Intrepid Travels

We booked a 4wd tour around Basse Terre, the mountainous western wing of the butterfly shape that is Guadeloupe. Our driver and guide was a plump and jovial creole man named Thierry. He spoke rapidly in French, with a creole accent and even Revle had trouble following the commentary. Other passengers were two couples from France on short holidays from work.
Like other mountainous Caribbean islands, Guadeloupe is a riot of verdant jungle and rich farmland. Basse Terre is the mountainous half which has provided some protection against development. We drove on narrow mountain roads, often with a single lane and at breakneck speed, stopping to sample fruits and smell various leaves and flowers growing on the side of the road. We visited a sugar cane mill and distillery, banana and pineapple plantations, then a roadside stall where some local ladies made gateaux from the local root vegetable manioc. It was available in a number of varieties with fruit added. Warmed samples were provided and we could not resist buying some for the boat. The Chute de Carbet in the mountains was a stunning waterfall with three drops of 120, 100 and 20 m in sequence. The 2004 earthquake altered the chute and the area remains unstable and risky to approach. Finally, a short hike to Paradise pool, where we found an idyllic swimming pool in a mountain stream and all enjoyed a dip with hot water waterfalls as a bonus.
It was a wonderful outing on an otherwise stressful day for us as I had mislaid my wallet. We returned and searched the boat, finding nothing. I remembered that I had been to the supermarket but a visit there was unsuccessful. Then we remembered Byron Burgers, where we ate the night before. It must have fallen out of my pocket. I went there with fingers crossed. The nice young French owner had found my wallet on the floor and had been trying unsuccessfully to contact me all day. He used to live in Byron Bay, hence the name, and he had an affinity for Australians. I thanked him profusely and resolved never to carry so much important stuff in one place ever again.
Our nights have been a pleasure of late slowly working our way through the heap of DVDs lent to us by Fi - Revle's sister. We are now getting our fill of Shakespeare. Macbeth over four nights, King Lear over three, then Hamlet next. What a treat to have such entertainment at our fingertips.