Walking further along the winding east coast road of Dominica, and then heading down a side road to another headland, I started imagining the scent of sweet spices.
It was getting stronger as I neared a woman and a young guy at the side of the road, who were scraping at the bark of some tree trunks. I stopped to chat and ask what sort of wood it was and why they were taking off the bark.
Cinnamon, she said.
I was amazed to have stumbled upon something so exotic, and they found it amusing that I was so interested.
As was pointed out to me, behind them was a cinnamon plantation. Saplings had been planted and after between eight and twelve years, the trees have to be cut in order to remove the inner bark. Saplings are replanted after harvest, guaranteeing a constant supply.
Here are strips of fresh cinnamon cut off trunks. The outer hard bark is scraped off, leaving the more succulent inner bark.
They gave me a piece to try. Before drying you can chew on the cinnamon and suck out its flavour.
In the sun was cinnamon in the process of drying. As it does so, it begins to curl up.
Outside their house, they had some more drying in the sun.
Here it was, almost completely dry and akin to what can be bought in specialist delicatessens and health food shops in Europe.
At the end of the path, on a headland overlooking the sea, was another small plantation in the forest. This time is was West Indian Bay trees, which are unrelated to bay leaves. When squeezing the leaves, they produce a fragrant aroma and it is this which goes on to produce Bay Rum, a distillate used in colognes and after shave lotions.
In a small shed by the side of the road, there were bundles of West Indian Bay leaves which had been pressed to extract the oil and then dried (to then be used to make local teas). A concentrated aroma from oils in the press filled the shed.
Sleeping under nutmeg and clove trees, seeing coffee and cocoa growing around the island and now cinnamon and West Indian bay. This really is a spice island. And I still have to see the vanilla in the north.
