Caribbean Windward islands with friends 2020

The Caribbean : Windward Islands

February - March 

2020

Green Flash tonight! 

February and March : travels and fun with friends from Michigan, Portugal, South Africa and Germany...

Carrie spent two weeks on board.  Touring Grenada then later Carriacou, one of Grenada's sister islands.  We had a blast hanging out.  Catching up. Cooking, eating and drinking...
And, exploring some of the amazing sights and tastes of these Windward Islands.

Concord Water Falls, Grenada

bus ride with school boys

                  

Grand Etang Nature Reserve

Watching Cricket in Hillsborough, Carriacou...
Caribbean Cricket;  referred to as Twenty20 : 20 overs / 120 pitches
as faster version, easily completed in one afternoon

score kept by the man in the booth...

Manchineel Tree with warning sign

The Manchineel Tree, known as 'la manzanilla de la Muerte' in Spanish, translates to the little apple of death or Tree of Death... Don't touch, eat or inhale the air around it... it's poisonous sap and fruit produce inflammation and blisters, and sometimes death.  

They are found throughout the Caribbean.  Though dangerous they serve as excellent erosion control for the beaches

Tyrell bay, Carriacou
and...
more wooden boats being built in Windward, Carriacou

Fun snorkeling at Sandy Island 

so very glad you came to visit!  

Boat races, sailing and bus local bus rinding....

maxi bus signs...

please....

Paradise Beach Carriacou.... 

Friends Lucia and Andrew, crew Alba, hanging out with us
and exploring the area...

just a few of the locals passing by...

Discarded conch shells on the beach

A great example of a Caribbean roundabout...

A fun discovery ... a car wash / local rum shop / dominos for gaming and best of all...

cold Ice Cream

Inishnee's new crew has arrived.... hello to Jan and Anett!  

Jan and Anett came for a couple of weeks vacation; that was the plan anyway...

Touring Grenada...

Nice roadside shops for takeout and produce...

Lunch at the Belmont Estate and Chocolate Factory / Planta

              

cocoa beans dry in the sun

cocoa beans

Turning the fermenting cocoa beans

immature cocoa pod on a tree

an assortment of local fruits, nuts and produce

nutmeg with local flora 

River Antoine Rum Distillery....

sugar cane ready to be processed

water driven wheel for crushing the canes

colorful bus stop 

Anetts' first fresh coconut!

Grenville, Grenada... the windward side

YIKES !

road side shops ...

its pretty windy at the highest point on Grenada...

                  

Kickem' Jenny Rock...
her mama the Volcano lies under the sea...

relaxing at Paradise beach ...

unfortunately... it's not all fun in the sun...

another visit from the crew of Alba!
... Andrew and Lucia ...
and Jim

cheers!

Leaving Sandy Island, Carriacou

on to Union Island, the Grenadines ...to check in (new country)

Happy Island.
A man made island made completely from conch shells! 

Happy Island has a bar and small home for the owner.
all powered with solar panels

snorkling at Chatham Bay, Union Island...
quite roll'y,  the seas are churned up creating low visibility  
 but refreshing and fun

Tobago Cays seen from Mayreau, Grenadines

kids out for a walk...

Rogers Bar on Mayreau

tug of war to determine who pitches first...

Cricket match on Mayreau...

Walking home with her warehouse balanced on her head...

Should be a 4 pointer!

Anett at the helm...

Jan finally caught us dinner!

celebrating his catch

Bequia ... a beautiful gem of an island...

produce market 

another amazing sunset...

With the threat from Corona Virus looming and many of the islands closing there boarders... we turn south after only 2 days in Bequia to return immediately to Grenada.  Luckily...
we checked in at Tyrell Bay, Carriacou on the last day of open borders...

A health officer met cruisers and took temps of each crew.  Tracking and recording each members travels the last few weeks for future reference if needed...

Amazing sunset followed by a green flash... 

dinner preparations...

And then... the 'virus' took over our lives

their vacation turned into a  

'stay-cation' 

Jan and Anett's flight home was cancelled.  No flights out of the country.  They continued to check government websites and airlines.  They booked and rebooked flights, before they finally secured seats on one of the last Government Repatriate flights out of Grenada.  Soon after their departure, Grenada went into a  total shut down of the borders...

then

No Movement Allowed

.

Stay on your boat

Stay in your house

.