Carriacou Caribbean Connection

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News flash Grenadines.net Internet Cafe Urgent Message: for DEC 1999 - APR 2000 travel
Water Situation on Carriacou

26 August 1999 - Thursday
High Temperature 86ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF
Overcast day.
Marilyn Alexander, the Carriacou correspondent for GBC Television in Grenada, stopped by with her camera man, Maitland Coy, to film an interview on the occasion of Grenadines.net receiving its 100,000^th visitor. A couple from the States Sailing The Grenadines checked their Hotmail. Tommorow I start knocking-out walls in the office with the goal being to make it one large open room where now it is divided-up into small rooms. Det. Cpl. Charles of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Royal Grenada Police Force stopped by to chat during his visit to Carriacou. He's a computer buff and always drops in to chat about new developments.

26 August 1999 - Thursday
High Temperature 88ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF
Sunny with blue skies and a few puffy white clouds. Nice wind.
A quiet, lazy day here at Grenadines.net. A couple from the States Sailing The Grenadines arrived just after I opened to check their Hotmail. Larry, an American friend who nows lives here on Carriacou with his wife Connie, followed. Captain Thomas of S/Y Leona and I had a lovely lunch at Callaloo By the Sea. A local man, Randolph Joseph, and I started work on preparing a new electrical system plan for the office in prepartion for the remodeling job that gets underway this weekend.

25 August 1999 - Wednesday
High Temperature 88ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF
Sunny with blue skies and a few puffy white clouds. Nice wind.
With all the talk about the recent flurry of tropical storm action in the Caribbean, i.e. Bret, Cindy, Dennis and now Emily, I have to say that here in The Grenadines we have had just picture perfect weather. From end to end the Caribbean Region is huge, and a storm in one area doesn't necessarily mean a canceled trip for you to The Grenadines. We are located at the southern edge of the so-called "Hurricane Belt" and most likely to remain outside of any danger zone. If a storm comes through the week before your planned trip, don't succumb to media hype -- the world isn't ending -- look at the island forecast here on Grenadines.net first!
I printed more brochures and forms for John's Unique Resort. I also printed for Silver Beach Resort.

24 August 1999 - Tuesday
High Temperature 88ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF
Sunny with blue skies and a few puffy white clouds. Nice wind.

100,000^th Grenadines.net Visitor
Our website went over the 100,000 visitor mark today.
We even booked Bill Gates (Microsoft Chairman/CEO) and his wife for their first visit here.
From billionaires to back-packers... Grenadines.net is the choice for island reservations.

When our Grenadines.net Surfers visit Martinique:
Tursiops Caraïbes
The Laundry and much more on Grande Anse d'Arlet.
Near Tamarin Hotel, they sell arts & crafts
and offer mail, photocopies, fax, phone, e-mail
as well as sourcing parts for yachts in transit.
Locate at: 14°30'190N & 61°05'100W
Tel/Fax: (596) 687422 or E-Mail

Babblud returns to Denmark tommorow from his home here on Carriacou until December. Two boats from the Virgin Islands arrived today (Guido & Tracy) and they stopped by to check their Hotmail and refresh themselves with ice cold drinks on the Back Porch. Captain John Smith of the Mermaid of Carriacou was in to catch-up on his e-mail as did Lon Matlock. Two locals, Doman & Durrant, stopped by for a cold drink and I talked them into helping me rip-out some office walls over the weekend. I'm opening the rooms for more space and returning to one single, large room with eight, large windows. Then it's plants and trees in pots on the Back Porch. A fresh coat of paint and I'm ready for the new Year 2000 Season after Christmas.

23 August 1999 - Monday
High Temperature 88ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF
Sunny with blue skies and a few puffy white clouds. Nice wind.
Pastor Philip Mendes dropped by to do some printing for his church. Barney from Callaloo By the Sea was in to print letterhead for the Bar & Restaurant. Jeff Phillip from L'Esterre was in to discuss a pending electrical job here at the office. Lon Matlock was in to create a new Hotmail address.

21-22 August 1999 - Weekend
High Temperature 88ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF
Sunny with blue skies and a few puffy white clouds. Nice wind.
Views out the window...
It's been a while since my last diary up-date.
Not because there was nothing to report; but, because it has been just too busy and there are only so many hours in each day. Each day I wake-up around 6:30am and work responding to e-mails received over the night until I open the shop at 9am. From 9am until closing at 6pm, it was a steady stream of visitors sending e-mail, surfing the world wide web, and socializing at the Bar. The weather here has been just wonderful and many of the hundreds of yachts who came for our Regatta Festival decided to stay here rather than continue their trips down to Trinidad and Venezeula for "safe anchorages" away from threat of hurricanes. It seems that both Trinidad and Venezeula have been diluged with rain and decisions were made to remain here in the sunshine. Two yachts purchased notebook computers on-line and had them delivered here to the office. Visitors from France, Germany, England, Norway, Sweden, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Denmark, Martinique, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, South Africa, Belgium, Italy, and... stopped by. I printed 500 crew list forms for Carriacou Immigration to clear-in/out visiting yachts Sailing The Grenadines. I had people playing dominoes on the Back Porch, watching the Weather Channel on cable TV, browing my Gallery for local handicrafts, while still others made use of my computers with Internet connections and Internet telephone and fax. After 6pm, when I close the shop, I returned to my e-mail responding to messages that arrived during the day requesting reservations at hotels, villas, cottages, yachts, diving, and... I even made travel reservations for Bill & Melinda Gates. From billionaires to back-packers, it seems that Grenadines.net has now taken its place as THE website for making travel plans to The Grenadine Islands.

VIP Travel in The Grenadines We have a new website for VIP Travel. With our proud sponsor, Mustique Arways, we are now offering private villas complete with private yachts for seven glorious days of escape. We have also added Bequia's Friendship Bay Hotel to our Grenadines.net Family. Our website will be 3-years-old on 6SEP99. The baby is now beginning to walk.

11 August 1999 - Wednesday
High Temperature 88ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF
Sunny with blue skies and a few puffy white clouds. Nice wind.
I printed tickets for the Launch of Carriacou Carnival 2000. Calypsonians from the Mainland and Carriacou will perform at a Dynasty International Party on 14AUG99. A journalist from Holland stopped by to check his Hotmail. He'll be living on Carriacou part of each year and is here now setting-up his place to stay. Cleandro from Harvey Vale was in to prepare crew lists for his M/V Gergosan IV which departs Carriacou today on a cargo trip to Venezuela. Captain Thomas of S/Y Leona will accompany the boat down and then fly back.

6-10 August 1999 - Friday/Tuesday
High Temperature 88ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF
Sunny with blue skies and a few puffy white clouds. Nice wind.

4-5 August 1999 - Wednesday/Thursday
High Temperature 88ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF
Sunny with blue skies and a few puffy white clouds. Nice wind.

CARNIVAL COMMITTEE BIG LAUNCHING
on Saturday, 14 August 1999
at Dynasty International.
On Stage:
THE INSPECTOR
VAL ADAMS
DANJUMA
RHINO
LEFTIST
KIZZY
and more....
Admission: $20 Advance Ticket
You pay more at the door.
Support the C.C.D.C.

3 August 1999 - Tuesday
High Temperature 88ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF
Sunny with blue skies and a few puffy white clouds. Nice wind.
Carriacou's 34th Annual Regatta Festival has now concluded. Following the prize giving ceremony yesterday evening, people danced in the streets of Hillsborough until midnight. I will be publishing all results so please check the Regatta Committee Homepage for the details. A group of Americans stopped by to check their Hotmail. A man from the States came into the office to download a new weather fax software from multi-fax.com. One of the owners of Bardoni Bros Ice Cream Parlor , Nicola, was in to get ready for the arrival on Carriacou Thursday of potential new owners from Switzerland. Local bus driver Putty ran into the office to collect his business cards. A lady from America was in to check her Hotmail.

2 August 1999 - Monday
High Temperature 88ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF
Sunny with blue skies and a few puffy white clouds. Nice wind.
S/V Yankee Clipper

Foxy and Tessa from the British Virgin Islands stopped by to chat. Frits and Marianna of S/Y Atlantis were in to check their e-mail. An American woman living in Windward, Beth, was into coillect her e-mail. Ricardo, Chief Mate on S/V Yankee Clipper was in to check his Hotmail. The vessel normally is in Grenada but a decision was made to bring the 62 passengers to Carriacou to enjoy the final day today of Carriacou's 34th Annual Regatta Festival. A couple from Norway came by to settle-up their bill for internet services incurred during their 44-day visit to Silver Beach. A French man from Stardust/Union Island came in to copy his crew list for today's private yacht race. A family from Holland stopped by to meet me. I had made reservations for their stay. A couple from St. John's in the U.S. Virgin Islands stopped by to check their Hotmail. Two guys from St. John's were in to check their Hotmail and enjoy a cool, freshing drink. A lady from Bequia was in to check her Hotmail. A man from the States was in for some connection time. Cleddie, a local lady from L'Esterre sent a message to a friend via Hotmail. A couple from South Africa checked their Hotmail one last time before heading south toward Grenada. Tom, Sally and Wilfred from Bequia's Caribbean Compass plus a few friends checked their weather information on the Internet before heading back up to Bequia tommorow. Captain Thomas from S/Y Leona stopped by to talk about up-coming charters.

Views out the window...
Water Situation on Carriacou.
Let's talk a few minutes about the water situation here on Carriacou
and then apply the lessons learned to the remainder of the islands of The Grenadines.
First word that comes to mind is scarce. Then next is precious.
To me, when I hear that anything is both scarce and precious,
I automatically think about saving as much of it as possible.
I'd save first of all because it's the prudent thing to do.
I'd save because of investment in the future...
I'd save because to pass along to the next generation is a good thing...
Doesn't really matter to me whether we're talking about diamonds, family heirlooms, money, or...
Cool, refreshing, life-giving
Water.
Though surrounded by perhaps the world's clearest, cleanest and colorful ocean water
there is no source of fresh, treated water here except that that falls from the sky,
is collected on the roofs house-by-house, business-by-business
and stored in underground cisterns and pumped
back into the house on demand.
Methods for maintaining water quality therefore changes
house-by-house and business-by-business.
Some introduce small, living fish called "millions" into the cistern and even the government claims that these little fish are quite effective at feasting on whatever attempts growth within the cistern.
We're talking here about mosquitos.
Others swear that a cup of good old CLOROX bleach does the job.
Others attach purifiers to their kitchen taps for use when drawing drinking water
and some brands such as PUR make claims about microbiological improvements.
I, myself, have chosen to go the route of boiling every drop
that makes it toward drinking water or ice cubes.
In my nearly ten years living here on Carriacou,
I have never suffered the stomach aches and pains that can ruin a trip.

So, I guess the 1^st Lesson about the Water Situation is:
Always boil the water used to drink or make ice cubes,
or drink bottled water, and
don't ask for ice in mixed drinks unless you know they boil it first.
The Grenadines.net Internet Café uses only boiled water for drinks and ice cubes.

Now that we understand the water situation, let's continue with the
2^nd Lesson: conservation of a precious resource.
Residents flush toilets after No. 2 but not No.1
Always fix a leaking toilet or faucet valve and never let it trickle.
When taking a shower, wet yourself down and turn off the water.
Suds up and then turn on the water for a quick rinse.
Remember... most islanders have no running water
and the water contained in two, white plastic buckets
clean-up after dinner, provides a bath, or launders their always spotless clothing.
Water on Carriacou is a scarce and precious item.
Please help us to save it as much as possible.

Views out the window...
Open Daily from 9am to 6pm - Closed Sunday

The red Flamboyant tree has burst into flower.
From the Back Porch the red blends brilliantly with the green of the 50-odd coconut palms,
breadfruit, and bushes in view. Evidently in appreciation of last month's daily brief showers,
Carriacou's vegetation is now on display.
Perhaps the most comfortable and convenient place to enjoy it all
is from our own
Grenadines.net Internet Café
We offer:
Desktop Publishing: Crew Lists, business cards, plastic laminating for important papers
Communications: Internet, E-Mail, Web Design, Internet Telephone, Internet Fax
Convenience: Laptop Plug-Ins, Floppy Disks Okay, Flash Sessions
Socializing: Breezy Back Porch, Cable TV, Paperback Exchange
Information: Hotels, Restaurants, Yacht Charters, Inter-Island Connections
Bar: Cold, refreshing drinks
Sea Breeze
Orange Juice
Pineapple Juice
Grapefruit Juice
Cold CARIB Beer
Coca Cola
Coffee
Ice Water
All our drinks are served in half-litre glass jars, filled with ice!

To avoid disappointment for DEC 1999 - APR 2000 visits you should be making your reservations NOW!
           International Flights to The Grenadines are booking FAST and seats are already limited.
             For visits to Mustique, Bequia, Canouan, Mayreau & Union - look toward Barbados
     For visits to Carriacou, Petite Martinique, Petit St. Vincent, Palm Island & Union - look toward Grenada.
        After these international flights are booked we can handle all your Regional Island connections.

Read John's On-Line Diary for July 1999

Read John's On-Line Diary for June 1999 Read John's On-Line Diary for May 1999

Read John's On-Line Diary for April 1999 Read John's On-Line Diary for March 1999

Read John's On-Line Diary for February 1999 Read John's On-Line Diary for January 1999

Read John's On-Line Diary for December 1998 Read John's On-Line Diary for November 1998