We have just left Barbados and Grenada behind us and are now at sea for a couple of days. After spending over a week sitting around doing absolutely nothing it came as quite a shock to be doing things, and two days in a row as well. Shock horror.
We had booked on two tours around each island and glad that we did – independent travelling is not for me these days, if it ever was, I like to be picked up, taken around and deposited back safely. So we had a coach picking us up at the terminal but it was heaving as about four cruise ships had docked and organised chaos seemed to be the order of the day.
The main thing that struck me about both these islands is the contrast between the wealthy and the poor. On the West coast, called the millionaire coast with good reason, we had Steven Spielberg’s house, Elton John’s home and a hundred yards away, a series of shacks. I have to be honest and say that we saw some lovely parts of Barbados, I did not feel particularly that I wanted to return. Grenada, which is a much smaller island, felt different. More friendly, more welcoming somehow. Just my perception.
Smaller coach this time, more a mini-bus, and after we set off I could understand why. The roads are so precipitous and winding that it would have been impossible to use any larger vehicle. In the morning the sun shone and the views across the bay were just so beautiful it was difficult not to take endless photos which I did (deleted half of them and kept the best, oh the joys of digital photography). First stop was Frederick Fort, named after one of the sons of George III. I gather that Grenada was handed backwards and forwards between the French and the English numerous times. We were told the history by Alice, a Grenadian, who had the patter and humour down to a fine art.
We then visited a waterfall deep in the middle of vegetation and lushness all around. I have forgotten the name and shall look it up when wifi is available. There was a young guy there whose trick for us visitors was to jump into the waterfall from a high ledge which he did with great aplomb, though I noticed he made the sign of the cross before he plunged in. Came up grinning to great applause from us all.
The whole island is covered in banana trees, cocoa pods, bread fruit, lemons, papayas – all in abundance and it always gives me a slight shock to see produce which we can only get in Sainsbury’s or Waitrose just hanging there.
By the afternoon a tropical downpour hit us all and blimey, when it rains in Grenada, it rains. Being British and stiff upper lipped, most of the coach whipped out pack a macs and rain coats and donned them. It was lovely rain, actually soft and warm and I thought it was fun. Some of the others did not…
Because of the wind, the captain would not come right inshore or get too close (he is an Italian and is probably wary of repeating the disaster of one of his compatriots several years ago who fell into a lifeboat and deserted his sinking ship) and so we had to be tendered ashore. All the staff swung into action and it was all done with great efficiency, even the entertainment staff were working hard and I am sure they could have done with the day off.
So now back to sea and Cartagena next.