Grenada, West Indies
Filed under: There, Photography
Ninety miles off the coast of Venezuela lies the nearly-hidden island of Grenada. Unlike most of the Caribbean, Grenada still remains largely unknown and undeveloped, saving it from the vast estates of resorts that dominate other areas. Then in 2004, the island as a whole was battered dramatically during Hurricane Ivan, so the slow rebuilding and scattered ruins have kept it at a native level. This is the charm of Grenada.
It may be a third-world country, but the Grenadian people are loving, polite and modest, always wearing clean, pressed clothes and treating even the most run-down church or home with sincere and honest care. Animals walk alongside the roads as Reggae buses veer wildly around the narrow curves. Just like the clear, clean water, the island of Grenada is one of the purest places on earth.
At the north tip of the island is Sauteurs, a quiet town with few restaurants, and the location of the “Carib’s Leap,” where in 1651 the natives jumped to their deaths from the cliff rather than surrender to the invading French. Here we see school children parading the streets during Grenadian Independence Week.
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At the north tip of the island is Sauteurs, a quiet town with few restaurants, and the location of the “Carib’s Leap,” where in 1651 the natives jumped to their deaths from the cliff rather than surrender to the invading French. Here we see school children parading the streets during Grenadian Independence Week.
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St. George, the capital city, is built around the Carenage (harbor) on the southwestern point of the island.
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In the St. George marketplace women line the streets with their fare. Normally subdued, the market comes alive when cruise ships might dock for the afternoon.
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Banana trees and animals can be seen alongside the roads.
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In the center of the island is the ancient volcanic crater, Grand Etang, where legends and steep ravines keep most visitors (and natives) away.
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Students from St. George’s Medical School spend the evening in one of the local bars. The university, although mostly populated with American and British students, is situated quietly and beautifully amid the scenery, surprisingly blending in and casting little shadow on the rest of the island.
