Another popular stop while cruising the Caribbean is the island of Dominica in the lesser Antilles group. Although nestled between Guadeloupe and Martinique their main language is English and French patois. Arriving at the port similar to other islands there are many natives ready to take you on a tour. Sites include waterfalls, hot springs, beach and going up to the mountain with lush vegetation. It appears that rainfall causes landslides that may impede movement of traffic so if on a ship be mindful of the weather and the length of the tour. Traffic in the town of Roseau can be quite congested.
A drive through the Botanical garden is quite delightful and you will find a school bus that was crushed by a fallen tree during hurricane David in 1979. The garden was badly destroyed during that hurricane.
We had a planned trip to ride on the Indian River, one of the sites featured in Pirates of the Caribbean. The drive to the destination took us via the scenic route where we enjoyed the beautiful coastline with the sun sparkling on the water.
Driving along we got a glimpse of the devastation the island experienced from a storm that caused major flooding and structural destruction. Overturned vehicles swept towards the ocean were still sitting on the banks, damaged roadways, bridges and homes.
It appeared the above bridge was the one we would normally have traveled over but we had to take a detour through a grassy area. At least they were resourceful in creating this temporary roadway as tourism is a key industry.
We arrived at our destination and boarded our boat to take this ride on the river. Our captain offered some information as we sailed along this quiet calming environment.
Our final destination was at what they call a Bush Bar where you could purchase beverages to include alcohol. Our personal captain got us some jelly coconuts. Much to my delight as I am accustomed to having coconut in this form; after drinking the juice (coconut water) there is the fleshy portion that can be eaten. This is a young coconut that if aged will yield the harder coconut that is used in places like Tahiti and islands in the Caribbean. My friends knew of the coconut water and willingly drank the juice but were not familiar with the fleshy portion so I was the beneficiary. Some of them did try the jelly (fleshy portion) one might need to acquire the taste so I had it all.
I have to thank my friend Deborah who researched this excursion and it was totally enjoyable good job. This was a lovely experience as there wasn’t a lot of crowd and we were able to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. I would highly recommend this tour. Well our next port of call will be St Maarten.
Xlcrgirl's blog 
Wow! That tree simply fell and stayed there, eh? 😊
Many years ago, I went to Dominica once as a stop on a cruise. I did not spend enough time here, though……….I think we had a tour lasting about two hours and then were returned to the ship……a swing around town and back on board.
Quite interesting to see the information you provided and it was quite succinct, too. Hurricanes, storms do really awful damage to these smaller islands. I am sure that you all did not see a lot of the damage. However, I think my one stop is enough for me! 😊
I liked the roots of the trees in the mangrove, too………how neat is that? Amazing, eh? You all should have had life jackets on………..we do not think of the things that could happen when we are plying the waters, eh? 😊 Not doing it, again, if I were in that situation! I have done it so many times….but now safety is the norm! I have yet to think of myself going on a trip, again! 😊
Thanks, again, for sharing.
Faith
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