Day 17: Rain and Mistranslations

Today started out on a low note, as I blew a fuse and could not find the switch box! I couldn't use anything in the apartment- wifi, cooktop, stove- and worried that my food in the fridge would spoil! Luckily I found the box, with the help of my host, and order had been restored by the time I left to make my first stop of the day!

I went to Editions Neg Mawon (a publishing company) to talk with one of the authors I'd met on Saturday, Didyer Mannette.  We chatted for almost and hour! I asked him questions about his work, the publishing company, and the group Nouse Art, whose show I saw last Friday.  I am so grateful that he took the time to talk to me! He answered all of my questions and left me with some great information for my project.  He also encouraged me to start writing my own poetry, become a translator in a Francophone country, and generally reach for the stars! His enthusiasm made me smile.

After a quick lunch stop at home, I took a look at the torrents of rain coming from the sky, and opted for an indoor activity: the aquarium.  A quick 10 minute drive brought me to its doors and I headed in for what I believe was my first ever aquarium visit! I saw sharks, turtles, fish, and lots of coral/ sea urchins.  (I group those together because I always forget they are animals and not plants/ part of the ocean bed).  I found looking at everything swimming underwater to be very soothing and the informative signs taught me so much about aquatic ecosystems.  Looking at Guadeloupe from a more natural angle proved interesting, and hopefully will give me a more well- rounded view of the island. 

When I emerged, the rain had let up so I decided to head to Sainte Rose to see the Rum Museum.  (Side note: sometimes I say rhum, but other times I say rum.  These refer to the same thing, one is just french and the other is English! Sometimes cognates get mixed up in my head!) The museum consisted of a rather eclectic collection: the bottom level informed visitors about rum production and its history while the upper level displayed insects, objects from Guadeloupe's history, and sailboat models.  My favorite moment occured in the boat models section.  The English translation of the caption instructed me to "look at the beautiful shape of the poop".  The French word for stern is "la poupe", but evidently the translator chose not to use a dictionary, instead assuming the word was a cognate.  While extremely incorrect, I took a disproportionate amount of pleasure in this translation error and had to leave the room when my laughter drew stares.

The museum! (Dark, stormy weather too)

A ye olde contraption used to grind sugar cane

Par of the distillery

The most hilarious moment of my trip (not a great picture, but it needed to be documented)

I have a couple of options for tomorrow in mind depending on the weather (it may be a rainy week here!).  Return to Sainte Rose and see an actual distillery and try out the hot baths, head to a sugar cane plantation and then see some monuments and some beaches, or go for a short hike and see ruins of an old plantation.  As I write these options out, I realize that they do not seem that exciting, despite my high level of excitement.  So, please just trust that I have some great options planned and am looking forward to getting back out there!