Here on this hilly, hot, humid island, you usually join a group of other cruisers on a weekday to take the shopping bus to get your groceries and other things that might be needed for the boat or personal use. All buses on Grenada are actually vans with seating capacity usually at 12-15 people. The city buses have a driver and a conductor that sits on the passenger side near the sliding door (there is only one door), and he hails people along the streets to see if they want to take his bus. He also collects the $2.50 EC fare. EC is Eastern Caribbean money and $2.50 EC would be equivalent to about $1.00 US. The cruiser's bus is $10 EC and is still loaded with lots of people.
Our driver today is Shademan
A typical city bus
The van arrives at 9:00 but cruisers have to give themselves time to leave their boat in the dinghy, head over to a marina that is close to them, tie up and lock the dinghy and walk up to the pickup spot. So we left our boat at 8:15 and were there about 25 minutes ahead of time. Because of the the mosquito virus that is spreading through the Caribbean, I have sprayed myself down with bug spray as they are very much buzzing around in the mornings. The virus is called Chickungunya and has effected 65% of the people on Grenada. I know of three people that have had the virus and two are still fighting it. It brings headaches, fevers, and the worse part is aching in the joints that is similar in feeling to arthritis. It last any where from days to weeks and even longer. I sure don't want that disease, so I spray on that toxic spray...but the views are beautiful.
Off we go up the hill from Whisper Cove marina and winding around the dirt roads till we hit the main drag. They drive on the left hand side and honk as they round a corner to warn of their approach to any unseen cars coming from the other direction.
Our first stop is the ATM machine. Six of us get out of the van to withdraw money to spend on the island. I wondered how many different countries were being represented at that machine today. I know there were a few French, an Englishman, a funny lady from Switzerland, and a couple from St Thomas and myself from the USA. Money in our pockets, we are off to our next stop.
Some of the views along the way and the round about before getting to the Spice Land Mall with the big IGA grocery store.
After stops at the Ace Hardware store, the veggie market, and budget marine, we enter Spiceland Mall. You never know what you will find in the produce or meat department, but the shelves are stocked with most of the items we need for the boat. There are a lot of local fruits and vegetables like
avacados, papaya, chili peppers, callaloo (which is like spinach but much toughter), and lots of pumpkin, ginger, sour oranges, and bananas....of yes lots of bananas. The meats are totally different. It is extrememly hard to find a chicken breasts....there are lots of wings, and feet and necks. There is plenty of goat and oxtail, and I have never been tempted to buy a Canadian cow ear.
This is the veggie market...lots of ginger and sour oranges
I wonder who will get the lastbroccoli
This is the poultry section....not one bit of chicken
Pig ears...oh my
Beef feet...no idea how to cook those
A couple of choices for rice or couscous.
Hope the bread is on top!
Then all the food has to be redistributed to the owners and brought back down the hill to the dingy dock. This usually includes cases of Carib beer and bottles of wine.
Our supplies back on Varua....a big bag of dog food for Bentley
The results for tonights dinner is curried goat stew with pumpkin.
And a glass of wine to wash it down.
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