havecarryonwilltravel

Today we get a surprise when we go down to the dock to board the dive boat. This is the boat we are using for today, for the four of us! There are four crew so the crew to client ratio is 1:1.

Anchorage’s 75′ Catamaran

The diving is great again. The reef in the marine park is in excellent condition. The fish are plentiful and varied. We even find a lobster we haven’t met before.

After diving, we drive south to Soufriere and then to Scott’s Head, where there is a narrow spit of land that borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Debbie and D with their feet in the Atlantic

Debbie with her feet in the Caribbean

We also journey to the Soufriere Sulfur Springs and hike into the forest to see the springs and have a quick soak. We end the day with a dip in the ocean and pizza for supper. A day of crustaceans and coasts!

Today is dive 400 for me. A milestone, one that pales to some of the divemasters that lead our group. I didn’t really remember it was an auspicious dive until I sat down to do my log this evening. The dive itself was a good dive but not one in the special category.

Our first day at the south of the island, the place where most of the divers come. The dive sites are for the most part in a marine reserve. The coral is in good shape, the sponges and like are colorful and big, there is plenty of wildlife but for the most part are the ususal Caribbean suspects. Our dive master did point out one very big crab under a ledge.

The last stop on the coast does confirm one thing. The dive companies here have yet to do the pamper the diver service. After diving else where in the world and even in the more popular resorts in the Caribbean we have been spoiled. Never having to lug gear, always having the BCD tranfered to a new tank at the end of the first dive, someone rinsing our equipment and storing it at the end of the day. Here each company has its own routine but not one of them covers the complete service. The office and gear storage facilities are adequate but not top of the line. On Dominica this is a budding industry, even though it has been around for 20+ years, and it has a way to go before it matches most of the rest of the world. No problem of course, I am still capable of dealing with my gear from the start of a dive to the storage, it is just one gets lazy.

The crew here is in no hurry. The boat, a very big boat has only the 4 of us on board and we leave the dock when it is ship shape. So just sit in the bar and wait for a while, we will leave soon enough. Post 9.30 and we set off. 2 dives and a fast trip to the dock and it is 2pm. Late start, late finish. This puts us behind the 8 ball as far as our hike is concerned.

The hike today, Trafalgar Falls. Short walk with 2 spectacular waterfalls to view. It is possible to swim in the pool but there is some major bolder climbing to be done and we opt out. We’ll find a place tomorrow.

It is a long day and we head back to the room to chill. Onward and upward to 500.

Today we move from mid Island to the south, into the capital of Dominica, Roseau. It takes us until 1:30 to pay up,  check out, drive, check into the hotel and dive shop, buy gas and groceries. After all our chores are done, we drive to the Emerald Pool.

The drive to the pool is a windy, up and down affair. The forest we drive through is lush, dotted with the occasional house or farm.

The Emerald Pool is a much visited tourist site so the path is well made, no roots or rocks to step over. The greens in the forest are vibrant, the aroma is of deep forest. We walk for only about 15 minutes before we hear the waterfall cascading into the pool.

There are some young people in the pool enjoying themselves. We wade into the cold water. Once in it is refreshing but those first few steps are chilly. D&C frolick in the waterfall, Murray chats with a young Italian fellow, and I dog paddle around.

Once out, we continue on the circular trail to a viewpoint with a far away view of the Atlantic Ocean. The walk is easy and a nice way to spend an hour after all our chores.

We have now dove in the north of Dominica (Portsmouth) and mid Island (Salisbury) and there is a different style of diving here than in, say Hawaii or Little Cayman or Virgin Gorda.

The expectation here in Dominica is that we handle our own gear. We haul it to the boat, we set up our own tanks, BCD and regs and we change the tanks between dives. Help is available if we require it, but a diver needs to know how to put gear together.

Green Moray Eel trapped in a fisherman’s basket

The crew in Salisbury had us all helping unload the dive boat this afternoon as the waves were knocking it about and they needed to unload quickly. We are fine with this, but some pampered divers may not be.

While diving mid island, we were donning our wetsuits on the shore before boarding the dive boat as the boat was smaller and crowded. Snacks and drinks are not in abundance as with some dive operations.

We are moving to Roseau tomorrow and will see if the dive operation there has similar expectations.

The diving in Dominica is great so don’t let a little work deter you from coming to this lovely island.

After plying the roads around Portsmouth and surrounding area for a few days, we notice an unusual phenomenon. It seems the curbside is a repository for derelict autos.

Your van has engine trouble? Can’t get it started again? Leave it where it died. No problem!

Your truck’s axle breaks? No problem! Just leave it on the side of the road! Forever!

You want to use your car’s old wheels on your new ride? Put the old ride up on blocks and just leave it outside your house. No problem!

Another great day of diving. Two shallow dives with D&C had us finding coral banded shrimp, pederson cleaning shrimp, trunk fish, angel fish, golden spotted eel and many other fish friends.

Pederson Cleaning Shrimp

Today we dive again. Mid island this time. The dive shop is different and the routine is different. Arrive at 8.15, early for us and as soon as we are ready the boat leaves. Short ride.

Beatrice gives the dive brief and the thing I note is that there is current here. Hem, haven’t had to deal with that in awhile. As we go under the current is stong and we nose into it as per the brief. As we get deeper the strength eases off and we lock into a nice slow pace.

Profile is a bit off as we cruise at 40 ft for the first part of the dive and then drop to 80 ft for the middle. The current changes direction half way through the dive and we drift the final part of the dive away from the boat. The boat person has to pick us up.

The second dive also has strong current and we play with it. Staying close to the bottom and behind coral so we can manoeuvre easily. This one is shallow so our air consumption allows for fighting the current.

I may have had my expectations high but the diving so far I would rate as good. There is nothing we have seen that is spectacular but the condition of the reef is good and the usual suspect fish are in attendance.

Every place has its challanges and we have not swum with a current in awhile. It is good to test ourselves every once in a while and it is good to learn how much better on air I am. Even with current and depth an hour dive is easily within reach.

Our good day of diving was finished off by a smashed in car window. The parking lot for the dive shop is somewhat secluded from the road and a nefarious sort thought he/she could find a few bucks by breaking into a tourist’s rental car. Fortunately we left nothing in the car and so the thief drove off with empty hands. The police came by, we got a loaner rental car while ours is being fixed so all is good so far. Oh, just so everyone knows, apparently things like that do not happen here. The owner of the Tamarind Tree Hotel was shocked to find out our car was broken into.

It’s a travel day and we are not diving. This is the ‘Nature Island’ so it is our plan to visit the forest and see what’s what.

Fort Shirley, Cabrits National Park

First stop Cabrits National Park. The peninsula is stategic from a military point of view and that is where the Brits built a huge fort in the 19th Century. The wisdom of the time was to deforest the entire area for the visablity it offered. The restoration for the main part of the fort is quite good. The buildings are completely reconstucted and you can walk about viewing things as it might have been. The out buildings are in ruins and a little more imagination is required.

Officer’s Quarters, Fort Shirley

We then head to Syndicate/Milton Falls. The Syndicate Nature Walk is one of the National Park high lights. On the other hand if you wish to see the Milton Falls you must cross private land and you must pay the piper to gain access. This seems to be quasi legal but it is being done. The falls are still on the tourist trail and guides take people there. The money goes to maintaining the trail and access road but either they don’t collect enough funds or trail maintaince is not high on the budget because it does not look maintained at all to me. The falls are nice but maybe I am jaded, to me they are falls and not worth the cash or the walk. The single lane asphalt road was much more of an adventure.

Milton Falls

Onward to our next destination. Salibury. We thought we should dive a few days mid island and Salisbury seemed to be the hub. East Carib Divers is one of the places we are looking for and the first one we find. We pull off the highway and into a  three car parking lot. The gate to the beach is closed so we dismount and walk down a very steep incline to the water’s edge and through an enclave of buildings to see if we can find anyone so we can store our gear for tomorrow. Beatrice appears out of nowhere and shows us where the gear is kept. 8.15 tomorrow morning she says and we are on the road again.

This time in search of the Tamerind Tree Hotel. Only a couple of hundred meters down the road really but this time it is up a steep hill. Everything seems to be steep here. Our room is plain but more than adequate. There are two chairs and a table on our front deck that have million dollar view.

View from the Tamarind Tree Hotel

Only short comings of this place is the lack of eating establishments. It is Monday and we are told a good number of the places are closed on Mondays but we find exactly 3 places to eat other than our hotel restaurant. With pickings slim, we choose Carib Bay Beach Bar and share a burger with fried potatoes and salad.

Time to relax from our day topside. Tomorrow we submerge again into the Carribean.

We heard about a gathering to be held on the football pitch a few days ago and have asked around to see what it is all about. Yesterday, red flags started appearing on the telephone poles. Food stalls and a stage were being set up on the pitch. We were told there would be music and speeches. All are welcome.

Last night we saw a truck or two blaring music and their red shirted riders waving red flags.

Today, as we drive back from diving, there are red shirts folks everywhere. On the corners, on the beach, walking towards downtown, in cars. Murray muses that he thinks it looks like the folks are waiting for a parade.

A few minutes later, and a few kilometres down the road, as we are parked on the main street near the university at the ATM machine, a parade of vehicles goes by. How did Murray know? Honking horns, pounding speakers, waving red flags and a bazillion red shirts riding in the vehicles. It is about 10 minutes before we dare move.

As we sit in the beach bar at our hotel, we can hear the music playing at the rally and the speaker exciting the red mass to dance and cheer. I can visualize the movement of thousands of bodies gyrating to the beat.

By tomorrow morning the sea of red will have disbursed into the multitude of Carribean hues.

It is only the 3rd day on the island and already we have met more folks than the entire 2 weeks on Kona last November.

Our first ‘official’ meeting was our hosts at Marigot. The folks run the Coffee River Cottages. S is from Canada and S is from New Zealand. They moved here 27 years ago and jumped right into being citizens of Dominica, cutting all ties with their birth nations. Great company and interesting stories. There was a friend from Barabados visiting. He started life in Britain and has lived in the Caribbean most of his adult life. Once a chef he turned his attention to the sale of exotic cooking ingredients and says he makes a very good living.

Easier to meet are the people on the dive boat. J is from Santa Barbara. His wife rides horses and he gets to dive. There is only the three of us on the boat so we talk a lot, nice fellow who came to the Caribbean for a holiday not necessily to dive. He and his wife C, show up again on Saturday and join the boat to snorkel.

The dive guys F and N come with the boat. They are friendly types born on the island. F is particularly attentive and helps everyone of us don our gear and get in the water. The toughest part of getting to know these two is their accent. It is thick and we have to listen very attentively to decern what dive site we are at and the nature of the impending dive.

Last night we met a couple from Switzerland. They have always traveled but have recently retired and intend to up the ante and travel more. Tomorrow they are hitching a ride with us and going to board the boat to do a little snorkelling.

We did have more company diving today. A young guy, J, who is attending med school here and learned to dive thinking, ‘when in Rome’. He doesn’t have too many dives but he is off on his own spear fishing the dreaded lionfish.

K and N are from Arizona and have been diving a long time but like us are land locked and have to travel to get in the water. They will be on the boat for a few days so we will cross paths again tomorrow.

It is amazing how many Americans we meet and not one of them voted for the new president. Had a short conversation about American politics, nomally a tabu subject when talking to newly met folks but everyone more or less agreed and we all parted with body parts entact.

The stories we get are great and the people are very amenible. Hopefully we continue meeting new friends at the same rate we have up to now. We are about to step into the local scene downtown Portsmouth and see if there are a few stories we can pick up there.