Dominica

Indian River tree roots

Early on January the 14th, we set sail for the island of Dominica. Hours later, we tied up to a buoy with the help of Marcus in the port of Roseau. Being a pretty deep anchorage, buoys are the best method. You can call him ahead on VHF 16 for assistance. He is also helpful with arranging tours on land. Check in is near the cruise ship port. If you are staying 2 weeks or less, you can clear in and out at the same time.

Tasting all sorts of jungle foods (grapefruit in the photo).

We hiked to Trafalgar Falls, explored the hot springs and sulfur pool, and some of the town. This included a stop by the Roosevelt Primary School to meet the principal and arrange for Stef to teach some robotics activities to two fourth grade classes. Marcus handed the kids the largest orange we had ever seen to share at the end of the trip. They all sat along the dock enjoying the sweet treat.

Our next port was Portsmouth and we had Bonti's help this time. He met us out at sea and offered us a buoy. He did not mind when we said we'd prefer to anchor. After we were settled, he stopped by to see if we needed anything. Of course, he could assist in arranging tours on land. Later that evening, Bonti brought his brother Max out to the boat where we scheduled three days of land excursions, the first starting the next morning at 6:45am! *If you are in a group, you can negotiate a group rate.

The sun had just risen when we stepped aboard Bonti's boat, along with two other sailing families we were traveling with. As we passed under the bridge, Bonti turned off the engine and began paddling us slowly up the river. We encountered many different species of birds, saw a handful of iguana (some were quite large), and large shore crabs. Calypso home, from the Pirates of the Caribbean 2 movie, was mostly gone, being lost to the storms. At the end of the river tour, we walked around the Bush Bar grounds. Right now, it is in the last stage of refurbishment since hurricane Maria. It didn't matter though, as it was so beautiful, walking around in the jungle. Bonti made a present for each of the kids out of leaves. He is a very talented artist!

The kids played hide-n-seek while the adults admired all the vegetation. I was amazed at how quickly it had returned and thoroughly enjoyed all the brilliant splashes of color.

An hour later, we hopped back into the boat and Bonti delivered us home. He reminded us to be ready for the next day's adventures and set a pick up time of 9am.

Jungle vine fun!

I think my favorite tour was the jungle walk. We were taken way back into the bush with many times getting out of the van and walking around exploring. Max, our guide, gave us all sorts of foods to try, such as grapefruit, guava, passionfruit, papaya, cocoa pods, oranges, limes, lemons, cinnamon bark, and nutmeg. We saw baby pineapples growing and learned about the farming techniques. Later on, we hiked to Middleham falls and enjoyed a refreshing swim in the cold water. Along the way, Max showed the kids are jungle vine to swing across on. Everyone ended up taking a few turns. =)
We returned to the dock around 2pm and settled in at a beach bar to relax while the kids played.

Zach holding a prop from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Jean Baptiste, founder of the Chocolate Factory, Dominica.

Tasting the cocoa nibs before processed into smooth chocolate.

Handicrafts of the Kalingo Indian tribe.

Daniel, founder of the Cassava Bakery. 

We learned about the process of making Cassava bread from root to finished product.

Our final day in Portsmouth found us being guided by Shadow, a Kalingo indian. We learned about his people, explored a little of the territory and chatted with some of the ladies selling their handmade goods along the sides of the road. Shadow also took us to the Chocolate Factory, where we learned about the process of making chocolate. We all got to taste the bean nibs, liquid chocolate, and then sample all of the varieties they produce. This was by far the tastiest part of the whole trip! We purchased a few bars to take home and set about preparing to sail to the Isles de Saintes and Guadeloupe the following morning.

Touring a cave in Red Rock.

5:30am found Jared, Zach, and I in Bonti's boat as we wanted to stock up at the Saturday morning produce market. This is by far the best market I have ever seen! Bonti asked us what we wanted and he took us all around to the different vendors to find the freshest goods. Our bags bulging with fruits and veggies, we thanked him for his time and promised to tell all our friends about his great service and hospitality.

By 9am, we were sailing away from charming Dominica. This is our favorite island so far. If you ever get a chance, this country is a definite must see!

Max holding out a cocoa pod for us to try.