I've been dragging my feet to write about our last day on this magical trip, just like we were dragging our feet to leave Sandy Island and return our charter boat to St. George's, the capital of the Spice Island, Grenada. But, a part of me was anticipating our arrival in Grenada, my fourth visit to this wonderful island full of friendly people, historical sites, challenging hiking, and beautiful beaches.
As we pulled into the harbor at St. George's, historical Fort George towered over us, I chuckled as I recalled my first visit here in 1993. While planning our hiking trip in the Grenadian rainforest, my friend and I encountered gasps and dropped jaws from people who exclaimed. "Oh no! You can't go to Grenada! There's a war going on there!" Ummm, the "war", which was really an invasion by the US to thwart a military coup and to protect 600 US medical students, lasted only 4 days and took place 10 years prior to our visit!
Fort George, situated on a volcanic ridge 175' above the entrance to St. George's harbor was built in 1706 and served in a numbers of wars and most recently was the site of the execution of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop, which prompted the US invasion. The fort currently houses the Royal Grenada Police Force. Climb to the top to see the cannons and views of Grand Anse Beach to the south and the city's waterfront to the north.
Just north of St. George in Molinere Bay is an underwater sculpture park with 8 sculptures that serve as artificial reefs. On our sail down from Sandy Island we made a brief stop here, but decided the water visibility wasn't good enough for us to get a good look at the sculptures as many of them are 20+ feet deep, too deep for us to dive down while snorkeling. Below is a picture of one of the sculptures, a circle of life size figures cast from local children.
After we arrived at the marina to return our boat, we sadly and slowly packed our bags for our departure the next day. To cheer us up, we headed to the marina pool where a very accommodating waitress fixed us Papa Dobles (daiquiris ala Hemingway, with fresh squeezed lime juice), and we toasted our magical experience while watching the sun set over the Caribbean.
