Field trip number 2!

On Friday the 13^th I went on a field trip with form 1, 2, 3 & 4 (grade 7, 8, 9 & 10). The trip was to help with our history and IT class. We are studying the Mayan, Incas, Caribs and Arawak indigenous peoples.

The first place we went to was the Grenada National Museum in St. George. It has artifacts like canoes, spears, axes and pottery belonging to the Arawak and Carib Indians. They came from South America to the Caribbean using drought canoes. They carve them by burning the tree and then using a flint knife to scarp the insides out. The Arawaks were relatively peaceful but the Caribs were violent and chased the Arawaks all the way the through the Caribbean Island chains.

The second place we went to was Diamond Chocolate factory where they make Jouvaye chocolate bars. This was near Victoria in St. Mark’s parish. I liked it. I learned how they make the different percentages of chocolate. To do this they add sugar to the mix. So if you want 60% (which is my favourite) you add 40% sugar to the mix. This chocolate is not exported you can only get it in Grenada.

The next place we went to was Leaper’s Hill in Sauteurs. This where the Caribs did not jump to their deaths. This is because Mr.Peter’s, a historian, told us that they jumped at the other church because when the British took over from the French they kicked them out of their church. So the Protestant church used to be the Catholic church, which is where the Caribs really jumped. But the monument is at the “new” Catholic church. Either way the last of the Caribs all died at Leaper’s Hill.

Now to Belmont Estates which is in St. Patrick’s parish. Belmont Estate is an old planation which now has a chocolate company, restaurant, and gardens. Here I learned who the cocao beans are processed in chocolate. It was a really confusing process, it takes a really long time, requires heating, moving, drying. They also had baby goats and a talking parrot.  They weren’t as cute as the one we saw on the Hash though!

Then we went to a bakery in Grenville where I got a cinnamon bun and a cupcake. It was really good!

From there we went over Grand Etang and got home around 5:00 p.m. We were supposed to be back at 3:00 but of course, Caribbean time is always different than what you expect.

All in all it was a really good trip expect for the headache that the bus gave me.

If you are coming to Grenada I recommend Belmont Estates.