Loan Meeting, Emerald Pool, Morne Diablotin, And Soccer

THIS IS A VIDEO OF OUR CLIMBING OF MORNE DIBLOTIN. THE PICTURES DO NOT DO IT JUSTICE OF HOW TIGHT AND CRAMPED THE CLIMBING WAS. CHECK IT OUT!

It was another productive week here in Dominica. On Wednesday we met with a wonderful lady at the Produce Lab in the Botanical Gardens. Here, we worked with her all day to make a variety of natural products on the island. She walked us through some of the behind the scenes gardens that grow local herbs and remedies, explaining to us what each herb is used for throughout the walk. After we returned to the lab, we proceeded to make a large batch of dehydrated mango's for the local coconut cheese producers to use in their recipes. We cut roughly 20 fresh mangoes and laid placed them in the dehydrator. While they were cooking, we then proceeded to make coconut butter, which is a delicious treat made by finely grinding dried coconut and coconut oil. We then proceeded to make local granola, using many local fruits and grains in the batch. After that, we tried making coconut flour, using some of the trash that would typically go to waste from byproducts of making coconut oil. We did this by dehydrating the coconut grindings, essentially turning them into a flour. The whole time we cooked we laughed and enjoyed the company of Sister Natt, who explained to us all the wonderful healing properties many of the local herbs have. Certain herbs were excellent for fighting cancers, while others were used to increase fertility or re-tighten skin after a stroke.

The Produce Lab

Working on Dried Mangoes

On Thursday we were once again guests on a national radio program. This program was by far the most in depth one we have had, and we spoke for over an hour and a half on the work we are doing. We had MANY people call in to ask us questions, and to share their concerns about having Americans come in and work in Dominica. Many of the callers were scared that we would steal their ideas and return to america to make our own factories to produce Dominican products. Other callers shared grievances against the United States for stating coconut oil was bad for human consumption in the 80's due to its saturated fats and cholesterol, and were very unhappy that we hurt their economy. However, some of the callers were genuine and interested in what we were working with, and were thrilled to see us helping improve the Dominican economy and help empower women. Overall, I spoke very well on the air, and every time we are featured I am reminded at how much I enjoy radio, and how much I enjoyed my time at WLTL. I may look into doing Flyer Radio when I return to school in the Fall. It is very neat being featured on so many news outlets, and it is amazing how many people recognize us just from hearing and seeing us on the news. I have had many people come up to me and ask if we were the ones on television or radio, and it is a very interesting experience to be a sort of celebrity on the island. After the radio program, we returned back to the produce lab to make more coconut flour and work on a few other natural herbs. Here, we made local teas and powders by dehydrating local bush leaves and removing them from their stems. We did this with two separate kinds of plants, and the smell of the teas was amazing. We tried making more coconut butter, and the second batch proved to be more delicious than the first. We are planning to meet with Sister Natt again this week to show her our coconut flour bread and work on a few more projects with her.

Another Radio Station We Were Featured On

A Cool Intersection In Roseau

 On Friday, we had a meeting with the Aid Bank, a national organization that provides loans for entrepreneurs hoping to start or grow a business. We presented a slide show presentation of the equipment we are hoping to purchase, as well as brought in the producers of the product to meet with the Aid Bank as well. The presentation went very smoothly, and professionally, and we really did an excellent job on selling the idea to the bank. They were very excited to see us working with women to help women grow their business and become strong entrepreneurs. I have noticed that many of the small businesses I have been to on the island have been run by women, which is rather unexpected for such a small island. After the meeting,After we had done all we could, we took some coconut flour with us to attempt to make bread at home, and caught a bus to Emerald Pool, one of Dominica's most beautiful waterfalls.

 The bus ride was roughly 45 minutes long, but could have been completed in under 30 if our driver drove like all the other fast drivers on the island. However, we arrived in one piece, and after waiting out a little bit of rain, we proceeded to the falls. This hike was really not much of a hike at all, but rather a leisurely walk down a well established path, The trail wound through the jungle, but only for roughly half a mile before we reached the scenic destination of Emerald Pool. Here, a large waterfall gushed over moss covered stones from 20 feet high, flowing into a semi hollow cavern before the cool water found its way to the neighboring stream.

The Beautiful Emerald Pool Falls

I changed into my swim suit behind some boulders behind the falls, laughing to myself as I stared at the behindside of the waterfall thinking "There it is... The Backside of Water". After I finished chuckling at my Jungle Cruise Ride joke, I joined my fellow groupmates who were wading out into the water to explore the falls. Being the only one who changed into a swimsuit, I dove into the water and swam right up to the falls, letting the pouring water massage my head. It was rather scary at times feeling the water crashing on my head, as I prayed the current above hadn't swept up a large rock that could come plummeting down and hit me on the head in a loony tunes esque manner. Luckily I survived the endeavour, and proceeded to climb the rocks behind the falls, taking extra care not to slip on their slippery moss.

Climbing By The Falls

The Falls and I

There it is.... The Backside of Water

Cavern of the Falls

We relaxed by the tranquil fall for a half hour or so before our goosebumps began to rise and signaled to us we should hike back to the start of the trail. I didn't bother changing back into my normal clothes, as the swimsuit I was wearing was already basically dry, yet another head nod to the material engineers of REI. After hiking back through the rain forest path, we were able to catch a bus back to Roseau, and another bus back up to our home in Eggleston,

Group Shot 1

Group Shot 2

Upon returning, Paola and I proceeded to take a walk to the retreat center. Along the way, we encountered several locals around our age who we stopped and chatted with. A boy on a bicycle came down to "check" us as we were returning from the retreat center. "Checking," to my best understanding, is when somebody sends another person (usually  younger boy on a bicycles) to go send word that a person is looking for you. In essence, it's the equivalent of sending a carrier pigeon since not everybody has cell phones. We followed the boy, who's nickname was Goku up the road further than I have ever walked before. Here we walked through larger farms, waving to the family members working on them along the way. We finally arrived at Joshua's house, another boy who I have met in the village, and chatted with him for a while while he tinkered with his bicycle. The kids in my village are very proficient with bicycles, and can fix them up with very limited supplies in very innovative ways. After chatting, we returned back to our home and grilled grilled cheese sandwiches to prepare for our most difficult hike yet; Morne Diablotin.

Leaving Bright And Early From Our Home

We awoke at 6am the next morning to get ready and catch buses that would eventually get us close to Morne Diablotin. After wolfing down some eggs and peanut butter toast, we hit the road and headed for our Eggleston bus stop. A few days prior some kids broke/stole/ our bench by the bustop, which makes waiting for a bus in the sun a little rougher. However, our bus driver soon proceeded to pick us up in a Pickup truck with safari seating in the back, and drove us through Giradel and into town. The open air of the pick up truck is much nicer than sitting crammed like sardines into a large van for the 20 minute bus ride into town. Once we were in town, we proceeded to the larger bus station in the city. Here, different bus drivers yell at you and sometimes grab you trying to usher you into their van instead of someone elses. We chose the most full van that appeared to be leaving the soonest, and hopped in. We drove for roughly 45 minutes to the other side of the island, where we hopped off the bus at the sign that pointed us in the direction of Morne Diablotin, the tallest mountain on the island. Unfortunately for us, we did not realize that the beginning of the trail head was still an hours walk up the road from the main highway, and since we were starting roughly from sea level, the entire journey from here on out would be up, up, and up. We trekked through beautiful mountain surrounded farmland, as the smell of fresh mango's, avocados, and bananas wafted through the air. It is amazing how much sweeter the air smells here than in any other place I have visited, as every breath you take refreshes the senses and reminds you that you are truly on the Nature Isle. We reached the trail head around roughly 9:40, just 50 minutes before the last recommended time to attempt the hike. The sign stated that it typically takes 2 to 3 hours to reach the top of the mountain, and another 2 to 3 hours back.

At The Trail Head

 Already feeling tired, we set up on our quest up the mountain. At first, the trail was very well defined. It lead us up STEEP hills through beautiful rain forests with the largest trees on the island I have ever seen. Many steps along this part of the trail were considered "Michael Steps" meaning they were so large only Michael could possibly attempt to climb them.

The Easy Part Of The Climb

However, after the first hour of hiking, the trail became much less defined, and we soon found ourselves face to face with large down trees and dense thickets of Kaklen tree roots. To even use the word trail at this point would be an overstatement, as here the trail had entirely disappeared, and we were forced to literally climb through dense tangled tree branches and literally rock climb up some steep rock faces. At points the roots were so tight and would constrict movement so much that we had to take off our backpacks and pass them along to the others just so we could wiggle through some of the tight spaces between the constricting roots. The mud at this point was incredible, with the jungle floor being covered in feet of mud that would go up over my ankle if I were to accidentally step down. Because of this, we were forced to stick to the trees, climbing, swinging, and crawling along branches to avoid our boots from being ripped off of us in thick mud.

Large Kraken Roots Block Our Path

Gotta Go Under

Welcome To The Jungle

A Nice Clearing

Climbing every higher through the dark jungle, we finally made our way to the top of the mountain. Here, the wind was very intense, and the weather was extremely cold. We were literally inside of the clouds at this point, leaving no breathtaking view, but rather a surreal landscape where all earth seemed to disappear into a veil of white. In fact, it was so cold at the top, that we couldn't even eat our snacks at the top, and had to retreat back into the jungle to eat. However, since everything along the rain forest mountain is wet and muddy, we couldn't sit down to eat or rest, and instead had to stand as we passed along peanuts, crackers, and baggets

Getting Towards The Top

ON THE TALLEST POINT IN DOMINICA

It was at this point that I began to feel my sickness coming on. Between the altitude, large consumption of water throughout the day, and extreme muscle fatigue, I began to feel nausea overpowering me. We continued down the mountain climbing back through the nest of branches, jumping over branches and ducking under roots, with every step of the way my stomach and I fighting a constant battle. I puked for the first time roughly 20 minutes into our descent, sending terror to my fellow group mates further through the bush, as they heard strange noises coming from up the mountain, and hearing stories of the wild boar that pillaged this mountain. They were relieved to discover it was only me puking my brains out, and we continued through the bush. Unfortunately, we lost the "trail" completely at one point, and were lost among the endless tangled tree branch's trying to find the way out. Lucky for us, Saehan spotted an opening in the thicket several feet above all our heads, and we climbed up the branches and were able to regain our bearings and recognize the path we came in on.I continued to feel nauseous the entire way down the mountain, throwing up one more time, and fighting the urge to throw up a third time every step of the way. While the way up proved to be an exhausting but fun time swinging between trees and scurrying up boulders, the way down for me proved to be an exhausting battle. By the time we had finished the hours of climbing and swinging, my stomach was feeling a little better, as I was not jerking my head around every few seconds trying to climb or swing under low branches. By the time we reached the bottom of the mountain, we had logged roughly 6 hours on the mountain, plus the hour long hike to get to the trail head. By this point I had lost my nausea, and we rinsed our boots in a nearby stream before we finished the journey with an the hour walk back to the road About 40 minutes into our final trek, a pickup truck stopped and let us hop in the back, and proceeded to drive up to the main road.

We Made It

 Lucky for Phil and I, the pickup truck was going back to Roseau, and they offered to let us stay in the back and drive us into town. We were thrilled, as we now didn't have to wait for a bus to pass, or sit cramped in a tiny bus for the 50 minute or so car journey back. Relaxing in the back of the truck as the car sped along the beautiful highway, contouring mountains and beaches was a heaven for our tired legs and battle worn bodies. I would argue that the ride back to Roseau was the single most relaxing ride of my life. When we arrived back in town, we stopped by Whitchurch, our favorite grocery store, and purchased Gatorade's and snickers to celebrate our successful journey. We then caught a bus back to Eggleston and slept the most amazing sleep I have ever slept. It truly was a mountain of a day.

Cruising In The Truck

Beautiful Dominica

One More Selfie

Oh Country Roads

Mud Caked Legs After Diablotin

On Sunday, I walked down to the retreat center to set up my hammock and read amongst the jungle backdrop. However, several young boys came down to chat with me and hang out. I asked them if they wanted to play Frisbee up at the ball field up the road, and they were more than happy to jump at the opportunity. We hiked back up the road and grabbed the Frisbee from Shirley's house, and then proceeded up the road to the ball field. A lone cow stood grazing in the field, the town's sole lawnmower that keeps the field at an ideal length. We through the disk for an hour or so before we decided to set up a pick up soccer game.

A view of the Ballfield

 As some of the boys ran to get other kids, I was taught the Dominican way of making soccer goal posts. One of the boy's helped me to cut down a large stalk of bamboo with a machete (or cutlass as they are called here), and proceeded to cut it to the proper lenght. After cutting 4 equal sized stalks, we hammered them into the ground with a large stone at opposite ends of the playing field, and separate into 2 small teams for the game. As we played, kids would come and go, and Phil even came to join us after a little bit of playing, We played soccer for roughly 2 hours, with different folks stopping to join in at different times throughout the game. Even an adult who was passing through the field stopped to play for a few minutes with us. It proved to be a wonderfully fun active Sunday, which everybody enjoyed.

Making the Goalposts For Soccer

Some Kids Enjoying My Hammock By The Ballfield

A Cow Watches As We Play Football

Today I hope to go down to the retreat center again and continue reading Angels and Demons, Perhaps I will go on a hike to the neighboring town of Giradel if the weather holds out. I have 20 days left in Dominica, and I hope to make the most of them. Thank you for following my blog, I hope to have an update soon!

-Michael