Tuesday I found myself on Dominica (pronounced Dom-in-eek-a). Dominica sits midway along the Eastern Caribbean archipelago, just a few miles from Martinique to the south and Guadeloupe to the north. The indigenous Carib Indians named the island Waitukubuli which means "tall is her body" in the carib language. The island is sparsely populated with around 70,000 people inhabiting its 289.5 square miles. A significant portion of the population lives in and around the capital city, Roseau. Dominica is an arcadia of unspoiled nature with tropical forest covering roughly two thirds of the island. Rivers, lakes, streams, and waterfalls abound, are fed by the islands high annual rainfall. There are so many rivers that the people there boast of having a river for each day of the year (365). In addition, Dominica is a volcanic island having black beaches and has one of the larges boiling lakes in the world.
Back to my visit to Dominica. Dominica was my first close encounter with a rain forest. Now since I am a big fan of exploration, hiking, etc. I felt it would be best to make reservations with a guide. After searching the internet I happened across a local named "sheppee." We exchanged a few emails and set the reservations. Sheppee was great. He was very friendly, young, and knew his stuff. He had a perfect itinerary planned. There was so much to see, too much for one day, so he took me to a couple of his favorite hikes. Finding sheppee was rather easy. At first it seemed a little intimidating with a crowd waiting at the gate to the cruise ship dock. I approached the crowd and asked if anyone knew Sheppee. I was surprised to find that everyone seemed to know him and they graciously helped point me to him. He was just down the street, away from the crowds and all set for the days adventure.
After getting acquainted, he explained his plans for the day and off we went. As we traveled he stopped numerous times pointing out local vegetation (avacado, bananas, mangos, etc), historical sites, etc. We also stopped at a few scenic overlooks.
The first hike, to Victoria Falls, was estimated to take about 45min; however, it took us about an hour. It wasn't the easiest hike, I would rate it a 4 out of 5, but I loved every second of it. The trail was very rough with many stones used as "stairs". The train was uneven and in many areas required "4 wheel drive" to traverse. Some people might find this too difficult but if you do not mind the challenge, you will find it to be well worth it. If you have any ill will towards the hike, reaching the water fall will make it all worth your while! The waterfall was incredible and to make it even better there was a pool at the base, perfect for taking a dip to cool down or just enjoy a little swim. I will say the water was perfect! Below are a few pictures of the hike and the falls.
This is a picture taken of the trail approaching Victoria falls.
The Waterfall was too large for me to take a picture of the whole thing.
The base of Victoria Falls
Once we got back to the car, Sheppee, pulled out the refreshments. He had a few things to choose from but he recommended a rum punch. Not something I normally would have after a hike but it was quite refreshing and delicious.
From there we made our way to the next stop, Trafalgar Falls. The hike to this one was short and very easy. They said they hike took 10 min., but i beg to differ, i think it was much shorter! The waterfalls were neat; however, this was nothing compared to the first hike. For me it was too crowded. I guess between the handicapped accessibility of the hike and the fact that it was a short and easy trail made it popular with the tourists. But as you can see below the falls were quite picturesque.
After Trafalgar Falls we made our way to a sulfur spring. This is something i would recommend skipping. I thought it would be pretty neat, but besides a little gurgling and a lot of heat, steam, and sulfur gas there really was nothing to see.
Sulfur Spring
After the spring, we drove by a volcano. According to Sheppee, the best view was from the road as we drove by. I guess the trail that leads to the volcano stops short and you really do not get to see much of anything. From the road I could see and open hole in the earth and smoke billowing out of it, but that was about it. Not nearly as exciting as images you see on TV.
Last but not least, on our way back to the cruise ship, Sheppee took us to one of his favorite spots. An overlook of the entire town and cruise docks. It was quite a sight!
Looking Back:
Dominica was a hikers paradise; however, to really get a chance to explore and see all that it has to offer you will need more than a day. If you are limited on how long you will be there I highly recommend Sheppee. He is very knowledgeable and will customize your day to meet fit your needs.
Well, thats all for Dominica. Next on to Barbados.
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