Getting hold of a Carib pack each, we opened the bag feeling like it was Christmas. Inside the plastic package was a t shirt, glow bands, glow in the dark headband, a beer mug, necklace and wand. Not liking the frumpy t shirt in my goody bag I set to work customising and unpicking the sleeves and neckline.
That evening we got dressed up for Monday Night Mas and headed into town with a bus full of other cruisers. We were dropped off at 8:30 which was already past our bedtime!
The bus turfed us out on Lagoon Road and we went in search of the Carib truck. Hardly 2 mins passed when we spotted the hundreds of other people dressed in the yellow t shirt uniform and glow in the dark accessories. As we neared the yellow sea of people, the music started up, vibrating inside our chests as the boom boxes got down and dirty. Locating our friends we went in search of a drink. Not that I like beer, but that was the only beverage on the menu this evening! To get a drink we had to stretch up to the top of the beer truck, fending off the locals, ignoring the jabs in the chest and eyes and get your mug balanced on the top of the float for the beer man to fill from his tap. All of this went on whilst the truck was in motion. I (not thinking) had just worn flip flops so every step I took the local behind me would step on the backs of my shoes sending me flying. Was an experience! O and the beerman would fill the mugs to the top and not really caring, the locals would bring the mug back down to mouth height, sending the contents slopping over the sides, giving us a lovely beer shower. Yum. Reminded me of standing near the front at a music festival.
To really blend in with the locals, you couldn't just walk behind the boom box float, you had to do a kind of shuffle. Very similar to what I imagine someone would look like if they had shat themselves. Stick your bum out, legs apart (second position for fellow ballerinas out there) and then shuffle one foot at a time whilst shaking your booty. After a night of doing this my hips were killing me!
As we did the shuffle down the streets we were contained with a rope either side separating us from the street crowds that had come to watch. The rope was moving with us, guys were employed to hold it at waist level and knock away anyone that dared enter the Carib crowd. As we were all wearing bright yellow, it was pretty easy to spot an intruder!
After a good hour of exercise in the humid evening, we slipped the rope and went in search of food – coming across a chicken shack. Not the best I have ever tasted and I'm thankful we never got salmonella but we happily devoured the cold chicken and chips that were put in front of us with a generous helping of tomato sauce. Suitably fed we joined the throng and once again started the shuffle. You should see how the locals dance, wow they can move. The ladies felt nothing to grind any man that came behind them! I too was propositioned but gave them my best death glare and they soon scuttled away.
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| The chicken shack |
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| Yum yum |
The atmosphere was electric, everyone having a great time, suitably inebriated and shaking their thang. Don't get me wrong, you could totally tell who the cruisers were but we were loving life so it didn't matter. By the time we got to Port Louis we were aching, drenched in sweat and tired! But wow these locals now how to party, far from letting up, they were just getting started and they had already been doing this for 2 days straight!
Their songs of choice that played over and over were 'Getting High', 'F**k Off' and 'Grenada has vibes'. We even knew the lyrics to sing along by the end of the evening. We pondered how Grenada managed to play such lyrics as 'I said f*ck off' full blast down a street at a family friendly party and were soon put straight a couple of days later by a taxi driver. Apparently the lyrics say 'its good for cough'!!
Midnight came and we spotted our ride home, more than ready to call it a night we piled into the taxi and scooted back to Orion. What an experience!
The next day was Fancy Parade where all the colourful costumes paraded the streets. Getting dropped off by Port Louis we could immediately hear the boom boxes so just followed our ears to the start of the festival. When we got there the teams were just getting ready, gorgeous sparkly costumes everywhere. Each float had a different costume and anyone could enter for a fee of $150. So a couple of cruisers were mixed in with the locals.
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| Getting ready to put on the costumes |
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| One of the many boom boxes |
Dylan and I had no money on us so we decided to leave our friends and walk to the carenage to an ATM. Hoards of locals lined the streets as we walked by, the sun was hot hot hot with little shade to protect us. We welcomed the air conditioned booth of the ATM and stayed in there a good few minutes to bring our body temperatures back down to normal!
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| Found a peanut stand! |
Our perch for the day was at a reserved table in Grenada Craft Centre, looking over the main road where the parade would be passing. We could see everything from the shade of a balcony, what luxury. There were pretty amazing costumes going past with huge head dresses and feathers. God knows how they put up with it in the hot weather.
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| Crazy man about to run up a hill towards the spectators |
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| Cute kid dancing away |
Parade over we sampled more local fried chicken and called it a day. We absolutely loved Grenada Carnival, so much so we have added Rio Carnival to our bucket list :)
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