Welcome to Grenada!

Tuesday, 15 July 2008

Today’s the day I leave the US! My Air Jamaica flight is scheduled to depart at 10:20 am, with a stop in Kingston, Jamaica. My Grenada arrival time is 5:40 pm.

Well… that was a nice story, if it would have gone that smoothly! Unfortunately, Air Jamaica decided (in mid-flight) that we had to go to Montego Bay, Jamaica to pick up passengers that were stranded on a plane with mechanical problems… it would be about a half hour delay. Hah! We sat there (on the plane) in Montego Bay for 2-1/2 hours! Our plane was not very full when we left Miami, so we had room for more passengers. It took at least 45 minutes to get them boarded, but then we apparently had “system” problems. They finally had to completely restart their whole computer system on the plane. We arrived there at noon and finally departed (for Kingston) at 2:30 pm. Now, my connecting flight to Grenada was scheduled to depart Kingston at 3:00 pm. Hmmm… I don’t think I’m going to make it. We landed in Kingston at 3:00, but no one from Air Jamaica seemed to care about connecting flights! We weren’t sure what gate we should head for. Kingston’s airport is under construction and there are no electronic boards informing you of arrivals & departures. So we all just followed one another… like cattle… to a big area with a few shops & food places. I ran into a couple who was also concerned about missing their flight to Grenada, so I tagged along with them to the Information Desk, where we were told the flight to Grenada was postponed until 4:00. The area we were shuffled to is a big waiting area for flights. You just have to listen to their announcements for when your flight is boarding… they all leave from the same area. Well, they kept announcing that the flight was later and later… first 5:00, then 5:30, then finally we were told it would depart at 6:00 pm. (That makes it 7:00 Grenada time!) Fortunately, my new friends made the time go by easier. They were a couple from the Atlanta area, celebrating their 10^th anniversary in Grenada. (This would be their first trip to Grenada.)

I was getting tired, so I decided to order a frozen mocha latte at a coffee stand in the airport. It was kinda fancy looking… topped with an oreo cookie, and came in one of those domed topped cups. Just as they handed it to me, they called for boarding of my flight! Now… I’m traveling with a backpack (with camera equipment), and another bag holding my laptop computer (no purse), but I have to have my passport & ticket ready to show security. I really didn’t need to get this drink because my hands are now full! They lead us down an escalator to a hallway where they have a few small wooden tables set up. At each table there are 2 security people wearing rubber gloves and inspecting carryon bags… and I mean “inspecting”! When I reached the table (2 people in front of me), they were being sure that no one wandered past this line without first going through them! As I watched, the person in front of me would put their bag on the table, the guards would open it, & pick through it carefully, then they hand “frisked” the person before letting them pass (no x-ray machines here!).

Then it was my turn. First I had to put down the frozen latte, but there was nowhere to put it except on the floor in front of the table. I gave them my camera backpack first. They opened it, picked through it (pulling some things out to get a closer look), then closed it. Next was my laptop bag. They made me open the laptop, showing the keyboard, then again, they picked through that bag, checked my passport, then frisked me. So I’m trying to quickly put myself back together & I look around… somehow everyone else vanished!!! I guess they didn’t have time to search everyone, but there were only 2 people in front of me… and probably about a dozen behind me. So I’m still getting my stuff together & one of the guards seems very interested in my drink. She asks me: “Where did you get that?” I told them at the coffee shop upstairs. She asked: “What is it called?” I said it’s a “frozen mocha latte”. And as I now begin to run to find my plane, I saw her eyes get big as she said… “Mmmm, that looks yummy!”

So now, I can’t see any other passengers in sight, and I’m not even sure which door they went out. (There was another plane that boarded just before ours.) I walked out a door & saw 2 Air Jamaica planes on the tarmac… with steps to board. So I run up to the closest one to me & asked one of the airline workers if this one was going to Grenada. “Yes!” I run up the stairs (with drink still in my hand), and am greeted by a flight attendant… “Welcome! What is that?” (as she points to my drink)!!!

OK… I find my seat quickly & stow away my bags. This is supposed to be a full flight… but the plane turns out to be half empty! Great… room to stretch out! Before we take off, I send Scott a text message that we’re about to leave Kingston.

The 3-hour flight was pretty uneventful… until we got to Grenada. There were some heavy thunderstorms in the area. I could tell by the turbulence as we descended to land. Finally, I can see the runway lights out my window as we’re approaching the end of the runway. It’s raining hard. I can see that on my window also. I’m bracing for the landing (as I always do), when all of a sudden I feel the plane accelerate and we’re heading back up into the sky! Less than a minute later, the captain comes on to tell us he decided to abort the landing because of the storm… he couldn’t see the airport! He said it was a fast moving storm and we’re just going to go up & around to have another go at it… by that time the storm should have passed.

Well, he was right! We just went up & made a big circle. The second time was the charm… a smooth landing! Coming through Customs was no problem! I got my passport stamped, then collected my bags. The Customs agent asked what I had inside & I told him “camera gear (I’m a photographer) and personal items”. He let me pass without searching anything! I went outside & Scott appeared to pick me up… it was about 10:30 pm. We talked about the storm... he said he heard our plane as it aborted the first landing. About a half hour drive to my new (empty) home, then get some rest for the days ahead!

Welcome to Grenada!