10 DAYS BY LAND AFTER 10 DAYS BY SEA

If you've been following along as of late, you will know that the reason I am taking a trip to the Caribbean this week is that I won 10 days on a charter sailboat.  I wrote about how I won it a couple of months back, when it happened.

Usually when I take a trip it is months in the planning.  This one was so unexpected and has happened so fast it is the reason, I think, that I still don't quite believe I am going.  It isn't anything I had thought I could do any time soon, maybe ever, and certainly not this year.

By now I should have long lists of what to take, where to go, what to see; an itinerary of exactly what to do each day (which is not set in stone so that I can take advantage of opportunities as they arise).  I should have packed at least once to do a test on what size luggage to use and how much it is weighing in at.

I've done none of that.

I did make a list in 2011 after my month in the BVI of what I took and what I should have taken on that trip, and I have it on my laptop so that I can access it when I need it again.  It will require some modification for sailing and for taking liquids as I will be checking luggage this time, so I won't have to buy all my toiletries there.

I have a phone number of a good taxi driver, thanks to Mike Sweeney of Zero to Cruising, as they spend hurricane season in Grenada each year so know a lot about the island and the people.

Today I spent considerable time reading up on Trip Advisor and Grenada tourism sites for recommended restaurants, beaches etc. and started that list.

The one thing I did do a while back is research a place to stay for the second half of my trip, the land-based 10 days that I will spend on Grenada.  Again, turning to Trip Advisor and internet searches, I found a lot of nice hotels, most out of my price range.  I did find a few that pleased my budgetary sensibilities but was not sure of the establishment and many seemed very bare bones and in the thick of town or way out in the boonies.  So again I turned to Mike and he recommended a place called Siesta Hotel.  I had seen that one in my searches and it was on my short list.  They also had a very attractive deal whereby if you pay for the entire stay at booking, you get 25% off their already reasonable price - a price which did not have any tax or gratuities added.  Every other hotel had another 25% tacked ON to cover that.  So all things considered, I went ahead and booked with them and paid up-front.

It's a smaller hotel (just as I like) with a lovely pool and only a 5 minute walk through the grounds to the beach, which I am pretty sure I will be able to see from my room.  All in at $725 for 10 nights including the exchange rate on my credit card, I consider that a great deal.

Entrance to Siesta Hotel where I will be staying

The rooms overlooking the pool

The restaurant, right by the pool

I don't anticipate spending a whole lot of days at the pool, maybe one or two.  I intend to get out and explore, find some gorgeous beaches, and meet some great people.  One thing I did read about, that I intend to attend is Gouyave Fish Friday.  You can read about it here.