Day 6

Dominica

We got up early for breakfast. Frankie, Eli, Beth, David & Julia went to the Magellan, the fancy sit-down restaurant. Hank, Will & I went to the Windjammer.

We packed rolls, fruit, & boxed cereal for the trip. Enough to make our Grandmas: Goldie & Gerry proud. They were notorious for stealing food from buffets.

Larry & Michael were going on a different excursion than the rest of the gang. They were going to the zip line tour, while the rest of us, 8 were going to the Trafalgar Falls & Sulphur Springs tour.

Down to deck 1 to go ashore, we didn't meet our party. I went ashore with William and Hank stayed on board ton deck 1 to wait for the other 5. We didn't know, but Eli was calling our room, looking for us. Eventually, we met & found our guide, Samuel, who I should take a moment to write about his character, for I could use him in a bit of fiction some day.

Samuel, a thin black man, with close-cropped hair, clear eyes, good teeth & a melodic voice. Like many in Dominica, he was rude, but in an ingratiating sort of way. Like he was clearly annoyed with the children chiming in, and said please let me finish, and said how he 'we all tolerate children' all the while, eh clearly didn't. He sang the Dominica national anthem in the taxi, and officiously bragged about his powers of perception, memory, singing, & other expertise. he told us he regularly calls into radio talk shows to express his opinion.

Likewise, the vendors were pushy. I bought nothing, at first. Not beads, bracelets, sulphur mud (good for the skin Mam), soap, etc. The sulphur spring was so so. Julia complained of the smell. It rained lightly. And I was afraid of the steep mountain terrain.

The Caribbean is a set of volcanic islands. The sulphur springs bubble up from the hot interior. They get about 390 inches of rain on Dominica a year. And the y have rebuilt it from the devastating hurricane David in 1979. Lush & green describes it best. We say coconut, mango, banyan, poinsettia, bird of paradise, Acadia, banana, cashew, palm (12 kinds), & cocoa trees.

Twice a week cruise ships come in, swelling the population of 74,000. There is visible poverty. People live in huts I wouldn't use as a shed. Yet their national anthem is prideful.

Trafalgar Falls is a steep ride up to a steep climb up log & gravel stairs. At the top, twin falls are breathtaking. How can so much water come down like that?

The ride back to the port was quiet. I find that on all excursions, we're loud & boisterous going out, and quiet (or maybe just exhausted) coming back.

After we got to the port, Frankie & Eli took William, David & Julia back on the ship. Hank & I walked around a bit and bought swim suits, Dominican spices and hot sauce. We met with Beth & took out money from the ATM: Eastern Caribbean dollars at the exchange rate of 2.6 to 1 U.S. dollar.

We went on board, and I found Frankie with David & William at the pool, which I was surprised to find was salt water. I swam with the boys, then hot tubbed, until our fingers & toes looked like prunes. We had ice cream from the soft-serve machine near the pool, which vends strawberry, vanilla or strawberry/vanilla swirl on the left; and chocolate, vanilla or chocolate/vanilla swirl on the right. We dried in the sun. Heaven.

We showered & dressed for services, it being Friday night. Hank led at first, then Larry. I was filled with pride. David, Julia & William did the challah blessing.

Dinner at 6, we signed up to the next day's activities. Then played a trivia game.