DOMINICA - 01/23 & 1/24/12

We pulled into Dominica at 7 and we ate breakfast on the deck looking out on to the island. Dominica was created by a volcanic eruption and has 7 or 10 active volcanoes. The entire island is mountainous and hilly. Actually it was not used by the European colonies because there was not enough land to plant sugar cane in large amounts. Luckily it escaped that devastation. It is a tropical rainforest with I believe over 2000 types of plants. They are absolutely beautiful and exotic.

We had found a group to go on a hike with and we found Jerome who was our taxi driver and drove us around all day. He stopped for pictures and pointed different things out in town. He told us a lot of different information about the fruit and planting. He pointed out coconuts, breadfruits and mangoes.  He himself is a banana farmer and showed us how he cultivates the fruit and pointed out where it was growing in different places. Interestingly, they still export all their bananas to the UK. Later on in the day he stopped and bought us all bananas so that we could try them. They are nothing like the ones at home. The total hike was around 45 minutes.

Bananas on a tree-dark green center -hard to see

The majority of the roots from the trees were above ground and apparently that is how they get their nutrients because the soil is really tough.    There is also a tree that they use as a canoe that has a gummy substance that is flammable. I really admire their ability to live off the land and nature. It is how humans were meant to live, in unity with the plants and animals around them. I will explain how they use different plants from their yard later on as remedies. But I found that to be an overall theme that I admired.

The trail was mostly steps and was not tremendously strenuous. The above ground roots were difficult but also a lot of the area was moist and made the rocks slippery. We also got to swing from a vine like Tarzan! Also, the canopy effect kept the majority of the sun off of us. We would forget how bearing the sun was until we reached a clearing.

At the end the falls were I think 200 feet tall and there was a small cave next to it. The water was cold but it felt really refreshing in the humidity and after the hike.  We managed to climb up into the cave and then jumped into the water right next to the waterfall. It was the most exhilarating experience, still having trouble processing it. The weird thing for me personally was that I did not second guess my decision to do it. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and when they come flying at you like that you have to take it. Everett of course dived in and did a flip.

A lot of people arrived right after us so it got a little crowded, and we then returned back to the van in almost half the time. We ate at a vender that our taxi driver pointed out that a small bench area where we crammed into. You just order the meat you want and it comes with rice, beans, veggies, bread fruit, plantain, and banana and some root. The whole plate was 5 dollars. We also had Carib beer which was made on the island.  They also had this really good fried dough bread for 50 cents and it was actually the highlight of the trip. They were so good! We almost cleaned them out. I tried everything on my plate, it was all very tasty. It is hard to describe what it tasted like because we are not used to it but it wasn’t particularly spicy. I wish I socialized with the local people more they are all so friendly and social and open to telling us about their lives and their culture. Where we ate is where many of the workmen grab lunch.

Later we went to Champagne Reef to snorkel but there was a big group of our kids so they didn’t have enough equipment. However we swam in the Caribbean Sea and found a pair of goggles and got to see some sea life that way. Everett spotted some scary sea urchins. The water was perfectly clear and warm.  The sand there is black because it is a volcanic island and it is mostly big stone rocks. I lay out there in the sun on the rocks for awhile enjoying the scenery of the trees, plants and fruits around us. Interestingly, the four of the other girls I was with were all Jewish and I talked to them awhile about their religion and how everyone just needs to be accepting of other’s beliefs.

For the entire day we paid Jerome 15 each. And apparently the other taxi drivers were like him, from talking to other people. They just drive you around tell you about their world. Stop where they know people, give you free fruit. They are like tour guides too. So very different from our cab drivers at home.  Ev and I spent the night roaming the town. We sat in a local bar with some kids and had some of the Rum Punch which is what a lot of the people drink. It tastes like cough syrup because it has real sugar cane in it. Also the Coca Cola has no preservatives and it apparently is especially sweet because of the sugar cane used to make it. Diet coke is also really rare because it has to be imported. Everyone is so friendly and trusting and we were just hanging by the sea wall admiring the sky when a man came up and asked if we were okay and told us about himself.

Day 2 of Dominica:   So the night before we had heard about another trip to a scenic gorge leaving at about 7:45AM, and since we had nothing better to do until our required field program at 11:30, we jumped at it.  The trip turned out to be amazing… Our driver and guide, known only to us as “ninja man” brought us to the mouth of a small river nestled between two smooth cliff walls.  The creek was about 6 feet wide, and was surrounded on both sides by slick stone cliffs that went about 20ft upwards to meet the rainforest floor.  Ninja Man then proceeded to toss us off the Cliffside into the water (at the only point deep enough for such a dive), and we all began to swim up the stream into the dark crevasse.  The water was brisk, and the cave dark, but the air was balmy and humid from the tropics, and we were all too busy admiring the gorge to care about the temperature.  Inside the cave were two small waterfalls and pools, and we were able to jump into the latter from the tops of the former.  We’ve got some pictures, but not on our camera since it wasn’t waterproof. 

After heading back to the port, still wet and exhilarated, we got onto another bus headed for the Kalinago Amerindians.   “Kalinago,” the original name for the tribe, was only recently recovered when the Kalinagos brought to court their desire to have their official name switched from “Carib”.  Dubbed as such by Christopher Columbus on his only voyage near the island in 1493, the word “Carib” meant “Cannibal”, due to a misinterpretation of their practice of taking their dead ancestor’s bones into their homes out of reverence.  In fact, Columbus never even set foot on the island, and when asked about it’s geography simply crumpled a piece of paper and put it on the table (its ~10 volcanoes and sharp buttes and mountains are quite forbidding to the foreign traveler). 

The Kalinagos we met at the village were friendly, if simultaneously very shy.  We discussed their methods of farming, cooking, hut building, and the medicinal properties of about a hundred different herbs with their former clan chief before being treated to a plate of the local dishes.  To be honest, this trip is what I liked least about our stay in Dominica, because it was with so many people and so touristy… But it was indeed informative and therefore not a total loss.