Last Trip Around Grenada

January 12 - 15, 2015

Our friends Bonnie and Jon were arriving in Grenada on January 12th, my birthday, to travel north with us.  Their flight was due to arrive at 7:30 PM.  We had reserved a car so we could pick them up at the airport.  It was supposed to arrive at 6:00 PM in order to allow a quick trip to the grocery before going to the airport.  At 6:20 the car had not arrived so I went to the marina office to call the car rental.  Luckily someone answered.  That’s where the lucky part ended ——  “Oh, Mrs Smillie, I’ve got some very bad news for you. The car that you were to rent was totaled today in an accident.”  So, I asked “are there any other cars?”  “No.”  Next question — do you have a personal car?  “No, I’m walking.”   End of that conversation.  A frantic series of calls followed to every rental car company I could find.  Most told me they had nothing available for ten days.  Finally, I found a car that could be delivered the next morning.  Good enough!  We grabbed a taxi and headed for the airport.  

The rental office.
Yes, those are cans of race fuel -- highly flammable!   

The next morning our car arrived on time.  Brian and Jon drove the delivery person back to the rental office only to find out that it was also the city junk yard!  Brian asked the girl that filled out the paperwork if we were going to get a whole car.  We did and it was great for a last minute substitute.    

Our rental in the midst of the rental lot!

Farmers loading cocoa beans on the
scale.

Our last day in Grenada was an island tour.  We went to the cocoa plantation for the third time.  A tour of the River Antoine Rum Distillery was a new stop.  It was fascinating to see this distillery making rum virtually the same way they did in 1785 when the company was founded. In fact, a lot of the equipment is original.  The rum is so strong it can’t be exported because of the flammability factor.  The alcohol content is between 75 and 88%.  Most rum is 40%.  They can’t keep up with the local demand which is the second reason they don’t export.  

Workers 'walking the beans'.  This turns the beans
and helps them dry evenly.  

Crushing the sugar cane.

The original aqueduct and water mill -- 1785.
This is Winfield our wonderful guide.  He put up
with a lot of nonsense from us including me
 hugging him without asking permission.

Scooping off some of the impurities.

One of five boiling pots where juice is processed
into syrup and purified. 

The rum used to be fermented in wooden barrels.
Now cement vats are used.

All of the rum eventually goes into this
jug for a final straining and the bottles
are filled from the spigot!  Can you
imagine....  

The remains of the crushed cane is used for compost
and fertilizer.  The cane is called baggus.  When our
sweet guide said it, it sounded like big ass.  I gave
him a bad time for saying I had a big ass.

Enjoying the scenery!

Gotta smile -- we're lovin the ride!