A Sailing Family... Our Life Aboard "Begonia": Carnival in Carriacou

The Grenadian Independence Day festival

Inseparable.

As part of the ceremony, the local kids made the design of the Grenadian flag

Everyone dressed in the flag's colors... big and small!

Puppet Show on Begonia

These amazing puppets wer emade by hand by Ana, from TROTAMAR

And representing.... ta-da-dad-da! Montserrat! Barbados! Trinidad and Tobago! Antigua y Barbuda!

Carriacou, Grenada - The country of Grenada is comprised of three separate islands: Grenada, Carriacou and Little Martinique. We cannot seem to leave this beautiful set of islands, but after spending three weeks on the island of Grenada we finally budged to visit Carriacou just in time for Carnival!

Grenada was not only beautiful scenery-wise, but a great place to "decompress" after the Atlantic crossing. I don't think any of us were ready nor eager to get up and running and sailing again so quickly so we really had three weeks of living there as locals, not tourists. Again, homeschooling in the morning and some sort of activity in the afternoon, whether it was going to the supermarket, hanging out with some new friends we met along the way, or engaging in a pretty competitive volleyball tournament which lasted about 4 days!

In between all this, Sebastian took a side trip to Trinidad to take care of some business at the Argentinian Embassy, and look for parts there. Turns out the Embassy stuff was completed, but it seems impossible to find the propellers we need now, so we are having some friends bring them from the US when they come to visit. It is just so much easier and cheaper getting things form the US instead of dealing with import taxes and things getting caught up in customs here, etc. So, the idea of hauling out in Grenada to replace the props and repaint the bottom of the boat will have to wait until later. It only took us about two weeks to sort that out!

I have been studying to keep my RE license current and trying to find a way to take the exams somewhere in the Carribbean so I don't have to fly back to the States. You might think it is difficult to concentrate when we are "on vacation," but the truth is, we do not look at it as a vacation at all.... it is just an alternative way of living and we have to take care of all the same stuff everyone else does: paying bills, property taxes, supermarket, fixing the boat, cleaning, washing clothes, etc. It was nice for us to be in one place for so long and just regroup. I find that I personally need this once in a while and enjoy just vegging.

In this islands we have met up again with cruisers we've met in other parts of the world and our new friends are some cruisers from Spain. One couple in particular has a little girl Benjie's age, so there have been sleepovers back and forth between boats, as well as with another little boy from Canada. The kids have a blast and together they are more and more challenged when it comes to swimming and trying new things in the water. When one kids sees the others jumping off a high ledge, then they all want to try it, or swim between the boats, or dive/snorkel for things from the bottom of the ocean. And all the parents collectively have a role in teaching the kids something new and different. It's good for all around.

Yesterday was the Children's Carnival here on the island, so all four of these kids participated in a parade with the local children where they each dressed up representing a different Carribbean island and danced to the Carribbeaan beats! you should see some of these little local kids move.... boy can they dance! Sofia and Benjie were thrilled, and these events of course, make the kids feel more part of the entire experience, rather than just an outsider.

NEXT STOP: Union Island in St. Vincent & the Grenadines