A Tale of Two Chemists: On the Loose in Dominica

On the Loose in Dominica

Friday 18th and Saturday 19th April 2024

When we arrived in Portsmouth, Dominica the harbor was rolly and uncomfortable. Nonetheless, we were able to square away immigration and get a driving permit. So on Friday morning we were all set to go to shore and pick up our rental car. There are so many beautiful places that we wanted to show Rod, but only two days to explore the island. We decided to spend the first day down in the south-central part of the highlands, visiting Titou gorge, Freshwater and Boeri Lakes and Emerald Falls. These are all highly popular sites but we were lucky and found them almost deserted.

There was less water flowing in Titou Gorge than when we visited previously, but it was still an amazing experience and Gloria enjoyed it more because she was a little less anxious about the conditions. Entering the crystal clear water at the mouth of the gorge was still a chilly experience, although one of party remembered to bring a shorty wet-suit (and I was happy I did!). After swimming upstream through the narrow chasm we were all able to enter the narrow chamber at the end, where a waterfall emerges through the roof. We were completely alone and it was incredible. I put my iPhone into waterproof bag (of dubious quality) and stuffed that on top of my head, under my cap, to keep it above water whilst swimming. I was able to take some pictures and the phone survived.

Next it was on to Boeri Lake. This was a new location for all of us. A 45 minute hike up and over a mountain ridge took us to the lake. It wasn’t too bad a walk, although I managed to slip on a completely flat rock, launching myself backwards off the trail and landing on my back. I was unhurt, but the plastic sun shield on my telephoto zoom got completely destroyed. The lake itself was beautiful and the setting quite atmospheric.

In the interests of time, we skipped going to Trafalgar Falls (nearby) and headed over to Emerald Pool. The drive was a bit of a nightmare. Google sent us half way up a mountain road only to discover there was no way through. We ended up driving back to the coast and taking an alternative route. It was 4 pm by the time we got to Emerald Pool and the National Park staff had all left for the day. With the exception of one other man, we had the entire place to ourselves and it was magical.

The driving always takes longer than you think in Dominica and it was well after dark by the time we got back to the dinghy dock. We grabbed our stuff and headed back to Cotinga for a quick dinner and some much needed sleep. Thankfully the anchorage had settled down completely.

Today, Saturday, we took the rental car up to Syndicate Falls. We all enjoyed the leisurely walk up to the falls, which crosses the river four times and Gloria and I took the opportunity to swim. We ate lunch at the bar / restaurant run by the people who own the land. It’s an idyllic setting, the staff are super friendly and the food is good. We finished up by tasting a set of 4 or 5 flavored rums. According to the man serving us, children learn early in Dominica that everything tastes better with alcohol! After lunch we drove up to the Nature Reserve and walked around the trail, marveling at the enormous trees and hoping to see parrots. We did catch the briefest of glimpses of a red necked parrot, but not the Imperial parrot (Sisserou).

We managed to get back a little earlier this evening and Gloria cooked us a wonderful dinner with Choate (a squad like vegetable) and chicken fajitas. I think everything is secure on the boat and tomorrow morning we plan to leave early for Martinique.

Mike