Like every Canadian who takes a winter holiday in April, I had so hoped that spring would have arrived on the prairies. Apparently, it is the opposite. A big blizzard is whirling around intent on bringing lots of snow to about four million people. Fingers crossed that Winnipeg is on the edge and only gets flurries! It has been a fabulous holiday and we are looking forward to returning sooner rather than later. Grenada has changed so much in the past three years and the resort that we are in, The Starfish, will evolve in the next few months from a 3.5 star to a 5-star resort with a name change. I do hope that they keep the nature reserve area in the centre. It has brought a lot of joy to a number of us.
This tri-colour heron spotted us walking over the bridges and within a blink, he was at the edge of the pond ready to catch his lunch. They are very elegant standing on the rocks but when fishing, they pull down their neck and get into a striking pose. Nothing much happens if they catch a small fish but if it is a bigger one, they quickly move away from the shore. Sometimes they drop the fish but at least they won’t lose it. It can take them a few minutes to get their catch into a size that will go down that long throat. All of this is followed by gulps of water. Then they are back into striking mode.
Ready for action:
Today a green heron aggravated the tri-colour who was not too keen to share its territory.
The doves were satisfied just to get some of the crumbs of the crackers. At one point there were eight of them.
On the other side of the pond, the egrets were fussing about trying to get settled on the branches.
It is hard to imagine how lush the vegetation will be in just a few months when the rains start. There is a fire ban on the island but some are still burning. There is no real fire department and it could be devastating if the wind caused some of those small fires to spread.
Grenada has been wonderful as it always is. The people are friendly and the mini-van bus service is amazing.
So here are some tips to help make your next vacation in Grenada just that much better:
- If you have a number of people travelling together, consider renting an Air BnB and doing some of your own cooking. Make sure that you are close to a bus route so that you can get down to the beaches or get groceries with some ease. Don’t even think about renting a car! There are also short term apartment and house rentals managed by the local real estate agents. Just Google ‘houses in Grenada for short term’.
- If you are independent, get one of the Grenada road maps. Find the tourist attractions you want to do and see if there is a local mini-van to take you there. You will save a bundle (and I do mean hundreds of Canadian dollars).
- Check out things to do and their ratings on Trip Advisor.
- Move a little bit out of your comfort zone. For some of the best roti I have ever eaten, go to The Sugar Shack on True Blue Road. And if you like East Indian food, the Punjabi near the airport brought in four cooks from India. It is the best Indian food I have eaten in years. The Malai Kofta had the creamiest cashew sauce ever.
- Remember that eating out is very expensive. Groceries are expensive. You might want to compare prices for all-inclusive hotels giving yourself the option to find some of the local restaurants (non-American or chain) every other day or so.
- Compare prices on tours. They vary a whole lot for the same sites.
- You can get most anything you need on the island now. You might want to bring some sunscreen just to start you off. You will need a hat! Even walking around for an hour without one will mean a sunburned head. Not nice. Remember that you burn quickly if you are in the water. So take it easy. You will get a tan to prove you had a winter holiday without much effort. You don’t want to go home shedding like a snake!
- And last but never least, get on Grenada time. Slow down. ‘Chill out’. Say hello to people, smile. Have a great holiday.
I am looking forward to coming back. The plan will be to rent a house with a pool. Turns out some of the most gorgeous properties are less than a 3.5-star hotel. It should be fun and definitely something to look forward to.