Chilling out in Grenada

Waterfall along Hash course

Dana and I have now been in Grenada for over three weeks and we’re really getting to know the place. We’ve anchored in several different bays and berthed in three marinas. We get around! Later today we’ll move to another bay to get a different taste of the island and the boaters who call that bay their temporary home.

So what have we been up to over these past several weeks? Rarely a day goes by when we’re just sitting on the boat. We’re always occupied with various boat chores (like scrubbing Eventyr’s water line or scraping barnacles off her propeller). We hang out at some of the cruisers’ haunts, typically marina bars or rum shops. We go for swims off the boat when it gets too hot. Most importantly, we listen to the cruiser’s net on the VHF radio every morning to hear what’s going on for cruisers around the island. The net is run by rotating cruisers’ boats and every morning the announcer welcomes new boats to Grenada, says goodbye to those who are leaving, and allows other boaters and businesses to announce any upcoming social activities. It’s like being at camp, or on a cruise ship.

Through the cruiser’s net, and by talking to other cruisers, we’ve found lots of cool activities. My personal favorite is the weekly Hash House Harriers run/hike. Every Saturday, between 100 and 200 people (locals, cruisers, college students, etc.) meet up in a designated location and follow trails of shredded paper out through lush and mountainous countryside. The runs are four to five miles, while the hike is about two-and-a-half miles. I run and Dana hikes. The routes are ridiculously difficult, with impossibly steep ascents and descents, river crossings, and extremely technical terrain. You go from jungle to small towns to secluded beaches. It’s great! But even more fun is all the rituals and traditions that go along with this crazy activity. There are Hash House Harrier groups around the world and they originated in England in the 1930s. Some of the crazy traditions include having to drink warm beer out of your shoe and getting sprayed with warm beer for any number of reasons.

Getting ready to head out on the Hash course

Hash course heading along beach 

Local kids enjoying the passing Hashers

Dana and I participated in the Hash twice and both times were awesome. In our first Hash, we met a couple who sailed to Grenada from Austria, and Florian, the husband, is a competitive runner who blew past me on both runs. Yesterday, we brought our friends Bob and Jeanne from Walkabout for their first Hash. They’re from Vermont and we first met them back in the Bahamas. Dana and I have run into them at various anchorages all the way down the Caribbean, and now we’re anchored a few hundred feet from them in Prickly Bay. During the Hash, they hiked with Dana and ended up getting the pleasure of being doused with warm beer afterward. Despite the soaking, they loved the experience. After the hike and during the various rituals, we even got to sample Grenada’s national dish, Oil Down. This thick stew is made with callaloo leaves, breadfruit, plantains, and various meats or fishes. Delicious!

Dana and I unsuspectingly posing for a picture

Getting sprayed down by warm Carib

Jeanne leading the hike up another hill

Passing a banana plantation

Bob and Jeanne's turn

Bob enjoying the soaking

Hashing only happens once a week, so last Friday we travelled by local bus to a fish fry in one of the towns along the coast. The ride itself was an event. The local buses are small “minibuses” slightly larger than a family’s minivan in the states. However, they manage to fit 20 people into these minibuses! And once we’re all in, the driver speeds down the windy, narrow roads like a Nascar driver. Tires screeched around every turn, we passed cars on blind corners, and the driver accelerated to 60 miles per hour the second he passed any of the countless speed bumps before having to slam on the breaks for the next speed bump. With loud, fast tempo soca music blaring, it was an exciting adventure. The locals aboard seem totally accustomed to the trip.

The fish fry, by comparison to the ride there, was pretty tame. We ate fish prepared in ways I couldn’t even imagine! In addition to the standard grilled, baked or fried fish, they had fish cakes, fish stews and even tiny fish fried whole that you ate with ketchup like French fries. We took in a little drum circle music before hopping back on a minibus for a crazy ride home.

Drum circle at Fish Fry 

Sure, I'll try that crazy french fry-style fried fish

Another activity we won’t soon forget involved taking an hour-long van ride (not nearly as crazy as the public minibus) at night to a beach on the north side of the island. Upon arrival, an escort took our group to a spot where a leatherback turtle was in the process of lumbering out of the waves and up the beach. This critically endangered, ancient species lives in the open ocean, but comes to shore once a year to lay eggs. It just so happens that we’re now in the middle of egg-laying season. I was surprised by the size of the animal. The one we saw was estimated to be about 800 pounds but they grow to well over 1000 pounds. We watched as the turtle dug a hole and lay hundreds of eggs. Researches crowded around the leatherback taking various measurements and tagging her for future study. Her nest was deemed too close to the high tide line, so the researchers dug a new hole further up the beach and moved the eggs to increase the probability of the hatchlings surviving.

While the giant leatherback was laying her eggs, she went into a trance and seemed totally unaware of the world around her. At that point, the researchers indicated that it was alright for us visitors, one at a time, to touch the turtle. Flash photography was not permitted, so the pictures did not turn out great. It was an incredible experience. It’s not often you get to be part of such a rare and fantastic natural event. I’ve seen footage of these turtles on the discovery channel, but never thought we would experience it in person!

Dana touching the giant leatherback turtle

Eggs ready to be buried

We have another several days in Grenada before we catch a window of nice weather to sail down to Tobago. Tobago is well east and south of Grenada and over 80 miles away. That means another overnight sail pounding into wind and waves. I think it will be worth it. Not only is Tobago supposed to be an unspoiled gem of an island, but our friends Jon, Otis, and Beth will be flying in to meet us. We’re excited to share the adventure with my long-time friends from growing up!