Don’t go chasing waterfalls…

Hello all readers!

Today has been a very eventful and fun day, one we will not be forgetting anytime soon. The day started like any other with breakfast in the big mess and then a morning ceremony. Eight bells were struck, the Swedish and Grenadian flags were set and our DoS (director of studies) KiKi gave us some information about what we were going to do today.

Not long after we were on our way towards the two tour buses which were going to be taking us on a tour around the island. Everybody was ready and packed with lunch boxes, swimming gear and clothes that we weren’t scared of getting dirty.

Yesterday evening we were visited by a man named Mr. Frank and Mr. Mandle who told us about some of Grenada’s history and answered any questions we had. They were the ones who organized and took us on the guided tour today as well.

The first stop was Concorde Waterfall in the parish of St. John. On the way there, we saw loads of little villages, beautiful tropic forests and vast views while learning about different things along the way. We saw lots of trees such as mango, nutmeg and breadfruit. Nutmeg is what they call black gold on Grenada and is one of their main exports.

Once we arrived at the waterfall everybody quickly got in their swimsuits and jumped in. It was amazing! It looked like something out of a movie. Rasmus was the first to jump in. I don’t really know how high the jump was, but I’m guessing about 4 meters maybe? However, it was really cool and I think everybody enjoyed it immensely. After everyone had finished and gotten dressed again, bought some snacks and souvenirs we got back on the buses and carried on to the next stop.

Soon enough we arrived at the Diamond Chocolate factory in the parish of St. Marks. We got to see how they grow the cocoa fruits and how they make the chocolate. They gave us some fresh cocoa fruit to try which was special. It was white and a bit slimy but tasted really nice and was sweet. The man who took us around also told us that they don’t only grow cocoa plants there but other crops as well. He said it was because the cocoa plants alone couldn’t sustain the farmers throughout the year since they are seasonal. Before we left the factory many of us bought chocolate bars either for ourselves or family at home. Then it was time for lunch. We ate our packed lunches on a beach where some of us had another swim, but this time in the sea.

The last stop on our tour was at the Grand Etang Forest Reserve where we went on a hike around a lake. It had started to get quite foggy so it almost looked like it was pouring with rain from inside the buses. We started our hike and soon realized how muddy it was. Our teachers had told us to be ready to get dirty, but I wasn’t expecting it to be that muddy. It didn’t help either that it started to pour with rain right at the beginning of the hike so everything got even more slippery. I had nothing against the mud though. I thought it was loads of fun squelching through the rainforest in the thick mud. At one point me, Ellen and Hedvig had to take our sandals off because we almost lost them in the mud! Poor Linn actually did lose one of her shoes in the mud and never found it…

After the hike we washed off the worst of the mud before getting back on the buses and then got driven back to T/S Gunilla. Thankfully there was dinner on the table ready for us when we got back. Our chef had made rice with pulled pork which was scrummy. The rest of the evening some of us went to town to buy some fruit, sit in a café somewhere or go for another swim. The starboard watch had to work their shift after dinner so they couldn’t go out. All in all, I’ve had a wonderful day and tomorrow I, and the rest of the portside watch, will be working all day while the others go and visit some of Grenada’s schools.

I’ll finish this blog off with an important message for future rainforest hikers; don’t wear shoes that you care about because you could just as well lose them in knee deep mud.

Over and out,

Rebecca Bracegirdle

SAB1922