Tree Hugging in Dominica
March 20, 2009
Friday
Dominica is our new favorite Caribbean island!!
For several reasons...as you'll come to find!
The sail on Thursday, March 12, from The Saints was wonderful! We had 15-18K winds out of the ENE with very minimal swell (even though the prediction was for 6' swell)....we had our double reefed main, full jib and staysail...and we were flying along averaging about 7K....I saw 8.3K coming off a wave! It was a blast! Of course we were racing 2 other boats that were headed in our direction.....and we WON!!!!
Coming along the NW corner of Dominica was a little nerve-wracking for Jim.....seeing about a zillion other boats anchored in Prince Rupert Bay, Portsmouth, Dominica.
Dominica is also where the "boat boys" are....and they are the friendliest bunch of people and very polite and proud of their country. The first thing, as we're rounding the rock, the Cabrits, one of the "boat boys" in a boat named SEABIRD, painted aqua and white, with Jeffrey on board zooms by our portside....and the first thing he yells is "Welcome to Dominica"!! I don't ever remember pulling into a port/anchorage in the States and having someone welcome us to the US! Once we got all settled, anchored securely, Jeffrey's partner came over to talk to us and let us know that if we need anything to just call him on the VHF. They offer trips up the river with guides, trips to waterfalls, snorkeling trips and really about anything you'd want to have arranged to visit their beautiful country. The other "surf boys" are guys on surf boards...they sit on empty gas tanks and paddle around the anchorage, offering their services, i.e. trash removal, obtaining fruit, selling Dominican flags. They are also very friendly and outgoing....and can sing very loudly at times as they pass by your boat at all hours of the evening. But it's all very respectable and fun!
Friday we just took some time off and read books and relaxed....swam a little just off the boat in clear blue water. On Saturday we got up early to go into the market where they had a street full of locals selling fresh fruit and vegetables. We got green onions, bananas, carrots, watermelon, limes and the prettiest green leaf lettuce just fresh from the ground for about 20 EC...which is about $8 US. So.....we're set for the week!
We took a walk off the main road....up a dirt road,
passing alot of homes and talking to some of the people. One man actually came out of his house as we passed....just to say HI and introduce himself, Albert, and give us directions to a path that we might want to take. (That also has never happened to me in the States!!) That was a nice walk
and a great way to get off the beaten path to meet the locals and get a better idea of the community.
I've decided to update my varnish....so I'm starting here in Dominica. The perfect conditions are cool and dry, no wind, no rain...and preferably inside. We're still in the dry season here....Carem (Creole for dry season)....but it still sprinkles nearly daily...and usually three times a day. The good news is...it cools things down...plus there are beautiful rainbows! Everytime I've pulled out my can of Schooner varnish...the wind picks up and the dark clouds appear!! But...in spite of all of that....I've finally completed 4 coats on each forward toerail!! Whooohooo! When we bought Bees Knees...the teak was in terrible condition. There was an estimate by the boatyard to have it all done for $8000!!! I fell in love with the boat....probably due to the classic lines and teak....so I foolishly promised Jim that I'd always "do the teak"! So...now he tells everyone it's OUR boat, but ANN's teak! I'm still enjoying doing it....unless it turns out really bad.....so, it continues to be therapeutic for me.
On Monday we took a bus ride down to Rouseau, the capital of Dominica. We wanted to go to the botanical gardens
and just walk around the city. We took the local bus from Portsmouth to Rouseau for 9EC each which is about $3.50 and is about 28 miles along the coast! Great price for a great ride. The local bus drivers deserve their own blog....but they basically zoom and are safe! It's fun! In Rouseau there was a huge cruise ship
in port, so there were alot of tourists, so very busy. We, once again, got off the beaten "tourist" path and went to the botanical gardens
, hiking up the trail to the top
. Nice views of the bay and a great day! 
We stopped for lunch at a local pizza joint, then took the fun bus ride back to Portsmouth.
On St. Patrick's Day....Bees Knees flew the green flag!!
We're surrounded by British and Norwegian boats....so not alot of celebrating going on around the anchorage. If we were in Montserrat, it would be a national holiday!! They even stamp your passport with a shamrock! Montserrat was first settled by the Irish who arrived from St. Kitt's in 1630...according to the guidebook....but not much wearing of the green in Dominica. So....we decided to spend the day on a hike on the Capucin Trail....the most green we could find that day in all the trees and plants!
It's about a 10 mile drive to the beginning of the trail....so Jim and I started walking...hoping to catch the local bus. We kept walking and walking....until Phillip drove up and asked where we were going! He happens to be the owner of a local souvenir shop that allegedly sells the best rum punches....smooth.....and he is dating a girl from Ohio! We jumped in and he kept talking and laughing.....stopping to talk to another couple passing in a car.....calling out to some workers building a house....stopping and saying hello to a woman walking along the road...just a real friendly man. He also was just driving to a house about 1/2 mile from where he picked us up.....but he drove the rest of the way to take us to the beginning of the trail! Just amazing!! Jim offered him some money for gas, but he refused and said...come see me in my shop!! We plan on doing that and hopefully he and his girlfriend can join us for dinner on Bees Knees!! What a nice gesture....but just another example of how nice the people are here in Dominica!
Jim and I had a great hike on the Capucin trail.
It took us about four hours and it was just breathtaking! We kept going up and up until we were on a ridge
where we could see across a valley and see the path that we would eventually be on. We saw alot of creatures...including the usual snake
and spider
and crab
....plus just beautiful trees and plants and the occasional hawk.
We passed a few workers clearing the land with machetes.....and another gathering coconuts. At the end of the trail
there is a home where we met Bessamie Daygrow and her son while we waited for the bus that stops on the road right outside their home. Bessamie was very interesting....roasting cocoa beans in the back while we talked with her....sharing her history of 6 children and showing us her garden of beans, her goats, etc. Just a really nice woman! She also hoped that we loved Dominica...and gave us a brochure on the country that she had saved. Great people!
So many people comment on the name of our boat, Bees Knees. They ask us how we came up with the name.....we hear people laughing when they dinghy by....we've heard tour boats yell hey it's Bees Knees! So....it was a Huge surprise to see BEES NEEZ anchored here in Prince Rupert Bay!!!! Another Bees Knees....although spelled just a little different. We had received an email a few weeks ago from friends on DIGNITY, Helen and Steve, and they sent a picture of BEEZ NEEZ and said they couldn't believe they'd found a second Bees Knees!!!! So....when we saw the boat....it was just a riot! Plus....we had to meet the owners....and they are a riot also!! We've shared a few cocktails with them and plan on going to dinner tonight to hear a steel pan band at a local restaurant!!
Yesterday Jim and I took another HIKE up to the Morne Diblotin National Park to walk the Syndicate Trail and see the Milton Falls. We took a local bus to the road that leads to the Park....but is about "5 miles" to the park. So....we started walking
and walking and walking.....you get the picture. Plus we were going up and up and up
. It was just beautiful!! Not sure if we were both hypoxic, but the views were spectacular! We, once again, met the nicest people. One man came out of his field where he was clearing wood with a machete....and showed us all his plants that he was tending to. He and 4 others owned 27 acres of land....and only two of the men were working the fields. He had banana trees
, papaya, coffee
, mango, pear, soursop, and lime trees! Just amazing....all mixed together. We talked with him for awhile, rested, and then continued our walk. The next man we met was clearing some banana trees and stopped to tell us to take a turn to the right when we reach the park sign to get to the waterfall....which we wouldn't have known if it wasn't for him! So....we continued on and found a beautiful waterfall
....where we sat on rocks and ate our lunch of P,B&J sandwiches, watermelon, and mesquite peanuts! 
After lunch we retraced our tracks a bit and continued on into the park. This park is famous for the wild parrots that fly and breed in the area. 
We heard a few flying just before the waterfall, but then saw about 5 of them flying by as we walked. The park covers about 205 acres of land and the trail is on forest land that was previously earmarked for logging. It is nestled on the foothills of Dominica's tallest mountain....Morne Diablotin. The Sisserou (Amazona imperialis) is Dominica's National Bird (and on their flag)...and Jaco (Amazona arausiaca) are parrots only found on Dominica. When we saw them flying so far overhead, we couldn't distinguish which ones they were....but their sound and shape and their flight pattern is distinctive!
We finally made it to the Syndicate Trail
and walked amongst some of the largest trees I've ever seen
....besides the redwoods. 
We stopped for a few minutes at the nature center to pay our entrance fee and get more water....then off we went to head back down the hill!!!! We only took one wrong turn.....but quickly...after about a mile....turned around and went back the right way! It's just amazing all the trees and fruit in addition to the ones the man was growing....including grapefruit
and orange, cocoa
, sorrel, zillions of banana trees and just so many different flowering plants
, cute little pineapple plants
....but just continuous during our entire hike....and as far as we could see!! We bought some grapefruit at a little stand that someone had put up.....honor system....3 grapefruit for $1 EC...which is about 33 cents each of the sweetest and juiciest grapefruit.
You wouldn't starve in this forest!
Needless to say...the walk back down the mountain was painful! We both developed blisters on our feet and were wishing for one of those kind people to give us a ride home!! But....we made it back down to the road and hopped on the bus to take us back to Portsmouth! We were safely back on Bees Knees after sunset....about 1830....about an 8 hour day of hiking!!!
So....we'll be in Dominica about another week, but there is sooo much to tell about this island I decided to split up the blog....plus I'm sooooo wordy!!!
That all.....bye for now!
Friday
Dominica is our new favorite Caribbean island!!
For several reasons...as you'll come to find!The sail on Thursday, March 12, from The Saints was wonderful! We had 15-18K winds out of the ENE with very minimal swell (even though the prediction was for 6' swell)....we had our double reefed main, full jib and staysail...and we were flying along averaging about 7K....I saw 8.3K coming off a wave! It was a blast! Of course we were racing 2 other boats that were headed in our direction.....and we WON!!!!
Coming along the NW corner of Dominica was a little nerve-wracking for Jim.....seeing about a zillion other boats anchored in Prince Rupert Bay, Portsmouth, Dominica.
Dominica is also where the "boat boys" are....and they are the friendliest bunch of people and very polite and proud of their country. The first thing, as we're rounding the rock, the Cabrits, one of the "boat boys" in a boat named SEABIRD, painted aqua and white, with Jeffrey on board zooms by our portside....and the first thing he yells is "Welcome to Dominica"!! I don't ever remember pulling into a port/anchorage in the States and having someone welcome us to the US! Once we got all settled, anchored securely, Jeffrey's partner came over to talk to us and let us know that if we need anything to just call him on the VHF. They offer trips up the river with guides, trips to waterfalls, snorkeling trips and really about anything you'd want to have arranged to visit their beautiful country. The other "surf boys" are guys on surf boards...they sit on empty gas tanks and paddle around the anchorage, offering their services, i.e. trash removal, obtaining fruit, selling Dominican flags. They are also very friendly and outgoing....and can sing very loudly at times as they pass by your boat at all hours of the evening. But it's all very respectable and fun!Friday we just took some time off and read books and relaxed....swam a little just off the boat in clear blue water. On Saturday we got up early to go into the market where they had a street full of locals selling fresh fruit and vegetables. We got green onions, bananas, carrots, watermelon, limes and the prettiest green leaf lettuce just fresh from the ground for about 20 EC...which is about $8 US. So.....we're set for the week!
We took a walk off the main road....up a dirt road,
passing alot of homes and talking to some of the people. One man actually came out of his house as we passed....just to say HI and introduce himself, Albert, and give us directions to a path that we might want to take. (That also has never happened to me in the States!!) That was a nice walk and a great way to get off the beaten path to meet the locals and get a better idea of the community.I've decided to update my varnish....so I'm starting here in Dominica. The perfect conditions are cool and dry, no wind, no rain...and preferably inside. We're still in the dry season here....Carem (Creole for dry season)....but it still sprinkles nearly daily...and usually three times a day. The good news is...it cools things down...plus there are beautiful rainbows!
Everytime I've pulled out my can of Schooner varnish...the wind picks up and the dark clouds appear!! But...in spite of all of that....I've finally completed 4 coats on each forward toerail!! Whooohooo! When we bought Bees Knees...the teak was in terrible condition. There was an estimate by the boatyard to have it all done for $8000!!! I fell in love with the boat....probably due to the classic lines and teak....so I foolishly promised Jim that I'd always "do the teak"! So...now he tells everyone it's OUR boat, but ANN's teak! I'm still enjoying doing it....unless it turns out really bad.....so, it continues to be therapeutic for me.On Monday we took a bus ride down to Rouseau, the capital of Dominica. We wanted to go to the botanical gardens
and just walk around the city. We took the local bus from Portsmouth to Rouseau for 9EC each which is about $3.50 and is about 28 miles along the coast! Great price for a great ride. The local bus drivers deserve their own blog....but they basically zoom and are safe! It's fun! In Rouseau there was a huge cruise ship in port, so there were alot of tourists, so very busy. We, once again, got off the beaten "tourist" path and went to the botanical gardens, hiking up the trail to the top. Nice views of the bay and a great day! We stopped for lunch at a local pizza joint, then took the fun bus ride back to Portsmouth.On St. Patrick's Day....Bees Knees flew the green flag!!
We're surrounded by British and Norwegian boats....so not alot of celebrating going on around the anchorage. If we were in Montserrat, it would be a national holiday!! They even stamp your passport with a shamrock! Montserrat was first settled by the Irish who arrived from St. Kitt's in 1630...according to the guidebook....but not much wearing of the green in Dominica. So....we decided to spend the day on a hike on the Capucin Trail....the most green we could find that day in all the trees and plants!It's about a 10 mile drive to the beginning of the trail....so Jim and I started walking...hoping to catch the local bus. We kept walking and walking....until Phillip drove up and asked where we were going! He happens to be the owner of a local souvenir shop that allegedly sells the best rum punches....smooth.....and he is dating a girl from Ohio! We jumped in and he kept talking and laughing.....stopping to talk to another couple passing in a car.....calling out to some workers building a house....stopping and saying hello to a woman walking along the road...just a real friendly man. He also was just driving to a house about 1/2 mile from where he picked us up.....but he drove the rest of the way to take us to the beginning of the trail! Just amazing!! Jim offered him some money for gas, but he refused and said...come see me in my shop!! We plan on doing that and hopefully he and his girlfriend can join us for dinner on Bees Knees!! What a nice gesture....but just another example of how nice the people are here in Dominica!
Jim and I had a great hike on the Capucin trail.
It took us about four hours and it was just breathtaking! We kept going up and up until we were on a ridge where we could see across a valley and see the path that we would eventually be on. We saw alot of creatures...including the usual snake and spider and crab....plus just beautiful trees and plants and the occasional hawk. We passed a few workers clearing the land with machetes.....and another gathering coconuts. At the end of the trail there is a home where we met Bessamie Daygrow and her son while we waited for the bus that stops on the road right outside their home. Bessamie was very interesting....roasting cocoa beans in the back while we talked with her....sharing her history of 6 children and showing us her garden of beans, her goats, etc. Just a really nice woman! She also hoped that we loved Dominica...and gave us a brochure on the country that she had saved. Great people!So many people comment on the name of our boat, Bees Knees. They ask us how we came up with the name.....we hear people laughing when they dinghy by....we've heard tour boats yell hey it's Bees Knees! So....it was a Huge surprise to see BEES NEEZ anchored here in Prince Rupert Bay!!!! Another Bees Knees....although spelled just a little different. We had received an email a few weeks ago from friends on DIGNITY, Helen and Steve, and they sent a picture of BEEZ NEEZ and said they couldn't believe they'd found a second Bees Knees!!!! So....when we saw the boat....it was just a riot! Plus....we had to meet the owners....and they are a riot also!! We've shared a few cocktails with them and plan on going to dinner tonight to hear a steel pan band at a local restaurant!!
Yesterday Jim and I took another HIKE up to the Morne Diblotin National Park to walk the Syndicate Trail and see the Milton Falls. We took a local bus to the road that leads to the Park....but is about "5 miles" to the park. So....we started walking
and walking and walking.....you get the picture. Plus we were going up and up and up. It was just beautiful!! Not sure if we were both hypoxic, but the views were spectacular! We, once again, met the nicest people. One man came out of his field where he was clearing wood with a machete....and showed us all his plants that he was tending to. He and 4 others owned 27 acres of land....and only two of the men were working the fields. He had banana trees, papaya, coffee, mango, pear, soursop, and lime trees! Just amazing....all mixed together. We talked with him for awhile, rested, and then continued our walk. The next man we met was clearing some banana trees and stopped to tell us to take a turn to the right when we reach the park sign to get to the waterfall....which we wouldn't have known if it wasn't for him! So....we continued on and found a beautiful waterfall....where we sat on rocks and ate our lunch of P,B&J sandwiches, watermelon, and mesquite peanuts! After lunch we retraced our tracks a bit and continued on into the park. This park is famous for the wild parrots that fly and breed in the area. We heard a few flying just before the waterfall, but then saw about 5 of them flying by as we walked. The park covers about 205 acres of land and the trail is on forest land that was previously earmarked for logging. It is nestled on the foothills of Dominica's tallest mountain....Morne Diablotin. The Sisserou (Amazona imperialis) is Dominica's National Bird (and on their flag)...and Jaco (Amazona arausiaca) are parrots only found on Dominica. When we saw them flying so far overhead, we couldn't distinguish which ones they were....but their sound and shape and their flight pattern is distinctive! We finally made it to the Syndicate Trail
and walked amongst some of the largest trees I've ever seen....besides the redwoods. We stopped for a few minutes at the nature center to pay our entrance fee and get more water....then off we went to head back down the hill!!!! We only took one wrong turn.....but quickly...after about a mile....turned around and went back the right way! It's just amazing all the trees and fruit in addition to the ones the man was growing....including grapefruit and orange, cocoa, sorrel, zillions of banana trees and just so many different flowering plants, cute little pineapple plants....but just continuous during our entire hike....and as far as we could see!! We bought some grapefruit at a little stand that someone had put up.....honor system....3 grapefruit for $1 EC...which is about 33 cents each of the sweetest and juiciest grapefruit. You wouldn't starve in this forest!Needless to say...the walk back down the mountain was painful! We both developed blisters on our feet and were wishing for one of those kind people to give us a ride home!! But....we made it back down to the road and hopped on the bus to take us back to Portsmouth! We were safely back on Bees Knees after sunset....about 1830....about an 8 hour day of hiking!!!
So....we'll be in Dominica about another week, but there is sooo much to tell about this island I decided to split up the blog....plus I'm sooooo wordy!!!
That all.....bye for now!
Your pictures are beautiful!! I love the pictures of the plants and the spider and caterpillars are very cool! I'm jealous... I wish I could get off work to fly down and meet you. Glad you're having fun :o)
Love you!
Kate :o)
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