Niamh scaling the waterfall rocks, Dominica.
July 12, Douglas Bay, Dominica
We said good-bye to The Saints yesterday morning after filling our water tanks at the ferry dock. The sail was fine, but a bit nauseatingly roll-y at first. Eighteen nm brought us to a mental milestone: Dominica!
This is the last of the leeward islands. This is the place we were going to meet up with La Vagabonde for the rugby piss up I mean match. This is the place that Rhün raved about — its untouched rain forests and natural beauty. It is a lush, beautiful island with a string of verdant, cloud-topped volcanos, and fresh water rivers flowing down to the sea.
It looks gorgeous from the boat.
Go ashore, in Portsmouth, and you will see poverty that is palpable. It is a bit of a shock after the cute and quaint Îles des Saints (“just like St. Bart’s in the 1950s”). But I would encourage any visitor not to be deterred.
Dominica is unique in the Caribbean. And from what I understand, they are gradually developing a sustainable eco-tourism industry, a bit like Costa Rica. There are no resorts on the island. However, there are guest houses and small off-the-grid hotels.
We visited the Indian River by rowboat (no engines allowed), with a very gracious and informative guide, Albert. He talked about the river and local wild life the whole way up, and then, probably due to my prodding, talked about food and local cuisine the whole way back. It was a rare treat to spend a quiet afternoon gliding down a river set in an old growth rain forest with him as our guide.