Cooking Class at the True Blue Resort

I had heard about the Thursday afternoon cooking classes in the True Blue Resort already over the net, but we had not made it down there so far. Last week I heard that they were going to show how to prepare and cook with green Papaya. We had already tried a dish like that and had liked it very much and now wanted to know how to prepare it ourselves .I persuaded Sven to come along and since The True Blue Resort has got a great playground and a really nice pool, it was no problem for Julia and Carlos to come along. The Resort is in walking distance from the Big Fish restaurant and so we packed our bags at 2 o’clock to be there on time for the class at three. Julia, Carlos and I had already been in the Resort for a short visit with Amy and I had also attended a Yoga class there one night. For Sven it was his first visit and he liked it as much as we had liked it. It is all painted in very friendly colours and various art works is to be found around the place. Julia and Carlos settled into the pool area while Sven and I took a seat in the front row making sure not to miss anything. When the cooks “Esther and Omega” arrived they informed us that they had changed todays menu. The menu included now “Cream of Christophine Soup”; “homemade” Garlic butter; and “Ripe Plantain in Orange Ginger Juice”. They lead us through a cooking class with lots of humor and answered our questions patiently and we had a wonderful time. The meal turned out beautiful and was delicious to eat, and we decided to go again next week. I even thought that Carlos and Julia might like to attend the class next week, it certainly won’t hurt them to learn how prepare a few different meals.

Having patience

I can still remember being a child waiting patiently for Christmas or my birthday; the weeks leading towards it, were long and nearly unbearable. This is what Sven and I experience at the moment waiting for the sea trial and survey for our JUCA by the end of this month. As this would not be long enough the date has been postponed for a couple of weeks….ahhhh…someone has moved Christmas, Easter and our birthday to a later date, this is just unfair. Nevertheless there is nothing we can do to change the situation and biting the bullet. I remember that we had the same situation back two years ago; when we sold the house and before we could buy our JUCA. We did it once we will survive it a second time, if I want to experience it again….I am not so sure! Luckily Glennis from SV “Aqua Viva” is distracting us from the waiting game and has invited me and the children for making our own necklace. She has got hundreds of different beads and we feel like we are in a Candy shop. Julia and Carlos are doing a great job and getting better and better in choosing a design for their necklace. I get absolutely sucked into the beading and seem to be very much in my element. I remember some of my broken necklaces that are lying in my draw waiting to be fixed. I restring my green pearl necklace that I bought myself a few years ago and could never wear as it was too tight around my neck. The end result is stunning and I am very happy with my work. ….maybe that is something I might take up going back to New Zealand. Stringing and making your necklaces is very relaxing, rewarding and has a lot of fun attached to it; thank you Glennis for opening up my creative side again.

Secret Harbour

On the south side of Grenada there are lots of little Bays where you can anchor and spend the hurricane season. Quite a few people change their location once a week to see something different and to meet other people. Every little Bay is offering lots of different entertainment for the cruisers throughout the week and the transportation system works really well here. We are based in Prickley Bay and will stay here until we have completed our survey and sea trial on the 15th of October. From Prickley Bay you can walk to the True Blue Marina, the Secret Harbour, even walking to the Spice Mall Shopping Center is not a big deal if your timing is right. Walking to the Spice Mall during lunch time can be a bit of hot and sweaty exercise. Prickley Bay is offering musical entertainment on Fridays and Saturdays and Yoga three times a week, the vegetable van is coming on Mondays and Budget marine is opposite the “De Big Fish”. True Blue Marina is also offering Yoga classes and is very well known for their cooking classes on Thursday. It is a beautiful Marina with a restaurant, playground and swimming pool for the children. We might go to one of those cooking classes in the next couple of weeks. Clarks Court Bay has got their peaceful and beautiful Whisper Cove Marina with their jam session, Butcher shop, movie nights and Petanque games on a Sunday. You have also got Hog Island, which s privately owned but has got a beautiful swimming beach and is popular for their Sunday BBQ’s. There is also Phare Bleu Bay, Chemin Bay, Westerhall Bay, Little Bacolet Bay and St. David’s Harbour just to name a few, so if you get bored of one sight you just lift the anchor and motor to the next Bay for a while. Today we went over to Mt. Hartman Bay to participate in their Volley Ball game. We packed our Backpack and picked Jan and Susan up from SV “Peter Pan” and made our way over there. It was a pleasant 15 minute walk and it was nice to explore the neighborhood of Prickley Bay. In Mt. Hartman Bay you have got tucked away Secret Harbour and they also offer Yoga classes, movie nights, Domino afternoons and Volleyball matches; one Bay against the next or a good mix of adults, teens, and children alike. Apart from being eaten nearly alive by the sand flies and mosquitoes; we had a lots of fun that afternoon and enjoyed the company and the atmosphere of the Secret Harbour community very much!

Jam Session at "De big Fish"

Whatever Island we are or Bay we have anchored in, music has always played an important part in the local or sailing community. Luckily here in Grenada the local music community is not as loud and noisy as in Luperon or St. Lucia, however there a few events where it can get a bit louder than usual. On Friday nights there is a band called “Barracuda” that makes really nice music and the band leader is from Italy and is very versatile with his music pieces. The other musical events here in Grenada are the jam session in “De big Fish”, where sailors get together with their music instruments and giving their best. It is amazing how many sailing people have got instruments on board and are very musical. The variety of instruments is also very surprising; from Wooden Saxophones, to Pan Flute, Violins, Drums, Ukulele, Banjo and of course the good old classical to electrical guitars. I wish I could say we are musicians, but unfortunately we are not. Even though we have bought Carlos and Julia a guitar, unfortunately they still haven’t been able to pick up enough notes to be able to play a song or even a little tune. Today’s jam session was a great success and I have never seen the restaurant so busy. However there are always people that need to be in charge of the sessions, have an awful way of handling situations and can ruin it therefore for other people. While Julia and Carlos were sitting in amongst the other players with their rattles in their hand, the guy with the violin is telling them off, that if they cannot play to the rhythm they should not play at all. All they heard do not play at all and left the circle very disappointed. I explained to them later that they should not take it too serious and I really hope that this will not discourage them to get the rhythm right and to play an instrument!

Whisper Cove Marina

Again and again I am surprised how fast time is running. Sunday nights I am planning for the week ahead and wondering how to entertain Julia and Carlos in class, what to cook for the family and how to arrange my “me” time in between. I start the week with a Yoga class underneath a beautiful big tree on the beach and before I know it, I am lying in shavasana for relaxation on a Sunday morning at the Laluna Yoga and Spa Resort. What has happened in between? Some days I really have difficulty to remember the individual days. This week we drove over to Clarks’ Court Bay with the dinghy to visit Julia’s and Carlo’s friends Luana. It did not take too long, but since we had to be out on the open ocean, we were a bit cautious about the weather and coming back. However we totally enjoyed our afternoon over there and caught up with a few other people as well. We chatted with Chris and Jackie from SV “HighHeeled” that are anchored over there, Marilyn and Ryan from SV “Sandy Dreams” were there also visiting the Bay and playing a round of Petanque and of course meeting up with Iris and Heinrich from SV “Shaitan” is always a highlight. Iris and Luana are flying to the States for a visit, and so it will be probably a proper goodbye for the girls today.
Whisper Cove Marina is located at Clarks’ Court Bay and is a tiny, peaceful, little Marina tucked away with a great Butcher shop. We bought some meat there for our dinner, before picking Julia and Carlos up from SV “Shaitan” and driving home. The closer the time comes for us going back home, the more I have the feeling that I need to teach Julia and Carlos a few more tools to face the reality of a public school again. I am positive that they have learned enough, but will not take my chance and try to cover everything. So I have been digging deep into my school box and found a few bits and pieces that could be handy to know.
We have also started making our own bread. Once we had tried the bread from Dena, there was no way for us going back to buying bread in the shop again. The bread is really simple and easy to make and only takes a few minutes before going to bed. You take 3 ½ cups of flour, 1 tsp. of salt, ¼ tsp of yeast and 1 ½ cup of warm water…..you mix it all together, until it is all combined and leave it sitting under a cloth over night. In the morning I put it into a bread tin and let it rise for another hour, before sticking it into an oven for 30 minutes by 230 Degree (450 Fahrenheit) and then another 15 minutes by 190 degree (375 Fahrenheit)… Voila; the bread is ready to eat and is absolutely delicious! The smell of this fresh bed makes my family crawl out of bed even faster! Try it out for yourself and enjoy eating it fresh out of the oven, warm with a bit of butter on top…….Bon Appetite!

Roly Poly in Prickley Bay

We had heard off it, but since we have been in Prickley Bay we had not really experienced such boat movement. It had already started the day before yesterday, that the wind changed and with it the current and the swell came right into the Bay. I mean our boat is heavy and hardly rolling from side to side but it is enough to be annoyed. Just watching the other boats swaying heavily from side to side makes me seasick I can’t even imagine what it would be like to be on it. By three in the afternoon the heat and the movement had gotten to me and I nearly lost it, but luckily we were invited to a BBQ on Dena’s and Kevin’s Catamaran Sabaticus. They are sitting with their Catamaran in the Port Louis Marina and when we arrived there it feels like we are entering a different planet. The air condition is running and there is no movement on the boat at all. What a blessing after our inner ear balance had been under constant attack for the last two days. I felt immediately better and we spend a wonderful afternoon and evening with Dena and Kevin. They show us around the marina and we admire the facilities, the beach, the pool and the restaurant. What a wonderful place to hang out and it seems that there are lots of social activities going on. Dinner is cooked for us and we enjoyed freshly baked bread, marinated chicken, pasta salad as well as a raw broccoli salad with bacon, raisins and roasted pine nuts. Absolutely delicious and we make sure that there are no leftovers for the next day. Since it was Sunday and we had to take the bus home again, I was a bit nervous that there are no more buses driving late in the evening and we would have to walk home. Even though we were late going home; as soon as we stepped out of the marina a bus was driving pass and dropped us off right in front of the door of the restaurant “de big fish”. Lucky us and what a wonderful day it did turn out to be. Thank you Dena and Kevin for such wonderful entertaining afternoon and delicious dinner we enjoyed your company very much and hoping to repeat that pretty soon.

No worries !

No worries our update is on its way.....keep with us for a bit longer.....big hugs to you out there!

Laluna Yoga and Spa Resort

Since I had arrived in Grenada I wanted to go there and have a peek and attend a yoga class. Amy and I took this opportunity today; Amy went for a walk on the beach and I attended the Ying Yoga class. I was not disappointed and you wait and will probably agree once you see the pictures that I will post on our Blog soon. I really have to sort this picture issue on our Blog out! Back to my visit at the Sanctuary at the Laluna Resort. The Resort is located in Morne Rouge, which is a little bay just a couple of bays north from Prickley Bay. The location is just stunning and of course right on the beach. It is designed in the Balinese theme and the Yoga pavilion is right on the beach in front of the Asian Spa where two beautiful Balinese ladies are attending to your well being. They pavilion is surrounded by an Organic Garden where the chefs take their pick from vegetables, fresh herbs and fresh fruit for their daily cuisine. Extraordinary Place to own, to work or simply to be! I truly enjoyed the Ying Yoga class and afterwards we treated ourselves to a very yummy smoothie….autsch …….it was a bit expensive and it is probably always advisable to inquiry in places like that about prices beforehand. Never mind it was all worth the experience and I had an amazing time and not wanted to be missed.

Losing our Virginity at the Hash Houser Event

Today was a big day for us, as we participated in the 700th Hash House Harrier Event in Grenada. It was suppose to be a very special event with over hundreds of participants. We bought Julia and Carlos some new shoes yesterday as the walk is suppose to go cross country. A hash is an organized r+nning event and is performed in many other countries as well. Hashing originated in 1938 in Kuala Lumpur. A group of officers and expatriates began meeting on Mondays evening to run after the traditional British Paper Chase or “Hare and Hounds” event or in German it is called “Schnitzeljagd”. The original event is known as Mother Hash and is still performed today. The club still carries on with the tradition since the day it was formed meeting on Mondays evening and limited to men only. The Hash trails may pass through any sort of terrain and hashers may run through back alleyways, residential areas, city streets, forest, swamps or shopping malls and may climb fences, ford streams, explore storm drains or scale cliffs in their pursuit of the hare.
Usually one or more members (Hares) mark their trail with paper, chalk, sawdust or colored flour, depending on the environment and weather. They lay a trail, which is then followed by the remainder of the group (the pack or Hounds). The trail often includes false trails, short cuts, dead ends and splits. These features are designed to keep the pack together regardless of fitness level or running speed, as front-runners are forced to slow down to find the “true” trail, allowing “strugglers” to catch up
The constitution of the Hash House Harrier is to promote physical fitness among the members; to get rid of weekend hangovers; to acquire a good thirst and to satisfy it in beer and to persuade the older members that they are not as old as they feel. Generally the Hash events are open to the public and at the end of the trail is an opportunity to socialize and to have a drink. Members often describe their groups as “a drinking club with a running problem”, I was hoping that this would not be the case as I was bringing my children. However there were so many other children and families there, that it did not seem the case in this event.
One of the traditions states that when a Hasher wears new shoes they are required to have a drink from their shoes. When we arrived I was hoping that we did not have to participate in this tradition and luckily our new shoes escaped their attention and therefore were left alone. We had a choice of three trails, one was for runners, one for the walkers and the other one was an introduction trail. To be on the safe side, we took the beginner version of the Hash, which unfortunately was a bit short and disappointing so we will have to come again and do the “real” thing. However the socializing afterwards was still a very pleasant and entertaining event. It was great to see the locals and expatriates mix together. The socializing was based close to the ocean and a lot of runners and walkers jumped straight into the waves to cool down. Not that the water is much to cool down, but hey we take what we get. In the end we all got our certificate that we are now officially a “Hasher”. They also offered yummy food, handmade ice-cream, a band was playing and of course a cold beer to celebrate. When it was getting dark we returned back to our JUCA who was patiently waiting for us in Prickley Bay.

A fantastic day

We had a fantastic day yesterday. Our new friend Amy invited us to come over to her house for a cuppa and a play. She picked us up from the “de big fish” restaurant in the morning and took us over to her house. On the way we stopped at the “True Blue” Marina where she had to talk to the Yoga teacher there. She is planning to teach Yoga there next week. The true blue marina has got a nice setting and I liked the atmosphere there very much. The kids had a little play on the playground before heading towards their home. Their house is on the way to St. George and has a lovely view over the Grand Anse Bay. Julia and Carlos were really excited to investigate Bella’s and Williams’s toys in a proper house. William has got a Terrarium which both of my children’s were mesmerized by. I think this is something that we are going to have when we are back in New Zealand. While the kids entertained themselves really well Amy and I had time to share our perspectives on Yoga and exchanged books and our passion in kids Yoga. We have got so much to talk about and before we knew it was time to go home. Back at the “de big fish” Julia met her lovely new friend Natasha again. Natasha took Julia back to their boat “Naughty Cat” and Carlos had to entertain himself on our JUCA, which he was not very impressed with. However everything seemed forgotten very quickly when he was allowed to play on his computer and the internet.