DOMINICA - WELCOME TO PARADISE

June 10, 2013

ROD HEADING TO CUSTOMS WITH ALEXIS

We have been here 2 days, the scenery is beautiful & the people friendly. You can tell everyone is on island time here. On the beach there are families, couples & groups of young people enjoying the beauty of the island. Time seems to have slowed down. Dominica is a place you could stay for a long time.

ALEXIS MEETS THE BOAT
 

IN THE JUNGLE
 

As we neared the cut into Portsmouth we were met with energetic young men in small boats. These are the Boat Boys of the island. They will do everything from helping you pick up a mooring, selling fresh fruit, arrange an island tour, taking your garbage or delivering ice. This is a business to them & they take it very seriously. It is best to pick one to deal with during your stay because they will be at your boat making sure your needs are taken care of several times a day. We settled on Alexis & Providence who are very informative & helpful. Providence runs the tours of the island by mini bus. He is also an ambassador of sorts, attending large gatherings of cruisers on other island to tell them of the beauty & history of Dominica.

ALEXIS AS TOUR GUIDE

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On Sunday Alexis took us & 2 other couples on a river tour, up into the jungle. Some of the scene's in The Pirate of the Caribbean were filmed right where we being paddled through the mangroves, wild hibiscus, ferns, bamboo & palm trees. All the plants & trees crowded over the river blocking out any sun. There were birds, iguanas, land crabs & many things you could not see. We were told to keep our hands out of the water, alligators live here along with huge python. It was beautiful, our guide was very informative & funny, do not miss seeing this place time has forgotten.

FORT OVERLOOKING HARBOR
 

While we were on the River tour, David took the hike up to the fort overlooking the harbor arriving back on the beach in the late afternoon. He highly recommends this easy hike thorough this beautiful national park. There is much to see & learn about the history of Dominica.

 

Before we knew it it was time for dinner on the beach, hosted by the helpful young men in the boats. It is a time to meet some of the other cruisers anchored or moored around us. By 7pm we were drinking rum punch & trading stories with John & Lela from Yachtsman's Dream. Dinner was wonderful, grilled chicken, fish, salad & rice. As the evening wore on we met many people, all heading towards the same destination, Grenada. Paul & Sheryl from Distant Shores have been cruising for 23yrs. They built their first boat & have documented their travels for The Travel Channel & now have a Sailing Adventure TV Series. www.distantshores.ca It is fascinating the varied backgrounds we all come from. There are boats here from Texas, Kentucky, Seattle, Boston, Australia, Switzerland & more.

 

We need to be moving on. The weather is rainy & windy, when it calms down we are off to St. Lucia where David will reluctantly board a plane back to job & family. The time he has spent with us has made him even more sure he will soon join us out here in Water World. He has a 44ft CSY that is straining at her mooring in Kemah, just waiting to take him away to adventure & a new way of life. His time is coming soon. He will leave Houston in the winter sailing south. At first he may sail 6 months, leave the boat in a foreign port & return to work for 6 months. There are many ways to make your dreams & adventures come true.