Voyage To The Boiling Lake

THIS 5 MINUTE VIDEO DOES THE HIKE MUCH MORE JUSTICE THAN THE PHOTOS! IF YOU ONLY HAVE A LITTLE TIME PLEASE WATCH! USE FULL SCREEN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyGG7UKF9TI

It feels as if I have accomplished a great deal since my last posting. We held a large meeting with the government and members of the DMA (Dominica Manufacturers Association) on our overall progress on our project so far. They seemed very pleased with our work this far, and are very excited to see what we will accomplish in our last 5 weeks here. That evening, we went with Shirley (our host mom) to help decorate the luxurious Fort Young Hotel for a large cocktail party that they were having the next day. She invited us to attend, and the next day she drove us down to the hotel. We were dressed in fancy attire, to match the cocktail theme, but had little to no idea what the actual event was about. When we got there, we were shocked to discover that it was an investors cocktail, where all the big shot Dominican's were walking through different booths with people trying to get them to invest. In the spirit of adventure, we decided to play along, and whenever we were asked what company we represented, we would respond with "Were here on behalf of Desmond." Desmond was the florist who had supplied all of the flowers, plants, and decorations for the event. It turned out to be a fun time, and we stayed for a little while before disappearing to the pool deck to play cards beside the water. The picture I took was blurry and at the end of the night when things were dying down, as I did not want to pull out my camera in the middle of the party.

A View After Many People Had Already Cleared Out

 The next day after the meeting, Phil, Catherine, and I were featured as guest's on the nations most listened to radio show "The Hot Seat." The interviewer asked us about our involvement in the coconut cheese industry, and what our plans were for the remainder of our tenure. I spoke very well over the airwaves as I explained the process of production and the machinery we are hoping to obtain to mechanize the coconut cheese making process. After we left, the radio station reported to our boss that many people called in with questions about us, so the radio station has given us a 1.5 hour time slot next week to further discuss our involvement in the industry. To fill the long show, our fellow students on the other side of the island will come on the show with us to discuss their involvement in the coconut oil manufacturing process. It is an honor to be hosted on so many forms of media, and it feels wonderful to be treated like such a celebrity. We grabbed lunch with our fellow students, and made plans for our Saturday adventure to the most difficult hike on the island; The Journey to Boiling Lake.

To prepare for boiling lake, we scoured the grocery stores on Friday for granola bars, sardines, and other protein filled rations that we would need for the hike. We then proceeded to eat an exceptionally large pasta dinner to carboload our bodies for the strenuous 8 mile mountainous hike that lay ahead. We went to bed early on Friday, as we woke at 5:30 AM on Saturday to cook a big scrambled egg and corn beef hash breakfast before leaving our house at 6:45. We arrived at the trail head a little after 7:20, and entered the jungle shortly after. The beginning of the hike was very similar to the other rain forest hikes we have done. Large exotic trees loomed over our heads as strange insects and birds cried off in the distance. The forest was very dark, as the perpetual clouds, mist, and tree cover blocked the sun's gleaming rays from ever reaching the muddy ground. The trail was so muddy at points that we would have to venture off the beaten path just to find a route that wouldn't consume our boots, as at several points the mud was much deeper than it looked. The rain forest path wove deep into the jungle and up into the mountains, taking us up and down steep inclines were you would need to climb the carved mountain steps like ladders. We crossed two small rivers, one with a bridge, the other by hopping over rocks, and eventually reached the top of the mountain. From the top, we could see steam pouring out above the treeline below, the first beacon of the road to boiling lake. We then proceeded to continue down the mountainous path, where the smells of sulfur wafted up through the air, alerting us of our nearness to the next obstacle on our path; The Valley of Desolation. As we rounded a final turn through the trees, the jungle stopped instantly, and before us lay a desolate, steaming wasteland with a sight that certainly precedes itself as the Valley of Desolation.

A View of The Mountain Jungle From a Hole In The Rock

A Large Tree. (Michael For Scale)

Posing For A Group Shot Almost At Peak

 Here, in the valley below, lay bubbling pits of mud and spitting jets of boiling water littered between white, gray, and green piles of sulfuric ash. But to reach the valley, we first had to descend along a steep rocky cliff with a stream running through the middle. The rocks were bright yellow, and many of the sights while climbing down appeared as if they were ripped directly out of the Thunder Mountain Railroad in Disney World. Colorful red and orange rocks with streams dashing between the boulders marked our path down from the mountain and into the valley below. Once here, the ominous sound of boiling water gurgling beneath the sulfur gravel we were walking on constantly reminded us that boiling water could appear anywhere at any time. The valley as a whole looked like something out of a science fiction movie. Smoldering craters with steam pouring out of desolate canyons looked like a scene out of a Twilight Zone episode, where Rod Sterling had cast our pod of unfortunate students in a vast post apocalyptic landscape.

Climbing Back Up The Rocky Descent

 Hiking Down To The Valley

Hiking Hiking Hiking

Maneuvering The Volcanic Rocks

Michael In The Valley

 While the valley did have many grey, black, and pale green colors, as we treked further through the wastelands we started to notice colors of which I until now never knew existed in nature. Vibrant bluish white water trickled between neon orange stones with black, purple and green mineral deposits lining the creek shores. Dark mosses lined stones as ash rubbed up along the red river rocks of the super heated water. The trail took us right along the river path, with us having to tread carefully across the stream many times. Each crossing proved to be an adventure, as the water at some points was cold, and at others near boiling depending on the volcanic activity of the area directly underground. After zig zagging across the boiling landscape, we followed the stream past waterfalls and we climbed back up into the mountains. Here we rendezvoused with the river further upstream, and followed an extremely ill defined path which lead us through large boulders and up steep inclines. At several points we weren't sure if we were on a trail at all, as there was no defined path, and we still could not see the boiling lake. 

A Beautiful Example Of Sulfur

Picture In Front Of A Volcanic Crater

A Shot Of The Sulfur River

Hiking Alongside The Hot River

Lucky for us, common sense prevailed, and we climbed a serious of boulders that lead us straight up to a large peak that overlooked the famous boiling lake. Dominica's Boiling lake is the 2nd Largest Boiling Lake in the world, rivaled that only by one in New Zealand. The lakes center was at a constant boil, which produced a large, whirlpool looking white water ring in the center. As the mist from the lake blew up to our peak, we could feel the immense heat that the lake was producing. We decided the peak provided an excellent spot to take a lunch break and chow down on some of the snacks we brought. We relaxed at the top for close to twenty minutes, before another group of hikers met us on the summit. Here we exchanged congratulations, and we packed up to leave them to take in the wonderful views the peak had to offer alone. 

Eating At The Peak Of Boiling Lake

 The Boiling Lake Boiling

The return journey through the valley was just as interesting as the first, as we noticed many more volcanic rocks happenings that we had somehow missed on the way down. There seemed to be more boiling mud, more steaming crags, and more sulfur winds blowing through the valley. We took our time as we criss-crossed across the same bubbling streams, being extra sure not to lose our footing and tumble into the scolding waters below. With our fatigued legs, it was more challenging to remain upright and make some of the more dangerous steps across the waters without losing balance, but fortunately we all made it through the valley burn free. Climbing back up some of the steeper mountain cliffs proved to be challenging, as we had to borderline rock climb up some areas just to stay on the trail. After we made it out of the valley safely, we continued through the remainder of the trail at a decent pace. Overall, we completed the 8 mile mountain hike in just under six hours, a strong time for 5 people without a guide.

Carefully Crossing A VERY Hot Creek

Hiking Back Up The Valley. 

Group Shot Heading Back Up

Michael In The Valley Again

At the end of the trail head was another famous Dominican landmark that we couldn't afford to miss; Titou Gorge. Tito Gorge was featured in the second Pirates of the Caribbean Movie, with Jack Sparrow and Will Turner each swimming through it's cave like labyrinth. After stripping down to our swim suits, we entered the FREEZING cold water and began to swim into the gorge. Lucky for us, a local boy had just started swimming and was very eager to show us all the secret spots the gorge had to offer. Without the boy, we would never have been able to swim as far into the gorge as we did, as he pointed out every underwater rock we could stand on, every route to avoid the underwater current, and even the best route to reach a secret alcove by the first waterfall. The gorge was absolutely stunning, as small amounts of light crept though the large moss covered rocky ceiling.  The water was black as night, and the sound of rushing water echoed along the cave's cavernous walls. We were blown away at the length of the gorge, as it looked so small from the outside, but proved to be ENORMOUS on the inside. Once by the first waterfall, the boy asked if we wanted to see a real secret spot where most tourists don't go. I of course obliged, as did Phil and Palaoa. The boy showed me how to climb up the first waterfall, guiding me where to put my hands, and where not to put my feet to avoid a large underwater hole in the rock. Once up, I navigated along the smooth rock face, fighting the strong current being produced by the second, larger waterfall. Here, there was a small round room of water being fed by the rapid water of the falls above. The fast moving water created a large foamy whirlpool that would whip you around the circular room's edge. We laughed and took in the splendor of the room for a little while, and then proceeded to maneuver our way back towards the first waterfall. Here, we were instructed to jump off the first waterfall into the watery pool below. Without hesitation, we did just that, and as soon as our bodies hit the water below, we were swept down stream by the waterfalls strong lateral current. By this point, the gorges frigid water was starting to catch up to us, and we decided to swim out of the cave network and back to the girls on the other side.

Just Entering The Gourge

Navigating The Tunnels

Swimming Through The Caverns

Me At The Second Falls

A Different Angle Of The Second Waterfall

Looking Up From The Falls

Me In The Caverns

A Look Up The Falls

Me And Our Kind Local Guide

 Once we dried off, we thanked the boy for showing us such a fun time in the water, and we returned back to Roseua to demolish some pizzas at our favorite french restaurant. 

Overall, Titou Gourge proved to be the single greatest location I have observed on this trip (and possibly in life as a whole) as the whole time I could not wipe the childlike grin off my face. I have never seen such a beautiful landscape that allows viewers to swim through, climb, and jump. The Gorge gave me an incredible adrenaline rush, in addition to wicking away the layers of sweat and mud that I had caked on my skin through the Valley of Desolation.

Overall, this was by far the coolest hike we have done so far, and I look forward to doing many more hikes as I continue my stay in Dominica. Thank you for your time reading! I look forward to hearing from you

On National Telivsion and A Day On The Trail

This weekend was slightly less adventurous than the last, but still proved to be an enjoyable time. On Wednesday night at 9:00, Phil, Catherine, and I were interviewed by channel 5 at their station. We were told that the news station would arrange our transportation, and to our surprise they sent a large, air conditioned bus to pick us up.When it arrived we immediately felt like rock stars getting into a large private bus. Large buses are very uncommon on the island, as buses used in typical transportation are simply large vans. So the fact that the news station sent us a full size bus with a driver to personally escort us from the city to the station was a very big deal. When we boarded the bus I reclined horizontal in a row of seats in the back of the bus I reserved specifically to myself, and the bus chauffeured us through the city to the countryside to the news station. Being dressed in nice clothes further united my mind with the countless young pictures of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, as I humored myself at my luxury personal transportation to a televised event.

Our RockStar Bus

When we arrived at the station, we were ushered through a barbwire fence and into the newsroom where we were hooked up with microphones and  fitted for the camera. After the first segment aired we were on, talking very professionally while on the air, and laughing around with the others in the studio as soon as we cut to commercial. I had never been in a newstation before, and it was a very cool experience to see one in real life, especially to be treated as such a guest of honor. We talked on the air about our work in Dominica, and about our plans for the coconut cheese industry as a whole. I had plenty of talking time, and talked slowly, clearly, and distinctly for a large portion of the program. After our show,  the newstation had the private bus transport us all the way back to our home in Eggleston, a 30 minute or so ride. As the bus bounced along, I reclined against the window in a cool beatnik esque pose as the bus wound up the long and windy road to our house.  It was such a cool experience that I couldn't help myself from smiling at points at how awesome our rockstar treatment was, and it certainly will be an experience I will remember for a long time to come.

Me Posing By The Cameras

On National Television

One Of Many Michael Close-ups While Speaking

The next morning we woke up bright and early to drive across the Island to the town of Marigot to judge one of the last 4H competitions of the year. I was again selected to be a celebrity judge, and watched as kids competed in public speaking and choral speech events. Some children brought in their family farm animals, with kids bringing up cardboard boxes with holes in them which they would proceed to pull rabbits or chickens out of. Other students demonstrated their family traditions of weaving, drumming, or healthy recipes on stage, and overall it was a very pleasant afternoon for all.

After the competition, we were dropped off with our fellow students on the other side of the island, and stayed with them for the next two days. We hung out with several locals our age who are great company, and grabbed dinner with them in the nearby village. We laughed and played card games with them all night, and planned our next days adventure, to hike the final stretch of the Dominica National Trail.

We once again woke up early to get a quick start on the trail and to beat the sun's heat. We had to take 2 separate buses to reach the trail head where we wanted to start, and then proceeded to hike the 5 or 6 miles up and down steep hills through the mountains. This part of the trail was roughly 1/2 hiking along Dominica's paved roads, with the other 1/2 walking along the oceans rocky shores or through coastal forests. The hike was much easier than the hikes we did last weekend, which proved to be a blessing to our still fatigued bodies. We walked through many quaint villages, exchanging "good mornings" with every villager we passed along the way.

Hiking Along The Ocean

Continuing To Hike

Some Of The Roads

A Cricket Field We Hiked Through

The hike ended in Cabrits National Park, home of Fort Shirley, a fort from the colonial times. The fort provided some breathtaking views of the bay, and we were continually amazed with how thick the walls of each structure of the fort were. Unfortunately for us, the Dominican government restored the fort in the 90's, and did a very poor job maintaining it's authenticity. Ugly orange sheet metal roofs now cover each building and blemish the original integrity of the quarters where soldiers once stood. It would have been much more interesting to see the ruins of the old fort than the cheaply re-finished tourist attraction that the government halfheartedly created. Regardless, learning the history of the fort and seeing the old cannons fixated on the bay proved to be a nice ending to a pleasant hike, and reminded me of visiting my grandfather T, when he used to be the blacksmith at Fort Clinch in Florida.

A Walk By Cannonside

Gazing Out To Sea

After the fort we ate at beach side restaurant, and proceeded to swim in the water and play frisbee briefly before heading home. One neat thing I found in the water was a live sand dollar under the water! After taking a few pictures with the interesting find, I returned it to the ocean waves. I had thought to take it home as a souvenir, but the prickles and dark color of the creature reminded me that it was still a living organism, and I should do my part to help keep the ocean teeming with life. I am happy with my decisions, and I know Mrs. Frizzle would certainly be proud.

My Live Sand Dollar And I

We returned to our friends home in Woodford Hill to cook homemade pizza with the locals, and play cards and games for the remainder of the night. It was a very fun and tiring day.

The next day we returned to Mero Beach for our third time this trip, and relaxed along the waves for the whole day. We played Frisbee and I snorkeled around the water hunting for beach glass and interesting shells. One of the locals named Dilbert met us at the beach and we played Frisbee and ate a meal with him at a local cafe along the seaside. As the sun was beginning to set we decided to catch a bus back to Roseua, and then a bus back to Eggleston. It was a very nice weekend indeed.

A View At Mero Beach

 

World Cup, Distilleries, And Hikes Galore

If you only have a little bit of time, this 1 minute video summary of the hikes is a fantastic demonstration of our travels. Definitely make it full screen though!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykcx-WzyJso&feature=youtube_gdata

This weekend was an extra exciting weekend, as we accomplished a great deal in a short span of time. Our first event on the calendar was to attend the Dominica vs Canada World Cup Qualifying match in Windsor Park. We arrived at the arena an hour early, as we were told that there was expected to be a large showing of support for the Dominican team, and there was no assigned seating. This speculation was correct, and the arena was jam packed with roaring football fans, considerably more than at the cricket match. Upon arriving at the stadium, we were greeted by one of the only other fair skinned patrons there, a die hard Canadian Football fan who had logged 22 away traveling with the Canadian team. He hoped to recruit us to be temporary Canada fans for the evening, offering to bribe us with oodles of Canadian swag ranging from hats to flags. We unfortunately had turn him down, as our hearts belonged to the other team, which he fully understood after we explained how long we planned to stay on the nature Island. He then proceeded to recruit some German tourists to fill our spot, and found several other french speaking friends to enjoy the match with (as Dominica has some french people on the island). The match ended with Dominica losing by 2 goals, but still proved to be a very fun evening. We then proceeded to return to our house, and hung out with some locals around our age at one of the small house side shops up the road. It was a very fun evening.

Dominica Vs Canada World Cup Qualifier

The next morning we slept in, and then decided to tour the Macoucherie Rum Factory on the island. The distillery is roughly a 25 minute drive from our home in Eggleston, and we almost missed the "exit" to the factory, as there was no signage to direct us, and the place looked to be falling apart. However, to our surprise, it was indeed the factory, and we arrived just in time for our tour. The first thing incredibly interesting about the factory, was it was still stuck in the 19th century. The entire distillery operation was still powered by a stream that ran alongside the centuries old machinery, and still used the original watermill to power the equipment. Sugarcane was grown and harvested much by hand, as we saw several workers in the field lugging heavy sacks of cane over the back to the pile to be processed. One interesting thing to note was that all the manual labor positions were held by Haitians (people from Haiti), and lived on site in the same quarters that used to house the slaves that previously ran the factory. The tour guide said it was impossible to find Dominicans who would agree to work in the fields, which was extremely surprising for a country with an unemployment rate of 23%, (26.2% for young males). So instead, the managers of the company had to import workers from the island of Haiti to work in their factory.  The tour continued to show us some old store houses with shudders hanging crooked from one hinge, and water run offs with dead crabs laying in the gutters. Inside the distillation building, we were shown to the hydrometer, which was still the original antique alcohol content meter from the factories origins. Here, in this building, the mash was pumped from large caste iron tanks several floors above into the the distillation chamber. The supports for these heavy containers were simply old planks of wood, which made me wonder how such a vast amount of weight could be supported for centuries by such a small amount of wood. The most interesting aspect of the tour was how old fashioned the distillery still was. When you visit distilaries in the united states, they show you the old equipment that was used long ago, and the machinery that is used now. This place, on the other hand, was still reliant on the old methods of production, which was somthing that I had never seen before, and made the trip completely worth it.

Water Wheel That Powers All Machinery

Storehouses Still In Use

After the distillery, we continued onto the nearby Mero Beach, where we visited very early in the trip. Here we swam, skipped stones, and laid out on lounge chairs along the sea by a seaside restaurant known as Romance Cafe. The owner of the Cafe was a French woman who had heard us on the news, and was very eager to hear about our work on the island. She gave us advice on how to reach the masses, as well as a round of free drinks for chatting with her. She was very kind and ran the most peaceful seaside cafe this side of the equator. We enjoyed the beach long past sunset, and came home to eat a quick snack and chat for a few hours in our living room. It was a peaceful end to a peaceful day.

A view After Sunset From Our Cafe Table

The next day was our day of adventure, as we woke up at 7 am to begin our journey into the jungles of Dominica. The first hike on our list was the famous Trolfalga Falls, as seen on the East Caribbean 5 Dollar Bill. The drive took us fairly high into the mountains, and into a beautiful part of the island we had never seen before. The drive was under 30 minutes, and proved to be quite scenic. The walk to the falls, however, proved to be even more so. The trail was short and very well defined. Here, there were solid steps and no steep hills to deter us, and we reached the falls in just under 10 minutes. The view was breathtaking from the observation deck, but I wanted to get closer. I ended up following a small stream that took me through lots of rocks and boulders, to the place where I took the photo below. I wished to get closer to the falls to get a more perfect selfie, however, my group was not brave enough to accompany me along the stream, let alone through a sea of boulders. So I returned to them, and happily proceeded out to our next destination.

Trofalga Falls

A View From My Hike Up The Stream

Group Shot at Trolfalga

The second location on our itinerary was freshwater lake. To reach the lake, we had to travel much further up the mountain. We traveled so far up the mountain that we were completely surrounded by clouds on all sides, and visibility at points was next to none. The temperature dropped so low that we all had goosebumps and were freezing by the time we reached the trail head. The lake itself looked like something out of Harry Potter, as the water was completely covered in a thick fog that obstructed the view of anything more than a few feet out. The clouds continually rolled through, with occasional gusts of wind briefly revealing the glimpses through the fog, and the enormity of the lake. A trail wound around the 2.5 mile circumference of the lake, and lead us on an extreme expedition way up into the mountain. The trail was extremely slippery and dark, as the clouds keep the place constantly soaked, and between the clouds, fog, and complete tree cover, very little light made it through to the trail. Their were logs dug into the steep hills as steps, but proved to be immensely slippery since they were soaked. These log steps wound up and down through the mountain side to immense heights, and at times were so steep had to be climbed almost like a ladder, with hands holding the step directly in front of you. It was surreal looking down with one moment seeing a hundred foot drop, and the next seeing nothing but the grey fog concealing the gorge below. The ghostly fog and the wipping wind were such a unique and breathtaking experience that really reminded us we were on the top of a mountain at the top of the world.

The Clouds At Freshwater Lake

Me With Cloud Concealed Mountains Behind

Dont Look Down

1. Truckin

Me Walking The Narrow Mountain Top

Group Shot With STEEP Path Behind Us. Look How Straight Down It Goes

After we completed the Freshwater Lake (it took us several hours of climbing straight up and down) we continued on to a trail known as Bori Lake. Bori lake was very close to freshwater lake, but was at a slightly higher elevation. The trail to Bori was mostly rocks, which proved to be more slippery than the logs, and at times much more treacherous. We had to scoot ourselves over some of the bigger boulders, and constantly used handholds to ensure we would not slip. This trail also took us up and down very steep hills through the mountains, with breathtaking views every time the fog would slightly give way. The end result was a breathtakingly teal lake concealed most the time by the thick fog with a large boulder shore. This pool in the mountains was absolutely gorgeous, and the pictures taken cannot do it justice, but absolutely made this two hour round trip hike worth it. What I still cannot get over was how DARK  it gets in the rain forest. The pictures make the environment look much lighter than it really was, and it was in fact very similar to dusk lighting for most the trip.

Our Path Through The Rain Forest

Some Sunlight Creeps Through

We Reached Bori Lake!

Me With Bori Lake Behind

After that hike, we refueled at one of our favorite restaurants, and continued down to hike up Scott's Head, the location where the fierce Atlantic ocean meets the calm Caribbean Sea. This was a relatively short hike directly up the rocky shore. The climate down at sea level is much more arid, and the dry heat was a stark contrast to the cool dark environment of the rain forest. We ended up losing the trail at one point, and had to scurry up a rather scary cliff that made me fearful to look down. The strong ocean winds were whipping from the top, but the peak provided a fantastic view of the island and ocean. The peak was also used as a fortification, and a large cannon and steep ammo reserve still serve as the area's eternal guardian overlooking the bay. 

'

The View From Scott's Head. (Atlantic on Left, Caribbean on Right)

Group

We then traveled back up the mountain and into the clouds for our 4th and final hike of the day. The destination was Middlehelm falls, an estimated 2 hour hike, which was exactly how much time we had before the sun was supposed to set. Lucky for us we had beaten all the other "estimated times" and found ourselves to be quick and proficient hikers. This hike lead us up high through a forest with trees as big as redwoods and sounds of tropical birds echoing through the dark forest. The view of the falls was absolutely spectacular, and due to it's such great stature, we struggled to capture it all in a single picture. Thank goodness Samsung has a vertical panorama feature so the falls could be captured in all their glory!

The Hike To Middelhelm

The View of Middelhelm

Michael at Middlehelm

The final event of the day was a trip to Screw's Spa, a natural freshwater spring pool to bathe in. While we expected a simple hole in the ground, we were shocked to discover the places size and beauty. There were statues and beautiful rock walls lining the many pools that connected through gorgeous man made waterfalls. The pools looked like they were out of a zen garden, and the water in the pools ranged from super hot to comfortably luke warm. We stretched our muscles and enjoyed the springs for a few hours before we returned home to make pancakes and watch the Imitation Game (which is apparently on Caribbean Netflix). It was a fantastic end to a fantastic day.