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18 economist suntribune saturday oct 26 2002 advertising feature passport to theres more to grenada than just spices by bart card contributing travel editor as a native bermudian ive certainly experienced my fair share of the caribbean ive criss crossed the islands in fact spending time between bermuda barbados jamaica and all points in between yet the nation state of grenada in the west indies has remained a tiny parcel of the caribbean i had yet to relish the opportunity to fully explore yes i do recall a quick stint in grenada once a stay that last ed all of one day as a passenger on a holland american line cruise some 15 years ago we dropped anchor and took a ten der in to st george the island capital a submerged volcanic crater forms st georges natural ly deep harbour one of the most picturesque in the region it is a port of call for several cruise lines yachts ferries cargo and other boats i do of course remember this as if it were pres ent day because i have the scar on the bottom of my right foot to prove it as other passengers dashed off the holland american to conduct their shopping and a trip to the local market my eye caught a glimpse of the brilliant white hot sand of the grand anse beach the twomile beach was to become my first grenada experi ence i couldnt wait to stroll along grand anse and enjoy a dip in the cool blue waters before joining my fellow passengers in their shopping endeavours yet my agenda was quickly cut short as i suffered a slight injury something sliced by foot and i knew in an instance that it could nt be the work of a seashell looking down i noticed a dis charged and shredded 50caliber shell casing upon further inspection of both my bloodied foot and the shell casing my mind raced back to 1983 and 1984 when a mili tary faction within maurice bishops new jewel movement took control of grenada as a for mer soldier in the british army im always fascinated with laluna hotel wartime activities the turmoil and purported threat to the united states medical students stranded on the island served as the catalyst for the famed rescue mission by us forces a short time later the overwhelming support for the action by the grenadine population was evi dent from the start and has not subsided today when i was preparing for my latest travel assignment and men tioned grenada to some of my friends they replied wheres grenada what does it have to photobart card offer in reality it is one of the bestkept secrets of the caribbean the threeisland nation of grenada carriacou and petite martinique in the eastern caribbean is the most southerly of the windward islands located between st vincent and the grenadines to the north and trinidad and tobago to the south once the homes to arawaks ciboneys and caribs it was sight ed by christopher columbus on his third voyage in 1498 following colonial wars in the 18th century when france and britain traded the island back and forth it became solely under british control in 1783 and achieved independence in 1974 this time around however there was no rush for me to head to the grenada beaches for i was prepared to spend a relaxing week on the island soaking up the sun in addition to grenadas rich history fine food and accommo dations my only discomfort was my journey to grenada travel horror stories abound by travellers including myself perhaps our lone outlet is to share these diffi culties and ill do that here i suf fered through a 12hour delay in toronto only to arrive in trinidad at 5 am the following morning to be told my connecting flight to grenada would not leave until 1 pm that afternoon my ordeal didnt end with my eventual arrival as my departure was actu ally delayed two additional days in grenada because of flight problems however im so glad people will not have to experi ence a similar plight grenada desperately needed a direct flight from toronto and as of december 23rd grenada is the newest addition to air canada vacations acv winter program with weekly direct flights acv holidays include round trip air transportation accommodation and land transfers between air port and hotel while acv offers a selection of six hotels in grenada despite my rocky travel itiner ary i quickly settled in for the majority of my stay at the secret harbour resort email secretcaribsurfcom thanks in large part to reservation manager peter dragon this tremendous facility has all the ingredients for a perfect tropical getaway offer ing superb vistas of the sea from every deluxe suite the old world mediterranean ambiance is- felt in sweeping patio arches and sunny tiled terraces bor dered with bougainvillea this is a hotel with atmosphere and charm a hotel made for romance close by is the moorings it is the friendliness of the locals its the popular activities ranging from savouring the local cuisine to the sound of steel bands where people fly in from across the world to this spectacular marina and board their yachts for outstanding sailing sailors find themselves drawn by the pictur esque harbours lined with sun drenched beaches waterfalls cas cading amidst lofty mountains perfumed by fragrant spices it is here at the moorings you sense the pastoral country life of the people an easygoing spirit that greets your first step on these sparkling sands grenada is one of the few caribbean destinations where ecotourism is a main attraction every article i have every read concerning this fabulous destina tion makes reference to grenada as spice island yes the smell of nutmeg wafts in the air consider ing grenada is the worlds sec ondlargest nutmeg producer but the statement is a bit of hyper bole aside from the spices grenada is so much more it is the friendliness of the locals its the popular activities ranging from savouring the local cuisine to the sound of steel bands a pastel rainbow of dockside ware houses surrounds st georges harbour while the carenage on the waterfront has dutyfree shops that offer great bargains other stops to note include the concord waterfall dougaldston spice boucan leapers hill morne fendue plantation house the levera national park and the river antoine rum distillery continued next page pity the pickpockets while visiting five countries in the mediterranean over the past three weeks i was the intended victim of three robbery attempts in each your ingeniously designed clothes thwarted the perpetrators robert c petersen silver spring maryland the worlds finest travel clothing has secret pockets security pockets stoploss pockets plus smart appearance ease of care wash in a hotel sink in the evening wear neat and dry to breakfast durability mix and match versatility and exceptional style colour and size options people buy them for travel but wear them for life with this 3dand a reasonable purchase voull receive a l i f jjjja jdjii t air of comfy guaranteed locks 16 2 locations in toronto 900 don mills rd 3 lights south of lawrence 2 north of eglinton 416 4416141 ample free parking queens quay 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