Pronounced Do min E’ kah. This is an independent country which is part of the British Commonwealth.
Our ship docked beside a warehouse full of local vendors in Woodbridge which is the main commercial port on the island. At some ports, cruisers must maneuver through the vendors to reach the city beyond. Not here. We were able to bypass the vendors (except for a group of ladies offering to braid hair) with plans to stop back by after a tour.
Several tour guides with large vans and mini buses were attempting to fill their tours. We chose the mini bus that could seat 21 comfortably. This bus had AC and an aisle with one seat on the left and two on the right. If they wanted to, they could flip down the “jump-seat” in the aisle to seat four across. I was glad they kept the aisle. I would imagine if there were more than one ship in port, and the demand was high, they would fill this bus to capacity and we would be getting to know our fellow cruisers more intimately than we wanted to.
Our driver was Marvin and our guide Leon. Marvin was amazing -winding up the steep, narrow-lane roads – some of which had evidence of washouts during the last rainy season. Drivers honk at each other to let them know they are coming around a curve. We were here in March at the beginning of the dry season, so the vegetation is still very lush in the rainforest. Leon pointed out many local sites and showed us coffee, nutmeg, bananas, and cocoa. He even hopped off the bus to pick some cinnamon leaves for us to pass around and smell. He explained how cinnamon bark is stripped and dried into sticks or ground into powder, but he shared that many locals will wash the leaves and boil them in water to create a paste they will use to flavor porridge for breakfast.
Our stop at Trafalgar falls required an additional $5 entrance fee for the fifteen minute, leisurely-paced hike to the base of the falls. This is in a national park, and the trail is well maintained.
I counted 38 stairs downhill before I got distracted by the beauty and quit counting. But I know there were over 100 stairs uphill until we reached the falls. I was glad to have been wearing my trusty Keen hiking sandals as the stairs were of varying heights and there was some loose gravel and larger stones in the path. The poor lady in front of me with flip-flop type sandals was not prepared.
We saw a land crab, ginger(pictured earlier),
and unique flowers Leon called Lobster Heliconia.
The two falls are fed by two separate lakes. Leon explained that there used to be several hot springs pools and visitors could enjoy relaxing in them, but they were washed away in floods.
Our next stop took us to the sulfur springs.
This hike only took about five minutes, but it was a little steeper and more slippery due to rain that morning. (We are in a rainforest you know.)
Leon explained that these springs are like a “breathing space” for the volcano. Steam was visible and there were many bubbling holes. We did not get close to these holes, but I will take him at his word that the temp is between 80-120 degrees Celcius (176-248 F).
Vendors nearby had souvenirs, cold drinks, sulfur mud and other items for sale.
We drove through the botanical gardens and then stopped for a scenic overlook where we were able to take photos of the capital city, a sports stadium where they primarily play soccer and cricket, and our ship in the harbor.
If I ever return to Dominica….
I would consider snorkeling. Leon said snorkling is popular at Champaign Reef.