Wednesday 11 April: After a night with wind howling in the rigging we are up early for our Indian River tour. As we breakfast in the cockpit at 7am with rain hammering on the windscreen, we wonder if we should postpone the tour to another day. 15 mins later the sun is out and we decide to go. But as we leave the boat, another 15 mins on it’s raining again!
Dressed in waterproofs we meet our tour guide, Gerome, at the dock and he takes us in his traditional longboat to the mouth of Indian River, passed the sunken crane, sunken boats and under the modern bridge. Then he turns off his engine and out come a pair of oars. There are no engines allowed in the river.
As we head gently inland it’s like going into another world. We can imagine we have left our 16th century English galleon anchored in the bay and are rowing up the river to meet the native Indians … wondering if we will be able to trade, or just be boiled in a large cooking pot for lunch!
After 100m we turn into a narrow tributary with enchanting tree roots lining the edge. Gerome explains that before the hurricane this was like a tunnel with the jungle and mangroves enclosing over the top. Now it is open to the sky. He also shows us where the witches scene in second movie of Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed. The witches hut and jetty now broken by fallen palm trees.
Back out in the main river the rain comes hard again and we take shelter at the bank. He explains the various plants and habitat. Soon the sun is out again and we set off at a gentle pace further inland. The river narrows and Gerome stops to show us a green headed heron sitting on its nest, and a huge fresh water crab sitting in the roots. It has one large and one small claw and is ready to grab us!
All around there are sounds of birds and we see humming birds in trees and herons grabbing small fish. It’s an amazingly peaceful and natural place. The entwined roots of the trees make it almost like a Disneyland story where you expect to find elfs living in the tree trunks!
Then we come around the last corner where they have reconstructed a Carib settlement – huts with grass roofs. The Bush Bar. We get out for a break and wander along the paths through gardens of wild flowers. This whole river and area have been protected and it shows.
Going back downstream is quicker with the flow and soon we are back in the real world at the river mouth. It really was a very nice experience. Well above expectations.
After this we pick up the hire car, a rather beaten up RAV4. But it all seems to work OK and soon we are on our way to explore the north of the island.
As we leave Prince Rupert Bay there are 2 large resorts in the middle of construction. We can’t actually work out if they are half built or destructed by Maria. But somehow neither look in place in Dominica, this natural islands.
We take the long loop road around the NW corner. The road is in very poor condition after Maria and we make slow progress. But it’s a very pleasant road, winding it’s way through very green hills.
Our first stop is at Cold Soufriere, the cold sulphur springs. A 10 minute walk on a well renovated trail brings us to a wooden platform above grey-white bubbling pools of water. The water is indeed cold, but the smell is pungent with H2S gases. We wonder what must be the chemical reaction that is always associated with fumerols.
Further up the road we spot a roadside kitchen which looks interesting. 2 ladies are toasting bread rolls over charcoal and filling them with salt fish. We buy one each. The salt fish is more like smoked fish in a creole sauce. It’s a delicious midday snack.
Up in the village we ask for directions to Chaudiere Pool. We are directed by 3 very large and quite grumpy ladies, to drive inland from the village. We set off on this new piece of road into lush country. But as is often the case, the new concrete abruptly stops and we are on a very rough and broken track.
This is where we realize our RAV4 is not actually 4-wheel-drive. It’s the stupid American SUV version, only front wheel drive 🙁 As we go up the steep sections, the front wheels spin trying to get grip. We stop the car when we are aligned next to where Google says the pools should be, and we set off on foot down a very steep track into a river valley.
At the bottom we spot a pickup truck with bikini clad white women getting into it. They direct us to where the pool is: “walk through 3 rivers then take a right turn at the blue pipes”. But they warn us to be careful as the river is flowing fast. Good job they were there or we would never have found it.
Sure enough, 3 river crossings later we are on a large fast flowing river with pools. Glen surveys the pools then gets in to test it. It’s impossible to swim into the middle of the pool, the current through it is too strong and threatens to take him off down the rapids below. So we back off down the river to a more peaceful pool which isn’t deep enough to swim in, but OK to cool off. Soon we are both in, doing just that. Actually it’s not cold at all. Just nicely refreshing. We really feel near to nature in these wild surroundings. The steep walk out of the river valley warms us back up and soon we are back in the village heading eastwards.
As we drive across another river we spot a dilapidated sugar cane factory which must once have been the heart of a plantation. While its thick stone walls were crumbling, the steel water wheel and machinery were all still in place in the middle. Like all of these ancient processing factories, the heavy cane crushing machinery was all made in either Derby or Glasgow. If only they could talk, what a tale they would have to tell.
Next stop is a chocolate factory. Since Grenada, Oana is very interested to taste all the local chocolates that each island seems to produce in a small way. Dominica is no exception. We eventually find the Chocolate Making at Pointe Baptist Estate, which is just a small colourful house in the country. But it’s been hit hard by the hurricane and being rebuilt. They only got electricity back today, after 7 months. But they have chocolate to taste and sell. We are very impressed by their flavors: hot pepper, ginger, lemon grass. We come away with several bars, one of which is already attacked within a few minutes of being back in the car!
It’s not a very bright day today and we are still not very impressed with the bays and beaches on this north coast, which are reputedly the best Dominica has. We decide the magic of the island is still its interior natural beauty, not its beaches or coastline. That said, we sit on a beach and eat our sandwiches which Oana prepared this morning.
It’s 4:30pm so we decide to turn back while it’s light. We expect a long trip and are surprised when we get back to our bay in just 40 mins. So we head to the south end of the Prince Rupert Bay in search of Secret Bay resort which advertises exclusive eco friendly cottages in natural surroundings. But we find they are all badly damaged by Maria and currently being rebuilt.
Next we try to locate Coconut Beach Hotel which is mentioned in our pilot book. But again we find it abandoned and apparently had been that way for many years now. In front of the hotel there are 3 small coastal ships washed up on the beach and abandoned. And oddly, just off the beach, one of those inflatable water playgrounds that you would expect to find in a very busy holiday resort. But of course, no one on it. Very odd.
We watch the sunset then head back into town. Before going back to Cloudy Bay, we have another drink at the French lady’s beach bar where we again meet the same English family. The bar is quite lively, with 2 white singers performing.
Back on Cloudy Bay we try for an early night, ready to continue our driving tomorrow, where we hope to visit the last and only remaining native Carib settlement in the Caribbean.