4 hrs, 5 kms
Day totals: 14 hrs, 14 kms

As soon as the van heads out of St Georges, I'm struck with the thought "Ooooh ... THIS is what a Caribbean island is supposed to look like!"

No, it's not endless white beaches and all inclusive tourist resorts... It's a narrow road that snakes at the base of jungle covered mountains, with angry surf crashing against the cliffs... the jungle periodically interrupted by simple but beautiful hamlets of brightly painted wood and metal roof houses perched on stilts... with lots of people out and about.

Yes, this is going to be the perfect place to experience authentic Caribbean culture. I also notice that there's not a single tourist or tourist facility in sight anywhere. It seems all the tourists just cram into one area, leaving the rest of the country untouched. I'm really excited about exploring this country on foot now.

The van reaches the end of the line, and it's just a short walk farther to Non Pariel, along a stretch with a sheer cliff rising to my right and open sea to my left .

Sure enough, the first person I ask directs me to Kim's Cocoa Farm. I enter an open gate to where there are a couple of cabins, some odd looking giant sled runners (used for pulling out trays of cocoa for drying) and a house with a large, open room. Kim gives me a jolly welcome, sits me down and offers me some tea.

"These are actually the walls of the original plantation house--but it was in ruins, so we pretty much had to start from scratch". He tells me. I'm quite impressed--it's a beautiful, rustic-style house... In the bathroom there are giant boulders that just kind of blend in with the style.

"When we moved here we didn't even know that there were cocoa trees here. We just started slashing through the jungle growth and there they were. Now we export high end chocolate directly to expensive shops in London."

But before you conjure up an image of a stiff British gentleman trying to relive the glory days of the colonial era, let me assure you that Kim is anything but that . He's actually one of the most unusual, intriguing and fascinating characters I've met in a long time.

"Modern education is designed to turn everyone into wage slaves, to be dependant on the system. I've always rebeled against that" He goes on to tell about his life, how he joined the Gypsies at a young age, worked with a traveling circus, lived in all sorts of vehicles (including horse-drawn) which he worked on and maintained himself.

"For 20 years I supported a family of five busking on the streets of Europe" he tells me. "It was a wonderful life" He speaks very highly of the Gypsy community and culture. "They're looked down on simply because they don't live by other people's rules"

"Margaret Thatcher hated us, and tried hard to destroy our culture and lifestyle--to force everyone to conform to the government's system. Laws were set to make camping illegal. Children were taken from their parents ... people forced into government housing."

He continues with an unconventional insight: "In the cold, a fire is more important than the a roof. In government housing, you're like in a concrete icebox because you can't afford to pay for heat. But if you've got a fire, you can sleep under the wagon with your back to the flames and stay perfectly warm"

He continues on telling me of the many twists and turns his life has taken... living on a boat and sailing to South America... coming to Grenada and buying a plantation...

Out the window you can watch the sun setting over Crayfish Bay, as the palm trees sway gently. This has been a perfect day, and I know how to give it a perfect finish: go fo a swim in the sea, just a stones throw away.

Dinnertime at the Cocoa Farm

It's suppertime when I come back in . At the table is Lylette, Kim's wife who is Guyanese and previously lived in St Lucia. She also has a fascinating life story with a lot of wisdom to share--as well as insights into Caribbean culture. As a practicing Buddhist she's a non-conformist as well. Christianity is deeply entrenched here in the Caribbean, and leaving the Christian faith can cause people to be shunned.

"Growing up I saw how Christian pastors were getting richer and richer by pressuring people to give more and more--people sometime go hungry so they can give money to the church. I simply realized that that didn't make sense."

Also at the table is Alex, a 20 year old Norwegian girl who is on a 6 week trip around the Caribbean

"I wanted to work for a while before starting college. But I felt I was falling into a routine, so I decided to just go on a trip... I've always been pretty independent..."

Finally it's time to hit the sack. I bid my hosts goodnight and head to the lower floor turned dormitory, where the sound of the waves and the jungle insects put me to sleep.