Some of the views as we drove...
A zoomed in view of the Emerald Princess.
So many power lines!! Our city has buried all of our utility lines so I forget how ugly these things are.
Our final stop of the day was at Annandale Falls. There is actually another waterfall that you pass by just before getting to Annandale Falls, but it was alongside a busy road and it didn’t appear that there was any place to pull over.
Annandale Falls must be included as a destination on every tour. With two cruise ships in port that day, the parking lot was filled with vans and there was a crowd of people coming and going. There was a small fee ($2 I think) to view the falls which Clement paid as part of our tour price.
Annandale Falls must be included as a destination on every tour. With two cruise ships in port that day, the parking lot was filled with vans and there was a crowd of people coming and going. There was a small fee ($2 I think) to view the falls which Clement paid as part of our tour price.
As we approached the walkway to get to the falls, there were multiple stands set up selling spices…all appeared to have the same items. The vendors were aggressive…yelling and trying to get people to stop at their stand. Women with fruit baskets on their heads were looking for tips in return for their photograph.
Clement took us to one of the stands and introduced us to the girl working there and told us she would be a good person to buy from. I assured her I would be back and we continued on. There was a short walk to the falls on a paved path that passed by all sorts of tropical plants and flowers.
Local divers were at the falls and would climb to the top of the cliffs and dive into the pool below for tips. (Levi’s dive into Titou Gorge the previous day was much more spectacular!!)
Walking back from the falls the girl at the spice stand remembered me and before I even had a chance to say anything, she had called out and reminded me of my promise to stop. Besides several bags of nutmeg, I purchased eight of the spice necklaces she was selling…their scent was amazing. I was also excited to see they were selling vanilla. For the last 12 years, I have managed to buy enough vanilla on our cruises to keep me supplied for all of my baking. I had finished my last bottle right before the cruise so was looking to stock up.
The vanilla was bottled in recycled bottles with a handmade label stuck on…she said she had made it herself. Since I was buying so many things, I was given a better price…$17 total for 3 small bags of nutmeg, 3 bottles of vanilla and 8 spice necklaces.
The vanilla was bottled in recycled bottles with a handmade label stuck on…she said she had made it herself. Since I was buying so many things, I was given a better price…$17 total for 3 small bags of nutmeg, 3 bottles of vanilla and 8 spice necklaces.
We have learned from previous cruises that often the best shopping is done in the local grocery stores! At the end of the tour, we asked Clement to drop us off at a grocery store close to the ship. Bob was excited to find nutmeg banana ketchup. Banana ketchup was something we had purchased in St. Lucia on a previous cruise and really enjoyed...but NUTMEG banana ketchup was something new! I also bought another small bottle of vanilla.
The currency in Grenada is the Eastern Caribbean dollar. Luckily they were willing to take our US dollars and their cash register did the conversion automatically. The change was given in the local currency.
The currency in Grenada is the Eastern Caribbean dollar. Luckily they were willing to take our US dollars and their cash register did the conversion automatically. The change was given in the local currency.
As we were walking back to the ship, this guy started carrying on a conversation with us. At first I just thought he was being friendly, but then realized he wanted us to pay him to be a tour guide. Bob’s backpack was so loaded down with bottles of banana ketchup and vanilla all he wanted to do was get back to the ship!
The Sendall Tunnel is located right by where the ship docks.
Had we not been so tired it would have been interesting to climb up and see this fort overlooking the city...but the hill was steep and there were so. many. steps. Really...this would have been something that should have been included on our tour I think.
As we headed back to the ship I convinced Bob we should just stop for a bit and check out the craft booths set up near the pier. Can you believe it…I bought more vanilla! I’ve given some away, but kept enough that I should be set for some time!
Here is a photo I took of some of our purchases in Grenada. (Notice the vanilla is in recycled pop bottles!) The scent of the spice necklaces was so strong that for a couple of days I could actually smell them from the hallway on the ship before we opened the door to our cabin! I am sorry to say that they have not retained the scent. I have read that you can rejuvenate the smell by dipping the necklaces in hot water, but it didn’t seem to work for me.
Here is a photo I took of some of our purchases in Grenada. (Notice the vanilla is in recycled pop bottles!) The scent of the spice necklaces was so strong that for a couple of days I could actually smell them from the hallway on the ship before we opened the door to our cabin! I am sorry to say that they have not retained the scent. I have read that you can rejuvenate the smell by dipping the necklaces in hot water, but it didn’t seem to work for me.
With one more big bottle of vanilla, Bob’s pack was now just about ready to burst, but I insisted we look through the Esplanade Mall at the cruise ship dock. Our only purchase was a Grenada t-shirt for him so at least it didn’t burden him down too much more.
With this being our first Princess cruise I was surprised to find out that at each port there is a crew member handing out chilled washcloths to passengers as they return! How nice…and something that I had never seen on Carnival.
One last look at Grenada as we set sail for Bonaire.
Winding up our day in Grenada…
While I was getting ready for dinner, Bob grabbed my camera and ran outside to get some sunset photos. I did the next best thing…watched the ship’s cam on TV.
While I was getting ready for dinner, Bob grabbed my camera and ran outside to get some sunset photos. I did the next best thing…watched the ship’s cam on TV.
And also a moon shot...
Not having made a prior reservation for dinner, we agreed to share a table…but asked to be seated with other couples. Maryna (the hostess at the Michelangelo Dining room) was just about ready to seat us with some others waiting when the head waiter came and asked us to go to the DaVinci Dining room instead. Here is a photo of Bob and Maryna taken later in the cruise.
We skipped the entertainment in the Princess Theater...cabaret singer Lovena Fox…and instead went to the game show, Princess Pyramids, in the Explorers Lounge.
There was one couple competing who kept the whole lounge in stitches laughing. They had been married 71 years and the wife had the hardest time trying to get her husband to guess a word from her clues. She finally had to give a hint for “Bill Clinton”. The hint was x-rated so I won't print what she said...but he got it! The whole room was howling!
The night ended with the Ultimate Deck Party by the pool. Bob, Kent & Laurel had gone to several line dance classes during the week and this gave them a chance to put the lessons to use.
The night ended with the Ultimate Deck Party by the pool. Bob, Kent & Laurel had gone to several line dance classes during the week and this gave them a chance to put the lessons to use.
Coming up next...Bonaire!
Enjoyed your blog....going to grenada to stock up on spices in feb....lovely pics...searoses
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