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Day
2 – Car Hire, Dominica.
Apparently I was so successful in typing the last blog, I got to
do it again. I'm glad I don't have to do the photo resizing and
labeling.
Sasha’s itinerary for the 2nd day was just as exciting
though involved an early “Aussy-style” seven thirty start. The drive took us into the centre of the
island, we stopped near the entrance to chat to a Park Warden on the way to
parking at the start of the trail to Middleham Falls by eight thirty, he was
just off to take his wife to work and was quite shocked to see tourists so early
in the day, usually its cruise ship dwellers later in the morning or early
afternoon.
  
Arriving
in the park we saw a sign showing us what to look out
for, we saw forest flowers and tree
orchids
Being high in the rainforest mountains we started off in light
rain for a supposedly grade three (of five) forty five minute hike - Pepe with
her Mary Poppins brolly up, wading through or hopping over streams, mud and moss
in her trusty yellow Crocs. Sasha wore her official hiking boots, never once
breathing hard or panting - en route to these very spectacular falls. It took us
about an hour and a half to reach them, though we stopped frequently to admire
some of the amazing flowers and plant life, all the while trying to spot the
Sisserou Parrot (as on the Dominican National Flag) which we could distinctly
hear, but were unable to see. The trek, though well structured and maintained
was not for the faint-hearted as we climbed up & down the wet mountainside.
The falls were in good flow despite being the “dry season” and it was a very
worthwhile effort. Coming back down the mountain was much
quicker.
  
We
didn't see a land crab - the Cyrique, although we saw
one crossing the road later in the day. This ugly brute is called a Crapaud, suits him I suppose - this is only the medium
size specimen and a tree frog we looked hard for
Ednbal.
  
We
saw many Southern Daggertails and White Peacocks and
some amazing tree roots.
  
An
adolescent fern leaf, the plant having grown itself
in a bromeliad. One of the many small waterfalls we
saw en route to the main Middleham Falls and a tree stump that looked like a
knobbly kneed man crossing his legs.
 
Sasha and Roger leading the way. We saw hundreds of Heliconia and the impressive height of the gorge surrounding the Middleham Falls
  
Middleham falls at over three hundred feet. The basin at the bottom and a tree fern.
 
Bear wondered how people got close enough to swim as the up
draft was so strong. I was lucky enough to get this rainbow as the sun came out, below is the fine mist sent up
by the force of the fall.
  
Views
on the return walk, a stream we crossed, my favourite
Norfolk Pine and a shot over the rainforest.
Roger then took us through the centre of the island to its south
coast for fabulous views from high up cliffs as we then followed the Atlantic
coast north, stopping for a picnic in the sunshine on a totally deserted beach
on the way. The roads through and around this World Heritage site were extremely
tortuous, and frequently steep enough to make Lynton in North Devon, look a
doddle - a 4X4 was not just a good idea. We reached a our destination of the
Carib reserve by late afternoon, experiencing the taste of freshly made Cassava
bread before after much U-turning finding the Carib Centre (see separate
blog).
We headed back to Roseau as Sasha had told us about the produce
market being best on a Friday night Not disappointed with the market, clutching
a long chunk of sugar cane, a coconut for twenty five pence (the bounty bar
type), Paw-Paw, Mango, a water melon, pineapple and some beans and
yams.
   
Some
shots of the journey. A lovely cove, a happy garden, a
beach and Josie with Bear.
It has become a local tradition for barbecues outside various bars
and private houses. So Sasha and I found fish and Roger and Pepe found Chicken
at Josie’s Delight. We sat talking to Josie, learning about food, cooking, her
family – when Pepe mentioned my favourite food was Rabbit Stew – Josie
immediately invited us to Sunday lunch, celebrating her brother Marcus marrying
Eileen (own blog).
ALL IN ALL a full and energetic
day.
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