708 replies to this topic

[rkymtwy]

Didn't I read somewhere that they make Rum on the Island. Shouldn't we do a tour!

See you all soon.

I like Opiton 3 also

[Walter]

My post wasn't in response to the barrel of rum, it was in response to:

it will be significantly cheaper for us to do our own Happy Hours...alcohol can be a bit pricey on the island.

If we don't drink much, we certainly won't save much by doing our own.

[CaribVa]

Hi Everyone,

Anse from the Grenada Travel Forum here. I had a great chat with Mike / B2B today on the phone, and have chatted on the forum with Michelle as well. I thought I would drop in and clear up a few things for you & see if I can answer any last minute questions.

1. Rum is plentiful in Grenada, no need to pick it up on the way unless you are arriving late and need a large quantity for the first night. The stores do close early, usually around 7 p.m., but there are dozens upon dozens of little "rum shops" in Grenada where you can pick up a 375 ml bottle or two of rum. They dot the roadsides all across the country. They are the U.S. equivalent to 7-11's on a smaller more basic scale. Rum is inexpensive. A fifth of Clarkes Court or Westerhall, 2 decent local rums will run you from $18-21 E.C. Divide that by 2.67 and you can see that it is quite affordable. Get a bottle of the "overproof" Clarkes Court, or Jack Iron, and you will see how a little dab will do ya ! Ask your cab driver if you want some, I am sure he can hook you up.

2. Plastic cups are not hard to find. Check at C.K.'s Market or Food Fair. True Blue is closest to C.K.'s (Which sells booze by the way), but the Food Fair at Grand Anse is not far away. Food Fair has a better selection of booze, compared to C.K.'s or the Spiceland Mall, but each has its own advantages. Mixers (Soda) are cheaper in the 2 litre bottle vs. the can, as the cans are imported from the U.S., the 2 litres from Trinidad usually.

3. You are correct though, that it is cheaper to buy your own, instead of at the hotel bar. Stuarts used to be a cool hangout, I hope it still is the same after the storm hit the hotel. You would be better off to bring in chips, etc.. as they are pricey for imported brands, generally speaking, anything brought in from the U.S. is pricy.

4. Carib is a good local beer, made in Trinidad, but originally from Jamaica.

5. If you like grapefriut or Fresca, try out Ting soda while you are there.

6. Conch is called Lambi, Loster is in season again on September 1. (Any month with an r in it is the season) Roti's are popular & worth sampling. Try goat or oxtail roti if you are adventurous, chicken roti is good as well. Beware, many chicken and meat roti's have bones in the meat, that is the customary preparation. A few places will make it boneless.

7. Fort Frederick and Fort George are 2 forts worth visiting & great photo oportunities.

8. Annandale and Concord Falls are 2 great waterfalls to see, with no hiking required. If you want to hike, 7 Sisters is a great hike / falls trip.

9. Dougaldston Estate is a great Spice Processing plant / tour to take.

10. The River Antoine Distillery is over 200 years old, and a great trip. Water powered mill, the rum natrually ferments due to the yeast in the air, the still powered by the sugar cane husk. If you decide to sample the overproof rum it is like moonshine. You don't sip it, you shoot it down & chase it with a glsss of water. You can see a bit of the island on the way, you should pass Pearls Airport & take a side trip to see the Russian made planes from Cuba still next to the runway. History fans will know we had a little intervention during Reagan's time. All water under the bridge now, most, almost all Grenadians were thankful for the U.S. help. Some not, but in the past for almost all.

11. If you want dinner, plan ahead. Grenada time is different than the U.S. The pace is much slower and relaxed. No one is in a hurry in Grenada, except for its drivers. (Be careful, agressive driving is the norm for many in Grenada)
Most Grenadian waitresses are very reserved and don't want to impose, so you may not see them much. You will make friends with most if you smile first, ask their names and treat them with kindness. A smile will be repayed 100 times over.

12. Arawak Islands is a great store to take nice souvineers home from. From locally made soaps and fragrences, to small gift baskets. It is just off the main road on the way into St Georges. On the same track "Tikal" in St Georges has some nice hand drawn and lithographed maps of the island as well as some nice artwork.
You can get the best deal of the trip by stopping by the Tourism office on the way into St Georges. It is just behind the Post Office, near the traffic circle and Texaco. Go inside and ask for some free Grenada posters. They are great for framing and the price cant be beat!

13. Grenada is overall a very safe country, but as with anywhere you must use common sense. Keep your doors locked at night, don't leave any valuables in a car if you go into a store or anywhere. Some local men can be a little agressive towards women, but a polite but firm no is all that is needed. The Police in Grenada are for the most part very protective of tourists, the island depends on tourism and does not want to spoil that. A must mention here is the subject of drugs. Do NOT get caught bringing in or taking drugs out of Grenada. Not that anyone here would do this, but the prison in Grenada is not a nice place at all, and the wheels of justice move very slowly there. Every year, visitors from the U.K. find this out the hard way. Pot is plentiful in Grenada, grown all over the place and
pretty well tolerated by the police although supposedly illegal.

14. The best deals on spices to bring back are usually found at the Market Square / Bus Depot area in St Georges. Nutmeg, Real Vanilla Extract, Cinnamon stick and curry are some of my top picks. I also but these from "Mamma", in the front of the Grand Anse Vendors Market. When you come in the front of the market, from the road side, she is just off to the right. Many of the smaller vendors will haggle with you on pricing. If you go out on the beach, you WILL be approached by "beach people", who will try and sell you spice necklaces, spice baskets, jewelry made from Brown Corral (Wood) etc... The women will all be offered hair braids. If you want this done, just tell them you are looking for Bernadine. She usually is found on Morne Rouge Beach or Grand Anse Beach and does a nice jog of this.

I will post more if there are any lasy minute questions, or things that I think of !
I wish I was going with you !

[cmt489]

Wow Anse! Thanks again for all of your help! You have been absolutely amazing! All this help for some strangers who happened to ask a question on your board. You are truly wonderful for doing this!

We will drink a toast to you while we are there!

[Bubble2Bubble]

CaribVa/Anse/BigDaddy
Thank You Thank You
For taking the time to post this memo
My hats off to You Buddy!


WW I'm going to copy and paste his memo and run off some copies
so everyone can have one of these tips to enjoying Grenada

Caribva

you dont know how priceless this info is!

B2B

[CaribVa]

One other thing that popped into my head. Around 6 p.m. is sunset. The sand flies or mossies come out & they have quite a bite. Long pants & socks work well, but I hate anything but shorts & deck shoes myself. 2 things work very well as repellents. 1 is baby oil, as they can not bite thru the oil. The other is a locally produced natural repellent made by Arawak Islands. It is sold in drug stores and other shops. This is what I have the best luck with. It has a strong but not too unpleasant smell & works better than anything else I have tried. Make sure to have some handy, as some get a slight allergic reaction to the bites of these near invisible critters.

Of course, a 1/2 bottle of overproof rum will make you invincible to anything

When some of you return, you may enjoy the contrast of these pictures below. They were taken in the early 60's by my parents. Ask Mike to fill you in on how I became a true "product" of Grenada.

Early 60's Grenada Pictures


Someone who I shall not name asked this, here is the answer. You must reside in Grenada for at least three days before you can get married.
Michelle, was there an E-Bay auction going on that I missed ???

My photo gallery below from 2004 has many pictures, although they were all taken just before Ivan hit. Many show prices in E.C., so that you can get an idea of what food costs, etc... Not suitable for those on dial up probably.

Edited by CaribVa, 30 August 2005 - 06:40 PM.

[Divegirl412]

Thank you so much for all the info Anse/ CaribVA.

Last day at work today, woohoo. Now the shopping and packing begins!!!

Can't wait

WW, Bubski, it IS still OK if we bring more toys or candy than we promised, right? Less is bad. More is almost always good.

[Bubble2Bubble]

Yep Rosa
More Toys is always Good
everybody just bring as much as you can.

CaribVa we promise to leave your country just the way we found it...

Well

you might have alot of Hyper(candy) Kids making alot of noise and laughing out loud......

Sawy

Ask Mike to fill you in on how I became a true "product" of Grenada.

After a few rounds of Rum I might just tell them


B2B

[cmt489]

I leave tomorrow! I leave tomorrow! (insert sing songy voice here...)

[AliKat]

Well, have a great time everyone.

[Walter]

See ya in three days, Darlin'.

[cmt489]

At the airport waiting to board my flight!! See you all there!!

[Terri]

Have a WONDERFUL time Michelle!!!!


And everyone else too, of course!!

[Bubble2Bubble]

One more thing before I go

Neil from Grenada Travel Forum says,

Hey Mike,

seems like you are the adventurous type
How about trying Hashing??  Maybe there will be a hash while you are here...check out www.grenadahash.com...sort of like hiking, only its off the beaten track.
Moni and i do a fair amount of hashing, as we get to see places which you normally would miss....rivers, mountains, deep muddy ditches, waterfalls, fields of nettle, cow paddies etc...you get the idea?

Worth considering...  If you need any advice, help etc, feel free to give us a holler.
All the best...

Hmmmm this sounds interesting to me

B2B

[WreckWench]

WW, Bubski, it IS still OK if we bring more toys or candy than we promised, right? Less is bad. More is almost always good.

Hmm....I think that is SD.com's new motto....More is almost always good...less is bad!!!

But to answer your question...YES!!!