December 31, 1997: Grenada

Grandpa, Mom, and I took a tour of Grenada.  Grenada is an English speaking island. They drive on the left side of the street. Grenada is known as the Isle of Spice because it is the largest spice-producing island in the Western Hemisphere.   The nutmeg tree was introduced here in 1843. This island is 21 miles by 12 miles wide.   Approximately 95,000 people live on the island with 27,000 living in St. George.  The island is full of beautiful tropical forests, but it looks like a very poor country.   As we drove, we were called 'Satan' and flicked off by the locals.   I guess they don't like Americans.  We got to see an egg cactus.  We took small minivans on the tour.   We went through the mountain rainforest where we saw homes built on stilts.  The natives homes looked shabby.   Went to Annandale Falls where we saw some locals diving into the falls and stopped at Fort Frederick.  We took a huge boat back to ship as there were so many passengers needing to get back.

We had a seat left over on the tender boat, so this kids asked if he could sit there.  He was a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania and wanting to major in psychiatry.  He's from a small town near Westchester, NY.   He listened to us and said I had an accent so I asked how it sounded, as I thought the Midwest accent was dull.  He said I had a definite accent and it sounded like a perpetually happy accent.   It must be my Chicago accent.   

Charlene, Kelsey, Matt, and I went up to the deck for the New Years Eve party.   There were 2,000 people on this ship.  I swear about half of them were at this party.  I had never seen so many streamers intertwined in my life.    Peole were on the 12th and 14th decks throwing streamers.  We counted down to the new year.   

Charlene and I did the congo line and stood on the side of the pool and did the macarena dance.  Then, we went to the 'Jammers' nightclub and felt so old there.  One guy was drunk and had thrown up all over the couch. We danced there for about 1/2 hour.   By 1:30 a.m., people were going crazy and jumping in the pool with their tuxedos or dresses on.  One lady was stripping and jumped in the pool. Then, we went to the buffet and a lady took a whole cake to her table. I think she was drunk.