Back on the rock…

First, Grenada is not involved with any of the hurricane nonsense up north so no worries there.

Grenada is finally the tropical paradise I envisioned while reading my acceptance letter all those months ago.  The “rainy” season introduced an emerald hue to the hillsides that was lacking in January.  Flowers exploded everywhere throwing bright streaks of crimson, gold, orange and white across the hillsides.  Butterflies flit from petal to petal and the air is heavy with the smell of nectar.  The ocean is a bright azure that steeps from deep indigo to turquoise along the sand covered shorelines.  The rain I was expecting is similar to the afternoon downpours that Maui experiences every day.  And as my former lab partner, Rick, said… “It’s hotter than 40 hells.”  I spend the majority of the day shocking my poor internal thermometer by moving from frigid A/C filled buildings to the relentless sun that is soaking everything.  I actually doubt the temperature itself is much higher than 87 degrees, however the humidity is swamping every cell my body has.  We all are drinking an obscene amount of water.  Lucky for me I’m not much of a sweater.  Even so I take about two showers a day simply to cool back down.  I have to pull a rope to activate the hot water heater, and at this point I’m sticking to my cold water regime. 

My new apartment (which I’m madly in love with) does have A/C in the bedroom but I’m trying to tough it out and make do with fans (electricity here is astronomical).  I get a deliriously happy smile on my face every time I turn on my fan.  Thus far I’ve only woken up once to take a cold shower because I thought I might spontaneously combust.  But that was pre-fan.  The apartment is fantastic.  The patio has a lovely view of palm trees and ocean and a nice breeze usually trickles through the screens that keep the army of mosquitoes at bay.  I revel in the space and privacy.  I’m slowly getting use to the night serenade that begins when the sun goes down.  It sounds like I’m sleeping in the middle of animal kingdom.  A constant, and almost blaring insect, lizard, frog, bird, bat serenade is held nightly outside my window.  Now and then there is a guest “singer” that sounds like a monkey is screaming.  Now I doubt that one of the Mona monkeys has wandered out of the mountains, but then again you never know.  I just keep reminding myself that this night music is supposed to be soothing.  They make clocks that actually make this sound on purpose right?  And I do love the look of my bedroom.  I brought down my sister’s old decorational, mosquito netting, which keeps me happily on top of the sheets, and makes the space look exotic.  My friend Ivonne lives next door and our complex feels more like a dorm then an apartment (at least for the two of us).   

School began today which I’m sure my body appreciates.  The majority of the students have been on the island for about a week and every night a “welcome back” party is held somewhere.  I was boo’ed for exiting events at 3:30 am.  Apparently my rock star abilities do not extend to 5:30, 6:00 am return times.  But Bananas (the local school  bar) is always packed to the palm trees until the sun comes up.  But for all of our antics I doubt we’ve even dented the island’s rum supply.  The fierce bouts of celebrating nixed any potential underwater time, and I am hopeful that Matt and I will be able to head under the waves sometime next week.  The water is supposed to be much warmer, the vis spectacular and a lot of fish are about.  I am excited and nervous for the term to begin.  Term 2 is renowned for its difficult material and more difficult professors.  But the sooner it gets going, the sooner it ends, and the sooner I get to return to all of you.