Barbados, Grenada, and a brief sail-by of Devil’s Island

December 20-23, 2023

Barbados: 

Yes, John and I had been to the island in 2010 on the Jewel of the Seas. I recognized the cruise port and the series of art galleries and stores immediately outside of the port gates. Unfortunately, the last 13 years have not been kind to Barbados. Many of the nearest beach bars and beach area have boarded up and become dumping grounds, but a little further up the road – past the industrial appearing barriers – we found the fine powder sand and crystal blue waters we’d remembered. For $15 (US) we rented 2 beach lounge chairs, and umbrella and got 3 free drinks at “Lobster Alive” (after you leave the port  if you keep turning to stay near the water, cutting through a municipal parking lot to the boardwalk, over the bridge- you’ll eventually see it). 

There is great snorkeling just offshore – a short boat ride and snorkel for $30-$40pp (depending on how well you bargain). You snorkel over a shipwreck that provides home to thousands of brightly colored coral and fish. Our friends Anish and Rasheka took advantage of the lovely day and stated the snorkel was worth every penny; if you brought your own snorkel gear, the nearby pier has excellent snorkeling and is free. Personally, I just wanted a chill beach day, occasionally bobbing in the water as schools of tiny neons darted around me, and snoozing in my lounge chair after drinking the all too sweet rum punch included with the rental. 

Although the City of Bridgetown has some obvious urban decay, which may make tourists feel uncomfortable, it is considered very safe during the day. The downtown area does not have much to attract tourists, mostly “flea market” type shops. As in any location, being aware of your surroundings and not wearing obvious sources of wealth while walking alone at night (the crime rates in many major US cities is much higher than in Bridgetown) help prevent an incident that could ruin your vacation. 

History lesson: 

The early heritage of Barbados had a recent update due to the discovery of a settlement dating back to 1623 BC (originally, the first human settlements were thought to be from 350AD). The passage from South America to Barbados is treacherous for outrigger canoes from Trinidad and northern South America. The settlers were likely Arawaks, who were later conquered by the Carib tribe in approximately 1200AD (among other feats – the Caribs were known for using poison tips on their arrows to paralyze their prey and enemies). The Portuguese found Barbados and named it for the bearded fig trees (Los Barbados – the bearded ones), dropped off peccaries (small wild hogs) so they would have easy access to meat en route to Brazil, and left. The British, who arrived in 1625, brought the first Western settlers (including slaves) in 1627. They quickly deforested the island to grow cotton and tobacco, and started the House of Assembly (the 3^rdparliamentary democracy in the world). In 1630, they began growing sugar cane and quickly became the dominant market, and maintained that position on the back of imported slaves until 1720. Slavery was abolished in 1834, and all citizens, including the children of former slaves, were offered free education. Barbados attained full independence in 1966, but still maintains a connection to the British Monarchy. 

Grenada:

By far the hilliest island we visited, with two extinct volcanoes making up part of the island (a third, potentially active volcano is underwater). We did what we often do and found a tout for tours after we left the port. We were promised a ½ day tour for $40 each – almost half the price of the Viatours and about 60% less than the tours offered by Royal. Historically, we have done very well with these types of delas, what we failed to do was confirm with the driver the activities the tout had promised (and weirdly – the tout came with us). Our driver was a Grenadian comedian called “Island Daddy” – who told us how funny he was, that if he’d been born in the US he’d be famous, and plugged his website and YouTube channel throughout the trip – interrupted by information about the island.

He did take us to the Annandale Waterfall (my main goal – $5 entry pp for tourists, about $2 for locals and students),

and to a spice shop where a very nice lady explained about the many uses of nutmeg (if we were on a regular cruise, I would have spent $40-$50 on cinnamon extract and other spices, but the ground spices would have gone off by the end of this 9-month long cruise). 

• Nutmeg – nothing goes to waste– the fruit is used in making jams and preserves, the red rubbery coating on the nut, called the ‘mace’, is used to spice meats and soups (and tastes very different from the seed) and the seed itself is the smell and flavor we associate with nutmeg as an essential part of the “pumpkin spice” and eggnog blends found through the fall and winter.

At 90 minutes, Island Daddy dropped us off near the port. Rather than get into an argument and make a scene, we paid him and I’d make sure to warn folks about this behavior. There was a $15 tram tour around the city, so enjoyed a 45 minute tour up and down the hills of St. George’s. The city is overlooked by Fort George – currently closed for renovation. 

Grenada sits just 12 degrees off of the equator, so hurricanes rarely affect it (only 4 in the last 100 years), but the island was devastated by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, which hit as a category 3 as it ripped through the Caribbean gaining strength and reaching category 5 status over Cuba. The only public library on the island closed – and never reopened. The building remains, and you can see the books through the windows.

In talking to those that went to the beach, it is lovely and worth the trip. The snorkeling and diving are nice, but coral bleaching is more evident than in Barbados. The draw for Grenada is the famous underwater sculpture garden.

Like Bridgetown, St. George’s is safe to walk around in the day, in the evening it is best to go in groups and stick to major roads. 

History lesson!

Like many of the other islands we visited, the Arawaks were likely the first settlers, in approximately 1500BC, followed by the Caribs. Christopher Columbus arrived in 1498 and named it Concepcion. Later Spanish sailors renamed it Granada, which the French called Le Grenade which the English kept as Grenada. The Caribs fiercely defended their home, and prevented European settlement until the 17^th century. The French managed the first settlement in 1650, and fought the Caribs until the last of the Caribs leapt off the highest precipice (now called “Leaper’s Hill”). The island, with its lush green vegetation and ability to grow a variety of precious spices, was a prize worth taking, and the English fought for the island for the next 120 years, finally gaining the island through the Treaty of Versailles in 1783, and immediately imported slaves. The slaves of Grenada were not so easily subdued, and a slave revolt in 1795, led by Julien Fedon, came close to succeeding. (You can hike to Fedon’s encampment in the hills of central Grenada.) Slavery was outlawed on the island two generations later in 1834. Grenada became independent in 1974. In 1979, a socialist/communist state was formed. “At the behest of the governor general, Jamaica, and the Eastern Caribbean states” the US, under President Reagan, sent in the US military to restore order, with new, democratically elected government re-established in 1984. (Grenadaexplorer.com)

The sail-by of Devil’s Island.

The Salvation Islands lie off of French Guiana, which were initially used as a refuge from the plague (which is how the cluster of three islands came to be known as the “Salvation Islands”), followed by a leper colony, and later an infamous prison, built in 1852 to send political enemies and worst offenders from France, as depicted in the movie Papillion. Rough seas prevented us from tendering onto the small island as planned, so I don’t have any eerie pictures of the abandoned prison. It is reported that of the over 80,000 imprisoned here, only about 5000 lived to return to France. The convicts were used as forced labor and given only minimal rations. They were beaten, tortured and often sick from mosquito borne diseases endemic in the area. To put it mildly, it was a living hell. It closed in 1954, the buildings gradually decaying. Tourists are allowed on Royal Island and St Joseph, Devil’s Island itself is off limits.

Reports of voices from nowhere, rapid drops in temperature, and apparitions are common. So many died so violently, no one soul has been ascribed the phenomena.