Travel With Candace

Yesterday a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit near Martinique, another French island. Luckily, the quake was centered deep underground so there was little tsunami danger and less damage than was possible. The event was felt for hundreds of miles and registered as a 4.8 quake on Guadeloupe. I was at a river around 2:00 p.m. Eastern when the quake occurred. It took a second to register, as I wasn’t expecting quakes here. Luckily, I was sitting down because I could have fallen of a rock into the basin. The quake lasted nearly 20 seconds and I, unlike all those around me, was actually left smiling after it ended. I guess it’s because they are something familiar for me being from California.

I don’t have a TV, hence, it was sometime before I realized magnitude of the quake on Martinique. There was no real damage on Guadeloupe, but apparently last year there were some problems with structural integrity at a few schools. They’re going to do a sweep to make sure the buildings are safe. So, the end result is that I don’t have to work today.

Happy Friday!

Powerful Earthquake Hits Caribbean
Earthquake Hits Guadeloupe

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So I almost missed Thanksgiving this year because it was so early calendar wise. Without all the cues I would have had at home, I expected Thanksgiving to fall the week of November 25th. Luckily I realized, and was able to hook up with a few other assistants to plan a Thanksgiving on Guadeloupe.

Now cooking Thanksgiving dinner on the island was definitely an adventure. I wasn’t able to find little things like, sage, poultry seasoning, cheddar cheese, and oh yeah - a turkey. There are no turkeys available until Christmas time so I bought the biggest bird I saw at the store. This turned out to be a rooster (laugh if you will), but I put it in a brine and it cooked up just fine. Apart from our Thanksgiving rooster we had: fried chicken wings, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, cornbread dressing, green bean casserole, pasta salad, green salad and apple pie. The French people involved seemed to really enjoy the meal and it was fun to recount our holiday traditions and the “legend” of the first Thanksgiving. It was a great night and I think all us Americans felt a little bit at home.

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I’m coming up on the last few days of the school vacation for All Saints’ Day or “Toussaint” as it’s known in French. Falling on November 1st, All Saints’ Day is a Catholic Holiday recognizing all saints and martyrs, known or unknown link. In Guadeloupe the Holiday is a two-day celebration that spurs big family dinners and trips to local cemeteries where many candles are laid on the graves of departed loved ones. This tradition isn’t sad or morbid, actually, the sheer number of people, the joyous camaraderie, and numerous vendors make for a party around and in the cemetery.

The festivities in Morne a L’eau, where I’m stationed as a teacher, are some of the most famous on the island due to the town’s unique and expansive, black and white cemetery. It seemed like the whole commune came out to celebrate on Friday evening; I saw a number of my students and their families. As I ascended through the narrow walkways and stairways that pass between the tombs I was amazed at the scene. What seemed like thousands of candles bathed the cemetery in reddish glow and illuminated the hundreds of people that sat, walked, and visited amongst the graves late into the evening.

Witnessing this tradition in action was definitely one of the most interesting experiences I have had thus far. Additional photos from the cemetery can be found here.

Editor’s Note: Some of the pictures in the album are a bit blurry due all the different levels of light but I thought they might still be of interest.

Tags: holidays, culture, things to do, places to see, Guadeloupe by
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