Grenada - Part3 Serendipity
Pacific Bliss
Colin Price
Wed 2 Jun 2010 14:58
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Poor old Colins Birthday celebration was a
bit of a non event, unlike the micro Festival (Camp Colin) I organise
for him at home each year. But he was happy spending hours with Tim fixing a new
toy, a Standard Horizon 380i GPS chart plotter, to the boat.
Meanwhile I shopped for the voyage, our first passage longer than a
night and 2 days so I am a little cautious and apprehensive. By now we are
very comfortable with the bus system (not KNX) and I have solo shopping and
carrying finely honed (one trolley full means 2 rucksacks,one on the front,
one on the back and two large hand carry bags). On the last day
I treated us to an airconed, piped music U.S styled supermarket. However
having lost the boys Zinnia and I were able to hang out at the shopping
mall, and under the pretence of Birthday Present shopping and we
chanced upon a great little shop. It sold fabric and
clothes designed and printed in Grenadia, and it wasn't the usual
cheap torrist rubbish you find elswhere. 'Boy they were good', infact
the best thing we have seen on the trip. We got chatting with
the girl in the shop only to discover the printing is done in the
Orange building I'd spotted the day before, at the end of the 'great
walk'. Alas no time to go meeting designers. This
was a real disappointment as this girl has real talent
and I really wanted to visit and talk with her before I left
Grenada. But now is not the right day or time to suggest delaying our trip
on a mear whim that might turn into something more exciting, so I buttoned
it..............
  Colin and Zin chose a rather revolting Sara Lee
cheesecake for Colin's birthday cake, for once I wasn't going to complain
about Colins dubious liking for 70's convenience food. It saved
me a baking job.
Boat ready and we collapse into bed to get
as much shut eye before our 4am-ish start the following
morning.
Colin and I are up with the first crack of
daylight and into our tried and tested departure routine.
Up whilst still asleep;
Close
windows
Start engine
Haul Anchor
Put away plates from dinner
Coffee Pot on
Sit consume pot of coffee before the kids
appear, and hopefully second pot as well.
Sadly our outward, down wind, journey only
lasted till 9ish when we discovered problems with the hydraulics. So,
about turn, and we were made to watch our buddy boat,Bonaire and the Dickensons
sail, past us the other way. The trip back to Grenada Marine was
windy, horribly bumpy, very long, and the
atmosphere down-beat. We spent the day at sea with nothing
to show for it except anticipated expenses fixing the problem we had been trying
to do for the past month. Almost a 'lets go home' moment!
On a more up beat note, seredipity
spoke, I got have another day touring the island
by lovely Grenadian bus and finally meeting the wonderful,
talented fabric designer. The bus journeys here are an
absolute delight. Despite going at breakneck speed the views are
wonderful, The friendly polite nature for the people, but
also the joy of watching how they will be able to configure
another space for yet another paying passanger. By comparison
the no. 72 to Emsworth would be somuch more fun if you were crammed into a
minivan, window open, listening to exceptionally loud soccer music, even the
OAP's here seem not to complain. On that fated last day Zinnia and
I managed to visit the market to buy homemade sweeties from a toothless old
lady, hope the lesson was strong enought for Z to not consume too many sweets in
the future. Then as a final treat we hopped into an Art Gallery right next
door to our favourite Roti Store, 'D' Roti Shop, in a colourful,
noisy, bustling, St George
street. I still haven't got my fill of the place,
without a doubt I have fallen in love with Grenada.
   Autopilot fixed at Grenada marine after another
horribly explnsive day. Also aledigdly fixed the VHF (which was'nt
receiving stations more than 2 miles away), and the mast head light which was
working intermittently.
The following day we repeated the 5AM
departure, with the imortal words of Arnie Shwazniger (you don't seriously
expect me to spell that right do you?), ''I'll BE
BACK'
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