Today we went on a tour to a chocolate factory, a rum distillery, and saw the most beautiful rain forest and jungle I’ve ever seen, it was spectacular! In looking back a little over this trip we have been to where Superman flew between the Pitons, Where Michael Douglas slid down the waterfalls in ‘Romancing the Stone’ and to where they have filmed ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, and many other wonderful places. This has been a trip of a life time and what for me has made it so special is having a woman I love immensely with me and having good friends’ companionship. I have loved, along with all the places we have visited, sitting and playing cards in the evening and laughing at silly things, cracking jokes and listening to the conversation and the silence while sailing. 
I can honestly say being here with these special friends and sharing this adventure has been what I call a life moment “Those moments when you just want to engrain them in your memory and never forget”.
I can honestly say being here with these special friends and sharing this adventure has been what I call a life moment “Those moments when you just want to engrain them in your memory and never forget”.Grenada for me has been has been great. The people here are friendly, the landscapes are fantastic and the atmosphere has been great. (Even for my type A personality) I could even see myself spending some time here exploring the Island some other time. Thanks for listening to my ramblings.
It is with mixed feelings that we (Aleitha here now) come to this last
contribution to the Mystic Journey blog. It has been an amazing holiday – so much we have seen, on the water, near the water, under the water! Today’s tour around Grenada was wonderful, in spite of rain which we have had very little experience with since we got here. It did inhibit some picture taking but the sights were still good. We started off about 9:00, Cheryl, Randy and I. Griff did some investigation of resources in the area for getting work done on the boat. Dexter, our taxi driver/tour guide, took us around most of the island. We learned of local spices, fruits and vegetables. We toured the rum distillery and tasted the potent commodity they make. We learned of the mystic journey of the cocoa bean, from harvesting in the field, through processing and ultimately to chocolate production and export.Reflections
“The bags are almost packed” I thought at 1:30 this morning, “I wonder if we bought enough souvenirs?” And then my mind began to wander, reflecting on the past 3 weeks. I see another starry night through the hatch as I begin to write my final blog in my mind. As the swells gently rock the boat, I reflect on the past 21 days; sights, sound, tastes and smells all new to my senses; touring, shopping, eating, drinking, snorkeling, diving, reading, tanning, fishing, playing cards, laughing, joking, and especially sailing. What a way to experience it all!
Fores’l, stays’l, and main; all the ropes lie in silent witness 
to the wind and the seas we have shared. Luffing, hardening, easing, reefing – these are all terms we now understand and can perform on Captain Griff and Admiral Cheryl’s commands. Heeling, gale winds, weather helm, nautical miles (we are 3390 from Fort MacLeod by the way), speed over ground, GPS and man overboard, mooring balls and anchoring, starboard, port, bow, stern, and beam – we actually know a little of all these things too! As I think of the sail from Carriacou, myself at the helm for part of the trip, I remember how quietly peaceful it is when the motor is turned off and the sail is in smooth silence; I drift back off to sleep. It’s now 4:30a.m. Again so many details of this holiday dance through my mind. Reading 4 novels in the past 3 weeks has been a delightful change from textbooks and writing papers! True Blue Bay is where we are mooring; it is a quiet and delightful spot, complete with bar, restaurant, 2 pools, showers, and a spa (besides other services). St. George’s University is nearby, a beautiful looking campus from our view at sea. The airport is also just over the hill, reminding us several times throughout the last 3 days that we will soon be on one of those great birds and flying home to re-engage with our daily lives. Though shift work, building houses, studying, writing papers, practicum, bookkeeping and businesses will quickly fill our schedules once more, I would like to believe our busyness will be influenced by this time away and with good friends.
I think of the many sensory experiences once more and am grateful for the opportunity to explore Creation. We have witnessed beauty and riches, breath taking scenery and marvelous weather. We were on the fringe of a wedding on one island, as well as a funeral on another island. 
I always delighted in the little ones: the infant wearing a toque!; the little girl with bright baubles in the many “pigtails” adorning her head; the little boy who gave me a high five as I passed (then tapped my back as I walked away so he could wave good-bye to me); the two little ones who curiously looked up at the white man (Randy) buying roasted corn from their roadside stall; the little British boy in the pool who so proudly dived under water to retrieve his wrist watch and have his dad report his speed at doing so; and the many children of all sizes in bright and handsome school uniforms.
We have lived a kind of luxury that has reminded me of how much we tend to take for granted. 
Our tour guides have, for the most part, exuded a sense of pride as they describe their homelands and their many resources: Delta sharing her knowledge of spices, cocoa and rum, Keln 
conducting his story of the cocoa bean with his hands, Dexter sharing information about Grenada and the sites he took us to. Between his delightful giggles, we also learned of the devastation of hurricanes, the abandoned homes (90%), the resulting homeless (50%), his home destroyed in 2004 by Ivan, and his twelve hours of fearful watching and waiting from the basement of his apartment building for Emily to subside in 2005. We have also witnessed poverty amidst a richness of spirited determination and resilience.
Our tour guides have, for the most part, exuded a sense of pride as they describe their homelands and their many resources: Delta sharing her knowledge of spices, cocoa and rum, Keln 
conducting his story of the cocoa bean with his hands, Dexter sharing information about Grenada and the sites he took us to. Between his delightful giggles, we also learned of the devastation of hurricanes, the abandoned homes (90%), the resulting homeless (50%), his home destroyed in 2004 by Ivan, and his twelve hours of fearful watching and waiting from the basement of his apartment building for Emily to subside in 2005. We have also witnessed poverty amidst a richness of spirited determination and resilience. I have decided to leave the amazing details of our tour and last days in Grenada to Cheryl, the Queen of Blogging. To quote Randy, invoking the spirit of Bob Hope last night at the Captain and his lady’s dinner table when he raised his glass to toast, “thanks for the memories!”
No comments:
Post a Comment