May 25-27, 2015 in Dominica
May 25, 2015: Getting There; Not what was expected
Good thing AlteCocker left a lot of time to get to the boat dock. She made every wrong turn possible. Fortunately it was a Catholic holiday here (in France too) so no one was on the road. Gawd. She went almost back to the house and started over. Finally, as she was about to throw up her hands in despair, voila, a sign that told her she was at the ferry dock. Whew! Then there was the line for passports and immigration. AlteCocker is very careful to tell folks to please, please, please, put stamps in AlteCocker's passport on pages that already have stamps. Using a blank page just prevents putting a visa there later on. AlteCocker's passport has 5 years left to run but not a lot of blank pages. She is going to have to get additional pages added. In the meantime, just have your stamp next with others.
The interisland ferries around here are run by L'Express' Please note that the ferry on the website looks a good deal newer than they really are. Still they aren't bad and are cheaper than planes. What could be better than a sea journey--unless the sea is choppy in which case your journey will be as well. Fortunately, AlteCocker had a mainly smooth journey on the catamaran except for the bit on the open ocean between Martinique and Dominica. It definitely was easier than getting to the ferry parking. Food is sold before you board the ferry in Martinique and it is is a good idea to pick up a sandwich or whatever you want there. On the ferry there is much less choice--not to mention the captive audience prices.
The destination port was Roseau. You've never heard of it? Hardly surprising. AlteCocker hadn't heard of it either. It's the capital of Dominica, an island with only 72,000 people. Well, then there was this announcement. Nope, we were not going to Roseau, but instead to Woodbridge Bay just north of there. Apparently they do this when the sea is choppy or there is a lot of wind. Not a big deal except that you have to go through Immigration and Customs complete with stamps, etc. Where is that done? In Roseau, of course. So they put you on these vans. Please note there is nothing like a really large bus in Dominica. The really large motor coaches simply could not be driven on the twisty potholed roads (not to mention the lovely ones without pavement)--and the vans, well, the vans are where old vans go to die. AlteCocker never saw one that was actually using its air conditioner (except the one we all waited in at Woodbridge Bay that belonged to the authorities--if it worked. Now we sit in the van for over a half hour while they unload luggage from the ferry. Note: AlteCocker, who was only staying for two nights had hand luggage. Fortunately, there were aonly a few passengers. If it were a mob scene, some people would have been in unair conditioned vans and steaming. AlteCocker had arranged for pick up to be included in her package and was mildly worried that the pick up wouldn't know where to wait.
So they schlepped us over to Rosenau and we all went into the small building that processes those happless ferry riders wanting to spend some time in Dominica. Finally, AlteCocker was liberated with a stamp on a page full of stamps and, yes, the driver was outside.
Dominica, known as the nature island, is north of Martinique. Yeah, it's one of those islands that sort of string on down until they almost reach Latin America--and all have volcanoes creating lush scenery--and sometimes dangerous living conditions. The people in Dominica work either in small businesses, farms or in tourism. The tourism sector is not well developed. There are a couple of national parks and a lot of hiking trails for day hikes. Both Martinique and Dominica lack a lot in tourist infrastructure, big hotels, shows, etc.). That is the charm for some folks, but you could get bored if you don't want to lay on the beach all the time. It is also very hot for comfortable hiking, but still lots of people more intrepid than AlteCocker hike.
AlteCocker stayed at the Anchorage Hotel, Whale Watch & Swim & Dive Hotel. Oh, goodie. They have snorkeling. Maybe she would go snorkeling on her one full day there. Nope. They only do that on Wed., Sat., and Sun. When was AlteCocker there? Tuesday. Well, her original plan was to do a highlights of Dominica sort of thing with a guide anyway. The hotel set her up with a driver and one of the veterans of foreign wars vans for $150 for the following day. She also read a brochure about turtle nesting. Could she see that? It was supposed to be turtle nesting season. Guess what? One bunch just finished hatching and the next bunch hadn't come in for its turn yet. Ha!
The name "Anchorage", by the way, does not have anything to do with the town in Alaska--as you may have surmised. It had to do with the fact that boats anchored off the hotel.
Now AlteCocker chose the Anchorage because there was a nice pool in the photo. Yo do know where this is going. The day she arrived the pool was full of debris. The next day it needed chlorine and was closed. It got up and running on Wednesday morning--the day AlteCocker left, of course. The Anchorage does have a restaurant--fortunate because Monday, as you may recall, was a holiday. Dominica surprisingly is 72% Catholic. The Jesuits got there before the Anglicans and the island went back and forth between France & England before becoming a member of the British Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth is still on the Commonwealth dollar used in many of the former British Colonies in the West Indies.
The most impressive building in Dominica (at least on the Southern half of the island) was the stadium. It's huge and modern. It was also built by the Chinese for some reason. Lord knows what the Chinese would be interested in in Domoinica. They would have helped the island more by investing in roads or schools. It's pretty rundown at the edges to say the least. Roseau makes Fort de France look like New York City in comparison.
AlteCocker ended the day at the unimaginiative hotel restaurant. It was fish or chicken. She had chicken. Then she took a lot of photos of the sunset from her balcony. Her room was fairly basic. Any building in the tropics has a problem with maintenance due to the humid conditions. Insofar as the bathroom was concerned, she never figured out how to turn on the light in it. She used the one outside. You did get little soaps but absolutely no shampoo. When she asked if she could have one of those little tiny hotel shampoos (she had TWO back in Martinique), she was met with an offer to buy her a large bottle if she paid for it. She used the bar soap. Geez. Mind you this was a significant upgrade from the lowest price hotel offered on the package she bought from the tour company. Ha! It's the tropics and things are different. The air conditioning did work.
By the way, there were very few others staying at the Anchorage because it is off season. It's getting on summer in the West Indies and in summer the weather in North America is just about the same, so the tourist trade is less--not that Dominica could handle much more. The hotels are small. The Anchorage had 32 rooms--the largest bunch of people there were from a Cahtolic School on St. Maarten. They were much better behaved than such groups in the US most likely because there was a teacher sleeping in each of the rooms.
The interisland ferries around here are run by L'Express' Please note that the ferry on the website looks a good deal newer than they really are. Still they aren't bad and are cheaper than planes. What could be better than a sea journey--unless the sea is choppy in which case your journey will be as well. Fortunately, AlteCocker had a mainly smooth journey on the catamaran except for the bit on the open ocean between Martinique and Dominica. It definitely was easier than getting to the ferry parking. Food is sold before you board the ferry in Martinique and it is is a good idea to pick up a sandwich or whatever you want there. On the ferry there is much less choice--not to mention the captive audience prices.
The destination port was Roseau. You've never heard of it? Hardly surprising. AlteCocker hadn't heard of it either. It's the capital of Dominica, an island with only 72,000 people. Well, then there was this announcement. Nope, we were not going to Roseau, but instead to Woodbridge Bay just north of there. Apparently they do this when the sea is choppy or there is a lot of wind. Not a big deal except that you have to go through Immigration and Customs complete with stamps, etc. Where is that done? In Roseau, of course. So they put you on these vans. Please note there is nothing like a really large bus in Dominica. The really large motor coaches simply could not be driven on the twisty potholed roads (not to mention the lovely ones without pavement)--and the vans, well, the vans are where old vans go to die. AlteCocker never saw one that was actually using its air conditioner (except the one we all waited in at Woodbridge Bay that belonged to the authorities--if it worked. Now we sit in the van for over a half hour while they unload luggage from the ferry. Note: AlteCocker, who was only staying for two nights had hand luggage. Fortunately, there were aonly a few passengers. If it were a mob scene, some people would have been in unair conditioned vans and steaming. AlteCocker had arranged for pick up to be included in her package and was mildly worried that the pick up wouldn't know where to wait.
So they schlepped us over to Rosenau and we all went into the small building that processes those happless ferry riders wanting to spend some time in Dominica. Finally, AlteCocker was liberated with a stamp on a page full of stamps and, yes, the driver was outside.
Dominica, known as the nature island, is north of Martinique. Yeah, it's one of those islands that sort of string on down until they almost reach Latin America--and all have volcanoes creating lush scenery--and sometimes dangerous living conditions. The people in Dominica work either in small businesses, farms or in tourism. The tourism sector is not well developed. There are a couple of national parks and a lot of hiking trails for day hikes. Both Martinique and Dominica lack a lot in tourist infrastructure, big hotels, shows, etc.). That is the charm for some folks, but you could get bored if you don't want to lay on the beach all the time. It is also very hot for comfortable hiking, but still lots of people more intrepid than AlteCocker hike.
AlteCocker stayed at the Anchorage Hotel, Whale Watch & Swim & Dive Hotel. Oh, goodie. They have snorkeling. Maybe she would go snorkeling on her one full day there. Nope. They only do that on Wed., Sat., and Sun. When was AlteCocker there? Tuesday. Well, her original plan was to do a highlights of Dominica sort of thing with a guide anyway. The hotel set her up with a driver and one of the veterans of foreign wars vans for $150 for the following day. She also read a brochure about turtle nesting. Could she see that? It was supposed to be turtle nesting season. Guess what? One bunch just finished hatching and the next bunch hadn't come in for its turn yet. Ha!
The name "Anchorage", by the way, does not have anything to do with the town in Alaska--as you may have surmised. It had to do with the fact that boats anchored off the hotel.
Now AlteCocker chose the Anchorage because there was a nice pool in the photo. Yo do know where this is going. The day she arrived the pool was full of debris. The next day it needed chlorine and was closed. It got up and running on Wednesday morning--the day AlteCocker left, of course. The Anchorage does have a restaurant--fortunate because Monday, as you may recall, was a holiday. Dominica surprisingly is 72% Catholic. The Jesuits got there before the Anglicans and the island went back and forth between France & England before becoming a member of the British Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth is still on the Commonwealth dollar used in many of the former British Colonies in the West Indies.
The most impressive building in Dominica (at least on the Southern half of the island) was the stadium. It's huge and modern. It was also built by the Chinese for some reason. Lord knows what the Chinese would be interested in in Domoinica. They would have helped the island more by investing in roads or schools. It's pretty rundown at the edges to say the least. Roseau makes Fort de France look like New York City in comparison.
AlteCocker ended the day at the unimaginiative hotel restaurant. It was fish or chicken. She had chicken. Then she took a lot of photos of the sunset from her balcony. Her room was fairly basic. Any building in the tropics has a problem with maintenance due to the humid conditions. Insofar as the bathroom was concerned, she never figured out how to turn on the light in it. She used the one outside. You did get little soaps but absolutely no shampoo. When she asked if she could have one of those little tiny hotel shampoos (she had TWO back in Martinique), she was met with an offer to buy her a large bottle if she paid for it. She used the bar soap. Geez. Mind you this was a significant upgrade from the lowest price hotel offered on the package she bought from the tour company. Ha! It's the tropics and things are different. The air conditioning did work.
By the way, there were very few others staying at the Anchorage because it is off season. It's getting on summer in the West Indies and in summer the weather in North America is just about the same, so the tourist trade is less--not that Dominica could handle much more. The hotels are small. The Anchorage had 32 rooms--the largest bunch of people there were from a Cahtolic School on St. Maarten. They were much better behaved than such groups in the US most likely because there was a teacher sleeping in each of the rooms.
May 26, 2015: A Day Tour of Dominica
AlteCocker's original intent was to do some sort of day tour of the island to see the highlights. Given that the whale watching/snorkeling option was out, the day tour was what she did. We hit the highlights. AlteCocker did not do extensive hiking, just short walks. Even those, however, were up and down. She was glad she brought her cane. Having an extra arm is a good way for AlteCockers to avoid stays in the hospital. If she had only used one in Rome, but that's another web page. The guide, Robert "Robby" Francis was arranged by the hotel. He showed up with one of those spectacular decrepit vans (something broke in the back during the tour that let to some hammering for a minute. Probably some door. Robby said he was getting a "new" (meaning less used van soon--predictably after he'd dealt with AlteCocker).
AlteCocker saw a lot of really gorgeous scenery. The main sites seen for short stay tourists are Trafalgar Falls, a sulfer hot springs where the water is brought into a pool (very basic--nothing like the gorgeous place in Costa Rica--and the Emerald Pool. By the time she got to the pool AlteCocker was too exhausted to walk down to the pool because what goes down has to come up. She threw in the towel. Everything she saw was pretty much in the southern half of the island and she was very glad she was not driving. In fact, she would advise anyone against driving in Dominica. Gawd. The roads are all potholed and twist back and forth. We stopped for lunch at Islet View on the east side of the island. Robby had a nice lunch but AlteCocker passed. Her stomach was going topsy turvey from the turns. She was a trife seasick without being on the sea. The food looked decent--a big plate of island specialties but AlteCocker was not up for it. In general, from what she saw of the food, the food on Martinique is much better.
A stop was made at a pharmacy because AlteCocker, who has a troublesome toe, was looking for second skin. She fears an eventual blister. They didn't have it so she bought some antibiotic because that is what they had. A stop was also made for a t-shirt. AlteCocker, who is no skinny b'link, asked for an extra large. She ended up with a large in the bag--so it is lose weight or someone else gets it.
Most of the sites she saw were in and around Morne Trois Pitons National Park. She got loads of good photos because Robby knows all the good places. The price for the tour was $150 which did not include admission fees for the parks--and the wrong size t-shirt. There is another National Park in the north of the island, Morne Diablotins National Park which has far fewer roads. Basically, if you want to really see these parks, you will be doing lots of up and down hiking--and there are quite a few people who spend several weeks in Dominica just to do that. The scenery is quite spectacular.
At the end of the tour Robby took AlteCocker to an overlook where the whole city of Roseau could be seen. Nice view but Roseau is not spectacular. In fact, with 18,000 people, it may be a capital city but it really is little more than a village. Then it was back to the hotel for fish and a banana colada and another look at the sunset. Dominica was finished.
AlteCocker saw a lot of really gorgeous scenery. The main sites seen for short stay tourists are Trafalgar Falls, a sulfer hot springs where the water is brought into a pool (very basic--nothing like the gorgeous place in Costa Rica--and the Emerald Pool. By the time she got to the pool AlteCocker was too exhausted to walk down to the pool because what goes down has to come up. She threw in the towel. Everything she saw was pretty much in the southern half of the island and she was very glad she was not driving. In fact, she would advise anyone against driving in Dominica. Gawd. The roads are all potholed and twist back and forth. We stopped for lunch at Islet View on the east side of the island. Robby had a nice lunch but AlteCocker passed. Her stomach was going topsy turvey from the turns. She was a trife seasick without being on the sea. The food looked decent--a big plate of island specialties but AlteCocker was not up for it. In general, from what she saw of the food, the food on Martinique is much better.
A stop was made at a pharmacy because AlteCocker, who has a troublesome toe, was looking for second skin. She fears an eventual blister. They didn't have it so she bought some antibiotic because that is what they had. A stop was also made for a t-shirt. AlteCocker, who is no skinny b'link, asked for an extra large. She ended up with a large in the bag--so it is lose weight or someone else gets it.
Most of the sites she saw were in and around Morne Trois Pitons National Park. She got loads of good photos because Robby knows all the good places. The price for the tour was $150 which did not include admission fees for the parks--and the wrong size t-shirt. There is another National Park in the north of the island, Morne Diablotins National Park which has far fewer roads. Basically, if you want to really see these parks, you will be doing lots of up and down hiking--and there are quite a few people who spend several weeks in Dominica just to do that. The scenery is quite spectacular.
At the end of the tour Robby took AlteCocker to an overlook where the whole city of Roseau could be seen. Nice view but Roseau is not spectacular. In fact, with 18,000 people, it may be a capital city but it really is little more than a village. Then it was back to the hotel for fish and a banana colada and another look at the sunset. Dominica was finished.
May 27, 2015: So Long dominica
Getting off the island was almost as much fun as the first go round with immigration. We went from Roseau this time, but we had mobs of people. They were all in the shack that functions as Immigration and Customs in an interminable queue. It was somewhat the fault of a lot of clueless people. When you enter, you get a little thingy that you fill out when you leave. Anyone that has done any amount of traveling knows you keep the thingy in your passport and fill it out before leaving. Most of the people seemed to have lost or mislaid theirs, so they were given longer ones that you fill out when you enter. Then you would get to the window and you would be given the little one that should have been kept with your passport. AlteCocker felt very virtuous for not losing hers--but, then, she was only in Dominica for 2 days.
When we were ready to leave someone in the back of the boat on the inside where it is air conditioned had an asthma attack. Someone shouted for a doctor and AlteCocker said there were two people tending to him/her (she did not go to check out the sex of the individual so she could report it to you). We were delayed a little over a half hour while the person recovered. AlteCocker's hunch was that it was heat related. When you finished with the queue, you went into the waiting room (unless you wanted to buy rum at duty free). There were chairs and some fans, but no a/c--not the best if you have asthma. In any event, the boat finally left and AlteCocker stayed within the air conditioning this time. Too many people to climb up top to take photos and, besides, she slept for the first part of the journey.
The blog continues back in Martinique.
When we were ready to leave someone in the back of the boat on the inside where it is air conditioned had an asthma attack. Someone shouted for a doctor and AlteCocker said there were two people tending to him/her (she did not go to check out the sex of the individual so she could report it to you). We were delayed a little over a half hour while the person recovered. AlteCocker's hunch was that it was heat related. When you finished with the queue, you went into the waiting room (unless you wanted to buy rum at duty free). There were chairs and some fans, but no a/c--not the best if you have asthma. In any event, the boat finally left and AlteCocker stayed within the air conditioning this time. Too many people to climb up top to take photos and, besides, she slept for the first part of the journey.
The blog continues back in Martinique.