Monthly Archives: March 2014

Save up to spend a few nights here

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The Caribbean is sometimes thought of as a place where excellence does not exist. Well certainly in the Hospitality industry, some hotels have a reputation of offering sloppy service and not delivering value for money.

Enter Spice Island Beach Resort in Grenada, wholly owned by Sir Royston Hopkin, KCMG to debunk the myth that excellence is hard to come by in the Caribbean. Visit the Press page to read more about the owner and the many accolades the hotel has won. They recently refreshed the resort and I got a tour. Have a look at my pictures on Flickr. You might have already noticed them on the right side of these posts.

If you read the Trip Advisor reviews, you will see what visitors have had to say about their stay there. And the location just cannot be beat. On the quieter side of Grand Anse Beach, it offers rooms right on the beach. 1, 2, 3 steps and you’re in the warm azure Caribbean ocean.

So give yourself (and your soul) a treat. Save up. It’ll be well worth it. And fret not about the cost. Do you put a price on your happiness?

From the Yamfoot 2003 archives

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I started blogging in 2003. The Caribbean bloggers of old would remember. I blogged often, because, like now, I was only working intermittently. It was a great time in my writing life, especially since I resisted the blog for so long. I went for long periods without blogging, once I started to work steadily in 2006. The blog then had an accident and we’re trying to revive it.

In the meantime, I was reading a techy’s blog last night and the guy was giving tips to use when buying domain names and the first tip was about researching the history of that domain name. I didn’t read the rest of the article, instead, I headed straight to the Internet Archive Wayback Machine site, entered the dot com version of this blog (lost that domain name too and now some Brazilian person has it), selected 2003 and voila!  Continue reading →

Beach Scene

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Imagine I have been back in this island for about four weeks and today was the first time I have been to the beach! When I was in a proper job up to the end of last year, working six days per week, mi woulda bex if on the one day off, the weather was not sunny. I had thought that when my employment situation changed, I would have been at the beach several times per week.

In between the sounds of the gently lapping ocean, I psycho-analyzed it. Because now I can go to the beach any time, there is no rush to get there. When I only had one opportunity per week, it seemed scarce and so had to be grabbed.

Beach_12Mar2014 (1)As you can see, there were few people here at BBC Beach. Just the way I like it. There was a large group of foreigners in my usual spot. I didn’t see the beach chair renter guy so I just took up a lounge chair, along with a regular chair for my first-to-be-used beach bag [because me and bag cyan share chair]. I knew he would come along soon enough and I would pay him. He came. I did.

Beach_12Mar2014 (3)

My beach essentials are very simple. Two types of sunscreen (the quick tanning one for the body and the stronger one for the face), music, a hat, a snack and my journal. Sometimes I carry a magazine but invariably it does not get read because I am so at peace in my own thoughts while listening to a variety of music and taking in the scenery.  Continue reading →

My sweet teeth were nagging me today

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After a day spent working at home, I decided I needed some fresh air. I was feeling for something sweet (sugar……my drug of choice!) and since I don’t want to be tempted, I don’t buy anything like that. Well, most times I don’t. I have Dates, but didn’t feel for that. I had heard about a place in ‘town’ called Chelsea’s Cafe, which serves homemade Gelato.

Ah ha! I hatched a plan. Since I knew I was going to have extra calories, why not earn them?  Continue reading →

Am about to do this workout….

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15 minutes with Shaun T. How gruelling can it be? I’ll tell you afterwards. It’s workout time. Create some miracles for me Shaun T!

Shaun T’s 15-minute miracle workout

“You need a crown…..”

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….not the Kingly or Queenly type, although it would have been nice if I were a Queen in need of a crown. I’m sure Buckingham Palace Peeps could whip up one in no time. Well this is a different type, and I was crest-fallen when I heard those words this week. Continue reading →

To Town Again I Go

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The Government doesn’t have their systems set up right so my trip into town last Friday was a waste of time IMO. It meant I had to go back today. Was mulling how to get there, since parking is always tight. I visualized the route in my head and thought “that’s not far….I can walk!” Suited up in my tracksuit bottom, red T-shirt and red knapsack and off I went. I ignored the fact that it was after 10 a.m. and the sun was HOT, HOT, HOT! I needed a tan anyway, because remarkably, I have not been to the beach not even once in the three weeks since I have been back! [*note to Self: fix that immediately!]. I didn’t recall seeing any dogs in my past drives, nor any madmen, so everything was good to go.  Continue reading →

This is my Carnival

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Carnival is on in Trinidad, and wonderful memories came running back to me of my first time (not like what Destra sang about this year :)). The year was 1990 and it was a couple months after I had started my first proper job. The desire to go to Carnival though, might not have arisen had I not done the university course I did.

Back in the day, Soca was not very popular in Jamaica. Sure….the old folks liked Sparrow and others of that era. But young people, unless you had been exposed to Trinis, did not gravitate to that genre of music. I spent the first two years in Jamaica and I can’t recall meeting or bonding with any Trinidadians there. I had been to Trinidad first in 1979 and maybe I slept the time away but I don’t remember much about the food, except a green banana and saltfish combo. When we hit Nassau for the second half of university, there began my education about all things Trini. Continue reading →

Out and about in “town”

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If you live in the Caribbean, particularly in the smaller islands, going into the Capital is referred to as “going to town”. Well, more precisely, “going to tung”. Last Friday while the air-conditioning in my jeep was being repaired, I decided I was going to “tung”. I’ve been several times before, but somehow, being on foot once again caused me to see little things I may have missed before.

First it was to Church street. Destination was a government office at one end of it, opposite the Catholic Church. I started out at the opposite end and slowed down when I saw this house, situated beside the Anglican Church, destroyed in Hurricane Ivan.

IMG-20140228-00765There is a garage attached to the house. A gentleman was there doing some woodwork. Chatted with him and found out he lives in the house and had helped to restore the lovely wooden details.

Here is a close up (and yes, I asked him permission before I took both photos).

Intricate wooden trim

Intricate wooden trim

 

 

 

 

After dodging a mad man who was peeing, I stopped at the intersection of Church Street and Market Hill.

Continue reading →