Grenada, EFCV - 2012

Next stop on on the Ernst Family Christmas Vacation (EFCV): Grenada! Grenada was our second stop and the most southwest island that we docked at. It is a beautiful island with a good balance of lush, green vegetation and calm, white beaches. Grenada is known for its spice trade and plantations. If we had decided to go on an excursion, I would have voted for a plantation tour!

Instead of a guided tour, Robbie and I decided to explore the port ourselves. He spotted a tree at the top of a hill/mountain (the tiny tree on top of the mountain on the left) and decided that would be our challenge for the day. To give you some background, Robbie is an extremely flexible traveler. He does not require lots of attention and is generally willing to "go with the flow". It is his flexible and generous demeanor that urges me to be so agreeable when he expresses his desire to "conquer" a location (i.e. spot a landmark and travel there by foot). Today, that tree was our landmark and the road to get there would be conquered.

Before we headed straight to the mountain (as I lovingly referred to it), we explored Fort George. It is an active military outpost that overlooks the entire city and bay. Entrance into the fort is about two American dollars and grants you as much time as you'd like. We thought it was totally worth the two bucks, and would highly recommend it because there are some spectacular views. 

After we left the fort, we dove right into the marketplace where vendors were selling spices, vanilla, and marijuana. Ok, so the marijuana wasn't being sold by an official booth, but we were definitely offered the opportunity to buy some if we so chose. I picked up a container of spices for a friend and some vanilla for myself. I'm absolutely horrible at bartering, so I did my best to get everything over with as soon as possible. 

Once our souvenirs were purchased, we were ready to locate that tree. Robbie loves maps and acted as our navigator as we walked through unfamiliar neighborhoods. I loved being able to get a close-up view of local homes, even landscaping techniques (goats are used as lawnmowers on Grenada to help keep costs down). Saying that, the humidity was killing me and by the time I reached the top, I was more than happy to take a shady break.

Reaching the base of that tree provided us with enough satisfaction to get back to the ship. We had conquered that landmark and were ready to head back to the ship. 

Have you been to Grenada? Do you have the urge to "conquer" a landmark while traveling?