Southern Grenadines border area
Oriole
Sun 8 Apr 2007 16:18
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Tyrrel Bay, Carriacou, Grenada. 12:27.40N
61:29.22W
The Southern Grenadine Islands form the
border between St Vincent and Grenada and are the most
geographically remote parts of each country and so have managed over
the years to survive inspite of the parent administrations and are relatively
lawless. Wine for example is remarkably cheap if bought in the "right"
places and far cheaper that mainland prices. Over the years the economies
have survived by smuggling and it would appear that the traditions are not dead
yet. Although there is at least one notable exception
the racketeering and extortion practised by some of the boat boys is a
characteristic of Union Island and the Tobago Cays which are part of St
Vincent. Once over the border in Carriacou which is the northern outpost
of Grenada you can rely on an honest and straightforward deal. In a
nutshell we have been regularly ripped off!!
 You can rely on a fair deal from
Walter.
The weather has also been something of a rip off
for two or three days of Dean and Denis's visit with overcast skies and frequent
rain. The Cricket World Cup notwithstanding, an invitation to friends to join us
is an invitation for the normal settled Caribbean winter weather to desert
us. Nevertheless to herald their departure we had two lovely days and
squeezed into a deserted anchorage behind a reef for some great
snorkling.
 "Are you sure that air taxi to
Barbados runs today?" (Code for: "Are you ever going to get that patient on the
table?")
They had both very noticably unwound but
on departure day Denis was like a coiled spring again, and you would be forgiven
for thinking that his retirement was a figment of the imagination.
 A sting ray wafts over a barrel
sponge.
We then fulfilled a longtime ambition to dive the
Mayreau Gardens through the reefs between Mayreau and the Tobago Cays. The
current which can be wicked, with which you normally drift rapidly past the
dramatic brightly coloured coral formations, was very mild and we had two
spectacular and leisurely dives - probably the best we have done, with close
sightings of nurse sharks, black tipped reef sharks, and an abundance of the
usual reef fish and one lone turtle.
 Over the Easter Holiday kite flying becomes an
obsession with the locals and not much else happens and Tuesday is also a
holiday in honour of the World Cup, which we plan to dip into on Thursday for
the Sri Lanka - New Zealand match.
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