ROAD TRIP WITH THE CRUISING LADIES OF GRENADA

MARCH 23, 2014
Last week I joined the cruising ladies monthly getaway.  I took the leap and signed up to see what it was all about.  It was all about a PARTY!

TEE SHIRTS ANYONE?

We began at 8:30am and filled a bus with coolers, beach chairs, hats and snorkeling gear.  There were 22 of us crowded into a 20 person bus.  It began with introductions our name & then the boat name.  The boat name being the easiest to remember.  After roll call our day was filled with laughter and our first stop a trip downtown to the T -shirt factory.  In this shop you can purchase almost any thing to wear with Grenada printed on it.  After everyone had packages to carry out, we were back on the bus. 

ARTIST PAINTING WITH WAX ON THE FABRIC

Our next stop was Art Fabrik.  What a wonderful place.  Chris Mast moved from the US more than 25 years ago and partnered with a local woman from Grenada to open this specialty shop.  We were escorted up the back stairs and into a small workroom.  It is here local artists take fine white cotton fabric and hand paint island designs on it with liquid wax.  It is then put into a small vat and died a wonderful rich color.  It is then taken to the artist for more design work and dyed yet again.  This process is repeated until they have beautiful one of a kind fabric which is then made into simple island clothing for women.  Their work was amazing and the clothing something anyone would treasure

HAND PAINTED FABRIC
DRYING IN THE COURTYARD

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As we returned to the bus we stopped into a local art show.  The walls were covered with brightly colored island scenes.  Hillsides covered in tropical plants rolling down to palm ringed beaches was a popular theme.  Many were scenes of white sand disappearing into the clear blue Caribbean water with boats sailing in the distance.  Connie who lives on Gitanos a Morgan  anchored here in Mt Hartman Bay, also had paintings in the show.  Her paintings were very nice indeed.  It was time for our final destination. 

AND THE PARTY CONTINUED

Within 20 min we were unpacking our things at Morne Rouge Beach.  The cove was a beautiful small spot with white sand beach and aqua blue water.  Soon it was Mimosas all around and a toast to being off the boat on a new adventure.  We spent the entire afternoon eating, drinking and getting to know each other.  Talking about our travels, boats, family, hobbies, sex you name it and it was discussed in detail.  Along with all the chatting we all took a dip in the warm clear water and some did a little snorkeling on the small reef just off shore. 

By 5pm most of us had just a little to much fun in the sun and one too many cool island drinks.  It was time to call it a day.  I enjoyed my day out very much and got to know some very interesting women.  When I woke the next morning I new I had just a little too much fun and it took me  most of the day to recuperate.