Pool Time

We spent all day next to this awesome pool where we swam among the multiple falls, played game upon game of football, and explained why young European girls swim topless. 

The pool proved a safer bet than the beach, though, because Swedish women were topless here and Keagan's peering eyes proved too much for me to handle. 

We've never encountered such a diverse group of people while on vacation, not even Disney World compares to this. I feel like we are in Europe without an American within earshot. 

None of us can fathom returning home to sleet and snow. 

Factory Tour x Three

If anyone had told me I would be fascinated with nutmeg on my trip to the beach, I would have laughed. I mean, I don't even like nutmeg in my food. Never mind the fact that it is a seed. How can a seed be interesting? But I will admit that today I was in total awe with the production and distribution of a seed. Last week it was dirt moving down the river on a barge. Now it's seeds. What's next?

We toured a nutmeg factory this morning and learned the seeds are separated into three groups by hand. I repeat. By hand. This was what really struck me as fascinating. In some parts of the world, people still work with their hands and take great pride in doing so. I could tell you why there are three groups, but I know normal people would find that boring. 

 Then the seeds are dried. 

 Last, they are cracked and distributed. 

Let me go on record to say it was at this point in our trip that Evan wished he was born into another family. Who goes on vacation to visit a nutmeg factory? We do, Evan. One day you will thank me for this experience because it will show you are well-traveled and open to new experiences. 

But the fun didn't stop there. We also visited a rum distillery, where the rum is produced using the same machinery as that used three hundred years ago. 

Then we stopped at a chocolate factory. 

We tasted cocoa beans. Well, all but Evan because he was still wishing a calamity on our tour bus so he could get back to the pool.

We witnessed all of the steps in the production of chocolate. The seeds we are first fermented. 

Then they are dried in sun rooms. 

We left this stop for the gift shop and bought our weight in fresh chocolate. Interestingly, Evan's mood perked up. I've decided to keep chocolate in secret places places around the house, and when his blood sugar drops and his foul moods begin, I will shove chocolate down his throat. Then all will be better with the world. 

Tomorrow we lounge all day at the pool. 

Etang National Forest

Sometimes the rainforest can be as enchanting as the beach. This is especially true of the Grenadian rainforest. The flowering plants, the variety of trees, and the aromas are breath taking. Our first stop was Etang Lake, created in the crater of an extinct volcano.

The island is known as The Spice Island because spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and saffron grow in abundance here. But the rainforest has beautiful trees like the rainbow sycamore. We even saw a kapok tree; the elementary teacher in me was so excited about this!

The national park is home to monkeys and the national bird, the Grenada dove. Interestingly, a guy was imprisoned last month for four years for running over a dove. After hearing this story, I was so glad we ran out of money and didn't rent a car while we were there because I would have been yelling, "Stop! A bird!" with the flap of every wing for fear of killing a bird. I don't think Wes would have approved!

Our favorite site in the national park was Annandale Falls. 

The boys were brave enough to jump in! We were taken by this place and would love to return one day.

 

He Said It

Me: Hey, Keagan. What would you like to drink? Lemonade? Sprite?

Keagan: No, I want to try the rum punch.

Me: I think there's a bowl game on TV tonight.

Keagan: It's the Independence Bowl, Mom. It will only be worth watching if there are hot cheerleaders. 

Evan: There are too many meaningless (football) bowls: Auto Zone, Music City, Popeyes, Chick Fil A Peach Bowl...

Me: But the Popeye's Bowl game is in the Bahamas. That can't be all bad. 

Evan: If they serve peach shakes to the players at the ChickFilA Bowl, then that's the one I want to play in. 

Keagan: Mom, do I look okay? I mean Dad's wearing a button up. E is wearing a polo, and I have on sports wear. 

Me: You look fine. We're just going downstairs to eat. 

Keagan: But I gotta look good. You never know what might happen. 

Me: Like what?

Keagan: A hot cheerleader might want to check me out. 

Evan: This milk doesn't taste like milk in the United States. What kind of milk is it? Taste it and tell me if you think it's goat or llama milk.

Evan: All Grenada needs to be perfect is a Chick Fil A and milk chocolate...

Keagan: And hot chicks.

Day 2 Adventure

Today we took a boat to snorkel at Molinere Reef and Pelican Bay. 

Much of the reef was destroyed by a hurricane about 20 years ago. Ten years ago an artist created an underwater sculpture garden that he hoped would revitalize the growth of new coral. The art work was amazing and at the same time a bit odd. Our favorite sculpture was a group of children standing in a circle and holding hands. Underwater. All I could think of was drowning children. It's beyond odd really. Evan wanted to know why, even after ten years, there wasn't any coral growing on the statues. I was still stuck on drowning children, and my eldest was in deep thought about the life cycle of coral. Our guide assured us this is the first of many underwater sculpture gardens to come. We can say we saw the first, even if it is the last. 

We, by we I mean the boys, spent the afternoon at the pool with a football (I had a date under the sea grape tree with my Kindle and desire to produce as much vitamin D as possible), and then we caught a game or two of beach tennis. 

I'm still dreaming of the school's upcoming accreditation visit. A few more days in paradise and I hope to be cured!

Green, White, and Blue

Oh, be still my heart! Grenada is everything we had hoped with beautiful white sand, turquoise water, and lush green mountain sides. In all of our travels, the people here are the friendliest and most welcoming we have ever encountered. 

Today we took a city bus downtown to the spice market; Keagan was thrilled with the tight curves and the high rate of speed that mimicked a Disney ride. Evan was less than thrilled to be squished in a mini-van with a total of seventeen people.  After exploring the spice market, we walked through the historic St. George Fort.

 

 

The views here were spectacular.

 

 

We spent the afternoon on the beach and in the pool...

with the football, of course. Tomorrow we snorkel.

Battle of the Brothers

It took the boys over an hour each to prepare the big guns and pistols for the first Battle of the Brothers. Then the rules of Air Soft Battles had to be explained. I overheard Wes say, "Stop talking" several times during the rule run-down. That took another half hour. Then it took some time to get the gear on.

It only took a full morning of prep, but the boys were finally ready. The first fight was temporarily halted when I found Evan three lots over on the roof of the house under construction.

Keagan was deemed the winner of the first fight. Due to Evan's cries of injustice, Wes is now mediating the second battle.

The irony of our celebrating the gift of life while my boys are out shootin' each other up, is not lost on me, but some traditions are hard to break.

Christmas 2008 in Virginia