Guadalupa

Antoine's view

Situated between the west indies and the atlantic ocean, Guadeloupe has two charming areas : La Grande Terrre and La Basse Terre.La Grande Terre is the smallest part of the double islands, ever since father Labat, the Dominican contemporary of Louis XIV, developed rhum distillation at the beginning of the XVIIIe century sugar cane has become part of the local economy. Basse Terre, is dominated by a volcano called 'La Soufrière' , which has a very tropical setting.

On November the third, 1493 Christopher Columbus almost missed this island..The mistrust of the Spanish sailors towards the west Indian population with their canibatlistic tendencies, forced them to anchor in sheltered bays where they were subject to attack from pirates who captured the galleons full of gold belonging to the king of Spain. In 1964 Colbert developed a slave trade to develop the the business of sugar cane and restore law and order.
The variety of the micro climates in the Guadeloupe, between the dry arid regions of 'La Grande Terre' and the lush forests of 'La Basse Terre', generated a great diversity of flora and fauna .Today in la 'Désirade' all that remains are raccoons and various species of 'agoutis', a large indigenous rodent. In 'Saintes and 'Désirade' one can also find iguanas.

Guadeloupe also includes The islands of 'Désirade', 'Marie-Galante and 'Saintes'. In 'Sainte', fishing has remained one of the principal activities, the descendants of 'Poitevins', 'Rochelais',still take to the sea in colourfull boats that supply Guadeloupe with lobsters and daurades. The fishermen carry curious, fabric entwined hairstyles, that come from South-East Asia in last century. Here, as in Marie-Galante island, the only things that are tormented are the cakes themselves called tormented cakes of love.. Marie-gallant is famous for producing the best rum in the area,today only a few old mills and homesteads remain. In harvest time farmers still use ox carts and wheel barrows.In Désirade it was cotton culture that attracted the Europeans commerce.With the abolition of slavery, in 1848, colonial economy collapsed.

Today a handful of sailors still live of coastal traffic in this chrystal clear water.Long amerindians had already given Guadeloupe the name of "Karukera" , the island with beautiful water.