Island Adventures

In one day I was in a pool, the Atlantic Ocean AND the Caribbean Sea, and in a boiling river. I think that’s worth of a blog post if a latte is.

Here’s how it went down- I started out the day at my favorite hotel where I frequently pose as a guest in order to use their pool. Go figure I look like a tourist so it works. So I’m laying out for about an hour with a few quick dips to cool off when my friend calls with great news- she just got a car! That’s right, no more scary, death defying, raging maniacal, overcrowded, other peoples sweat and urine bus rides to get around- I’ve got a friend with a car! (I couldn’t help but sing “hanging out the passenger’s ride of his best friends ride, tryin to holler at me”)

So we take off to the beach. It’s a short drive on a one lane road in desperate need of construction and I vow we will come back every day but low and behold when we get to the ocean they seem to be doing some kind of construction right there in the water. The water is cloudy dirty and a crane is rearranging some rocks on a barge, not the best reading on the beach atmosphere. After I ran out into the water like a 2^nd grader and came back with mud on my legs (EW) we said “So Long Atlantic” for the day and drove about 10 minutes up the road to one of Dominica’s THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE rivers.

The Layou is special because it has volcanic bubbles coming out of it, called a boiling river. Getting to the river required a bit of a hike, but since I wanted to rinse the filth from the ocean off my legs we trugged through the jungle until I could I jump in the beautiful river and float for a bit… Not quite to the boiling part because the current was strong (I once watched my sisters being rescued from a deadly river current and know not to mess with them.) Three swimming escapades all in one day is pretty cool; or so I thought.

Proud of our adventures and famished from our exercise we decided to retreat back to the metropolis of Roseau and have a snack at a tiki hut where I met the #2 and #3 most adorable boys in the world next to Riley Smith. After letting Rivo and Tiago (their precious names) play with my camera I decided to join them in crab hunting amongst the rocks of the Caribbean sea line and it hit me that I could actually swim (dip) in four bodies of water in one day!

Besides loving my project, I especially wanted to come to Dominica for a chance to explore the amazing natural resources. At my fingertips I have waterfalls, boiling lakes, mountains and national parks, beaches, hiking, whale watching and snorkeling… Dominica is even called “The Nature Island” remind anyone of another beloved state motto???

Where the Layou empties into the Atlantic.
One day we are going to go out in those little flat bottom boats!



Champagne Reef




I think Rivo will be quite the photographer one day.




The boys playing in the Caribbean at sunset.