Grenada! Quarantine = Time off = Ahhhhhh.

My travel story ends with me getting squirted by a contraband coconut while in quarantine. 

It begins in 2019, when we first decided to run a SwimVacation in Grenada. Since then, we’ve postponed coming here twice due to the pandemic, and jumped through quite a few hoops to make this trip happen. But even with the tricky timelines for PCR testing, being nervous about American Airlines delaying or cancelling our flights (neither happened), and a good deal of paperwork, we arrived in Grenada on time and in decent shape. My first glimpse of this place from the air and from our taxi revealed that Grenada is lush, with lots of deep green foliage. I can’t really comment on the rest, except to say that things looked generally busy and tidy during the cab ride from the airport to our hotel on Grande Anse Beach.  

Our first few hours of quarantine included a soft pastel sky just after sunset.

Our entire crew arrived on the same flight from Miami: Captain Jason, Chef Miriam, deckhand and more Zack, and swimming guides me and Heather. Per island regulations, we are quarantining in a nice beachside hotel as we await the results of PCR tests that were taken when we landed. We expect results in 24-48 hours from when the tests were taken, at which point we can roam at will. Until then, we all order room service, do beachside yoga and core workouts, and generally chill out. One of the housekeepers taught us how to properly open the almonds that fall off the trees that line the beach here, so that will eat up some time.  Having nothing to do for a day or two seemed intimidating to me at first, but after running in place for a few minutes and realizing there was nowhere to go, I stopped, looked out to sea from my balcony, and realized that Nothing is exactly what is good for me today, and maybe tomorrow, too. 

Our cab ride from the airport felt colorful and welcoming. At our quarantine hotel, we met Vanessa from the staff who showed us how to crack open the almond pods we found in the lawn. Making friends is fun!

Stretching and core exercises on the lawn began in sun and continued through a brief but drenching squall. Undeterred, we finished our workout.

Working out in the rain led to clear skies and me (Heather) simultaneously befriending an illicit coconut pusher AND the security guard who is supposed to shoe him away…(cuz that’s how I roll…..)

While we were doing yoga, Heather spied an island guy on the beach who was parroting our yoga moves, and quickly befriended him. He offered foot rubs ($1 per minute) and/or fresh coconuts. She chose the coconuts, one for each of us. Things get a little tricky here, because we are not exactly allowed any contact with anyone not in quarantine. So Heather also befriended the security guard, who arranged an out of the way coconut drop point. We collected them discreetly and met up with our crew to pass them out. 

Our new coconut Island guy, I’ll call him M, had cut just enough of the tops off of the coconuts so that we could access the water inside with just a quick tap. Heather’s came off easily and she enjoyed the delicious, quenching liquid inside. I tapped mine with a knife and was greeted by a steady stream of coconut water squirting onto my chest. It kept flowing and flowing, drenching me more as my shirt darkened. It was worth it for the laughs, and I think this crew is ready to work together after we are released. 

Tomorrow we’ll bond a bit more, Saturday we provision the yacht, Sunday we greet our guests, fresh from their own rest.

Hopper

Left: Me and my security guard friend (who’s name will be protected as he helped arrange the illicit coconut drop). Right: This evening we ordered some snacks and beers and kicked back on our quarantine lawn. The relaxed bonding we are doing in this unique time will make this trip even more special for our guests.

The almond tree at sunset.