Snapshots
of the Caribbean
Part 4:
Late If At All
Most Caribbean states produce rum, and Grenada is no exception.
We visit the River Antoine Rum distillery, the oldest distillery
in the Caribbean, where we see sugar cane going into the
mill (powered by an 18th-Century waterwheel), and the vats
of fermenting sugar syrup. The smell is sickly-sweet and
quite overpowering. The rum produced at this distillery
is 75% proof, and one sip is enough for me! Back in the
van, I promptly fall asleep, much to the amusement of my
friends.
Our
final stop is Grand Etang Lake, which is in the crater of
an old volcano. The temperature here is noticeably cooler,
and clouds obscure the very top of the mountain. We also
spot a couple of Mona monkeys, which look very different
from the green monkeys of Barbados. However, just like the
green monkeys, they seem happy to take food from unsuspecting
tourists!
Having
covered a large proportion of the island's 121 square miles
in just 6 hours, we are exhausted and glad to get back to
the hotel. We have decided to go to a posh restaurant for
dinner, and it feels slightly ridiculous getting all dressed
up in our dingy room. However, dinner is delightful, and,
tired out and with full stomachs, we sleep like babies.
The
next morning, we pack up and check out, before heading towards
the longest and most famous beach on the island, Grande
Anse beach. The beach is over 2 miles long, with golden
sand. The only negative factor is that the sea is not as
clear as it is in Barbados. We have brunch at a restaurant
on the beach, before parking ourselves on the sand to soak
up some rays before we have to leave. The sun is hot and
we take frequent dips in the sea to cool off. All too soon
it is time to leave. Still covered in sand, we make our
way to the airport where - inevitably - our plane is delayed.
Liat once again lives up to its nickname 'Late If At All'.
Again the flight in the propeller-driven plane is smooth,
and we land in Barbados just over 48 hours after leaving.
We bring back with us a lot of photos and several new mosquito
bites each.
One
of the pictures in a poem: Grand
Etang Lake
Part 5:
An
Unexpected Snowfall
