Wednesday, November 26, 2014

November 23, 2014

Well, it is official, we have started heading north! Our friends, Roy and Freda, left Grenada yesterday (via air) and we left True Blue Resort/Marina today. Our destination was St. George, just around the corner but as True Blue is in one of the southern bays, technically we were heading north.

I did a walk in the morning looking for groceries, only one store is open on Sundays but I was anxious to get started on the provisioning. Jorge started getting the boat ready for the move to St. George.

The trip was a short 1 and 1/2 hour motor, I guess we could have sailed some of the distance but then the wind would have been on the nose, so we were lazy and just motored. We set anchor on the first try surprisingly. If you will recall, St. George is notorious for poor holding.

We had a quiet afternoon and supper, watching the sunset which we hadn't seen in a couple of weeks.

The marina at True Blue, actually HYC (Horizon Yacht Charters).

True Blue Resort.

Ditto.

Piece of lumber that went through the concrete wall during Hurricane Ivan, left as a reminder.

Boutique at True Blue.

Restaurant at True Blue.
 
November 24 - 26, 2014

The last couple of days have been spent getting ready to move, more groceries, propane, laundry, post office, and checking out. Last night the battery bank indicated the batteries needed charging. Jorge connected the Honda generator but the charger on the inverter was not charging the batteries and there was a strong electrical smell. We had to charge the batteries with the diesel engine. Jorge spent all this morning reading manuals and "checking things". He is very good with most boat systems but the electrical stuff really tests his knowledge. The long and short of it is he thinks the inverter/charger is toast. Hopefully the sun will continue to shine and with us beginning to move, the sun and the diesel will keep the batteries charged.

The winds and waves are forecast to be favourable for the next few days so we are off to Tyrrel Bay tomorrow and probably Bequia the next day.

This afternoon we have been saying goodbye to friends, both locals and cruisers, who we have met during our six months here. Hard to believe we are leaving, I can remember the day we arrived as if it was yesterday!

Cruise ship coming into St. George in the morning and . . .

leaving at night.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

All the doctors’ appointments went well and we were given the okay to continue on with our adventures in the Caribbean. Yahooo!

We had a great time visiting family and friends, making our trip home totally enjoyable. We even left Canada just before the first major snow storm of the season, how’s that for luck? Well almost.

Jodi's backyard on November 14, 2014.

November 15, 2014

It was a very long day, up at 0200 to catch a 0615 flight. Our daughter, Jodi and her partner Chris, drove us to the airport - on her 31st birthday! We had two connections on the way to Grenada, one in Washington DC and the second in Miami, where we met up with our friends Roy and Freda who were visiting us for the week in Grenada. We arrived in Grenada about half an hour behind schedule at 2220 (no daylight savings time here). After arriving at our villa, we opened some good Argentine wine (brought back with us in our suitcase) and toasted the arrival in Grenada! To bed at 0130.

Roy and Freda in Miami airport.

November 16, 2014

We were up around 0800, had coffee in the villa and then headed to the restaurant for breakfast after which we walked to the main road to catch the bus. Freda and I stopped at Spiceland Mall for groceries while the guys headed directly to GYC to get the boat ready for sailing to True Blue Marina. After Freda and I arrived at the boat, I made sandwiches and we got underway. The winds were very light so it was a motor to True Blue and a good thing too as we were dodging rain cells and Freda, not being a boating person, was feeling a little under the weather (to match the rain!) We secured CS’ta Time at the dock and headed back to the villa where we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening, doing what else . . . having wine, appetizers and then supper. Bedtime was early as the four of us were pooched from yesterday.

November 17, 2014

We had breakfast at the restaurant (included in the price of the villa) and then took the bus to the main bus terminal in St. George where we caught the bus to Seven Sisters. There had been a lot of work done on the trail including carving out stairs in some steep areas. Again we dodged rain going and coming out of Seven Sisters. As it has been raining quite a lot here in the past few weeks, the falls and swimming areas were too engorged with water for swimming, too bad but we had a nice picnic lunch and waited out some more rain before heading back. Once in St. George, we walked downtown and around the carenage before catching the bus back to True Blue. We did the usual once back at the villa (eat, drink and be merry) and again had supper in the villa.

Typical morning breakfast at True Blue Resort, Roy, Freda and Kim.
 
Roy and Freda at Seven Sisters waterfalls.
 
 
November 18, 2014

Today was a down day. Breakfast at the restaurant, lunch at the villa, siestas in the afternoon and supper at the Dodgy Dock restaurant (True Blue Resort).

November 19, 2014

We had a lazy morning with breakfast at the restaurant. We then caught the resort shuttle to Grand Anse Beach at 1100. The rain held off and we had a great walk along the beach, bar hopping and swimming, while making our way back to our pick up spot, Umbrellas Restaurant where we had lunch. The rain caught up with us at this point forcing us to grab our lunches and run indoors from the patio. The resort shuttle bus picked us up around 1600 and it was back to the villa where we had supper and a quiet evening.

Roy and Freda at Grand Anse Beach.
 
Roy and Jorge.

Kim, Freda and our cougar catch!
 
November 20, 2014

It was an early morning, up at 0700 as we had an island tour booked for the day. And a full day it was! We were picked up at 0900 and returned to the resort around 1730. The island tour included a visit to a nutmeg processing plant, the Grenada Chocolate Factory and a rum factory still operating in the same way since its establishment in 1785! And what is an island tour without stopping at Grand Etang and seeing the monkeys?
The carenage at St. George with one cruise ship in port.

Nutmeg inside the processing plant.

The Grenada Chocolate Company factory.

The rum factory.

Working water wheel supplying power.

Kim petting the monkey.

A Mona Monkey.
 
When we got back to the resort, we changed clothes and walked to Amici Miel for an Italian supper.


Kim, Jorge, our cleaning lady and Roy inside our villa.
 
November 21, 2014

Breakfast was again at the restaurant at True Blue, followed by a quiet morning in the villa. We caught the bus and got off at the Merry Baker for Friday Build Your Own Burger then we walked to downtown St. George. Freda was looking for souvenirs which we found at Dot’s Place, a store Jorge and I have visited on a number of occasions. On the way back to the bus stop, we sat along the carenage and enjoyed a cold beer. We had supper in the villa and Roy and Freda started packing for their return to Canada. I couldn’t believe the week was up already!

November 22, 2014

We were up early as Roy and Freda had arranged for a 0730 taxi pickup. Their flight left at 0930. Jorge and I had breakfast at the resort restaurant and then started our own packing as we had moved kitchen stuff from the boat to the villa to use during the week. We checked out of the villa at 1100 having successfully moved everything back aboard CS’ta Time. Then came the fun part of unpacking and storing everything, winter clothes included! By mid afternoon everything was back in its place. Jorge topped the boat up with water, the diesel was okay and we will be heading back to St. George with the boat tomorrow to start provisioning for the trip north. It is hard to believe we will be saying goodbye to Grenada shortly!