First stop was Musee de Cacoa in Pointe Noire. We arrived right as they opened and were told to go through exhibits and then catch a tour at 10:30. Quite easy as the person at entrance spoke English and many of the signs had English summaries. The path through exhibits was both pretty and interesting. The 30 minutes flew by easily.
Here’s a fun sampling. Pay special attention to the text under caffeine.
The tour was really more of a tasting and in depth explanation by an excellent guide who summarized in English. We tasted the cocao through all stages and then in various forms including a fantastic drinking chocolate. Interesting, informative, and delicious!
Second stop was Jardin Botanique in Deshaie. Large, incredible variety of plants from all around the world and beautifully maintained and presented.
We had lunch at their restaurant which had a beautiful view, a very helpful waitress, and excellent food. Check out this dessert!
Our third and final stop was at the well regarded beach, Grand Anse. Very nice long and scenic beach with soft brown sand. Tom took a dip and I wallowed in the sand with my kindle for a while but am still not a great fan of the beach experience. We discussed some possible remedies for that which may be tried on Wednesday.
Poor Pearl. We really can’t ride her here. There literally are no roads that don’t go up and down the mountains, even the coastal roads. The grade and length on the climbs is insane, the roads twist and have no shoulder and even worse, frequently have a moat on the edge. Ah well, we had fun with her on Grande Terre and we are having a great time on Basse Terre.