Beach Clean-up and Oil Down

Today we participated in one environmental and one cultural event.

This morning we participated in a beach clean-up on Lance Aux Epines (Lance Opeen) beach which is the beach we can see from our boat. The clean-up was part of the world day event sponsored by the Ocean Conservation Society. A number of countries around the world participate in the event. They collect the garbage found on the beach and tally what sort of garbage was collected. We had a sheet to fill in with the type and amount of garbage found. Natural, biodegradable items,such as cococuts, sea grass, shells etc. were not included. We met with a group of students from the university, 4 plus Dilantha the leader, and proceeded to pick up garbage. We picked up 1 1/2 large garbage bags full. The rest of the group collected 3 bags filled about 1/3. The garbage we picked up ranged from cigarette filters to rusted paint cans. In between were various types of pop and liquor containers, food wrappers, clothes, 1 diaper and 1 used condom. This was on a stretch of beach that had 2 resorts and a dive shop on it. In front of those places the beach was fairly clean of garbage. We found one area that looked as if the locals had used it for a dump and also tried to burn the garbage they brought. We were disappointed that there were not any locals or more cruisers taking part. The results are tabulated in an effort to see what types of garbage are polluting the world's beaches and what can be done about it. For more information on this you can access http://www.oceanconservation.org/

Later in the afternoon we joined a group of cruisers to attend an "oil down". This is the traditional dish of Grenada. Cutty picked us up and we headed to St. David's not far from where Cutty lives and the Perry's are staying. We went to a neighbourhood bar/grocery store/restaurant where we helped the locals prepare the oildown which is like a stew. The required ingredients are breadfruit, callalou, coconut milk and some type of meat. Each cook has a preference for the ingredients added to the basic four. In addition to the basic four the dish we made also included plantain, green bananas, papaya, okra, green onion, parsely, and dumplings. The meat they used tonight was turkey wings and salted pork tails.

The first thing we had to do was grate the coconut and tumeric. This was done on a large grate that two people could work on at one time.

While this was happening others of our group were put to work peeling and cutting breadfruit and green bananas. Next came tying callalou leaves in knots.

The ingredients were layered in a large pot. Again depending on the cook how the ingredients are layered varies. We put a layer of breadfruit, then meat, then more breadfruit and some bananas, plantain and papaya, more meat and these were repeated until the pot was filled. Then the callilou leaves and other ingredients were put on top.

Now it was ready for the coconut milk. This was made by putting a small amount of water in with the grated coconut and then squeezing out the liquid. This was then poured into the pot, the pot was covered with a piece of metal that had a block of wood for a handle and put on an open fire which included the coconut husks. Then it was left to boil down.

While the oildown was cooking Cutty took us for a walk further along the road pointing out the different plants along the way. The most interesting one he showed us was a Brazil nut tree with the pods in place. The pods look like big acorns. Cutty said in December when they are ripe the end/top drops off the pod and the nuts inside fall to the ground.

Back to the oildown. It was time to add the special ingredient - tomato ketchup. Through out the cooking Cutty would have one or another of us taste the broth to see if salt needed to be added. The last thing that went in the pot were dumplings. These were made with flour, a little bit of salt and coconut milk and then shaped into balls, cigar shapes or flat circles.

Finally the oildown was declared ready and we lined up for our supper. Griff was first in line with the comment that he used to be in the army and he learned that you don't wait if you wanted to eat. The meal was delicious. Cooked this way the breadfruit was edible, in fact quite tasty. The meat fell off the bones. The salt pork tail was a little chewy, but had a nice flavour. Of all the
dumplings the ones that had the most flavour were the flat circles. The others were quite heavy.

Two things I found interesting, one of which you may have noticed in the pictures. The oildown is like our barbecue at home. It is a male domain. We were told that Grenadian males pride themselves on being good cooks and the oildown is a dish that only males cook. The second thing of interest was that as soon as our oildown was on the fire cooking the cooks started to prepare the coconut and fruit for a second pot. This one had the same ingredients plus carrots and pumpkin (squash). They were having a 'party' after we were gone. Cutty said this actually happens every Saturday and they would also have a barbecue. While we were there, from about 5 pm onward, men started to arrive and visit with us and each other. This continued on until we left about 7:30. Interestingly no women arrived except for the ones that lived in the neighbouring house and were related to the owner of the bar.