Mon 23^rd Dec

After Rob had done the two SSB nets (which Iain is insisting on calling the ‘Serafina Appreciation Society’, as several boats we have not spoken to or seen for a while called us up after formal parts of the nets had finished), he set off to go to customs and immigration to check in and got waylaid at Ruffian during the next rain shower, so it was late morning before we finally succumbed to Ruffian’s suggestion of a walk/hike.  As  the rain had temporarily stopped and we could produce no other excuses... we set off into town leaving the dinghy on the fishing dock.  At the dock we are encouraged not to lock it to the quay as the fishermen need to move it round their own boats, delivering fish, so with some trepidation we left it in the tender care of a ‘guard’.  At the same time a Frenchman off a nearby mooring buoy arrogantly refused to do so, or even discuss it with much Gallic gesticulation.

We then went off to catch a bus from the ‘bus station’, a parking lot of milling mini-buses where we unsuccessfully tried to negotiate the local's fare rather than the ‘taxi’ rate but we all packed (18 including the 4 of us) into the small mini-bus and racketed off along the wet and winding roads.  We were let off at the foot of the road towards the Syndicate Waterfalls.  Rob and I had not really ascertained just what angle of incline was involved but since Iain and Fiona were working from a very small tourist map of the whole of Dominica it probably wouldn't have been a definitive answer anyway!

So we set off up a pretty steep but newly tarmaced road heading past the occasional smallholding, roadside shack (all shut, no excuse to stop) into more tropical growth.  It wasn't a particularly sunny day and every so often we got rained on.  Iain and Fiona have just done the island tour we did a few years ago and were able to remind us of the immense natural richness of the flora - Rob has definitely decided that the life of a gatherer was infinitely preferable to the hunter!  We ate grapefruit, pomelo and starfruit from the roadside trees and collected water from the streaming shack roofs during the rain - pretty idyllic existence if you aren't doing every day as a living.  We met some really friendly people heading downhill with helpful directions to offer us, and one particular woman balancing a large and very heavy barrel of bananas on her head who laughed uproariously when Fiona reckoned she'd make a great ballet dancer with balance like that.

We eventually took the correct turn-off for the waterfalls, onto lanes that got muddier and muddier, reaching the maintained area of the falls but finally had to admit defeat, as warned by one of the passers-by, as the river we had to cross was in full spate and we were loath to cross it in light of the fact that we were already committed to a 7 hour  hike to the Boiling Lake tomorrow and didn't need either wet boots or cuts and bruises to take with us!  So we had our picnic beside the swollen river and headed back down, the least pleasant part of the trip for Rob's knees.  We swiftly hailed a passing bus for the return trip but now in the knowledge of the correct price managed to pay the proper fare.  Dropped off at the new IGA supermarket, were we completed our shopping for the festive day - although I imagine not much stops for long in an island where the tourist season is everything - and then caught another bus back into town.

A quick shower and off to meet Hilda and Simon from Brisa for drinks on-board Ruffian, and then Iain and Fiona came back for supper with us.  At this point we realised we would need another packed lunch for the hike tomorrow and had nothing to put around our sandwich filling, so I also made some bread.  After years of prevaricating I have finally embraced bread making after a competitive prod from Iain and it has become quite a straightforward exercise now.