The plane started shaking as the two Winair pilots of the small Twin Otter checked the propellers and engines. A few passengers nervously shifted and mumbled to each other, “What is happening?” Soothingly, a man who I guess had experienced this before said, “They are just warming up the plane! Don’t worry, we will leave soon.” Sure enough, a few minutes later, we took off towards Dominica.
Pepijn (physical therapist at the senior citizens home, world famous DJ and one of my best friends) and I had received tickets from our generous friend Ashneil, who works as a pilot for Winair. Having had a couple months of non-stop work, I very much needed a vacation. About an hour and a half later, we could see the dramatic green peaks of Dominica.
We gracefully landed at the tiny Canefield airport and as ours was the only plane there, we got our luggage and were through immigration within five minutes. Standing at the exit was Chita, a long-time family friend, who had moved to Dominica years ago. The first few nights we would be staying at her house, which was high up in the hills of Saint Joseph Parish.
The last 30 minutes of our drive were rough. As soon as we exited the main road and started up the incline, the road got worse and worse. The road had always been a bit rough, needing regular repairs, but after the heavy rainfall of Tropical Storm Erika, pieces of the road had collapsed and washed away, creating huge potholes. It wasn’t a safe road by any means, but the only way up for many farmers and homeowners like Chita, who lived and worked in the area.
The bumpy ride was well worth it. Chita’s place is a hidden gem. Besides her house and the lovely cabin where we would be sleeping, Chita had just about every vegetable and fruit you could think of growing on her property. In between the huge avocado trees, alien-looking cacao pods, and clusters of ripe bananas, there was an array of colourful flowers. It was truly a tropical paradise, the perfect place to disconnect, unwind and relax, and we did just that.
For three days, we strolled around the garden, ate mouth-watering dishes with freshly picked ingredients and took long naps in the hammocks. We were tempted to spend our whole vacation at Chita’s, but also wanted to explore more of Dominica. So slightly hesitant, we packed our bags, and Chita drove us to Roseau. After a huge bowl of bull foot soup in the town, we picked up a rental car and waved Chita goodbye.
It was getting late and we still had to find accommodation, so following the suggestion of a friendly Dominican lady we had met at the car rental, we drove to Wotton Waven towards “Tia’s”. The drive up to Wotton Waven was lovely – long, winding roads through lush rainforest and, best of all, minimal traffic, which would be the case for all of our driving adventures in Dominica.
Luckily for us, Tia’s had a cabin available. Pepijn, as usual, charmed the receptionist quickly, resulting in two glasses of the very strong house-rum called “Watch Out Punch.” We immediately felt the effects of the deliciously dangerous drink on our empty stomachs. Giddy, we unpacked and put on our swimsuits as, besides the rum-punch, Tia’s property had another bonus – Hot Springs! Refilling our glasses with more Watch Out Punch, we walked down to the pools below. They were indeed hot, very hot! Slowly gliding into the water, we sat down and soaked till sunset.
Up bright and early the next day, we were determined to make the long drive to Zion Valley, and the trail to Victoria Falls. It was about a two-hour drive, which was surprisingly enjoyable due to the breath-taking scenery we passed. The flora changed continuously and each corner brought a new impressive sight. Almost at our destination, we hit a dead end. Turning back, we tried another road, which also led to nowhere. We drove back a bit and asked three persons chilling on a sidewalk: “Where is the road to Victoria Falls?” “It is closed, you have to drive around,” they replied; which basically meant all the way back to where we had just come from, and then a few hours more!
We had already seen remnants of the damage Erika had left behind, but had not expected this. It was too late and too far to head all the way around the other way so we changed our plans: We would end the day at Soufriere, a town on the Southwest coast. Soufriere was charming and the people were so friendly. As we drove into the town, we asked around concerning where to get some affordable accommodation and were led to a camping ground. For just $22, you could rent a tent with everything you needed included. After a nice, late lunch, we headed out to explore.
First we climbed Scotts Head, a peninsula offering a great view of the entire bay. Initially, we’d taken the wrong path that had led us to a bit of a sticky situation. A few scrapes and arguments later, we luckily made it safely up the rocky hilltop. After catching our breath, enjoying the view and taking a few pictures, we found the right and much easier path down. Bubble Beach was next. We had already had one “hot spring” experience in Wotton Waven, but this was a bit different.
Dominica has nine volcanoes, nearly as many as you’ll find in all the other Caribbean islands combined! This makes for a lot of warm ground deep underfoot, the happy by-product of which is the region’s largest collection of natural sulphur spas. The most uncommon of these has to be Bubble Beach, located right in front of the pretty Roman Catholic Church in Soufriere.
Highlighted by a low makeshift wall of rocks forming a small, shallow pool along the shoreline, Bubble Beach was created by a local man named Dale Mitchell so that people could better take advantage of the incredibly warm sulphur spring bubbling up from the ground here. Our visit was on a Sunday and it looked as if the whole village had come out to spend time with their family, creating a festive atmosphere.
Pepijn and I nonchalantly stepped into the pool and had a fright! We yelled and inelegantly jumped out of the water. It was HOT! We must’ve been quite a funny sight to the locals at Bubble Beach that day. It took us some time to figure out that only the first few steps were painfully hot, but the rest of the pool was a great temperature as it mixed with the cool ocean. With a passion-punch in hand, sitting in the warm water and watching a perfect sunset, we ended another great day in Dominica.
The next days were going to be all about rivers, lakes and waterfalls! First up; Middleham Falls. Starting from Laudat, the trail took us about an hour. The hike took us over intrinsic root systems, past small streams and humongous trees. The last part of the path was a bit of a climb over a few boulders, but had a stunning reward at its end. A true understanding of how amazing it was to see these falls cannot be fairly described with any combination of words. The water cascading hundreds of feet against a green sea background of rainforest foliage into a crystal clear pool was too perfect. Sweaty from our walk, we jumped into the cold water and let the powerful falls massage our backs.
Our few days so far had been great, but Middleham Falls was our favourite sight so far. Over some delicious goat stew at a nearby restaurant after our walk back to the main road, we made the decision to find more waterfalls in the coming days we had left. More about that next week!
By Laura Bijnsdorp
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