THE CARIBBEAN SERIES, DAY 11
DOMINICA – BARBADOS – GRENADA
The most stressful travel day ever! Well, today is the day… will it or won’t it? Despite the assurances from the hotel owner and manager, the situation was becoming increasingly worrying.
CAN I HAVE YOUR PCR TEST PLEASE?
Through the morning, I was given a few assurances that the test was going to arrive. However, with delay after delay, I could wait no longer at the hotel as I needed to get to the airport. Consequently, my nerves started to kick in.
THE WAIT CONTINUES
I was in constant dialogue with the hotel, which had two contacts—one in Dominica and another in the UK. Although I wasn’t sure what their roles were, once the message was passed on to them, the hotel owner thought the best action was to sit back and hope.
I have done what I can, I pray for you. 🤣
Apparently, if you push people too much in Dominica, they push back. Honestly, I expected it anyway, so there was nothing to lose.
DAILY INFO….
- HOTEL – La Helicona 6.5/10, $65
CHECK-IN
Even the rental car girl was quite helpful in calling the check-in desk and asking about the latest time I could check in and if I could even check in without it. Unfortunately, the answer was no, and I had only 15 minutes left!
Upon arriving at the check-in desk, I was half the man I had been the previous night, absolutely gutted at the way things were turning out. Nevertheless, I didn’t want to give up. At that moment, I had to think of a strategy within the next 2 minutes that would make or break the rest of my trip. Should I plead from the start and hope they let me on, or should I say nothing? However, considering we had just called them about not having a PCR test, surely they would ask if I had received it.
THE FLAG….
Yellow stars on the red border – country’s six administrative divisions
Yellow star on the red disc at the centre – the capital, St. George
Nutmeg symbol at the hoist – primary agricultural exports of the islands
Altogether, these three colours represent the Pan-Africanist movement
Green – islands’ vegetation and agriculture
yellow – sun, the warmth and wisdom of Grenadians
Red – harmony, unity, courage, and vitality
The most stressful travel day ever!
DAILY TRAVEL STATS….
- Steps – 5,500
- Number of flights – 2
- Flight itinerary – Dominica – Barbados – Grenada
- Airlines – Intercaribbean Airways
- Miles covered – 358 mi
SMOKE SCREEN
I chose to go ahead and just talk my way through the situation. While I had all the paperwork apart from the PCR test, I was hoping that if I talked enough, it would distract him from asking about it. Additionally, I was even looking around his desk for anything to keep the conversation going! However, straight off the bat, he brought it up.
“Can I get your PCR test please.”
Shit, I thought.
“Also have you got your entry form to Grenada.”
Ok let’s go in reverse, anything to confuse him.
I WENT ON AS MUCH AS I COULD
“Yes, I have the Grenada form, but do you need my Barbados form too, as I’m transiting through? Additionally, I also have my flight details here from Barbados if you can check me in for that flight as well. Furthermore, do you need to see my flight from Grenada? Ah, and my COVID vaccination too.” I continued talking as much as I could.
At this point, I was showing him anything I had. The idea was to lengthen the time from when he asked for the PCR test to as long as possible, in the hope he would forget.
“Ah you are very organised.” If only he knew!
So, I proceeded to show him (as slowly as humanly possible) what he required, along with a heap of things he didn’t ask for. In fact, I would have shown him my STD results if I had them!
The most stressful travel day ever!
BOARDING PASS
I couldn’t believe it, and as I write this, I still can’t believe that it all worked. Remarkably, he didn’t ask for my PCR test again and handed me my ticket. Despite this, I was still sure I’d get a tap on the shoulder at some stage before boarding.
However, this presented me with another problem. How much time did I have? Would I get through Barbados without it, considering I was transiting and had at least four hours until I arrived in Grenada? Alternatively, would the transit hosts in Barbados demand it?
RELATED READ: MY FIRST AND FAVOURITE BUNGEE
THE MOST STRESSFUL FLIGHT
I’m fairly chilled with flights regardless of turbulence, but there was one flight where I thought I was going to die, and this was on the same stress level. Interestingly, for whatever reason, both flights were with Intercaribbean Airways!
The stress was getting worse, and I couldn’t relax on the flight. On one hand, I wanted the flight to last forever, but on the other, I wanted to land so I could check my messages. However, that soon changed when we landed in Barbados and there was still no PCR test.
FACTS:
- Grenada has the world’s first underwater sculpture park.
- There is a lake in Grenada, Grand Etang, which is said to be a bottomless lake because nobody has been able to locate its bed with SONAR.
- There are no venomous snakes in the country even though almost half of it is covered with forests.
PLEASE HAVE YOUR PCR TEST READY
After taking my absolute time in getting off the flight I was greeted by the transit hosts who told me nothing but,
“Please have your PCR test ready.”
“I’m f¥€ked.” The last thing I wanted to happen was to get flown back to Dominica, revisit that bitch of a nurse, and wait another two days for a PCR test. Additionally, with the loss of those two days, I would then have no option but to fly directly home! Ironically, flying home from Dominica would take me through Barbados anyway!
ABOUT THE COUNTRY – GRENADA:
- LANGUAGE – English
- HELLO – hello
- HOW TO CHEERS – cheers
- POPULAR BEVERAGE – Rum Punch
- POPULAR SPORT – Cricket
- STAPLE DIET – Plantains, maize, rice, breadfruit, and peas.
ONE LAST CHECK
At this stage, there was no doubt I would be in for some serious data roaming charges at the end of the month, but I couldn’t stop myself from constantly checking WhatsApp. After a brief chat with the transit liaison officer, I received the worst response imaginable from my hotel manager:
“Ok, I called. She said they got some results, and your name wasn’t among the list.”
What the absolute f¥€k. Despite the confidence given by the hotel manager last night and this morning, I was sure I was going to get it. Furthermore, I have little doubt that my nurse friend had gone out of her way to ensure I received my results at the same time or later than anyone else. Indeed, power trips are real.
The most stressful travel day ever!
FINALLY
Even though I no longer had any hope, I was now thinking about how I could bluff this. Should I tell them I’ve lost it, come clean, or ask for one here? However, in the midst of all this madness, I received an image from the hotel worker. Initially, I thought it was confirmation that my name wasn’t on the list, until I looked a little closer and there it was.
David Simpson
PCR test result – Negative
“You absolute beauty.” I must’ve appeared like a different person getting off that bus, sauntering up to the nurse, no doubt looking like I was on my first ever holiday!
ONTO GRENADA FOR MORE BAD NEWS
The rest was a doddle, and after a few hours’ pitstop in Barbados, I arrived in Grenada. Now, my time in Grenada is short—too short if you ask me—but given how flights worked out and where I was flying to and from, it was my only option. Nevertheless, I can do a lot with little time. Unfortunately, upon arriving at the hotel, I was told I had to quarantine.
“I have to quarantine? Not ideal, but I’ll just chill at the bar,” I thought.
“No sir, you have to sit in your room.”
So, here I was in country 150—a landmark number and a landmark story too—and I had to spend it in my hotel room. Moreover, the security guard wouldn’t even allow me to keep hold of my room key. Welcome to visiting every country in the world!
WHERE IS GRENADA?
Grenada
SUMMED UP….
- HIGHLIGHT – A great first beach
- LOWLIGHT – Accom isn’t cheap
- MVP – Virgin Atlantic check in lady
FINAL THOUGHTS
Never been so thankful to arrive into country number 150!
NEXT UP
More quarantine nightmares! Click to read.
SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
150/229
This post is part of The Caribbean Series, click to explore the series or for episode 1, click here.
To watch the video of my trip, head to my highlights on my Instagram.
