Hi Everyone, 

For months, people in Grenada have been talking about this. And not just talking. Every time we went to the supermarket, we heard it walking down the aisles along with its hypnotic lines of drum and bass. ‘Jab Jab, Jab Jab.’ On the buses. ‘Jab Jab, Jab Jab.’  And people have kept telling us, ‘You have got to go to Jab Jab.’ We’ve heard how it’s the most important part of Grenada's Carnival and starts before dawn. People come covered in engine oil, mud or even old molasses, wearing horns on their heads and carrying chains.’ Jab Jab or J’Ouvert, marks the beginning of Carnival and is about honouring ancestors, remembering enslavement and celebrating freedom. Born from days when slaves fell into copper cauldrons of boiling molasses and were forced to march into burning sugar fields to extinguish the fires, it was said that people would come back on this morning as ghosts to torment their slave masters. Some people even call Jab Jab, Devil Mas. To be honest, I can’t say we were that enthusiastic to go. Then right on schedule, the horns and drums calling for Carnival to begin came across the anchorage this morning and from being dead to the world, Jack sat up bolt-upright in bed. ‘Shall we go?’ 

I tried to wake Delphine. For a kid who wakes up as an impatient rooster at exactly 6:30 every morning whatever the weather, I foolishly thought that a couple hours before wouldn’t make that much difference. Very foolish! Lulu, on the other hand woke quite easily. ‘I’ll go with you, Dad!’ she said and the two of them went off and got covered in chocolate which was overflowing from barrels. Looks like chocolate is the modern engine oil. They came back at sunrise and just as they dived into the water to wash the chocolate off, a small figure came up the companionway stairs, calling, ‘What time is it, Mum?’ I looked at the clock. 6:30. Hi Delph. 

Love from Quest and her crew xx