GRENADA      DIARY  3

 From Diary 2, and the countryside, it is now time for Saint George; the capital.
18. I catch up on some sleep, then some office work. It is a car-less day, but the plan is just to investigate the capital Saint George anyway. It is a short 1000 meter walk down town (and probably a much longer one, way up hill in the afternoon). I actually only have a few planned sights, but two days to see them. Slow sightseeing - whatever that is. I'm more into speed!

It is a bit greyish still, and I only get a few glimpses of sun during the day. At least, it only drizzles a few times too. From the valley I oversees from home, facing the ocean, I head over a ridge, and get to another valley. I pass some real cosy homes on the steep hillsides, and enjoy the view over the large harbour.

I make a shortcut down a long set of stairs, and end out in the not so fancy part of town, but where the fishing and industrial harbours are. As I walk along the pier, it is like a better snorkel tour. Here are both hard and soft corals, sea urchins and so many and different colourful fish.

At one point I think: "At least I don't drown my camera now" (I have done that every single time I have been diving), and then a wave touches it. In my eager to document the corals, I get to dip the camera. Only the lens, but quite scary! I guess the sunglasses I used as a polaroid filter saved it. 

While here are a lot of great motives like the old Phoenix Cigarettes Factory, all the parked and driving cars are really a annoying obstruction to proper photos. And the lack of light does not really help.
The other side of the harbour hold some of the more aristocratic buildings, right down to the waterline. However, that will be later.

Right now, I am close to the Botanical Garden, and I head for it. Can't tell why I keep bothering. This might once have been one, but it is only the concrete and a few old trees that remains. It is a half descent park by now.
I head back pass the industrial port, where a little container ship is being unloaded.

Along some bigger fishing vessels, the first promenade buildings are found. Some are in bricks, other just painted to look like. Actually, the ones in true bricks are painted too.
While I wait for a bit of sun on these old buildings, I sit out a drizzle at a too fancy restaurant for a cup of bad coffee. And the sun never came...

Right above the harbour is Fort George, and I head up there. I see some of the Lesser Antillean bullfinch, Loxigilla noctis, and get a slightly blurry picture. Despite they are less frightful, I do not get any better photos of the cacti, as they sit up on the vertical cliffs. I make some pictures of the Flametree's; Delonix regia fruits and seeds, found everywhere on the islands, despite they originate from Madagascar. Here are also some daffodils-like flowers.

Fort George is a ruin, but the outer walls are doing fine. It is fare from a big fortress, but rather choppy - if you can call a fort that? I see the remains of the inner buildings, the canons and the great views to the sea, the harbour and the city. Added sun, they would have been great! I actually sit and wait for the sun for some time, but no luck.

Some steep streets leads down to the old town, with the market and alike. It is more busy, and feel real alive for once. I follow the water, and many houses are actually ruins, despite the rather central placement. Again, the many cars dominated my photos.

The meat market is closed - years ago?, so is the slaughter house, and the fish market is a bit dead too. And it smells that way too.
As I get out of town, the fishing boats are getting smaller, and so are the vegetable stands. I head back, and find the market. It should be most alive in the weekends, but is is quite alive now.

As usually, the market halls are taken over by the rather optimistic souvenir and especially spice sellers, while the vegetables and fruit are outside under colourful parasols. I find nothing, but the spices, I haven't seen on other islands. Even the metal works from Haiti are here!

I head out of the harbour area, and climb the steep streets up to the churches. Here are actually quite some. And I find the old parliament building. Apparently, someone have done a successful Guy Fawkes to it.
Besides from rather run-down homes, here are not that much to see, and I head down again.

I find a barbershop and get a cooling shave and cut. Then I find some breakfast and a banana soda - which taste more like an old lemon soda. At four, I have pretty much seen it all, and head back up to my cosy home. Too many photos with too little sun. Perhaps tomorrow will be different? Saint George

19. It is Easter Friday, and I don't expect much activity in town. However, the sun is present, and I hope to get some better pictures of the buildings. There are no cruise ship in the harbour either, and that slows things down too.

Like yesterday, I start with the harbour and the teaming life within it. This time through, I abstain from dipping the camera. Here are crabs, snails, octopus, bright coloured fish, odd animals and so many different fish. I have had snorkel, dives and even submarine tours where I saw less! 

I follow the entire pier over to the huge houses and big boats. I head op to the fortress, but the light is not right for the town yet. Back down to the market, which is completely empty. Same goes for the bus station. All restaurants are closed as well as the small shops.

At least, the big supermarket is open, and I can find something to drink and eat for lunch. I do a few more loops around the totally dead town, and end on a bench in the shadow, sharing my lunch with the fishes. They do appreciate coconut biscuits.

I give up finding new motives in the city, and head home, zigzagging up the hill. That leaves me with a whole afternoon to finish up Granada - and catch up on WRC-Corsica. I also do some laundry and accounting - mainly because I'm bored. Saint George - in sun  HIGHLIGHTS from Granada

20. I get time for a relaxed start on the day, as my flight is close to noon. The busses are back in the streets, and I pay the extra to get all the way out to the airport. Here, I have to spend my last 30 Eastern Caribbean dollars on something - eatable or light. Next stop is Barbados, this time for a bit longer period, than the previous three stopovers.

Again, one of these small Caribbean island have surprised me in a positive way. It is so much more than perfect "bounty-beaches". Here are high mountains, covered in lush vegetation, lovely people, idyllic villages and a great atmosphere.
I got to drive 389 kilometres, make 1569 photos and spend around what I had expected: