Grenada in one day

Take Off
Jörgen Wennberg
Thu 8 Jan 2015 03:20
All 4 families, Smart on Khujada2, Craven on Aretha, Bland on Matilda and Wennberg on Take Off, 8 adults and 10 kids squeezed in together in a taxi for a whole day around Grenada. The taxi trip itself was an adventure! Our personal event manager Barry from Matilda made up the day’s program. Thankyou Barry!

   

  

Grenada is known for its lush green mountains, crystal waterfalls, golden beaches, chocolate and rhum! It is what we got the privilege to experience this day in Grenada. Our first stop was at the Annandale Falls.


     

At first only Caspar and Louise dared to go swimming in the falls. 

  

The further we got to the falls the more kids and Julian came along and the more adventurous we all became. Finally we all ended up behind the waterfall!


  

A happy Inez!

  

Passing through the middle of Grenada we stopped at Grand Etang, being a passiv volcano with its crater now filled up with water. The sign says ”View Crater Lake” .

  


We visited the museum of Grand Etang and met a charming lady who explained to us the history and the wild life of Grenada. 

  

We even got a glimpse of the severe damage hurricane Ivan caused Grenada in 2004. Grenada being located far from the hurricane area, the inhabitants were surprised when they were hit by the hurricane. She told us the experience of how it was to be caught in the hurricane, how it sweaped away 95% of the island, leaving a total disaster with no food nor shelters. The only thing she had left was the clothes she was wearing. Most people lost their homes and the main cause of death was the older people who could not handle the chock. However this brought the people closer together and Grenada got help from foreign countries to build up their country again. 


Throughout the countryside you can still see abandonned churches and houses, leftovers from the hurricane Ivan.


  

We drove further to Grenville on the North East coast of Grenada. 

  

  

We visited the Fish Market

  

    

  

   

The fish that has not been sold during the day ends up in being dried and salted.


Now it was time for lunch. What a challenge to find a restaurant able to host 18 people and serve lunch within due time! Our taxi driver / guide found the perfect place! A local restaurant upstairs above stores with pre-cooked meals. All the 4 families got to choose their own dishes from behind the desk and within 45 min everyone was fed! Never thought we would leave Grenville on time to do the rest of the island. We even managed to squeeze in a visit at the fruit and vegetable market.

   

Views of Grenada’s landscape, architecture and daily life



  

Notice the school’s basic value.

  

  

  

Many houses are built on pillars for the rain to drain away from the house. It also gives space under the house to hang up the laundry protecting it from the rain. Smart!


    

Now finally to the Chocolate Factory!

  

An entertaining and pleasant guide showed us around and explained all the phases from the bean to the chocolate bar. Fascinating!

  

The chocolate bean is only ready to be picked when it is yellow

  

In order to give the beans more taste the trees grow together with banana and mango trees.


When ready the bean is cut apart and out comes very slimy small beans. They taste good only if you suck them (you can feel the taste of banana and mango). You don’t bite the small beans.

  

They are harvested, put into big bags, weighed and put in a huge box where they ferment for 6 days. It smelt strong fermentation!

  

The next phase is to dry them in green houses. When they are dry enough they are put into a huge bowl where people stand on them barefooted dancing so that the skin comes of the bean. To music and rhum the peeling off becomes more efficient!

  

  

Now that the bean is free from its skin it is pressed to a thick paste, then added with sugar and different flavours to make the chocolate bar. Still nowadays this Chocolate Factory packs all the chocolate bars by hand. We ended the tour by drinking chocolate water and eating 60% and 71% pure chocolate. Some really liked it!!


  


The next factory was off course the Rhum Factory. From the sugar cane to the bottle. This factory is run still in the same way as it has done from the start in 1740. A big wheel is operated by the water falls crushing the sugar canes.

  

Out comes a thick liquid that is then heated up. 

  

The heat comes from wood and logs (!) being fired up. Jörgen and Alex are right in the middle of old canes that have been crushed leaving an awful smell. The rest of the cane is then also being use to heat up the system. 

  


Before returning to the harbour in Port Louis we paid a last visit to the Fish Market in Grenville and made sure our dinner was secured. The lobsters were delicious!


A lovely fine day with the family and friends.