Grenada – the “Isle of Spice” – is one of the few ports on our cruise itinerary that Danielle & I have never visited, and our 2 stops here were very brief. On our first stop some of us weren’t feeling well, so we stayed aboard. Our final visit was on a Saturday afternoon, and even though it was raining, we felt like we should check it out.
After getting off the ship, walking down the pier and making our way through a surprisingly large indoor shopping mall, we emerged into a cluster of tourists and locals trying to stay out of the rain under the awning. One local immediately introduced himself and began giving us directions to all the nearby attractions. As we thanked him and headed across the street toward the market, Jimmy followed us, telling me his life story and all about the island.
I knew this guy’s game – he was going to walk with us all around town, steering us to the shops & stalls of his friends, and then ask for a tip at the end. Normally I would try to lose him, but he seemed like good company so I thought, “What the heck, maybe we’ll learn something.”
Saturday is market day in Grenada, but by the time we arrived most of the locals had finished their shopping and the stalls that were still open seemed mostly aimed at tourists. Most of the stalls seemed to have the same collection of spice-themed gift baskets, wall hangings, etc. I couldn’t help but wonder if all these spices really came from the island – I kept looking for “Made in China” stickers.
Still, I enjoyed the sights, smells and sounds as we darted under the tarps from one stall to the next – it was a welcome change from the usual t-shirts and trinkets. Nearly all the vendors seemed to know Jimmy (he must be a popular guy!), and we saw a few other cruise ship passengers being led around by similar local “guides”.
After exchanging most of the contents of my wallet for some spices, jellies and a couple of Carib Beers, we were led by Jimmy up the hill to the Fort George, which boasts some great panoramic views of the ship & the town.
On our way up the hill, Jimmy pointed out the 3 big churches in town, all still missing their roofs after Hurricane Ivan struck in 2004. We thought it was strange that after 4 years they hadn’t been rebuilt. As we neared the top of the hill, a sudden downburst of gusty winds and rain gave us a hint of what the hurricane must have been like. By the time we found shelter, we were thoroughly soaked.
Once the rain let up a little, we wandered around the abandoned fort, which used to be police headquarters. Jimmy pointed out the bullet holes from where the Prime Minister & his cabinet were executed by firing squad during the Grenada conflict of 1983.
The fort did offer some pretty good views, unfortunately obscured on this day by sheets of rain. Clearly this had the potential to be a pretty cool tourist attraction, but it was mostly an abandoned ruin, apparently not rebuilt after the hurricane.
The rain was intensifying as we made our way down the steep hill back to the ship, so we handed Jimmy some money and bid him (and Grenada) farewell.
{ 2 comments }
Too bad it wasn’t a nicer day.
It’s still beautiful, even in the rain!
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