Please enjoy ALL the pictures, in the photoalbum
A bit similar to our trip across Dominica, Cutty stopped at the road sides, plantations, gardens, forests, anywhere to show us plants, fruits, vegetables, roots and flowers. Some we have seen before, many others we have not. Cutty could be a Biology teacher, he explains well, how things grow and how they are processed and used. On his advise we brushed our teeth with a specific leaf, amazing, this hairy leaf did a better job than a brush!
In September 2004 Grenada got hit by hurricane Ivan. There is no denying the fact that Grenada is still rebuilding from the devastation. Also the rain forest has suffered damage. Many trees are stripped down to the trunk and dead. Other trees, brushes and plants have grown back. Cacao, for example, regrows easily, but nutmeg trees need many years to get back to production. Some villages in South Grenada have been hit hard. The houses either have a new roof, or no roof and are falling apart, or are just rubble.
We also got to see an ancient rum factory. We saw how the sugar cane gets crushed and pressed in a machine built in 17xx. Then the sugar syrup is boiled to reduce the water content. They have a dozen 3000 gallon fermentation tanks, it takes about a week to get the sugar converted to alcohol, to 10% by Vol. Then it flows into the distillery where they get it up to 75% by Vol (US: read: 150 proof). It's old time manufacturing, like making moonshine, bottling by hand. But this makes better pictures than modern steel tanks!
The nutmeg factory we visited is almost idle, they say, because 90% of the trees were damaged by Ivan. Still, an impressive amount of nutmeg was being processed. Grenada has been No.2 exporter for nutmeg, and they hope to get back to that status in some years.
Also: All this talk about Ivan sounds a bit doom and gloom. This would leave a totally wrong impression: There is a re-building boom, there is a feeling that things will be better. People are employed, rebuilding, farming, tourism, trade and services. The Grenadians have been most pleasurable, friendly, polite, helpful, interested.... Compare this to some islands further North where some lazy thugs want to "earn" 10EC for telling you directions to the next customs station. We do understand why many people decide to stay here many months, or even settle.
A plug for Cutty: He seems to do similar tours every Thursday, each is a bit different. His phone number is 1-473-407-5153
