South to Grenada

After a week of just chilling in Carriacou, we were eager to
get to mainland Grenada. We had so enjoyed it in 2003 and were
sad to hear the damage that hurricanes Ivan and Emily had brought
in 2004 and 2005. We heard from cruisers in Trinidad that Grenada
had come back beautifully.
We sailed down the coast of Grenada on a series of lovely reaches
to come behind Hog Island.
Seeing is believing! Even better than in 2003!
The combination of hurricane and global financial crisis arrested
the development of a planned resort complex on Hog, fortunately
before it started. There is a bridge to the mainland that no
one uses. Roger now opens his beach bar for a few hours on several
nights because there are more boats in the anchorage. He still
does a Sunday barbeque. That's about it. On the night we arrived,
he had live music, so we nestled in and listened to the music
til cruisers' midnight.
Clarkes Court Marina, which opened in 2003, now provides a convenient
bar and wifi spot, so we could dinghy round, have a beer and
a chat, and grab internet. There is a temptation to stay forever.
Many do.
The marina also provides a pick up spot for a once a week grocery
shopping bus to town and and a once a week opportunity to volunteer
with the Mt.Airy Reading Program. Laurie took advantage of both,
and was able, with some other volunteers and the program director,
to set up a useful small library using the books that had been
donated from many sources and cruisers. The kids themselves
are a delight and the program, which has been going for about
five years, gives cruisers a really positive way to interact
with the local community.
We then went around to the other side of Grenada to St George's
on the west side. We wanted to be in the center of the island
for Independence Day festivities and to see the lagoon and harbor.
We had anchored in the lagoon in 2004. Now it is occupied
by an expensive and mostly empty yachting center. We stayed
at the friendly local yacht club across the lagoon and on the
bus route, which gave us easy access to the grand martial parades.

The whole of Grenada's armed forces, police, boy scouts and girl
guides, plus a Venezuelan special forces unit paraded in half
the field of the national football stadium. VZ paratroupers
jumped, mostly near the very small target on the other half of
the parade grounds, and the prime minister spoke for about recovery
and growth for 30 minutes.
Grenada has indeed recovered well. The first crop of replanted
nutmeg is due in the next few years, although the nutmeg factory
that used to employ 140, now employs 40. The replanted cocoa
bushes will bear in about the same time so exports should be
possible once again. The Grenada Chocolate Factory has increased
output because it has modernized and is using most of the local
cocoa. Locals have rebuilt hurricane resistant houses next to
the old.
The sovereign debt is high, which appears to worry some of the
locals. Taiwan, a big presence in 2003, is out and the PRC's
name is everywhere on funding billboards. So, the next 10 years
will be an interesting transition period.
Enough analysis! We went back to Carriacou for Carnival. Unfortunately,
by the time we arrived, Jack had come down with a flu, so bacchanals
on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights were out of the question.
By Monday, when Carnival officially began we were able to go
into Hillsborough and be a part of the charming children's parade.
Unlike in Trinidad, you are THERE in the streets with parents
and grandparents. The bands went on for about two hours. We
went back to the boat, too old to indulge in the party from 9
til whenever.
Next day, we saw the unique Shakespeare Mas. In that road march
and masquerade, the men of Carriacou who are going to take part,
dress up in either red or black costures with eerie face masks
and declaim lines from Shakespeare. This year it was Julius
Caesar. A man opens the line from a scene and calls on someone
to complete the scene against him. A judge stands by with a
bell and rings when the section is over. It's like a wild Shakespeare
slam or scrum. And, if you miss your lines, you might get beat
with a stick the participants all carry. They also wear hats
and padding.
This apparently relieves tension that might have built up over
the year on the island and it seems like the definition of catharsis.
We've never seen Shakespeare that seemed so meaningful, so real
and believable, especially in a creole accent.
We didn't stick around for the evening's big parade of the bands,
but went back to the boat, and saw our first green flash in seven
years.