The Grenadines

This post is for folks who thought that grenadine was something to add to a drink...when it's actually an island group somewhere between the Atlantic and the Caribbean. Yesterday we landed at Kingstown, St. Vincent in The Grenadines It's a tiny island with a huge breeze...the leeward side is calm while the windward side is windy...the prevailing winds keep the island cool and not as steamy as the other islands we have been visiting. 

Most of you have seen this island as it was the setting for "Pirates of the Caribbean." It's a volcanic island with a lush rain forest. The streets are REALLY steep and windy and did I mention narrow! We had a taxi tour of the island and experienced those one lane roads with 2 lanes of traffic on them up close and personal.

 

This is the view from our ship to the port of Kingstown.

As with most of these islands, the houses are painted in bright colors that celebrate LIFE to its fullest. There are many huge mansions on the island as it is a tax retreat...so folks build a big house, staff it with locals and come visit every once in a while. The main industry is tourism, needless to say.

The people are a mixture of African, Indian, and AmerIndian. There's even an Arawak village on the island.

This picture kind of shows the width of a typical street. i don't believe there are any flat spots on this island...you are going uphill or downhill all the time...and the locals walk everywhere. 

If my count is right, we have added 5 "new to us" countries to our list of places visited. (St.Kitts and Nevis, Barbados, The Grenadines, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago.)