His pearly white smile contrasts with his ebony-rich skin.
He saunters barefoot, showing no urgency about getting anywhere (or at any time) and the slogan on his T-shirt depicts him to a tee.
Although the catchphrase, “there’s a little Carib in all of us” is advertising the island’s local beer, by the end of our Grenada visit, it signifies a much deeper meaning.
Grenada is one of the three Windward Islands located in the Eastern Caribbean and, at only 440 square kilometres, is one of the smallest independent nations in the Western Hemisphere.
Lush rainforests drape the volcanic core of this tropical oasis and skinny roads weave over its terrain.
While island touring, we jostle over crater-sized potholes and swerve around brown-eyed cows and tethered goats that languidly graze along the roadside.
Jerry-built stilted homes cling to one another and teeter like tipsy sailors.
Their occupants lounge about on sun-baked verandahs, just waiting for people and time to pass.
“There’s no rush, Mon,” our driver says with a toothy grin. “It’s always island time on Grenada.”
While cruising the verdant landscape, fragrant spice plants and tropical blossoms border our path.
Towering mahogany and giant gommiers hug fruit trees that bear mangoes, nutmeg, sea grapes and breadfruit.
Prickly pineapples cavort with 16 breeds of bananas, stands of bamboo shoot above broad-leafed callaloos and clumps of coconuts are shaded by billowy palms.
It comes as no surprise this Caribbean dreamscape has been dubbed the Isle of Spice as we discover it’s second to Indonesia for the global export of nutmeg.
History unites with the bountiful harvest at Dougaldston Spice Boucan, where we get a glimpse of the traditional preparation of cocoa. After fermenting for six days in a sweathouse, the beans are splayed on sun-baked trays and, with the help of shuffling feet, are rotated every hour until they are dried to perfection.
“The process may seem primitive,” our guide explains as we witness a young Grenadian woman go to work, “but it’s been done this way for centuries and it still works today.”
The soles of her feet are leather-tough as she tromps through the crazy maze of beans.
After the shells are peeled, the cocoa is moulded into balls and, when mixed with boiling water and sugar, transform into a yummy hot drink.
Others may prefer to spike the concoction with a shot of over-proof rum which, on Grenada, is never too far away.
As well as a number of modern-day processing plants, we check out the River Antoine Rum Distillery, where they’ve been brewing the conventional way since 1785.
A massive water-wheel powers the mill that crushes sugar cane and extracts the precious juice.
It’s then channelled through to the boiling house to the distillery, and bottled at a potent 75 per cent proof.
“Mix this with a pinch of Grenada’s cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla and you’ll have the ingredients for one very wicked Christmas cake,” our guide says.
The spiked spirit is only sold for island consumption and plenty of bottles find their way into the independently operated rum shacks that line the main streets throughout Grenada.
Our road laces the mountainous interiors where waterfalls plummet, pinnacles ascend and parks beautify; then it descends to a scalloped coastline that shares powder beaches, living reefs and friendly townships.
The fishing village of Gouyave and seaside city of Grenville are just a couple of populated landmarks we pass through before heading to the island capital of St. Georges.
Although it’s difficult to imagine any strife in this peace-loving nation, it was not always a pretty picture.
Like most West Indian islands, there had been an ongoing battle between the native Arawaks and Caribs, then by Caribs and French and, finally, in 1795 by French and British.
Nearly two centuries later, upheaval fell on Grenada’s shores, once again, when the U.S. troops invaded in 1983 to successfully overthrow a Marxist government.
Today, Grenada is an independent democratic nation, a member of the British Commonwealth and is as peaceful as it is picturesque.
The evening sun ricochets off the red-roofed storefronts that rim St. Georges’ harbour. It casts a golden sheen over pastel homes that cling to the hillside.
Seductive spices permeate the air.
And, while soaking in Grenada’s sites and sounds at the end of our stay, we also affirm, ‘There’s a little Carib in all of us.’
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