By Carrie Havranek The September 2004 landfall of Hurricane Ivan has been somewhat forgotten by much of the public, perhaps due to the simply larger numbers -- of both lives lost and money needed -- in the wake of the tsunami destruction in south Asia. The good news for travelers to the West Indies, though, is that Grenada, which was hit the hardest by Ivan, recently restored critical utilities such as electricity, phone and water to the major tourist areas. Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines were particularly affected by Ivan -- thousands were left homeless -- but Grenada suffered the most damage, in particular to its schools, health clinics and 90 percent of its homes. The World Bank pledged $20 million to support recovery efforts, which began almost immediately. Grenada is slowly getting back to normal -- some of the more historic buildings will take longer time to renovate properly -- but some new businesses have popped up, festivals are planned, and renovations continue. This "Isle of Spice" is replete with nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla aromas, and reforestation efforts are underway to replace the nutmeg, cocoa and banana trees that were decimated. About sixty percent of hotels are up and running; the two that were hit hardest, Coyaba Beach Resort and Spice Island Beach Resort, should be back to business by December, according to a representative from the Grenada Board of Tourism. One warning though: telephone service, although it has resumed, can be a bit inconsistent. This reporter repeatedly had trouble getting through to Grenada on some local and toll-free numbers, even with international operator assistance. Therefore, we've included e-mail addresses, where available. A good place to start for the latest official news on the state of affairs in Grenada, as well as deals, special events and other promotions is the Grenada Board of Tourism (tel. 800/927-9554; www.grenadagrenadines.com). About a dozen hotels are offering weekend rates from $80-$300 and weekly rates from $180-$1,200 in a promotion valid through December 2005 called "The Spice Lives." The site also lists a handful of restaurants, scuba diving outfitters, and other resorts -- with links -- that are also offering various promotions. Search carefully and ask lots of questions, as some of the offers have expired, but at least you have a decent starting point. Reprinted from frommers.com