ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA

Yesterday we cruised the Caribbean Sea after we left St. Martin. It was an opportunity to use our onboard account that Viking gave us for the itinerary changes at the ship’s boutique and shops. Trini and I also went to relax in the spa while Oya and Tommy were attending the different lectures offered aboard.

We docked at 7:00 am at St. George’s, Grenada this morning on a very sunny day with temperature in the mid-80’s. The pastel-colored houses perched on the hillside immediately caught my eye! I guess this is the Caribbean Islands’ standard colors for their homes.

I remember in 1983 when we invaded Grenada after an internal political struggle that led to the execution of Maurice Bishop. The US sent the Army’s Rangers, Delta Force and Airborne divisions; the US Marines and the Navy SEALS! And with the addition of several Caribbean nations’ military! It was like trying to get rid of a fly in your soup and using a bulldozer to accomplish it! But we did it and the country is more economically and politically stable now than before the invasion. It is now celebrated as a holiday.

Grenada is an important exporter of nutmeg, second only to Indonesia. Nearly 40 percent of the world’s supply is cultivated on its gentle slopes. St. George’s exudes a fascinating blend of British and Afro-European heritage. Since they were formerly under the British rule, hence, they also drive on the wrong side of the road!

Talking about roads – they are very narrow and winding to the point that oncoming vehicles only have a few inches clearance between them. Don’t hang your arms out if you don’t want them amputated!

The last two places we visited – San Juan PR and St. Martin – have their own unique beauty and interesting history; however, as someone who’ve already cruised the Caribbean, “you’ve seen one island, you’ve seen them all”. I remember the cruise director of Viking in our previous adventure when he said, “keep an open mid and an open heart” when visiting new places. And I will.

I keep an open mind but I have to share my experiences whether they’re good, bad or in between as that is the purpose of a blog: Our tour guide/driver (I noticed multi-tasking tour guides now, they used to be separate) paled in comparison with the last two we had! First of all, Chris (the guide/driver’s name) had a monotone voice and almost zero humor! It’s like he learned his trade by rote. There were no funny anecdotes to accompany his narration of the places we pass by or any explanation why something is that way! He just drones, “on your right is the new hotel; on your left is a papaya tree (he mentioned the papaya several times); on and on and on! I saw several fellow passengers dozing off. Three agonizing hours with two stops later and we were glad to be back at the cruise terminal. I was relieved tremendously !