Being on vacation is a certain process. You spend the first days being excited about everything and nothing. Your mind is churning and you are simply what could be termed as “high on vacation”. Then you hit the part of the vacation when you start relaxing, all the old built up work exhaustion gets to you and you go into a vegetative state unable to think and you just pass through the days without really being able to process what is going on around you.

Honestly, there really isn't much difference between you and the coconut in the tree hanging above you! I have been in this state for few days now. Sleep, relaxing, and not thinking were my highest priority. Thankfully, my mind seems to be back! I was getting worried that I had turned into some kind of “vacation vegetable”.

Talking about vegetables. This is really an island with lots of exotic vegetables and fruits. Couple days ago we rented a car and drove around the northern part of one of Guadeloupe's butterfly wings. We visited among other things a rum factory, “Domaine de Séverin” which makes rum from sugar canes. We also visited “La Maison du Caccao” (The House of Cacao) where we got to see the cacao fruit grown, dried, and even to taste it at various stages. Ok, I must admit that tthe last state was the best (when it had become a nice delicious chocolate cake), but this was very interesting.

Today André decided he had to buy a coconut at the beach. I got kind of worried when the guy selling it took out a big, black machete and starting hacking at the coconut. I probably didn't need to be worried, everyone here seems to be very nice. With the exception of the old ladies at the market and in small vegetable stores. I decided to take a photo of one of those stores and had a old lady come running out and shouting something at me. I didn't really understand anything but it didn't sound to nice. Since when is it not allowed to take photos of houses? The old ladies at the outdoor markets seem to get very angry if you happen to pass by their stalls and not buy anything. I am staying away from the outdoor markets hereafter.

Back to the coconut at the beach. It was cool to sit with a coconut and drinking from it with a straw but the taste was a bit boring. Lets put it this way. We didn't manage to finish the whole coconut.

Over to today's highlight! So here we have been in Guadeloupe for more than a week being dumber than a coconut. We have been under the impression that we needed to take some long exotic trip (involving potential encounters with snakes) to see one of those iguanas which we think are very cool. What do you know, they are just few hundred meters from here in the park at our hotel hiding in the cliffs. I think we will be regulars at that park until we leave.

Right as I speak, we are watching a Mardi Gras Carnival celebration at our hotel. Obviously they have hired in bunch of people to do a simple parade, dancing in white with hats formed in the shape of houses on their heads. The grown-ups seemed to be having fun but it was quite cute watching the kids who just seemed to be a bit tired and bored. Sneaking off to sit down and probably swearing at those boring foreigners around them, just sitting still and watching them. Hmmm... maybe time to stop blogging, stand up and dance when the get back from their latest parade around the beach...