Loosing our virginity at the Hash!

First time walkers/runners of the weekly Hash are called Virgins and on completion of your first Hash your virginity is broken!

Well what an awesome experience!  We all piled into Greg's van and off we went to join the weekly Hash which started on BBC Beach.  On arrival there were hundreds of people waiting to kick start their walk or run, dependent on your ability and energy levels.  Everyone signed in, the crowd was briefed and the trails were opened.

Off we went, along the beach, up some very daunting hills, through the local homes, past the children's home, alongside the airstrip, over a river, up some more daunting hills, through the forest/bush, past some very inviting rum shops, down some steep hills, through the town, down dusty highway, and then up another daunting hill, down onto the beautiful white sands of BBC Beach and right into the warm Caribbean Sea!

We met some very cool people along the way, we bumped into many people we have already met on our travels around the island and also had the pleasure of meeting Paul from the DSTV series, Distant Shores. 

After a grueling 7km walk/run, we enjoyed a few ice cold beers and a hearty meal.  A swim in the sea and some great conversation.  The sunset was breath-taking and we were all pretty exhausted!

Joshua took on the walk/run with us like a superstar!  He had lots of fun and enjoyed meeting up with some of his friends from Kids Camp. 

A long hot shower, dinner, a cup of tea and that was it... lights out and fast asleep!

We are signed up to join next weeks Hash and it's going to be fantastic!  This is a brilliant way to see the island and meet some very nice people. 

If there is a Hash taking place in your area, take the time and join in the fun.  You won't be sorry, you will be sore, you will be exhausted afterwards but it is all well worth the effort.

Until next week!

All good people meet at Nimrods!

That I now believe wholeheartedly!  All good people meet at Nimrods, that's no lie!

Let me first tell you a bit about Nimrods.  Its a fantastic Rum Shop that is situated in lower Woburn, on this magical island called Grenada in the Caribbean.  Nimrods sells all sorts of necessities such as milk powder, eggs, bread, condensed milk, fruit, muffins, cooking oil, tea bags, ice cold beers and of course a good hearty rum!

The staff and owner, Sep, are friendly and happy people!  They welcome you in and enjoy having a good chat!  You will always find someone playing a game of backgammon which Joshua is now learning to play.

The kitchen serves delicious meals daily and Friday nights is the BBQ on the deck.  Their prices are affordable and even more so for families with healthy appetites!

We have met the nicest variety of people there from locals to sailors to visitors of the island.  I had the privilege of meeting a wonderful lady and writer by the name of Nora Dunn who has a fantastic blog called The Professional Hobo.  A great read and jam packed with useful and humorous  info for travelers! 

Nimrods is now our pick up and drop off point, the local buses travel past there so this makes getting around so easy to do. 


After a visit to Nimrods you are guaranteed to be remembered and usually by name!  After a couple of visits you will be well known to the locals. 

Nimrods is one of our absolute favourite places to hang out and if you are ever blessed to visit this island, be sure to make a turn at Nimrods.  If you don't know where it is just ask the bus driver to take you to Nimrods, everyone knows where it is!  And I mean EVERYONE!!

If you are looking for good people, food, conversation and vibe, then Nimrods is the place to be.

 

Working on the beach!

From corporate to working from home to working 5 days a week on the beach!  It gets better and better!  Working on the beach has it's pros and its con's and I'm going to share them with you today!

Working on the beach ... when you hear that and put some thought into it I am sure you think that must be just fabulous.  It is fabulous in many ways, I get to watch a beautiful sunrise and sunset every single day.  I also get to eat meals with Joshua and Barry in the shade of the trees.  I snorkel at least twice a day every day and I have a sun kissed tan which most girls pay lots of money for :-)  Fresh air, beautiful views and always surrounded by fabulous people.  We never ever have dirty feet because we are always passing through water, in the dingy, out the dingy, on the boat, off the boat and so it goes on a daily basis.

The con's to working on the beach?  are there any you are most likely asking.  Oh yes there are plenty!  The sand flies are a killer, they bite continuously around my feet and ankles which have resulted in reptile skin and that doesn't impress me at all!  There is always sand everywhere, in my hair, under my nails, in my clothes, in my backpack and usually in my drinks or food.  The sun beats down from 06h00 to 18h00, no matter where you are hiding the sun always gets me and so my brown has turned to dark brown... I may have to change my passport photo soon :-)

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday's are good days, but by the time I get to Thursday I am pretty much over the sand, sea and sun.  We are now on week number 6 and working on the beach is taking it's toll.  My skin, my hair and my clothing are taking a good ol' beating. 

So the pros outweigh the cons as always in my life's journey which means that working on the beach instead of an office is just awesome!  My work attire is, barefoot, costume, shorts and a had.  My views are just beautiful and my 'office' is nothing but wide open space!

Life is good!

Peace, love and happiness

Ship Jumping, Dingy Accident and Siesta's!

It's time to grab a cuppa, sit back, feet up and enjoy my Caribbean ramblings...

We have 'jumped ship' as my cousin Lawry so put it.  Well yes we had to jump ship, the Dixi Rollar is setting sail soon for Brazil and then onto South Africa. Our travel plans include a trip back to South Africa in March 2014.  This year we travel the Caribbean, so with that in mind we jumped ship right onto a beautiful Bavaria called the Inanna.

The Inanna is a fantastic yacht!  We have been blessed with a comfy and private cabin, which earned huge points from me.  The yacht is large which allows for more people on board, a maximum of 12 passengers.  The Inanna is equipped with all you need including access to wifi, a flat screen television, access to a laptop, sufficient water supply and true sailor's, Jason and Gro, who own and sail this yacht.

It's Carnival weekend so we are guests on the Inanna for the next few days and then the actual 'crew' work begins next week.  We will be officially signed on as crew which ensures we are not deported which could have happened if we weren't offered this opportunity.  The law here in Grenada says that we have to be signed onto a sailing vessel as crew, at all times!

I am very keen to get started with my crew training.  Sitting under a tree on the beach all day isn't my idea of stimulation and motivation.  Sitting under a tree on the beach for most of the day is guaranteed to result in an ice cold rum and coke or a Carib beer, and of course one will always mean a two and a three.  Then the remainder of the day is just a complete party.  You are thinking that that's also not a bad idea but let me tell you that it often is a bad idea, all in 'hind sight'.

Our Kidz Club program has been a hit!  We have the next few days off to rest and  enjoy Carnival, then we kick off again next week Wednesday.  We now have 5 students for Conversational English lessons, twice a week and it is going really well.

We had our very first dingy accident a few days ago.  Now that was just to hilarious!  Off we go to Whisper Cover to use the wifi and have a fanta each.  The jetty on the one side was jam packed with dingy's so we eye out a free spot on the other side.  Off we go put putt putting along into the opposite entrance, the plan was for Barry to grab the side of the jetty, cut the engine and we would slow down and 'park' with ease.  WELL we put putt putted in, and somehow with Barry standing up to grab the jetty and Joshua and I still seated, we all ended up on the one side which resulted in the dingy tipping to the same side, next minute SPLASH and Barry is in the water and hanging from the jetty and Joshua and I plus the dingy end up put putt putting into the mangroves.  Of course everyone along the jetty and in the restaurant heard the big SPLASH and all came out to have a look.  There I was totally laughing my ass off, tears rolling, Joshua hanging on for dear life and Barry soaking wet and hanging from the jetty... waaahahahahahahahahaaaa... too funny!

With access on the yacht to wifi, I will be blogging more often.  In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy my siesta's under the trees on the beach :-)

Peace, love and happiness xx

It's time for Carnival!

It's 'carnival' time here on this breath-taking island called Grenada.  The local people refer to this celebration as Spice Mas.  Below is more about this magical celebration that gets the island talking, laughing, singing, dancing and festive.  

"The premier cultural event, ‘Spice Mas’ is Grenadian expression in all its glory, climaxing during the second Monday and Tuesday in August, this annual event with multiple activities takes months of planning and coordination. Brimming with pageantry and expression linked to our African, French, British and Caribbean heritage, Carnival is colorful  humorous and full of surprises. Calypsonians, steel pan orchestras, beauty contestants, ‘fancy mas’ bands and others perform and parade to compete for Carnival honors  Grenadians gather to watch, participate and enjoy. Many take on disguises in the costumes of ‘Shortknee’ and ‘Jab Jab’ players.

The Shortknee tradition combines pieces of distant Grenadian history expressed through masks, dance, chants and colorful costumes. Armored with tiny mirrors to reflect enemies and ankle bells to make music, masqueraders in knee-length pants carry talc powder as they stomp through towns and villages. The powder is a symbol of appreciation and sprinkled on those who make cash donations. 

Jab Jab revelers paint their bodies black, put red helmets with make-believe horns on their heads, and march in energetic groups. Originating with African and European rituals, Jab Jab has evolved as an integral part of contemporary Spice Mas, shedding long ago customs of frightening Carnival patrons and establishing a unique rhythmic chant to Carnival. All this and more, can be part of your Spice Experience." - www.grenadagrenadines.com

We are in for an absolute treat!  This weekend the children of the island celebrated Kiddies Carnival.  The weekend is dedicated to the children, music, entertainment, face painting, food and treats.  

Watch this space for an update and footage!