, a snack and my journal. Sometimes I carry a magazine but invariably it does not get read because I am so at peace in my own thoughts while listening to a variety of music and taking in the scenery. Continue reading
My sweet teeth were nagging me today
After a day spent working at home, I decided I needed some fresh air. I was feeling for something sweet (sugar……my drug of choice!) and since I don’t want to be tempted, I don’t buy anything like that. Well, most times I don’t. I have Dates, but didn’t feel for that. I had heard about a place in ‘town’ called Chelsea’s Cafe, which serves homemade Gelato.
Ah ha! I hatched a plan. Since I knew I was going to have extra calories, why not earn them? Continue reading
“You need a crown…..”
….not the Kingly or Queenly type, although it would have been nice if I were a Queen in need of a crown. I’m sure Buckingham Palace Peeps could whip up one in no time. Well this is a different type, and I was crest-fallen when I heard those words this week. Continue reading
To Town Again I Go
The Government doesn’t have their systems set up right so my trip into town last Friday was a waste of time IMO. It meant I had to go back today. Was mulling how to get there, since parking is always tight. I visualized the route in my head and thought “that’s not far….I can walk!” Suited up in my tracksuit bottom, red T-shirt and red knapsack and off I went. I ignored the fact that it was after 10 a.m. and the sun was HOT, HOT, HOT! I needed a tan anyway, because remarkably, I have not been to the beach not even once in the three weeks since I have been back! [*note to Self: fix that immediately!]. I didn’t recall seeing any dogs in my past drives, nor any madmen, so everything was good to go. Continue reading
Out and about in “town”
If you live in the Caribbean, particularly in the smaller islands, going into the Capital is referred to as “going to town”. Well, more precisely, “going to tung”. Last Friday while the air-conditioning in my jeep was being repaired, I decided I was going to “tung”. I’ve been several times before, but somehow, being on foot once again caused me to see little things I may have missed before.
First it was to Church street. Destination was a government office at one end of it, opposite the Catholic Church. I started out at the opposite end and slowed down when I saw this house, situated beside the Anglican Church, destroyed in Hurricane Ivan.
There is a garage attached to the house. A gentleman was there doing some woodwork. Chatted with him and found out he lives in the house and had helped to restore the lovely wooden details.
Here is a close up (and yes, I asked him permission before I took both photos).
Intricate wooden trim
After dodging a mad man who was peeing, I stopped at the intersection of Church Street and Market Hill.
Dry Coconut……another achievement.
To the ordinary person, this might just look like a plate with some dry coconut. However, it symbolizes no ordinary feat…..
Growing up, I had seen my father crack open the coconut and husk out the edible portion, but I had never done it. Some years ago when I was living on my own and wanted dry coconut, I got someone at work to break open the shell for me, since I did not have a cutlass. I then attempted to husk out the coconut and in the process, broke the tip of the knife. See Exhibit A.
Carriacou conquers fears
fear [feer]
noun
1.a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid. Synonyms: foreboding, apprehension,
consternation, dismay, dread, terror, fright, panic, horror, trepidation, qualm.
Antonyms: courage,security, calm, intrepidity.
Fear has ruled certain parts of my life. As I’ve gotten older though, I think I have got better at not feeling this emotion so much or let it take control of me. But I am sure I missed out on quite a lot, because of my apprehension over what [invariably bad thing] could happen.
On the spur of the moment, I decided to go to Carriacou last weekend in celebration of my birthday. I was definitely not going to fly on dat dere 7-seater which would have taken a short 20 minutes. So the 2.5 hour ferry ride was the lesser of the two evils. I had only ever been on it once, about 13 years ago and remember the sea-sick feeling I had had on one leg of the journey.
Setting off on Saturday, the weather was great and it made the trip a rather pleasant one. Had I thought about all the things which would have happened on this trip, I might have backed out, yes, because of fear……real or imagined. This is one encounter.
Although most of the trip was unplanned, I knew I needed to go over to Petite Martinique (PM), which is one of the islands in the tri-island state of Grenada. The ferry company has a tender boat which is a reasonable size. Unfortunately, it does not run between PM and Carriacou on Sundays. I had got the number of a boatman and called him before leaving the mainland. But I didn’t confirm the trip with him as I needed to see the boat when I got to Carriacou.