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
I'll be back to comment more, but I loved the photos! Did many cars pass you on the roads when we hiked on those? Those curves are something! More soon!
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