<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\nIn a week, the U.S. took over the island after subduing about 1,500 Grenadian soldiers and about 700 armed Cubans. The UN General Assembly condemned the invasion in a lopsided vote.<\/p>\n\n
When US troops withdrew from Grenada a couple of months later, the country was governed by an interim administration until elections in December 1984. In October 1984, the new Point Salines International Airport (renamed Maurice Bishop) was opened and the country could accommodate large commercial jets for the first time. The Pearls Airport was left in ruin and the airstrips are now used for drag-racing.<\/p>\n\n <\/figure>\n\nRoyal Mount Carmel Waterfall<\/h2>\n\n Grenada has a number of modestly sized waterfalls. We went to this one, a short walk off the side of the road. We paid a small admission fee (not sure it was required) to a man who accompanied us. I particularly liked the angle of this fall. I imagine during the rainy seasons it would be quite dramatic.<\/p>\n\n
\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\nWhen driving through the country, we noticed many large homes being constructed.<\/p>\n\n
\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\nWe found out that Grenadians who worked abroad have come back here for retirement and are able to build mini-mansions from their savings.<\/p>\n\n
Grand Etang National Park & Forest Reserve<\/h2>\n\n Grenada is a great place for hiking trails of various difficulties. A good place to stretch your legs is in Grand Etang National Park & Forest Reserve. It\u2019s known for the charming Grand Etang Lake, occupying a crater of an extinct volcano. The park has its share of wildlife including tropical birds, frogs, lizards, opossums, armadillos, and mongoose. The star is the Mona monkey.<\/p>\n\n
\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\nLocals encourage visitors to take selfies with a monkey on their shoulders. While the pictures are fun to show the folks back home and on Instagram, this practice unnaturally acclimates the animal to humans. In addition, sometimes it\u2019s dangerous for people as they are dealing with wild animals with claws and teeth which can cause damage.<\/p>\n\n
Carriacou<\/h2>\n\n For a change of pace, we spent a day traveling to and from Carriacou Island, which only has a population of about 10,000. It has lodging if you want to stay overnight. Next to it is Petite Martinique, which has about 1,000 residents and no hotels, but nice relaxing beaches. The ferry ride from St George\u2019s takes from 90 minutes to 2.5 hours, depending on sea conditions. Our ride started smoothly and we were able to enjoy the coast of the Island of Grenada.<\/p>\n\n\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PxrbqPfXbuw<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n
About two-thirds of the way, the water became very rough. All the passengers were sitting and hanging onto something. My stomach was churning but fortunately, I kept it under control. When we got to the ferry station, we met Randolph Joseph who offered to be our guide.<\/p>\n\n
\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\nRandolph is an architect and general contractor, who gave us considerable information on the island\u2019s buildings. Carriacou is most famous for its shipbuilding, which is curious as the island has few trees and no facilities to make tools. Generations ago, Scottish immigrants started the local industry and it\u2019s one of the few places left in the Caribbean where boats are built on the beach using traditional tools and techniques.<\/p>\n\n
\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\nWhile new boats are being built, you can still see shipwrecks offshore.<\/p>\n\n
\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\nIn 2004, Grenada was devastated by Hurricane Ivan, a category 3 storm. It destroyed much of the power distribution system and tourism infrastructure. It caused widespread damage to nutmeg crops, which take five to eight years to bear fruit. A vast majority of the buildings were damaged. Because Carriacou is flat and has few trees, it\u2019s easier to see the remnants of the destruction.<\/p>\n\n
\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\nOn the island, there are scenic overlooks such as this one with a cannon from centuries ago.<\/p>\n\n
\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\nSince the island is peaceful, it\u2019s easy to meet local folks, such as this construction worker.<\/p>\n\n
\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\nOther Attractions<\/h2>\n\n There are a couple of worthwhile activities we couldn\u2019t manage to fit into our schedule.<\/p>\n\n
There are several mountains for non-technical climbing. The highest is Mount Saint Catherine (elevation 2760 ft \/ 840 m) which is usually quite muddy but has spectacular views. As the trails are not well marked, it is highly advisable to have a guide.<\/p>\n\n
The Underwater Sculpture Park in Grenada\u2019s Molinere Bay<\/a> was designed in 2007 by British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, who later created similar installations around the world.<\/p>\n\nFinal Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n Grenada offers a good combination of activities, so you can easily keep occupied for a week. However, it\u2019s also a good place to relax and soak up the natural beauty, as Khadija did in this picture.<\/p>\n\n
\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\nGrenada is definitely a terrific place you can visit at your own rhythm.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I\u2019ve wanted to travel to Grenada since America invaded this tiny country in 1983. So, we decided to visit and see for ourselves how this came about. While it had tangential Cold War significance, it seems amazing today that anyone would want to fight there. Rather, it\u2019s a place with a lovely capital and an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8184,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,378],"tags":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/exploringed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1-DSC_9546-Grand-Etang-Forest-Reserve-Mona-Monkey.jpg","meta_box":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploringed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8177"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploringed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploringed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploringed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploringed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8177"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/exploringed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8177\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17318,"href":"https:\/\/exploringed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8177\/revisions\/17318"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploringed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploringed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploringed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploringed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}