Indian River And Fourth Of July

HERE IS A QUICK VIDEO OF THE INDIAN RIVER. I HAVE A QUICK 360 OF MY HAMMOCK SPOT AT THE END.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1VL27OQ2aI&feature=youtube_gdata

This 4th of July weekend proved to be a very fun holiday here in Dominica. To celebrate the 4th, our plan was to go up to the north side of the island and stay with our fellow Daytonians in Woodford Hill. However, in order to caprpe the diem of Friday morning, we scheduled a boat tour of the Indian River. We rendezvoused with our friends in Portsmouth, a coastal town where the Indian River meets the Caribbean Sea, and stocked up on small snacks and provisions for our boat journey. After we were stocked up, we walked the length of the town to the river mouth, and talked to some locals who sent word to Fire (our tour guide) that we had arrived. Fire arrived 10 minutes later, and chatted with us momentarily on the beach before he escorted us to his brightly colored boat. He explained to us that the Indian River was the site of the eerie river in Pirates of the Caribbean where Calypso lived. Once we climbed aboard, he used the boats motor to pull out of the small marina, but then switched off the engine and proceeded to use the two large technicolor oars to row us for the remainder of the voyage. Our adventure started us at Ocean, and took us up stream with a beautiful view of the mountains in the beginning of the trip.

To The Mountains

Oh Captain My Captain

However, the mountains soon disappeared and were replaced by a shroud of jungle canopy that enveloped the river around every bend. Once in the rain forest, our boat slowly glided up the river to a small, run down shack. This shack, Fire explained was a replica of Calypso's house in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Apparently, after filming, the crew had dismantled Calypso's hut and returned it to Hollywood to work on other movie magic. But recently a Russian Millionaire had come to Dominica to shoot his own Pirates movie staring his grand kids, and re built the hut to be part of his film.

Docking At The Witch's Hut

On Dock By Calypso's

Inside Calypso's House

A Scene From The Actual Movie

We continued up stream, and Fire identified many flora and fauna that we had never seen on the island before. Ancient trees with root networks that climbed feet and spanned meters crept along the riverbanks as blue crabs snapped their claws and stared at as menacing from the shoreline. We passed the ruins of Dominica's only railroad, which lasted from 1903 to 1906 as a means to transport plantation goods across the island.

Cruising Down The River

Leftover Props From Russian Movie Reminding Us Dead Men Tell No Tales

The Mysterious Indian River

 As he rowed, he told us stories of how he shuttled the actors and film crews from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie on his boat, and even helped film part of the movie. He explained how he would row the camera crews while they were filming river scenes, and at one point he had to row so hard due to the extra weight that he fell out of his boat! As we went he continually pointed out the spots where filming took place, as well as places he used to play and work when he was a kid. He took us as far up the river as was physically possible, where the water swallowed up to only a few inches deep. Here, however, was a very interesting bar dubbed "The Ticking Croc Tavern" a name that lay homage to the famous Lost Boy's Leader, Peter Pan.

The Ticking Croc Tavern (Drink Up Me Hearties Yo Ho)

A Bad Picture Of The Ticking Croc

 We disembarked our vessel and relaxed at the bar, observing the lovely gardens and interesting natural wood decor. After we had enjoyed the environment long enough, we re boarded Fire's vessel, and he began to row us back down the river. The water was clear and clean, and many fish could be seen swimming along with our boat. However, there was certainly a whitish glow to the water whenever the sun's rays were able to pierce through the canopy overhead, which may be attributed to the sulfur or algae that lines the river.  Regardless, the river certainly had a very mysterious ora, and I would not want to be anywhere near it when the sun went down.

The Roots of 400 Year Old Trees

The Milky Misty Water When The Sun Hits

Boat View From Ticking Croc

 As we continued our boat ride, we laughed and swapped stories as we rounded bend after bend in our little boat. When we finally returned to shore, Fire offered to motor us to the bus station, We turned him down, as we were looking forward to the hike across town, as the mountain's look incredible along Portsmouth's nice roads. We walked a mile or two to a little restaurant and ate a nice lunch, and then proceeded to catch a ride back to Woodford Hill.

A Walking We Will Go

On The Road Again

 Once in Woodford Hill, we put on our swimsuits and walked to the beach. The waves were exceptionally large today, and we body surfed among the waves until our trunks were weighed down with sand and we couldn't smile anymore. As we floated at the point before the waves break, I felt like a surfer floating on his board, waiting for the perfect curl to come my way. I was amazed that every time I caught a good wave, I was unable to wipe the smile from my face until a minute or so after I was finished riding. Who knew surfing could be so addicting?

After we finished our time at the beach, we returned home and showered, and convinced our local friend Bert to drive us to a restaurant for dinner. I ate a delicious meal of Goat Curry, and we all had a wonderful time relaxing at the outdoor restaurant. We relaxed there until the restaurant was about to close, and with no sign of Bert, we decided to begin our walk home.

The Resteraunt

Puss and Boots Wanted Some of My Curry

As we walked, we explored the local area, exploring a large circus esque tent and several other locations along the road. We kept our phone lights on for visibility, and would clear off the road whenever a lone car would come down our road. The walk prooved to be one of the highlights of the night, as it was an enjoyable night hike with a semi spooky atmosphere. A possum scared us all to death, and at several points along the way the roadside bushes would rustle as an unknown creature ran away from our presence. We ended up walking about 4 miles, before Bert picked us up and drove us the remaining half mile home. We were tired when we returned, but played an all american game in our apartment, and then proceeded to go to bed.

We awoke in the morning to a 4th of July playlist and to the smell of Catherine cooking corn and green beans for our beach side picnic today. We were meeting up with all the peace core volunteers today at a nearby beach for a picnic to celebrate Independence Day. When we arrived, we were shocked at the age difference of the peace core workers. Some kids were roughly our age, while one or two seemed old enough to be my grandparents. We had only 1 experience with a retiring peace core worker who lived in our village for roughly a week before she finished her tenure and returned home to the US. Regardless, we had fun swimming and relaxing on the beach with some fellow Americans, and then wished them adieu, as we hiked back towards Portsmouth where we were going to be spending the night. Because it is the off season for tourists, it was not difficult to find an incredibly cheap apartment that agreed to house us for one night. We were unable to get the power on for much of the night, so our time spent in the apartment was by flashlight, which proved to be a very fun atmosphere. Apparently, you pay in advance for electricity in Dominica, so if you forget to order more, they simply shut you off. So we set up shop in our apartment, showered, and savored an american treat I have been saving all trip for the 4th, a tube of Astronaut Ice Cream (probably the most american food on the planet),

Chilling In The Dark

 We then proceeded to go out to dinner at a local restaurant. Portsmouth is a probably the most interesting town on the island. It is separated into two sections roughly a mile apart, one section is a large Dominican town, the other is a mini college town surrounding the Ross University, the Island's Medical School. We had planned to stay on the Ross side, as the school is comprised of mostly Americans, who we were sure would be excited to spend the 4th of July with us. After we ate, we went to a 4th of July party at a local restaurant, which was packed with Americans and had a DJ specifically for the night. It was very strange seeing so many Americans and hearing american music pouring out of the speakers, as we typically do not see many Caucasians in a day, let alone a whole party full. After the party was winding down, we hopped in the "shuttle" (a pick up truck that is payed to usher kids to and from the party) which took us back into town. We socialized with our fellow patriots until the wee hours of the night, having a wonderful time digging the local scene. After we were plum tuckered out, we returned to our apartment, and slept a wonderful sleep until we had to take a bus back to Eggleston the next morning.

On Monday I returned to my favorite hammock spot on the island and relaxed and read amongst the jungle sounds. My spot is roughly a mile walk along the road to the retreat center, and is a spot I walk to almost daily on the island. I am currently reading Angels and Demons, the prequel to the DaVinchi Code. I plan to return to that spot with my hammock once I finish this blog post. Overall I am loving my time here in Dominica, and am making the most out of exploring the land and seeing all there is to see.

 My Peaceful Hammock Spot

 Hammock Selfie

We were on the News again this week, this time on the government station discussing our involvement with the DMA. We had a 15 minute long segment this time, which was just enough time for us to enjoy our time in the air conditioning. We are scheduled for an hour and a half long radio broadcast later this week, and I will keep you posted how that goes! Once again, thank you for following my blog, and I will keep you updated on my Adventures in Dominica!

News Room Michael

A picture from the 10 Year Olds Birthday A Few Weeks Ago

Another Picture From The Birthday

Adventure is out there!

Michael

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