You are visitor number Welcome... to our Grenadine island network™ Visit Canouan's new Carenage Bay Resort & Golf Club Visit the S/Y Falcon, Comfort for 10 Passengers Grenadines.net Internet Cafe Urgent Message: for DEC 1999 - APR 2000 travel Water Situation on Carriacou Normal Banking Procedures in The Grenadines 25 October 1999 - Monday High Temperature 86ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF On again - Off again brief rain showers throughout the day. Clear Full Moon at night. Happy Carriacou Thanksgiving Day Sit back, relax and let me tell you a little story. It's a story about "normal banking procedures" here in The Grenadines. Our story begins on Bequia. The owner of a major hotel decides to pay his Grenadines.net Subscription with a check drawn on their Caribbean Banking Corporation account. The check takes around two weeks to arrive here on Carriacou via regular mail. It's about 30 miles between Bequia and Carriacou. Yours truly takes the check to the Grenadines.net Bank The National Commercial Bank of Grenada. The teller informs me that it will take six weeks to clear and until it does, they will place a "hold" on release of the funds. Now as I see it, the clearance procedure my check will undergo, forget not that this is "normal banking procedure" means that my check will travel the electronic cyber-highway from Carriacou to Bequia - a total of 30 miles at a blistering five miles each week at a thundering 3/4 mile each day at an unbelievable .02 miles per hour! You know, I just don't believe it! An airplane takes 20 minutes; a speedboat, 4 1/2 hours; a sailing yacht about 8 hours. And even it the bank does take six weeks, they've been doing this for years. One would think that by now they would have made efficiencies to speed up the process. But why should they speed up the process... just to allow customers quicker access to their funds? I don't believe it 'cause I remember long ago in the USA when banks used the same procedures until Congress passed legislation limiting the so-called "hold" time to between 1-3 days. Given the speed of the electronic superhighway, even this is a gift of free use of our money by the banks who no doubt turn around and lend our funds back-out to customers with interest! I remember another occasion when I deposited one of my personal USA bank checks into the Grenadines.net Bank. Two weeks later I had the cancelled check in my hands. So I returned to the bank with the check to ask about giving freedom to my cleared funds. Nope! Had to serve the time and wait the remaining weeks. Well, to finish this little story.... I'm still at the Grenadines.net Bank and I've been told that normal banking procedures must be followed. So I give the teller my MasterCard and ask her to give me US$. "We require a photo ID, Mr. Ingram," she says. This bank as known me for ten years. "I don't make a practice of walking around Carriacou with my passport, " I reply. "You don't know who I am, " I ask the teller. "But of course I do, Mr. Ingram," she responds. "Then you are sure that I am the same person as on the MasterCard?" I ask. "But of course, I do, Mr. Ingram," she responds. "Then give me US$," I ask. "We require a photo ID, Mr. Ingram," she says. "It's normal banking procedure." 24 October 1999 - Sunday High Temperature 86ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF Partially overcast day with blue skies and a few puffy white clouds. The Grenadines.net BBS is back up-and-running. Thanks to an observant visitor for bringing it to my attention. It seems that since June, messages posted to the BBS were being published on a separate page that were, unless you knew the specific URL, for all intensive purposes.... LOST in cyberspace. not the main BBS page where all the messages are supposed to go. I fixed the problem today and I encourage you to again Visit the Grenadines.net BBS. 19 October 1999 - Tuesday High Temperature 86ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF Partially overcast day with blue skies and a few puffy white clouds. Grenadines.net visitors... worry not about the news articles on Hurricane Jose. So far all we have received has been a few brief, and welcomed rain showers and cloudy skies. I have completed the back-log on Grenadines.net Travel/Reservation Inquiries so, if you have yet to hear back from me, please re-send your message. My mail server was eating messages a few weeks ago and perhaps I never received your original message. Next month in November, so far we now have Grenadines.net visitors to: Carriacou: Blue Marlin, Silver Beach - three times, Cassada Bay Canouan: Canouan Beach Hotel, The Carenage Palm Island: Villa Wild Flower Sailing The Grenadines: S/Y Leona - twice; S/Y Blue Monsoon Situation: Plenty of room availability but International flight seats limited. For December, so far we have: Carriacou: Cassada Bay - three times; Silver Beach - three times; Bayaleau Point Cottages - two times; Carriacou Yacht Club; Ade's Dream; Blue Marlin Canouan: The Carenage, Canouan Beach Hotel Mayreau: Saltwhistle Bay Palm Island: Villa Wild Flower Sailing The Grenadines: S/Y Leona - two times Private Aircraft: SVG Air Situation: Plenty of room availability but International flight seats VERY limited. Come Visit Us! 13 October 1999 - Wednesday High Temperature 86ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF Partially overcast day with blue skies and a few puffy white clouds. Work has begun on another road project here on Carriacou. This time it is in Hillsborough where workers are replacing the existing gravel road with a new concrete one on the Back Street. Since this is the main access road from Island points south into town, traffic is being diverted and the road is closed to all traffic. Guesstimates are that the project will take about a month. Since this road passes behind my office, I now have the joy of the sounds of jack-hammers, sledge hammers and picks to put up with. Each day I am now receiving 100+ Reservation Inquiries from surfers interested in making a visit to The Grenadines. Looks like we will have a good High Season DEC99-APR2000. November 1999 is also looking very active. For about a week now I have been trying out Monday-Friday opening hours of 9am to 9pm. Bar, Internet and socializing is catching on and already I have generated a few steady customers, including Dr. Noel from the Hospital. 10 October 1999 - Sunday High Temperature 86ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF Beautiful sunny day with blue skies and a few puffy white clouds. I noticed today that my last posting was 21 September 1999. To allay fears that I had perhaps "Sailed into the Sunset..." let me take a few minutes to up-date you on what I know that's new... First has to be the weather.... We had a streak of hot weather that had the locals commenting "It's the hottest since I can ever recall..." Seems like all those Caribbean storms and hurricanes that made the weather news worldwide and caused quite a bit of damage as far north as Vermont where a forrester's small boat got washed away but gave The Grenadines only a blessing of brief rain showers this year seems like those storms were sucking our Trade Wind breeeezes leaving us with sunny blue skies and no wind. Of course, during this hottest period in memory I was knee-deep into office renovations opening-up what had been three rooms into a single space with eight large windows looking out to Hillsborough Bay. Anyway, this weather has now broken and I again feel those Cool Trade Winds and see the island vegetation on display. I hung a hummingbird feeder on the Back Porch where you can sit and "Take the breeze", enjoy a cool refreshing drink, and socialize while looking at 50+ coconut palms and flowering trees and bushes of all description. Next has to be the explosion of reservation requests... Let me apologize right now to anyone who has been waiting for a response to reservation inquiries. Frankly, after fussing all day with sawdust, paint and years of accumulated debris, the idea of sitting down behind the computer rather than frolicking in Hillsborough Bay led to delay past my usual 12-24 hour response time. Also, for the past several weeks now the volume of e-mails received has reached 50-100 each day. Which brings us next to Millenium 2000... Frankly, it is just about too late to make arrangements for Christmas 1999 - New Year's 2000. Bookings for November and December 1999 are coming in fast. Remaining Millenium 2000 vacancies are being priced at 25-100% mark-ups ... supply given demand. Well, it's 4:40pm on a beautiful sunny, Carriacou afternoon. I am off to enjoy the beach. Hopefully starting tommorow I will write to my diary more often. Warm breeeezes..... 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 1st 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 2nd 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... 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.
Welcome... to our Grenadine island network™ Visit Canouan's new Carenage Bay Resort & Golf Club Visit the S/Y Falcon, Comfort for 10 Passengers Grenadines.net Internet Cafe Urgent Message: for DEC 1999 - APR 2000 travel Water Situation on Carriacou Normal Banking Procedures in The Grenadines 25 October 1999 - Monday High Temperature 86ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF On again - Off again brief rain showers throughout the day. Clear Full Moon at night.
Happy Carriacou Thanksgiving Day Sit back, relax and let me tell you a little story. It's a story about "normal banking procedures" here in The Grenadines.
Our story begins on Bequia. The owner of a major hotel decides to pay his Grenadines.net Subscription with a check drawn on their Caribbean Banking Corporation account. The check takes around two weeks to arrive here on Carriacou via regular mail.
It's about 30 miles between Bequia and Carriacou.
Yours truly takes the check to the Grenadines.net Bank The National Commercial Bank of Grenada. The teller informs me that it will take six weeks to clear and until it does, they will place a "hold" on release of the funds.
Now as I see it, the clearance procedure my check will undergo, forget not that this is "normal banking procedure" means that my check will travel the electronic cyber-highway from Carriacou to Bequia - a total of 30 miles at a blistering five miles each week at a thundering 3/4 mile each day at an unbelievable .02 miles per hour!
You know, I just don't believe it! An airplane takes 20 minutes; a speedboat, 4 1/2 hours; a sailing yacht about 8 hours. And even it the bank does take six weeks, they've been doing this for years. One would think that by now they would have made efficiencies to speed up the process. But why should they speed up the process... just to allow customers quicker access to their funds?
I don't believe it 'cause I remember long ago in the USA when banks used the same procedures until Congress passed legislation limiting the so-called "hold" time to between 1-3 days. Given the speed of the electronic superhighway, even this is a gift of free use of our money by the banks who no doubt turn around and lend our funds back-out to customers with interest!
I remember another occasion when I deposited one of my personal USA bank checks into the Grenadines.net Bank. Two weeks later I had the cancelled check in my hands. So I returned to the bank with the check to ask about giving freedom to my cleared funds. Nope! Had to serve the time and wait the remaining weeks.
Well, to finish this little story.... I'm still at the Grenadines.net Bank and I've been told that normal banking procedures must be followed. So I give the teller my MasterCard and ask her to give me US$. "We require a photo ID, Mr. Ingram," she says. This bank as known me for ten years. "I don't make a practice of walking around Carriacou with my passport, " I reply. "You don't know who I am, " I ask the teller. "But of course I do, Mr. Ingram," she responds. "Then you are sure that I am the same person as on the MasterCard?" I ask. "But of course, I do, Mr. Ingram," she responds. "Then give me US$," I ask. "We require a photo ID, Mr. Ingram," she says. "It's normal banking procedure."
24 October 1999 - Sunday High Temperature 86ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF Partially overcast day with blue skies and a few puffy white clouds.
The Grenadines.net BBS is back up-and-running. Thanks to an observant visitor for bringing it to my attention. It seems that since June, messages posted to the BBS were being published on a separate page that were, unless you knew the specific URL, for all intensive purposes.... LOST in cyberspace. not the main BBS page where all the messages are supposed to go. I fixed the problem today and I encourage you to again Visit the Grenadines.net BBS. 19 October 1999 - Tuesday High Temperature 86ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF Partially overcast day with blue skies and a few puffy white clouds.
Grenadines.net visitors... worry not about the news articles on Hurricane Jose. So far all we have received has been a few brief, and welcomed rain showers and cloudy skies. I have completed the back-log on Grenadines.net Travel/Reservation Inquiries so, if you have yet to hear back from me, please re-send your message. My mail server was eating messages a few weeks ago and perhaps I never received your original message.
Next month in November, so far we now have Grenadines.net visitors to: Carriacou: Blue Marlin, Silver Beach - three times, Cassada Bay Canouan: Canouan Beach Hotel, The Carenage Palm Island: Villa Wild Flower Sailing The Grenadines: S/Y Leona - twice; S/Y Blue Monsoon Situation: Plenty of room availability but International flight seats limited.
For December, so far we have: Carriacou: Cassada Bay - three times; Silver Beach - three times; Bayaleau Point Cottages - two times; Carriacou Yacht Club; Ade's Dream; Blue Marlin Canouan: The Carenage, Canouan Beach Hotel Mayreau: Saltwhistle Bay Palm Island: Villa Wild Flower Sailing The Grenadines: S/Y Leona - two times Private Aircraft: SVG Air Situation: Plenty of room availability but International flight seats VERY limited. Come Visit Us! 13 October 1999 - Wednesday High Temperature 86ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF Partially overcast day with blue skies and a few puffy white clouds.
Work has begun on another road project here on Carriacou. This time it is in Hillsborough where workers are replacing the existing gravel road with a new concrete one on the Back Street. Since this is the main access road from Island points south into town, traffic is being diverted and the road is closed to all traffic. Guesstimates are that the project will take about a month. Since this road passes behind my office, I now have the joy of the sounds of jack-hammers, sledge hammers and picks to put up with.
Each day I am now receiving 100+ Reservation Inquiries from surfers interested in making a visit to The Grenadines. Looks like we will have a good High Season DEC99-APR2000. November 1999 is also looking very active.
For about a week now I have been trying out Monday-Friday opening hours of 9am to 9pm. Bar, Internet and socializing is catching on and already I have generated a few steady customers, including Dr. Noel from the Hospital.
10 October 1999 - Sunday High Temperature 86ºF - Low Temperature 78ºF Beautiful sunny day with blue skies and a few puffy white clouds.
I noticed today that my last posting was 21 September 1999. To allay fears that I had perhaps "Sailed into the Sunset..." let me take a few minutes to up-date you on what I know that's new...
First has to be the weather.... We had a streak of hot weather that had the locals commenting "It's the hottest since I can ever recall..." Seems like all those Caribbean storms and hurricanes that made the weather news worldwide and caused quite a bit of damage as far north as Vermont where a forrester's small boat got washed away but gave The Grenadines only a blessing of brief rain showers this year seems like those storms were sucking our Trade Wind breeeezes leaving us with sunny blue skies and no wind. Of course, during this hottest period in memory I was knee-deep into office renovations opening-up what had been three rooms into a single space with eight large windows looking out to Hillsborough Bay. Anyway, this weather has now broken and I again feel those Cool Trade Winds and see the island vegetation on display. I hung a hummingbird feeder on the Back Porch where you can sit and "Take the breeze", enjoy a cool refreshing drink, and socialize while looking at 50+ coconut palms and flowering trees and bushes of all description.
Next has to be the explosion of reservation requests... Let me apologize right now to anyone who has been waiting for a response to reservation inquiries. Frankly, after fussing all day with sawdust, paint and years of accumulated debris, the idea of sitting down behind the computer rather than frolicking in Hillsborough Bay led to delay past my usual 12-24 hour response time. Also, for the past several weeks now the volume of e-mails received has reached 50-100 each day.
Which brings us next to Millenium 2000... Frankly, it is just about too late to make arrangements for Christmas 1999 - New Year's 2000. Bookings for November and December 1999 are coming in fast. Remaining Millenium 2000 vacancies are being priced at 25-100% mark-ups ... supply given demand.
Well, it's 4:40pm on a beautiful sunny, Carriacou afternoon. I am off to enjoy the beach. Hopefully starting tommorow I will write to my diary more often. Warm breeeezes.....
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 1st 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 2nd 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... 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.
