Island Tour, Grenada

Lynn & Mike ..around the world
Mike Drinkrow & Lynn v/d Hoven
Thu 12 Jun 2008 14:14
Tour of Grenada:
 
We took a tour of Grenada with an excellent guide (Cutty) who is extremely knowledgeable about the island and all the wonderful flora. As we were driving around, he would stop to pick a fruit, dig out a root, point out a tree, let us smell a herb etc. Grenada is most famous for its nutmeg trees - 90% of which were tragically destroyed, by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. We visited a nutmeg processing plant, which is down to 10% production. The damage to the island (physically and emotionally) by Ivan is still clearly evident, although there has been massive reconstruction. We also visted the Rivers rum factory, which still operates in the traditional way i.e. the cane processed through a waterwheel powered crusher, then boiled in ancient pots, before being distilled in wood furnaces and then packed by hand.  The rum they produce is over 75% alcohol, which is so strong that is is illegal to carry on an aircraft. It goes without saying that it is frightening to taste! We also passes the old airport/runway where there are 2 rusted abandoned planes remaining after the American invasion/ intervention in 1984. In 1984 there was a local coup, which made the country unstable and the Americans very "twitchy" - particulalry as the country had a Socialist leaning and the Cubans were funded a massive new runway. On the pretext of rescuing American students and teachers at the local University, the Americans arrived in full force squashing the coup and "restoring democracy". In true gung-ho style the American bombed what they thought was the military headquarters, sadly it was the local mental hospital.
Coenie is very happy to have Sarah here, and they are having a great time together. Sarah of course got burnt to a frazzle on her first day, and is now sporting some exotic blisters. Mike has been investigating leaving the yacht on the hard in Grenada rather than Trinidad, when we return home in August. I am trying to sort out flight changes, which is a challenge.
The attached photo's are from our tour:
- Sarah enjoying the beach
- The inside of a cocoa pod - from which chocolate is made
- The cashew fruit
- The waterwheel at River's Rum
 

JPEG image

JPEG image

JPEG image

JPEG image