I call this little blurb "The Spice Isle" because few people realize that this small island (12 by 21 miles) is the world's second leading producer of nutmeg (behind Indonesia). Although they produce other spices and crops (and RUM!) as well, it is the nutmeg production that is most well-known. But there is so much more to the island!
Of all the Caribbean islands, Grenada is one of the most underrated (and therefore, less touristed). You can drive around the island in a day, but you'll barely scratch the surface of this diverse little chunk of volcanic rock! Locals are, indeed, quite friendly, and everyone speaks English. The people are open-minded and kind-hearted. In fact, apart from driving on the left-hand side of the not-too-wide roads, there is little or no stress on the island, so you too must relax once you're here. It is nice to think that if "something doesn't get done today...it will get done tomorrow...or the day after...or the day after that..." Quite a far cry from the more "modern" world. As someone once said, "if something isn't to your liking, then change your liking!" Be patient if something doesn't happen right away when you are here--that's how life is in Grenada. And it's FUN!
On a typical day, you can have a calm breakfast at your hotel, as you overlook the ocean and listen to the waves lap up on the shore. Afterwards, you can spend the morning at the market, browsing and shopping, enjoying the local culture and all that it has to offer. By mid-morning you're ready for a little excitement, so you head into the rainforest for a hike to the "Seven Sisters" (a beautiful set of waterfalls) and to "climb" Mt. Qua-Qua for a view of nearly the entire island. While meandering through the rainforest, you see Mona monkeys in the trees--swinging--and geckos skittering along the large, tropical leaves. A mongoose darts across the damp trail as you listen to the bamboo trees creaking in the cool breeze. As you look around, realizing that the soft "cooing" you hear is the Grenada dove--not the wind in the "whispering" pines--you notice the spider orchids (and the "orchid spider" next to them!) growing out of the side of the mahogany trees. And then, as you near the top of Mt. Qua-Qua, you see the rainbow, arching its way across the Grenadian sky, from nearly one side of the island to the other! You ask your partner to pinch you, making sure this is real.
As you take your leisurely walk back down through the rainforest, you stop for lunch at the "lodge" just outside the rainforest, where Patrick has your cold drink and ham and cheese sandwich waiting. You drive slowly back to your hotel, stopping at Annandale Falls along the way for a quick nature tour and swim. As the sun starts to hang lower in the sky, you sit back in your beach chair and sip on a cocktail, reflecting on your adventures of the day, as you watch the golden sun reflect an amber-esque hue on the pink and purple coulds. As the sun sinks lower into the ocean, you spot the elusive "Green Flash" and realize that you have just ate a small piece of near-perfect pie...