Dominica Part 3
we love this place so I took so many photo's
Dominica has 7 active volcanoes, at least they are monitored and all is well at the moment.
Sea Cat, the nickname of the guy real name Octavius who owns the moorings, he arranges and does trips inland himself, he did a fantastic job, we agreed that if we had hired a car there was no way we would have driven on those roads some at least "one in three" the brakes must have been so hot coming down some of the hills.
So off we went on one of his tours into the rain forrest, he stopped at so many places jumped out of the bus and either climbed a tree, poked a tree with a stick or hacked off something to let us try to eat or smell. Some things we would have never have recognised ourselves.
Cashews, didn't realise that the outer part would burn the skin, he said it would be a permanent tattoo so he was very careful splitting and separating it before he gave some to us to try.
Coffee on the tree looks like a red nut, when that was split open you can see its a coffee bean.
I kept some of the red nuts from the coffee tree but doubt I will roast the beans for a coffee I only have 3.
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| Coffee on the tree |
The cocoa fruit which he split open we sucked off a soft sweet creamy white pulp from the bean. I kept a few beans and let them dry off then split a couple, its dark a little bit red inside, looks like chocolate I tasted it but it doesn't taste much really but we now have cocoa beans.
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| The fruit, the white goo is like sweet cream |
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| There it is COCOA just scrape off the coat |
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| Here it is hanging on the tree |
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| Sea Cat / Octavius with his stick knocking off some cashews |
As we climbed up the hills and mountains the air was quite a lot cooler the views are spectacular with mist surrounding the rain forrest. Octavius is a very fit guy at one point he climbed up a hillside grabbed a vine and did a Tarzan swing and yell needless to say we didn't copy him.
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| It was a long way up so glad we didn't have to walk |
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Mist at that height
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Octavia stopped at a roadside place for us to have a drink, even just looking over the side was full of colour with bromides and plants that you can see in a tropical greenhouse.
He took us to the sulphur springs, a hot spring where we lay in water which was like a hot bath.
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| Had a lovely soak in warm water |
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| Trafalgar Falls |
We saw the waterfalls at Trafalgar but declined the swim.
At Titou Gorge falls Don swam through a gorge to a pool then climbed up 2 waterfalls then returned after jumping off them, that is where they filmed one of the scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean. I stayed with the bags and walked about finding all kinds of plants and so many flowers.
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| This is close to the cold lake which supplies the water for the hydro electric |
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| There are 2 waterfalls at Trafalgar one they call the father the mother, this is the father, not Don ok |
There is a huge wooden water pipe which supplies water for the hydro power plant it runs for miles. The pipe is treated hard wood which is treated with tar to protect it, it was done by the Canadians.
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This is expected to last for another 35 years, it runs for miles
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The very cold water lake, we declined the chance to swim after Don put his hand in the water
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On our return Sea Cat took us back trough the Botanical Gardens and pointed out the school bus that was flattened by a tree when Hurricane David took down many trees and destroyed property.
I do hope no one was on it at the time.
On the return we went to collect the gas bottles, unfortunately the filling station forgot to send them to be refilled so then Octavius very kindly took us way out of town to have it filled, what a great guy he is. So for all you cruisers that want a tour give him a try, he's fun, loves his country and very informative.
So next stop Martinique, not too far and the winds should be good.
BFN
Don and Glenys
Agua Therapy
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