While we were at Grand Etang Park, we decided to do the hike to visit the Seven Sisters Falls (aka St. Margaret Falls).
It took us a couple of tries to find the starting point as the road signs are either non-existent or, in this case, very faded. It was a very steep driveway up to this parking lot large enough for about 6 vehicles. We declined the offer of a guide, as we had read up on the hike and the trail was supposedly well marked.The zebra water reservoir.Heliconia – the nectar is hidden in the bracts and they rely on hummingbirds for pollination.Coleus – mint family (left of Lara)We saw common houseplants in their natural environment – they’re HUGE!After paying our USD$2 per person entrance fee as we were on private property, we picked out our hiking sticks and set off.There were some gentle climbs and downhill portions, Downhill to the falls means uphill on the return.and then we entered the jungle – wild and very muddy. It took DAYS to get the mud off our shoes.Patterns in the canopy.Everyone concentrated on their footing.Then we started encountering massive clumps of bamboo.How tall do you think these are? Photo by GPa.Grenadians used the bamboo for scaffolding, making jewellery and as crab traps.Bamboo is apparently the fastest growing plant – up to 3 ft in 24 hours.Eventually, we encountered the river below the falls.View of the river with a drone.We crossed carefully as the rocks were slick. Those hiking sticks came in handy then.Arrival at the lower falls.GrandPa snapped this candid shot.We enjoyed a rest break here before preparing to head back.GrandPa and Neil working their way back up to the parking lot.A last look at the jungle.When we returned, the proprietress had just cut herself a cocoa pod, and she kindly gave us half, telling us to suck on the pulp for a sweet/sour snack. YUM!We bought a fresh coconut for a drink to share (ECD$1) while Nolan demoed his drone to her husband who ended up with “a serious case of drone-envy” (his words).Drone view of the private property (lower right set of buildings) from where we started the hike. Photo by Nolan (drone).We didn’t realize the extent of the rainforest until we saw this overhead view from the drone – the waterfalls were down there somewhere! Photo by Nolan (drone).
Snippets from our hike. Additional video credits to GPa and Nolan.3 km, 1 hr 53 min, 183 m elevation gain
