Since nothing starts on time around here, we ambitiously set our alarm clock for 0500, thinking that things might be underway by 0600. The raucous and very loud music woke us up at 0400. Carnival starts on time! We got dressed I fixed a mug of coffee and we headed for the street. It was madness. Music trucks and beer trucks slowly rolled down the street, surrounded by throngs of people already drunk and covered in a variety of paint colors. This parade is a participative and competitive sport, the object of which is to have your team's paint color be the predominant color in the parade. They were not actually throwing paint from the trucks as we thought. Truck followers would purchase small cups of paint and chase each other around, trying to smear their color of paint on anyone who would accept a smear. As you can tell from the photos, one can participate at any level. Several paraders were also in costume. Many wore bandanas and shower caps as paint protection, while another very popular item was surgical masks, which served the dual function of face protection and costume, taking a stab at swine flu. Very heavy on public education campaigns an border patrol, Grenada has no cases. I got checked during the parade.
The parade would continue for hours but our merry band of pranksters (SV Rum Runner, their 17yo niece and SV Verna Breeze) had had enough paint, sweat and beer so we left the scene around noon. No fully-doused shots of us...we were in camera protection mode. We all scrubbed off paint and clothes dockside then went to the pool for refreshments and relaxation. Lunch and naps soon followed so we would be fresh for the evening parade.
