Aussies,
Screws and Much More
By
way of a change I have got Bear to write this blog and I have added the pictures
and their comments. So Mabrika - welcome, to Bear's memoirs of Day One in the
hire car.
Australians Roger and Sasha on Ednbal - Aboriginal for tree
frog, were anchored next to us. They dingied over and asked if we would like to
share a hire car to explore the south of the island for a day - a great idea.
Later on that same day Jim & Pam of Delicado who we had met previously in
Agadir and Cape Verde, it is indeed a small world popped by on their dinghy. So
over a beer or two ashore that evening all of us agreed to tour together hiring
a seven-seater 4X4, us two “Poms” with the 4 “Aussies”. Sasha had drawn up some
interesting itineraries which made things very much simpler to decide.
The next morning bright and early Roger and Sasha duly went to
collect the car, but after an hour and a half it was quite clear that the
vehicle arranged was not to be found anywhere on the island. We would have to
travel in two cars. Jim & Pam had already seen a lot of the island from
their northern island anchorage so elected to opt out and continued their
journey south the next day, we hope to bump into them again, probably in
Trinidad where we are all hiding out during the hurricane season, some time on
the hard for routine maintenance.
We
waited from nine thirty for Roger and Sasha, sitting
watching the world go by. By quarter to eleven we knew something had gone
horribly wrong. The car hire people arrived in two cars, with Roger and Sasha in
one, we jumped into the other and went to the Botanical Gardens in Roseau, while
the other went for the tickets (entry to all National sites, valid for a week) I
got to mooch about taking photos of plants (on Dominica blog). Sasha had had
time to count to ten and get a little calmer by now.
So the four of us were driven into the mountains to collect a
smaller 4X4 jeep for the day, which here is nine am until four thirty pm the
following day, because of the delay/hassles they extended this to nine am the
day after so we had two days to look around - ideal. By the time we got into the
jeep it was eleven fifteen.
The Jeep, Roger had to inspect for scratches, much discussion with the car hire chap on "the best roads",
like St Lucia, enormous pot-holes and steep, steep twisty roads.
We started by going to the nearby sulphur pools and spent an
hour luxuriating in the hot sulphur pools at “Screws”. These five outdoor pools
varied from very hot orange sulphur to crystal clear cold mountain water. It was
very soothing, yet quite invigorating and was followed by a fantastic platter of
local fruits which we all tucked into, savouring the many new
tastes.
The rules, Screw's and the five pools.
Roger and Sasha, the two had just sat under a "gentle"
fall when they got a good drubbing after Bear
and his silth like figure had got into the cold pool above them. They got
their own back wanting this picture of us under
another fall.
The
beautiful scenery around the pools and gentle music
aided relaxing. Sasha and I in the warm pool. The workers busily gather the mud used for wraps (added
extra), all the while we were being watched by a local Zandoli Lizard.
Whilst the others finished off in the
cold pool, I had the chance to admire the flora and "fauna", sadly Bear saw and dragged me
away.
Following this energetic event Roger drove us to Trafalgar
falls as this was again nearby, and only a short walk from the car park. We got
there before the cruise ship tourists, had a paddle rather than another swim and
marvelled at the spectacular falls. Some of their waterfalls and mountain lakes
are a three hour hike each way, we left these choices to the younger and
the serious hikers.
Trafalgar falls, the waterfall on the left is not always
there, depending on rainfall. Us. Time for a paddle,
reminding me of the rocks in the River Erme in Ivybridge.
After a late lunch of local chicken and pasta, Roger drove us
to the south west of the island - not long in distance, but long in duration as
the roads are so twisty and mountainous, to a bay famous for its snorkeling and
the “champagne” effect of the volcanic gases coming out of the sea bed. We all
found this rather disappointing, though we saw some colourful fish, small rays
etc.
Arriving on Champagne Beach for a snorkel. The Champagne Bubbles so famous, a pipe
fish.
Fern, fish and a baby ray.
Next it was further south to Scott’s Head where we saw a local
landing a catch of Tuna, Mahi-mahi and Dorado caught on lines from his small
open boat with the large outboard that seems to be their trademark. A lovely
sunset, sitting in a local beach bar, with rum punches and beers before
returning to the dinghy dock and our boats.
We
watched the locals land and fillet the catch. The young fisherman
cleaning his boat.
Roger's Bar and the menu. Sasha and my cocktail may look small but it was perfectly
formed.
Sunset watching the Frigate Birds diving for the discarded
bits of fish, really enjoying the ambience, company and chatting over the
day.
ALL
IN ALL a colourful day.
