Adventures Before Christmas
I must start off by stating that I have officially graduated
from Missouri State University’s graduate program. I now hold a Master’s Degree
of Biology :)
Now… The Adventures before Christmas:
Dec 11, 2013
A few days before Jacob left home for the States,
the three of us ventured to Cabrits National Park and For Shirley.
“The fortification of Prince Rupert’s began after the Treaty of Paris had ceded Dominica to Britain in 1763. The first small battery appears to have been erected in about 1765. Military engineers identified the site as a strategic post to defend the north of Dominica from the French and for the protection of the Royal Navy when on call to refresh its ships. Major work began under the governorship of Thomas Shirley 1774-1778. Construction of the garrison was a sporadic affair from 1774-1825 with intense work being carried out during periods of enemy threat particularly during the American War of Independence, 
Fort Shirley was the
headquarters and main defense post of the British army garrison at the Cabrits
on the north-west coast of Dominica. Construction began under the direction of
Sir Thomas Shirley, Governor of Dominica (1774-1778) after whom it was named...”
[For more information, see http://www.lennoxhonychurch.com/cabrits.cfm]
Dec 13, 2013
Screw’s Sulphur Spa is located over a natural
sulphur spring in the Morne Trios Pitons National Park. There are 5 different
pools, all of which are different temperature. We arrived to the spa around
6pm, so the photos are from Dominica Weekly Press. The spa was a wonderful
experience, and reasonably priced!
Dec 14, 2013
Pagua Bay House
Pagua Bay House is a common place for student,
spouses, and travelers to relax. Pagua Bay House offers ocean side cabanas
along the Atlantic Sea. And a large group of us went to celebrate the closing
of the semester.
Most of the group was 4th semester students and spouses that were leaving the island. One of them was my high school friend, Diane…I am so sad to see her go… But I am grateful that we spent the last few days together and she provided Josh with some insight for the coming semesters :)
Dec 15, 2013
Aba Wavine Cyrique is a beach on the south eastern
side of the island. Aba Wavine is a black sand beach, similar to most Atlantic
beaches, however, there is an 80 foot waterfall pouring off the cliff above.
Aba
Wavine is known for its simplicity and the vertical climb down to it!
The hike starts off like a normal hike in Dominica,
muddy trails with lush green forests surrounding you. As you start your decent,
you quickly come upon a cliff… an actual cliff. Using a series of ropes, tree
roots and vines (and one ladder), each of us propelled down the side of a
mountain. The hike itself on short, maybe only 30-40 minutes, but it was an
accomplishment :)
At the base, we could just see the falls and the
rough Atlantic Sea! Victor, our guide, warned us that earlier in the week,
several students were stung by jellyfish while they were trying to get closer
to the falls. Also, a friend of mine, was almost swept out to sea by the strong
currents… During the winter months, the Atlantic Sea become very dangerous with
large swells and under currents. So as a group, we decided not to go in the
water to reach the rock directly below the falls.
Dec 17, 2013
Snorkeling Rodney Rock
“There is a local
legend that the French, who occupied the island at the time, had placed lights
upon the rock so as to disguise it as a ship anchored in the dark. This was
done in an effort to delay Rodney as he sailed up the west coast in pursuit of
the French fleet. The story goes that Rodney was indeed diverted by this trick
and hung around all night pounding the supposed ship with cannon shot, only to
find at dawn that it was merely a rock.”
Dec 23, 2013
Waitukubuli National
Trail: Segment 14
The Waitukubli National
Trials is the Caribbean’s first long distance walking trail that covers more
than 115 miles through Dominica. The trail is divided into 14 segments that
wind through National Parks, local communities, farm lands, forest reserves and
coastal areas.
Segment 14 is a coastal
trail that starts near the village of Capuchin and ends at the historical
Cabrits National Park. It is an estimated 7 miles of coastal forest, Josh and I
completed the trail in about 3:30m.
Segment 14 started off
like any hike we would expect, dense vegetation and beautiful coastal views.
Shortly after we started, we hiked down the mountain and onto the rocky
Caribbean shore. Following the trail, which was marked in blue and yellow
paint, we walked around palm trees, over large boulders, and through several
small streams. About 45 minutes into the hike, we were unsure if we continue to
follow the coast or if the trail merged with the roadway… we decided to stay on
the coast … following the winding coast, we encountered two areas that were
almost impassable… Since we were not prepared to enter the ocean at shoulder height,
Josh and I crawled on our bellies along the eroded cliffs and carefully timed
the waves so that only our shoes would get wet. It was an interesting adventure
to say the least!
The trail ended through
the swamps at the base of Fort Shirley/Cabrits National Park. The area was
populated with river crabs that would scurry into theirs holes.
Overall, the trail was
good but a little disappointing; greater than 2.5 miles of the trail was on the
road. 4 miles down, 111 miles to go!
When we arrived home after
the hike, we had lost internet connection… from Dec 23 until Dec 28, we were
without internet. This made for a difficult communication with family and the
availability of recipes for Christmas dinner!
Oh- and I almost forgot: Josh and I made a trip to Roseau. Naturally, we are targeted because we are white. BUT, when we arrived back to our house, we had a message waiting for us. The owners of Secret Bay Resort were looking for "actors" (young couple) to pose in their promotional video. For the video, Josh and I were dining on the beach with a freshly prepared meal and a glass of sparkling wine. It was a beautiful evening.
Comments
Post a Comment