Panama People

The Panamanian people I encountered were warm and joyful – but then it was Christmas week! And the children are irrepressibly adorable, whether clad in the Christmas finest or playing in the dirt.

Flora

Flowers were little explosions of colour in the greens of the rainforest. Orchids and epiphytes grow in profusion, watered by the never-ending showers of the rain that drip through the jungle canopy high above.

Fauna

Birds and reptiles, mammals and rodents scuttle everywhere - above and beyond sight for the most part, but in clearings and by the brown rainforest rivers I saw crocodiles, caimans, turtles, agouti, iridescent butterflies, parrots, eagles and the world’s largest rodent: the absurdly rotund capybara.

Grenada

Tucked away in the southern most arc of the Caribbean islands, Grenada is a perfect little gem of an island: lush, scenic and friendly. As ever, I was there for the radio shows, but I had time to see the island, experience some of the island’s renowned diving and settle into the slower pace of island life. And did I mention the friendliness of the people?

The Spice Island

Never did a place better justify its nickname than Grenada – The Spice Island. It seems that you can grow just about anything on this island. A combination of rich volcanic soil, plenty of rainfall and varying altitudes has meant that Grenada has always been a cornucopia. But it is the range of spices that the island produces that makes it so special. And in particular that fragrant spice we call nutmeg and its cousin, derived from the same plant, mace.

What these photos can’t convey of course is the wonderful aromas that they produce – many of the trails around the island are surfaced with crushed nutmeg shells that release a heavenly scent as you hike. And now cacao joins the produce, with its strange alien-like pods, Grenada is now producing chocolate to die for!

Plantations and Distilleries

To see where many of the spices come from (as well as the rum, of course!), I visited some of the plantations that grace the island.

Dougaldston Spice Estate offers both an education into how spices are processed and also a trip into the past. Set amidst glorious scenery above the west coast, the Estate continues to produce the finest spices and much more besides.

Belmont Estate offers an eco-friendly taste of Grenada, its history, culture, flavours and traditions. And I do mean ‘taste’: I enjoyed a gracious lunch here as the mists roiled around the surrounding hills, all capped off with nutmeg ice cream – delicious.

The River Antoine Rum Distillery has changed little over the last 200 years and is the oldest functioning water-propelled distillery in the Caribbean. It’s truly amazing that the age-old waterwheel and processes are still producing the local firewater.

Island Tour

The island is sufficiently diminutive that it is possible to tour it in a day – although there’s lots to see along the way. I started with what I suggest is the prettiest town in the whole of the Caribbean: the national capital of St.George’s. The market hums with life: colourful, loud, pungent and a great place to meet the locals.

Grenada is a land of waterfalls as the rainforest rivers cascade their way down the steep mountainsides. I spent some time at Concord Falls, which are just as you would envision a tropical waterfall, complete with lush vegetation and a pool at the base that is just made for a romantic shower under the cascade.