GRENADA      DIARY  2

From Diary 1, I now see the rest.
16. The day is set off to explore the western coast. I pass Saint George, which is a bit more alive today, but not that much. Right outside town, I stop at a little fishing harbour and oil-depo. The fishing boats here are a bit bigger than those I usually see. They can go out for days, setting long lines with hooks for tuna and sailfish.

Further up the coast, it is real fertile, and here are some huge silk trees. I stop at some other small beaches, and where the road heads over high cliffs, and there is a great view down to the sea.
In one great looking cove, I find the open dumpsite for not-so-Saint George. Besides from the seagulls, no one can appreciate it.

I have seen quite some Cashew nuts on the islands, and here, I pick a ripe one. A big orange, quite perfumed fruit with an external nut, packed is some poison and tough leather-like skin. Besides from the occasional bananas and coconuts, I don't see many crops along the coast.

Outside the town of Concorde, I find the right little road, leading into a narrow valley and Concorde Falls. It is a fantastic valley I enters. The steep sides are covered in mainly trees, but also some steep fields with crops. Everything is so lush and green! 

The security officers are in place, but it is for free. I get directions on how to find the fall, deep inside the rainforest. Most bridges are gone, and  the trail is real slippery. Several times, I have to walk in the water, but then I get rite of some of the slippery mud on my feet.

I head on, and here are only the same trail anyway. It follow the river, deep into the valley/gorge. The first part is through tiny fields with all kind of vegetables and fruit. One of the crops are the fantastic Nutmeg; Myristica fragrans. It have an big fruit, good for jam and alike, a red nut cover, used for spice and cosmetic and the nutmeg, used for several things like spice. The black nut with the red cover look so cool!

After the only little bridge, it turns real wild and fantastic beautiful. After close to one hours great tracking, I reach a tall, real great looking fall in a gorge, surrounded by tall trees. I make a bunch of photos, none showing how great it actually looks.

I see some Bronze Anolis, find the fruit of a lianas - and avoid from opening it. It does hold four great looking "beans", but also a million small needles.
I try not to make too many photos on the way back - and fails completely.

At the entrance, two other falls are found, and they can be observed from the cruiser's minibuses. Here are four small souvenir stalls, and they actually make most of their good s them self. I avoid the turtle shells, but can't refuse a brown coral Tiki Charm mask.

I find my way back to the coastal road, and continues north. Here are one lovely cove after the other, although most beaches are rocks or boulders. Others are perfect white sand, and without any guests.
I pass a group of small boats, filled with fishermen, using a big net and divers. It must be tuna they are catching.

I have seen quite some flowering trees, and although I'm not convinced they are native, I stop at a special nice one to get some pictures. The tree next to it is also covered in flowers, but from a giant vine.
I stop at some more small fishing villages, and I never get tired of making photos of the small, colourful dinghies.

My next planned stop is the town of Gouyave, which is one of the bigger towns - around here. It is a mix of old shops and houses along ancient sheets. The market is closed, the fish market almost. But the big black Gouyave Nutmeg Processing Cooperative factory is open, and I get a tour. It have not changed a bit in 100 years - or perhaps 250?

The town is right at the coast, and behind the western buildings are the beach. A river runs through, and it is pretty clean and clear. The harbour have both the tiny dinghies and the slightly bugger fishing boats.
I take a backstreet back, and here are a few of the old English houses being restored to former glory - others are falling apart. The Catholic church is looking great, the English more like a ruin.

As I continues up the western coast, I pass several other not-so small towns, and some of the houses in the edges of these towns are huge.
I see a sigh to some petroglyphs, but looses the track, and end on a blind mountain road without any chance to turn around. Good thing I can back-up.

A bit further on, I see another sign, and it is on a beach. Doquesne Petroglyphs is made by the ancient inhabitants on some boulders on the beach. They are still quite visible, but people have only lived her for 2000 years. The beach itself is great looking too. White sand, colourful dinghies, fishing net being repaired, a vide river and palms.

The northern part of the island is a bit dryer, and here start to be a few Cereus and Opuntia cacti along with Agaves. The northern coast is Leatherback beach, and the dry grass belong to the cows. I do a walk on Levera Beach, and see the seaweed, cows and red rocks. Despite they are so red, they are not magnetic.

Out in the sea, several islands are found. The most iconic is Sugar Loaf Island, a real pointy volcano. I turn around, as I'm out of road and it is getting late. I stop at another beach, flanked by tall clay cliffs and with more seaweed, but also cacti.

I head straight home from here, and get to give a security officer at the stadium a lift, most of the way. I have been giving quite some lifts on the islands, but only on stretches I have driven before.
It have been a great day, but I have too many photos to prove it. The west Coast with Concorde Falls, Gouyave, Doquesne Petroglyphs and Beach and Levera Beach

17. I start the day by driving up the western coast. I find a few beaches I haven't seen, and a private peninsular, which is really dry. Here are tiny fields with crops - or the remains, and quite some trees and bushes along with yellow grass. The Burseras are starting to sproughts, while the rest is quite dormant.

One tree have no leaves, but is covered in what appears to be eggs. Exactly the right size and form. But it is Easter, and could it be a natural "Easter-tree"???
A bit further up the coast, I find a giant Silk-tree, and this one is covered in it numerous fruits.

At one of the small fishing communities, one fisherman is returning, and everybody joins in, pulling his dinghy up to the beach. Other boats are filled with the nets, and remain out in the water, to great joy for the seagulls, and a single booby joins in. I have not seen pelicans for several islands by now.

In Gouyave, I turn inland by the other cross-country mountain road. At first, it passes some huge homes, then a lot of scattered farming. It is only small patches here and there, that are farmed, but I think most of the area once was cane fields. It is extremely fertile, lush and green, and here are potential for a lot of farming.

On the other side of the central pass, the farms disappears, but it remain just as fertile. Here are bigger trees, larger canyons and a smaller road. I get numerous green pictures, but enjoy the drive anyway.
When I reach the eastern coast, I turn north.

My next goal is some hot springs, causes by sulphur springs. I don't expect much, and I was right. Bourgonvillas, colourful painted wooden constructions along with just as colourful old tires make up the scenery. The springs, on the other hand, are almost dry by now. Only some stinking, real disgusting soup are found in the button of some.

A nearby field holds some yellow grass and a few cows. The surounding bushes have no leaves, and here, it is truly the dry season. I try to find some more, heading out a minor gravel road, following the north coast. The road passes both tiny old huts and huge modern houses. It end at a chop-shop for cars.

I find a small trail, which reach the other end of the Levera Beach, near Sugar Loaf Island. The beach is cleaner here, and I sit and watch the waves for a short period. Then I find my way out to the western coast again, and head homewards by it. I pass a nice looking fortress, but can't find any records of one. Then a windmill base sits next to the coastline.

I drive down the western coast for once (use to drive up), but I don't see many new things. I manages to find the Amerindian Petroglyphs I misses the first time. They are not in the hills, but on the beach. And as far as I can tell, only two "faces" on a single boulder.

In the long line of occult Christian churches, I now find "The Uganda Martyrs Catholic Church". Exactly how it have ended up here still puzzles me. On one of the previous islands, A Jehovah Widnes explained to me: All the other forms of Christianity are so wrong. "Only JW are right". If only I haven't heard that story numerous times from different branches, it would make things easier. And not to mention other religions! After all, perhaps Buddha was right: There are no gods!

I pass right through Saint George, which remains having this "Sunday-feeling". On the other side, I head on to the beach I passed the first day. It is perfect, real long and rather boring too. One would have to have a microscope to find anything but sand on it. It have by the way been a hot day; 30C, where it else have been 26C.

I gas the car, and find the airport, half a hour too early. But the girls are here, and I handover the car. I start walking back, and an arsehole of a busdriver pick me up, and charges me 300% extra for an airport tour. I was 200 metres from the regular route, and had walked 1500 metres. On the way out, I was dumped 2500 metres before the termination point, but still charged fully. I am glad I don't have to deal with these modern highwaymen on a daily basic. West coast, Central Mountains, the north - and back again
     From the countryside, I now head into the capital; Saint George in Diary 3