Travel With Candace

I already gave you all the rundown on mud baths at Plage de Babin, but this recent picture was just too funny…

Pictured: Sherilee (Trinidad), Nicole (New York), Andrea (Trinidad)

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Velo is the most famous drummer of Akiyo, a well-known cultural organization on Guadeloupe. Members of Akiyo marched to the drummers tomb in Pointre-a-Pitre last Saturday and performed a small ceremony on his behlaf. The ceremony included the placement of various tokens on the grave and a speech detailing Velo’s importance in regards to keeping traditional music alive when drumming was banned on the island.

Notice the old woman in the just behind the grave. She is ever-present at Akiyo events and we are always amazed at her enthusiasm and energy. The fact that she drinks, smokes, and pinches young women’s rear ends just makes it all the more funny.

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The list of items you can derive from a coconut tree (“pyekoko” in Creole) seems never-ending. I’ve noted the use of coconut milk in cooking and you should already know that mixing coconut cream with fresh pineapple and rum makes a mean Pina Colada. I’ve previously mentioned coconut water along with coconut sorbet and personally have a growing collection of bracelets, earrings and other accessories made from the shells of dry coconuts (“koko sec”). Recently, at a Creole cultural celebration I was taught to make another coconut product, a hat woven of coconut leaves.

The cultural celebration took place in Petit Bourg and was hosted by a local teachers union. The event featured various areas where attendees could partake in different activities such as toy making, basket weaving, and, of course, hat making. The gentleman at the hat station was very helpful and demonstrated the whole process; it actually wasn’t too hard after you got the hang of it.

The process starts with an entire coconut branch that is split sown the middle. A portion of one of the halves is cut roughly two inches more than the desired band of the hat. The stalk is then stripped down to about a quarter-inch thick; the shreds of stalk removed are used to tie the band in a circular shape. At this point, the weaving begins; it can be done in a variety of patterns. I was shown a weaving method that basically braided three leaves at a time in a circular pattern to make the hat’s brim. You separate, then gather the remaining lengths of the leaves at the point of the hat and weave downward to complete the shape. When satisfied with the downward weaving the remaining leaves are neatly clipped in conclusion.

We are on the look out for some more big branches to make a few more hats and a nice “How-to.”

Editor’s Note: I am aware that the hat I made is WAY to small. There weren’t enough branches for everyone to make a hat their head’s size; hence the search for more branches.

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While sitting atop one of my favorite waterfalls at Ecrevisses, I noticed a rock formation that looks like a face peering of into to the distance. Do you see what I see? Let me know!

Editor’s Note: If you can’t find it, look at the middle of the photograph.

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So our rag-tag, Guadeloupean crew (myself, friend Andrea (pictured), and cousin Reggie) recently discovered a new beach called “Plage de Babin.” This isn’t your ordinary sun, sand and snorkel beach; it’s where Guadeloupeans go to find mud - yep, mud.

Mud baths are the draw to this spot in Morne-a-L’eau and whole families stop by to partake in the messy fun. You wade out into the water until you start to feel the slick mud between your toes. You go under for a few handfuls of the gray muck and carry it back to the shore. There, you slather a thin layer of mud all over your body and wait until it dries before rinsing off. The whole process is pretty fun and your skin feels extremely soft and smooth after the fact.

The mud is good for your hair as well; though I wouldn’t recommend it for people with locks. It takes days to get rid of all the little rocks and shells – not fun.

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Damoiseau is the most popular brand of rum to drink on Grande-Terre. Situated in Moule, the distillery that produces the rum is an interesting place to visit. Rum was a driving force of the slave trade in the Caribbean region. Much of the rum was made with the assistance of mills of various types. The distillery houses the only old-fashioned, functioning windmill on Guadeloupe and provides a French-only display that overviews the different types of mills and how they work. The display also sheds light on the history of rum on Guadeloupe and the steps of the distillation process.

The actual “tour” of the distillery is pretty much you wandering around, directed by occasional signs that explain the part of the process you are viewing. Visitors definitely see how rum is made up close and personal; from huge trucks dumping loads of sugar cane into the new age mill to the bottling and packaging processes. It’s interesting to see all the machines in action, but honestly, I don’t think the public should be able to be so close to the product with such little supervision (see picture above). That aside, if you like industry, rum (free tastings!), and/or really loud places, the Damoiseau distillery is definitely for you.

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Found in Capesterre Belle-Eau, there are three Carbet waterfalls you can visit on Guadeloupe, logically called the first second, and third “Chutes de Carbet.” You must traverse the rain forest to arrive at any of the chutes, but the hike is beautiful and the trail is well-kept for the most part. The third waterfall is actually the closest with a hike of 45 minutes each way. The first and second falls are further away, at s and minutes each way respectively. Though smaller than the others, third waterfall is bigger than any I have seen so far and makes for great pictures. You can swim in the basin of the fall, which is nice after the hike. Just don’t get attached to that clean feeling; you’ll arrive back at your car pretty muddy if it has rained anytime recently!

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While winding through Caribbean hillsides I’ve often wondered how they make the roads. I was lucky enough to stumble across a crew and found the general process isn’t so complicated. The crews build wooden braces at the edges of the road to be built and create a foundation of large rocks. Rebar is then placed on top of the rocks and subsequently covered with concrete.  Voila, you got your road!

Editor’s Note: I don’t mean to imply that Caribbean road planning and/or building is an easy task to undertake. I just imagined a process more elaborate; evidence of my ignorance in road construction.

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The “Pointe de Chateau” is found at the most southwest tip of Guadeloupe. It is generally not to long of a stop, as there is not much to do once you are there. But it is a nice place to visit if you like views, landscape photos and the like. After hiking to the large cross overlooking the point, you can see for miles, a distance that includes the nearby island of Desirade.

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So I came to Guadeloupe and found out I’ve been lied to my whole life. Why was I led to believe that roosters only crow in the morning? It is so categorically untrue that I really don’t know how or why this myth persists. There are A LOT of roosters on Guadeloupe and they crow ALL the time. The rooster above often sat in the tree outside my window with his “ladyfriends” (yes, chickens chill in trees). I swear the thing was having crowing contests with the other roosters of the commune. He’d start at it and I’d hear other calls start off in the distance. It’s either that or the roosters are relaying messages about stolen baby chicks like in 101 Dalmatians.

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