THE first thing you see as you sail in to St
George’s, the capital of Grenada, are blue tarpaulins. Lift
your eyes to the church and you would think a bomb has fallen on
the town.
The damage was the work of Hurricane Ivan, which reeked havoc on
the island last September – not just on the capital, but all
over the island.
Wherever you go, there are houses without roofs, dwellings that
simply collapsed in the 150mph winds, nutmeg trees pulled out by
the roots and a once lush rainforest flattened and browning in the
hot sun.
All the schools have closed due to damage – children are
being taught in UNICEF tents. In St George’s, the cricket
stadium is a wreck of wood and steel, and has become a burial
ground for roofs that were blown so far no-one knows which houses
they came from.
Our guide Mickayel Goddard told us his parents’ wedding
photo album was discovered in the next village. He hasn’t
found their fridge, but only a few pockets of the island have
electricity anyhow.
Mickayel started our tour by thanking us for supporting Grenada.
With just a couple of hotels open, cruise ships are a vital
lifeline.
“I hope you don’t mind that now I am having to show you
the hurricane damage,” he said.
It is sad, but there is hope. “We are all pleased to be alive,”
said Mickayel, an upbeat 18-year-old who guides tourists when he is
not at school. He believes things will get better – the
nutmeg crop will return and houses will be repaired. And despite
the tarpaulin, Grenada and St George’s are still beautiful
and well worth a visit when hotels reopen.
