Ahoy there!

Well here we are at the end of August and fortunately still in Grenada and keeping our fingers crossed against bad weather. The hurricane season has been downgraded slightly but September is seen as the highest risk month. As we write this (Sunday 27 th August) Tropical storm Ernesto is five knots short of hurricane strength and about to hit Cuba , its track after that is still in debate.

We keep our eyes firmly fixed on the African west coast where all the tropical waves start. If it looks like anything is heading our way we will be off to Trinidad or Tobago .

We stayed in Carriacou for about ten days and thoroughly enjoyed the regatta. By chance we managed to anchor in a prime position for the races, with sailboats streaming by us on either side. Racing went on for three days but partying for longer! Grenadians certainly know how to enjoy themselves and we decided to start training for the carnival later in the month. Most nights there were musical events in town with the noise carrying across the water. Starting on time seems an impossibility out here and most partying begins at about 11 p.m. and finishes about 4 a.m.

 

Apart from the racing there were lots of land based events for adults and children. Many of them reminded us of summer fetes from the distant past – may pole dancing, eat an apple without hands, slippery pole and beer drinking. We had been looking forward to the donkey racing but sadly the donkeys got tired of waiting and wandered off home!

The finale to the regatta was the Big Drum parade.

The Big Drum Dance is one of the few traditions that have survived intact in the Caribbean since it came over with the West African slaves several centuries ago. Taking place after dark and with most of the women carrying burning torches, the sounds of the chants and the rhythm of the drums was haunting. Everyone was in traditional clothes and it was interesting to see the different styles of costumes representing the African tribes that the wearers are descended from.

Shopping here is a joy, if not a little hard work at first. There are a couple of supermarkets recognisable as such but most shops are hidden. We went on the hunt for a bakers and found a swinging sign by a house but no sign of bread. The second time we went past we could smell baking and putting our English reserve behind we went down the drive to the back of the bungalow and found a large well equipped bakery.

The market in St.Georges , Grenada , is a different matter – you certainly know its there! The most stalls are on Saturday and it's packed.

The whole area smells wonderfully of spices, some of which now scent our boat. We are trying some of the local vegetables, some of which we recognise and some we haven't got a clue about! The market ladies are happy to tell you how to cook them but some, even after several times of asking, we still don't know what they are called! This weeks haul included sive ‘n'thyme (a bundle of spring onions tied up with basil & thyme used as a traditional flavouring for soups and stews and smells gorgeous), huge creamy avocados, okra, small slender aubergines, a christophene and a completely unknown vegetable. Resembling a cross between a very gnarled gourd and a cucumber it will apparently be delicious with Indian spices. We'll let you know!

Sharon now gets withdrawal symptoms if she can't have a mango for breakfast and it's been interesting to try the different types as the season progresses. Some have been large with smooth skins and some with a textured surface. At the moment the larger ones are harder to find and we have some about the size of a large plum.

Andrew, who enjoys a banana with his cereal, has given up second guessing and now asks if they're eaters or cookers! We knew about plantains which are sometimes obviously not an eater but are sometimes cunningly disguised as such. And then there are figs, not the European dark brown fruit, but another banana type fruit! But it's great fun buying and trying them all out.

Carnival was amazing and we will cover it in a separate e-mail but needless to say it took us a couple of days to recover! We then had a few days of stormy weather but it looks okay for the next few days so we are going exploring! Keep your e-mails coming (we are in a bit of a black hole for wifi so please be patient for replies! But we now have a phone if anyone wants to call. It's a Grenada number 457 4783 – no idea of the country code!)

Warm regards

Sharon & Andrew