Let's Go Grenada!

My first full week here has been a real life study of the culture of Grenada.

It started off with 5am swims at Gran Anse beach. Pops and Sister Wilma go there every morning, along with other retirees. Even though it's still dark when we get there, the water is soooooo warm I could just stay there for the whole day. It has been lovely running along the sand, and then ending with an invigorating swim in the crystal clear waters. I may start doing this every other day, just so I don't have to wash my hair every day.

As the day goes on, we head on the road. We're driving on the roads and I realise that something is missing... it feels strange, and then I realise what it is - there is no traffic! I mean, there are vehicles, but they are all moving. There is no bumper to bumper, wasting of my precious time when I could be doing so many other things (including sleeping) traffic. This, I can certainly get used to :)

Talking about the roads, there are many roads made of concrete here. I am told that these are cheaper than asphalt roads. I guess they are also better for playing hopscotch and moral :) Please note that this picture was taken on a main road in the country - it was not in someone's driveway...

Talking about driving, a few points to note about driving in Grenada:

1. The Grenada bus drivers went to the same driving school as the maxi drivers in Trinidad... nuff said!

2. Apart from keeping your eyes on the road, and on the side of the road especially when driving through the country areas looking out for the random child darting across the road without looking, you also have to pay attention to the people at the side of the road. They look after your interests as a driver, signalling to you when a vehicle is approaching from around a corner or other obstacle on your side of the road, or when it is clear for you to come out from a side street on to a major road.

3. Don't worry about the pedestrians you encounter while driving on a road that is barely wide enough for your vehicle to pass. They have no problem stepping into the bush at the side of the road to allow you to pass.

4. That random piece of concrete in the middle of the road is actually a roundabout. Proceed around it to your left, giving way to vehicles on your right.

Grenada is a beautiful country. It is small enough that you can drive around the entire island in six hours, with stops at various places of interest along the way:

Questionable-looking bridge in the parish of St. David

Beach where leatherback turtles come to nest during nesting season

Bridge through Levera Mangrove

The lake at Levera Wetland was so serene - it felt wrong to spoil the peace by talking

Concord waterfall - tell me why I didn't walk with my bathing suit?

Sunset at Gran Anse beach

There are also some interesting names for the villages. There is one called Beausejours (pronouned Boo-she-jew) and there is a joke that goes like this:

A Grenadian went to the police station to report an accident. He said he was coming from Happy Hill to Beausejours when this car came flying around the corner and ran into his vehicle.

Police: So where exactly did the accident happen?

Man: As I come round de corner into Beausejours

Police starts writing... hesitates... tries again and then says: Listen, the man hit you in Happy Hill ok?

Finally, I was able to attend a fund-raising concert on Saturday, feature some great local talent. There were songs by some talented opera singers, jokes by Ricardo Keens-Douglas (who knew that Paul Keens-Douglas was Grenadian?), some really beautiful interpretive dancers, steelpan playing as well as some melodious singing by a group of young people whose name I can't remember. I can say for certainty that Grenada's Got Talent!

Not a bad place to live for a year ;)