Dominica

Sunday, March 11, 2001

015-17.340 N
061-23.400 W

Wow, it's been a busy week. One thing that I learned was that some of the islands down here are MUCH larger than I anticipated. I was used to small islands where you could rent a jeep and see the entire island in 3 hours.

Well, that just doesn't hold for the above islands. Some of them are 600+ square miles with lots of long, bumpy roads and tons of switchbacks. Add to that having moving the boat along the coast, and I've quickly find that I haven't begun to scheduled enough time to see the island & enjoy it. I guess that just means that I'll have to come back! :-)

Dominica is one of those large islands. It's about 45x15 miles and is extremely mountainous. Every square inch contains something green. Colorful flowers stand out brilliantly against this green. And there are millions of banana trees covering the landscape with a canopy of coconut trees above them. Bananas are their #1 export, and from what I can calculate, they only get $0.05 per pound. Hum...

There are also 365 rivers on the island, but only one, the Indian River, is navigable and then for only 3/4 of a mile. River guides paddle up the river to see the wild life and seek out the national bird, a parrot, which unfortunately is rather rare and was not to be seen.

Most tourists utilize guides to take you around and see the sites. Everyone claims to be a guide! After renting a jeep and trying to find things, I can tell you why you need one. Nothing is marked! I'm sure that the guides have an interest in keeping it this way. Anyhow, after struggling to find anything, a guide named Stanley offered to show the way.

Stanley, who fell into the 250 degree Boiling Lake 3 years ago & survived, was a great guide. Friendly, knowledgeable, and not on ganja. I have great faith that the probability of finding the Titou Gourge, the sulfur springs, or Trafalger calls without Stanley would have been next to nil.

Oh, I have to tell you about a couple I saw from Sweden. They had sailed 3500+ miles in an 18' sailboat that was less than 5' wide and maybe 3 feet above the water! To cook they unfold a portable stove, hook up a propane bottle, cook and then stow it away. Wow, what a concentrated life!

Log ID: 281