Falls and Jumps

The torrential downpour of the morning made the Annadale Falls more spectacular than usual. A smaller fall on the way rushed into a stream at spate as it thundered under the bridge we crossed. A bit further on, Lennox pulled off the road and we started along the damp cement walk to the Annadale Falls proper. We were joined by a muscular fellow dressed in red, green and yellow (the colours of Grenada)* and sporting magnificent dreadlocks. I was busy photographing the amazing flowers while WW chatted with this fellow.

At the base of the falls is a platform on which stood a simple wooden box. It, too, sported the Grenadian colours, and the inscription “Annadale Jumpers Association Money Box”. I wondered if it was some sort of suicide prevention charity.

The donation box

Then WW said, “You need to go down there. You’ll get a better picture.”

“Of what?” I asked. Down there was in the midst of the hearty waterfall’s spray. It looked...wet.

“Of him.”

“Why of him?”

“He’s going to jump.”

Good grief. But when I looked, “him” was disappearing up the hillside and, moments later, appeared on the far side of the falls on a clifftop decorated with various bits of Grenadalia. I went and stood in the spray and snapped away. I’ll never make a sports photographer. I have him on the cliff and I have the sploosh as he lands. Ideally, I should have had the descent. Sorry.

Our jumper prepares

The central sploosh is our man

On our way out we were met by a young man selling Grenadian spice necklaces he had made. These are a combination of seeds and spices which they sell for $10 EC (about $3 US). We bought one. I has white seeds of some sort (purely decorative), fresh cloves, chunks of turmeric root, bay leaves, plain nutmeg and nutmeg with mace, and cinnamon. We have hung it in the salon as an air freshener.

Our Grenadian air freshener...

...hanging in front of the beautiful embroidered cloth my Tante Marie gave me

From Annadale Falls, we headed back to Django. On the way, Lennox drove us by the new national stadium, on the outskirts of St. George’s, built by the Chinese for the people of Grenada. It is magnificent. A new government was recently elected and, Lennox says, is using the stadium a great deal. Under the previous government, it was more of a white elephant, rarely used and unappreciated.

From there, it was a straightforward run back to Le Phare Bleu, Django, and our RPs.

*Lennox explained the colours of the Grenadian flag. Red is for the blood shed by patriots. Green is for the agriculture. Yellow is for the tropical sun. These are also the colours of the Jamaican flag and, hence, of the Rastafarians.