Caribbean - The Final Words

Following the uncontrolled bemusement of the two ladies in the St George's Museum when we said we were travelling with LIAT (they called it Leaving Island Any Time), our last sector was actually on time, without a change of flight number, even a few minutes early to Barbados, to connect for the long haul home, with our luggage! With several hours of stopover, Brian picked us up at the airport and whisked us home to where Josie had prepared a lovely lunch, which we enjoyed before he returned us to the airport for the BA leg home. BA was also a tad early and the luggage came through quickly, enabling us to get on the road just after 6 am. Beating the M25 rush hour, we had an excellent trip back to my place in just a few minutes over 2 hours.

The trip was memorable, but already the earliest parts now seem to have been ages and ages ago, instead of just a few weeks. In all, we visited 9 islands and flew over another (Montserrat) in a helicopter, learnt much about their physical similarities (volcanic origins) and differences (some more dense rainforest than others), their different histories and economic fortunes, how the British & French contested control of them for trade benefits in the past, with them sometimes changing hands many times. Cultural distinctions were also evident and we concluded that the Grenadian people were the most naturally friendly of all, although a smiley or jocular greeting can quickly brighten an initially sullen reception from others. We stayed in a mixture of accommodations and enjoyed a Reunion with 2 guys I hadn't seen in over 41 years. We explored by road, walked around towns some, took a few tours, lazed about on the beach, bobbed about in the sea to get cool, got bitten by mozzies (although Jean had the greater trouble from this), clambered along a testing trail to a spectacular waterfall, snorkelled with turtles, saw the most amazing colours in crystal clear waters, listened to steel bands, consumed some fine food and a few cocktails, and even got used to the vagaries of LIAT in the end! A fine trip indeed, especially being cut off from the (bad) news of the real world for most of the time!

Grenada 3

Grenada is renowned as the spice island and we saw that in spades as part of the island tour. Passing high above St George’s afforded us great views of Fort George and its harbour, and we were able to see more remaining damage from Hurricane Ivan. Our driver/guide, Patrick, gave quite a passionate account of the revolution and coup that led to the US invasion in ’83 while looking down on the Fort, scene of the execution by firing squad of the Prime Minister and some others that precipitated the invasion. Touring up the west coast and then cutting through the centre, spices were everywhere – cinnamon, bay, saffron, nutmeg, cloves, as well as cocoa, coffee, bananas and cashew nuts. Patrick, a rather extreme vegan, also picked leaves from other plants and explained their uses as herbal medicines and tonics.

By Concord Falls, we saw spices in the raw and processed state, as well as a chap who looked rather like Eddie Murphy working brown coral into attractive jewellery, assuring us that it is not protected as is black coral. It involves bending under heat, lots of shaping and sanding, then to have a final polish with Brasso, yes Brasso! At a nutmeg plant, also a cocoa processing one, we got a good insight into various plants and how they are processed into the form that we buy them from our supermarkets.

I managed to catch a photo of washing being done in a roadside river, reminiscent of scenes from other countries. A cold drink was taken in Grenada’s second largest town of Grenville before we again cut across the island to a high vantage point from where we could see St George’s and Grand Anse Bay and where the air was a lot cooler. The island is hilly and the road twists up and down steep slopes, but the vegetation is not the same thick rainforest type of Dominica or St Lucia. However, clearly the soil suits the spice production, although there still remain many dead trees from Ivan. Even so, it is still remarkable how quickly the land recovers in this climate. It was a hot day and we were glad to retreat to the beach for a swim on our return.

Grenada 2

St George’s, the capital, is centred on another harbour with a careenage (harbour for tipping the ships over for hull cleaning) from the days of the British-French battles for the Caribbean islands, with Fort George sitting atop one of the hills that surround it. C&W’s office on the careenage was rather attractive. The town is quite cramped and hilly and still shows some damage from Hurricane Ivan in 2004, which did a lot of damage. After a cold drink in a bottle shop with planes on the ceiling made from beer cans, we found the National Museum and had a look around before returning to the hotel and beach for a lazy afternoon. It was rather hot for too much wandering around.

Grenada 1

The road to t Vincent airport was short but mostly in terrible condition, our taxi driver explaining that it was the fault of the current communist prime minister. LIAT was again on time at under an hour late leaving St Vincent. The scrum at check-in was very reminiscent of Nigeria and every step of the procedure was hand written so took an hour in fairly hot conditions with less than half the fans working and the worst of the trip. Fortunately, we had bought a bottle of water while checking in, which was just as well as there was nothing on the air side. We were pleased to have seen our luggage loaded, but concerned that it be offloaded at Grenada before the plane continued to Trinidad.

However, we were very pleased with a different experience on arrival at Grenada, luggage arrived, a smart friendly airport with a good road and many more signs of prosperity than St Vincent in terms of housing and the general look of the place. The Calabash Hotel is wonderful and our room was ready even though we checked in not long after 8 am. We were able to enjoy breakfast on our veranda shortly after check-in and then a lazy day around the resort and on the beach. Good timing meant Manager’s cocktails on the beach and then dinner in the Gary Rhodes restaurant in the hotel, which was very good. It’s his only restaurant outside UK. We met a Premiership rugby referee and his wife with plenty to talk about. We will share an island tour with them on Thursday and I’ve got stuck with the planning on where we go!

St Vincent

Hearing that Kingstown was a typical city and knowing that St Vincent had not much to offer in terms of interest, we took a midday ferry from Bequia to Kingstown and enjoyed a last morning at Friendship Bay. By the time the ferry sailed, the rain showers had started and become quite heavy and the 1 hour ride to Kingstown did not yield good visibility although the two islands are very close to each other and stay in view unless the rain was very heavy indeed.

Partly because of the rain, we didn’t walk far from our quirky cobblestone hotel and found the area in which we were staying quite scruffy and lacking anything of real interest. I was glad not to have to stay at Her Majesty’s Prison too!

So what could we do but adjourn to Basil’s Bar, which adjoins the hotel. Actually, our plan had always been to eat early as we had a 4 am start to the airport and Grenada, so after a rum punch or two, we had a very pleasant dinner at Basil's and retired early. And, the extra half day in Bequia was agreed to have been the right decision.

Bequia 3

From not having a plan for the day (Monday), we took up the suggestion of an island tour, which was really good. Our taxi was again a pick-up and the driver very helpful and knowledgeable. Bequia is not big, only 7 sq miles, so it didn’t take long even though the roads are all radial to an extent. We did enjoy some spectacular views of the adjacent islands of Mustique, Petit Mustique and Canouan, as well as a panoramic view of Admiral and its neighbour, Hamilton, Bays. The amazing colours continued. A stop at a turtle sanctuary run by a passionate local, ex diver and sailor, showed turtles from 1 day old up to several years, both Green and Hawk Bill types. He finds the eggs as they hatch, nurtures the turtles to a few years old and then releases them on the beaches they came from so that they will hopefully return to lay eggs there when they breed. A further swim on the beach at Friendship Bay followed a fruit punch, and then a Calypso King was tested before shower & dinner. Yes, the sampling continues!

Bequia 2

After an early start from Port Elizabeth, we joined a schooner to Tobago Cays along with a few others, a cluster of uninhabited islands bounded by a horseshoe shaped reef and turquoise, blue and green water, almost unimaginable colours. It is a protected marine park, nestled in the middle of the Grenadines. Passing some intriguing cliff-based houses on Bequia, then Mustique and round Canouan, we moored close to a small beach and then went ashore to snorkel. It was Jean’s first and she took to it easily, including following close behind two turtles diving and surfacing, seemingly unbothered by her presence. The trip took about 3 hours each way, under sail with a stiff breeze for most of it, and we were served with breakfast, lunch, drinks and nibbles. During lunch, black-headed boobies, they’re birds you know, soared and dived very close by looking for tit bits, no pun intended! It was simply an excellent day and the best of the trip so far. After a 5:45 am alarm, a day full of enjoyment and fresh air, we were both beat by the end of it, but so fulfilled.

Bequia 1

The driver who transferred us from Jalousie and back took us to the airport and he was a great guide with all sorts of information during the 1½hour journey, including a stop to buy some Cassava Apple & Raisin bread, which we ate at the airport. LIAT was essentially on time at just an hour late, but we had a great experience at St Vincent on arrival when we were called to the front of the plane before disembarkation and transferred directly to our charter flight to Bequia, all of 5 mins flying time away. The rest of the passengers probably thought we were film stars or Royalty bound for Mustique, and we didn’t let on! Ducking under the wings, we boarded an Aero Commander 500 with only 4 seats, 2 of us and 2 pilots! We had a great view of take off and landing, as well as views of some of the adjacent islands, and cleared Immigration and Customs in Bequia (pronounced Bekway) on arrival on a 1:1 basis. Then it was time to get a taxi and the Customs Officer came outside with us and waved at somebody up the hill whereupon a pick-up arrived and took us to our resort hotel. All of this was to gain an extra half day rather than hang around for 5 or so hours for the next ferry to arrive mid evening and it was worth it to be able to enjoy and bit of lunch and a swim on the beach in Friendship Bay. The cocktails and dinner were also good.

St Lucia 3

Our last day was one of 5 mins showers (read tropical downpour) every 15 mins or so and this governed what we did. A short drive to Soufriere, where we found the café that meets all needs – fags, booze, various painkillers and Viagra! Then we went further up the west coast gave some great views of the Pitons and a volcanic basin with sulphur springs. The springs were worth a visit with bubbling mud, water and steam along with a pungent sulphurous smell. Our guide advised that it was “a good opportunity to release human gases”! We also learned a bit about the formation of the Pitons and past volcanic history from him, as well as the story of guide Gabriel who fell through the crust to be seriously burnt and have a hot pool hole named after him! On return to Jalousie, a prolonged downpour limited getting about.

All in all, we enjoyed another, unexpected and lovely venue for 1 night, although we would not have wished to have spent the whole time there, and it was great to meet up with Hugh & Tammy again before we each continued our travels. St Lucia is a rain forest island very like Dominica, but distinct from it, so we have continued to enjoy different experiences in the choice of locations. Tomorrow brings more uncertainty from LIAT as we endeavour to get to St Vincent with them to connect to a charter flight to Bequia. If LIAT and the charter work, we can enjoy the afternoon in Bequia.