Spicy Islander # 42
January '2002
Spicy Islander # 42
January '2002
Its a brand new year, and we decided it was definitely time to bring out a new newsletter. After procrastinating for the a couple of months, we finally got around to twiddling our thumbs on the keyboard.
So, for those of you who haven't heard... Happy New Year, and for those of you who have.... Hi.
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TOPICS
1. Grenada Explorer offers Live Chat' We will soon be offering a new feature on our domain (grenadaexplorer.com) which will come in very handy for anyone wishing to have their questions answered immediately (providing we are online at the time;-). Of course, you will be able to get our opinion (who doesn't have one?), and any recommendations which we are willing to give. This is just to help anyone trying to plan a vacation, or return home for a visit, get the latest on where to stay, what to do and where the action is. So please make use of our new features and check us out online. Most of the time it will be Monja who is online and answer your questions in German and English (hope she don't make too many spelling mistakes), and I will be online during the night till late (sometimes). 2. Verdant Grange: Verdant Grange is a nice villa we happened to run across recently. A little off the beaten track (in Old Westerhall along the east coast), the place is nicely appointed with all the necessary knick knacks and appliances which just about anyone would need to feel comfortable away from home. Consisting of three bedrooms and a spacious patio (yes, there is also a kitchen, living room and bathrooms), and set in well manicured grounds, it is a good choice for a 'do it yourself' vacation. You can check out their web site for a full description with the rates. http://www.grenadaexplorer.com/verdant 3.Egmont Development : Looking for that special place to call your own? (I sound like an accomplished salesman;-) 4. E-mail from visitors : Hi, We just returned from a wonderful month in Grenada and are not sure if we missed the December issue of the Spicy Islander. If so, would you please it again as we need a Grenada fix already. We stayed at the Coral Cove on L'ance aux Epines and loved the peace & quiet. While the beach isn't good for swimming, it is very secluded & a great place for reading in the shade and watching the boat traffic. Also some local fishermen make a wonderful fish stew on Tuesday afternoons & are willing to share it. I brought a hummingbird feeder with me and attracted all sorts of colorful little birds as well as three types of hummers. Great fun to watch. We didn't have a car the first three weeks so getting around was a bit difficult as the minibuses don't go out L'ance aux Epines. We could walk to the Boatyard and enjoyed hanging out with the friendly staff and using the great internet room. We took several tours with our favorite guide, Roland Charles (aka Mitch on the Sat noon radio show) (beeper 408-2418) whom we had met last time we were in Grenada and also got taxi rides to the stores and St. Georges with the Boatyard taxi drivers. And we worked in a white knuckle minibus ride to Gouyave. La Sagesse remains a favorite place for lunch and swimming and the beaches at Grand Anse and Morne Rouge Bay are truly spectacular. The last week we were there we had a jeep and took the northern island drive (as described in your November Spicy Islander) on a Sunday and were thrilled with the visual snapshots of Grenadian life and also the lovely scenery and slower pace up north. We were lucky enough to catch lunch at the Morne Fendue and enjoyed our tour of the house with the gracious hostess. Also found Carib's Leap and thought Victoria was charming. During our stay we also hiked to Mt. Camel falls with Collin, a local guide (442-8026), who got us through the mud and identified every exotic plant along the way. We revisited the Grand Etang and Annadale Falls but my favorite remains the Concord Falls on the westside. Roland took us up to Levera National Park and Lake Antoine as well as a wonderful tour of the fascinating River Antoine Rum Distillery with Patsy as well as a wonderful local lunch at the Champ Fleurs. We also took the Osprey to Carriacou and spent a wonderful day there and recommend lunch at the Oceanwaves Restaurant (especially fresh steamed snapper and local vegetables). The trip up the western coast of Grenada and through the small islands to Carriacou is breathtaking and quite smooth on the Osprey. The whole day cost the two of us about $100 US including a taxi tour with Jimmy. We also tried quite a few restaurants on Grenada and think we had an opportunity to enjoy every kind of local food. The steel pan and dinner at the Boatyard on Friday nights was great and we love the Nutmeg downtown--especially the roti and lambi as well as their famous nutmeg rum punch. We also discovered Tout Bagay which is located at the harbor entrance in St. Georges and has a wonderful view of the harbor and great food and service. We had a very good lunch at the True Blue restaurant which is in a pretty location. Our very best meal consisting of various lobster dishes was at the Coconut Beach restaurant right on Grand Anse beach and the atmosphere and service were excellent. Grenada puts out a very good Dining Guide and it is surprising to find a number of quality restaurants available. One of the joys of Grenada is the lack of chain restaurants & hotels. We did encounter some spectacular but warm tropical rains and spent an entertaining hour trapped at the local market with the vendors so hope all our family and friends enjoy their Grenada spices. This was our fourth and longest visit to Grenada and we have only very fond memories of a beautiful island and the friendly and helpful Grenadian people and hope we can return again to share your island with you. Marty and Barbara Lentz PS Keep up the good work with the Spicy Islander and the Grenada Explorer web site. You do an excellent job of portraying the delights of Grenada. (Thank you Marty & Barbara it feel nice to get some positive feedback) 5. Activities & Festivals for January & February: Knowledgeable anglers agree that Grenada boasts some of the Caribbean’s best game fish waters and that there is no better place to 'catch' a piece of the action than at the 33rd Annual Spice Island Billfish Tournament. Program of Events Tuesday 22 January 10:00 am to 4:00 pm - Registration of Anglers and Boats 6:00 pm - Tournament Briefing 6:30 to 7:30 pm - Carib Cocktail Party at GYC Wednesday 23 January 7:00 am - Texaco Bimini Start 7:15 am to 5:00 pm - Fishing 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm - Complementary Carib Bar for Anglers at Weigh Station Thursday 24 January 7:00 am to 4:30 pm - Fishing 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm - Carib Happy Hour at Weigh Station Friday January 25 6:00 am to 5:00 pm - Lazy Day at GYC 6:00 pm onwards - Carib Yacht Club Lime Saturday 26 January 6:00 am to 3:00 pm - Fishing 6:30 pm onwards - Tournament Prize Giving and Awards Dinner Rules The angling rules of the tournament will follow the International Angling Rules for Fishing in Fresh and Salt Water as published by the IGFA. Only Blue Marlin, White Marlin and Sailfish are eligible for Tournament points. Yellowfin Tuna, Wahoo and Dolphin will be accepted, but are only eligible for Weight Prizes. For more information contact - Robert Miller, Chairman Tel - 473 444-2220 Fax - 473 444 2221 Richard McIntyre Tel - 473 440 3753 Fax - 473 440 6634 E-Mail: sibtgrenada@hotmail.com La Source Grenada Sailing Festival : * The ninth annual LaSource Grenada Sailing Festival will be held from Friday 25th January to Tuesday 29th January 2002. The event continues its popular combination of keelboat and traditional workboat racing, but this time, with an added dimension of a series of dinghy races held during the preceding week. For more information visit - http://www.grenadasailingfestival.com/ FEBRUARY: Carriacou Carnival 11.2.: Celebrations involving two days of street parades and various competitions among calypsonians and masquerade bands. 6. Lakes in Grenada: Everyone who has visited the interior of our island, and the lakes there, Levera Pond, Lake Antoine and Grand Etang, may have wondered how they were formed. Well, for those of you who haven't guessed it, it may come as some surprise that they were once volcanic craters. The entire island is volcanic in origin, and the remains of these volcanoes have slowly eroded over the years and filled up with water. Occasionally, when there is some seismic activity in the region, we get a reminder of this, especially in Lake Antoine. On several occasions the fish population has been practically wiped out because of a sudden rise in the temperature of the water, or an infusion of gas. These last few signs of activity are a pale shadow of what it was like in the past. The other two crater lakes have never shown any activity whatsoever, but the largest, Grand Etang, is associated with one or two local folk tales. One of these involve a 'lady of the lake' who can drown unwary swimmers. Several persons have tried scuba diving there, but they all come away disappointed (I guess its because they never found the lady). The visibility is very limited because of decaying vegetation in the water, and there is a considerable amount of silt which gets stirred up very easily, further hampering visibility. All the lakes harbor local wildlife, with some species of birds not found anywhere else on the island. They are all easily access able by road, with the Levera Pond having a small jetty where you can sit and bird watch. The area around Lake Antoine is also a nesting area for the local dove, which is also on the coat of arms of Grenada. It was felt, a couple of years ago, that their habitat was being destroyed at an alarming rate, and therefore certain areas were designated as protected, with all the lakes being included. For bird watchers, the lakes should be on your list of places to visit. 7.Specials & Packages
8. New or updated web sites to check out: If you are looking for someone who imports West Indian Rum into the USA, check out the following web site: http://www.realrum.com Egmont Development http://www.grenadaegmont.com Events Calendar got updated: http://grenadaexplorer.com/events/ New House for sale in Westerhall http://grenadaexplorer.com/Sale.htm Grenada International Financial Services Authority http://gifsa-grenada.com Wave Crest Apartments: This site has been given a complete overhaul, with new photos and more detailed descriptions. The owners of Wave Crest have also upgraded several important aspects of their premises, and this has improved the value of the premises and made it well worth considering as a place to spend your vacation. http://www.grenadawavecrest.com Don't forget to visit our Hash House Harriers site which offers more photos and the next run schedule at http://grenadahash.com 9. Kick' em Jenny:
For more information check out: http://www.uwiseismic.com/kejtitle.html We have been producing this newsletter for a good while now, and will be celebrating our 4th anniversary this year.
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