Grenada is so beautiful, a rich fertile island with waterfalls and crater lakes and warm welcoming people.
Its known as the “Isle of Spice” and nutmeg is their main crop,
but everything grows here – coconuts, cocoa, cinnamon, cloves, lemongrass, mangoes, pawpaw, yams!
Hurricane Ivan in 2004 tore up much of the island and ruined about 80% of their crops. This hit the island very hard, with much of the population just eeking out an existence with no welfare state, however, it is now regenerating and alot of the crops are now coming through again and the rainforest is now looking more than a tropical garden!
I toured the rum factory, with much of the work, with the help of a 200year old water wheel, by hand. It contrasts starkly with the tour of the rum factory I made in Bundaberg in Australia, with all conditions being strictly monitored, automated, and visitors having to wear special shoes so as not to cause any static electricity!!
This amazing place runs pretty much as it did in the mid 1800’s, with hard manual labour from crushing the cane to scooping the hot juice from “copper” to copper with huge wooden scoops
Tasted 75% proof rum at the end, and had a little understanding about some of the behaviour Ive seen!
Cocoa beans grow here, they look amazing when you pick the seed pod and open it up,
and a visit to the Grenada Chocolate company is well worth the trip, seeing how the beans are transformed into the most delicious chocolate using very basic and age old methods including people powered dance!
The people are as warm as the country, welcoming, funny and love nothing more than showing their beautiful home to its visitors. Saw this poster which made me smile!
Hmmmm….maybe I will enter?
Grenada is a beautiful place, but I am keen to explore the rest of the Eastern Caribbean and I have to be in Guadeloupe by 17th December to catch my flight back to the UK. We have been waiting for a part to arrive for our outboard motor……things take time in the Caribbean!
