THE Nature Island

We had heard and read many things about Dominica that peeked our interest and fueled our desire to sail here.  It is aptly nicknamed “The Nature Island” and we were heartily welcomed into Portsmouth’s harbor by Martin in his service boat, Providence.  Standing in his boat as we both motored into the bay, Martin began touting the history and natural wonders of Dominica even.  We appreciated his genuine enthusiasm for his island and easily connected with him during our two week stay.

 (Martin- you had us at “Hello!”  Besides, you gifted us with that luscious bunch of finger fig bananas and we would have followed you anywhere after that.)

Our hike to the "Hot Tub" with (L to R) Phillip, Rose, Heather, Peter, and Florence.

And so our Dominican adventures with Martin began. He stopped by most mornings to see if we needed anything.  Some days he suggested hiking routes nearby that we could do on our own.  Others days he took us on personally guided tours offered at very reasonable rates.  We’d be gone for hours without packing a lunch or drinks and Martin would always manage to find a tree with ripe fruit (like mango, grapefruit, banana, cocoa) to satisfy us.  Or he’d find coconuts to hack open for us to enjoy the water.  Martin also had a wealth of knowledge in natural healing remedies that he spoke of freely.  (I wish I’d taken a notebook!) 

 

It was easy to fall in love with Dominica.  It is by far the least spoiled by industrialism and big business of all the Caribbean that we’ve seen.  The bulk of the people seem to work at farming or at fishing.  The soil is rich and many fruits and vegetables grow well in Dominica, BUT most of the terrain is a steep grade, so the farmers’ work is extraordinarily hard.   Martin said that because Dominica's land is so productive, no one should starve unless they are lazy.

MARIE GALANTE-FWI

(More pictures to come)

We sailed the last leg of our zigzag course southwest about 12 miles to reach the lovely island of Marie Galante.  Upon nearing the island, we were force to weave in and out off multiple "mine fields" of fish traps.  The number of traps we had to avoid were unbelievable!  There were so many that the Captain has given the First & Last Mate the new pretrip assignment of notifying all fisherman of the island to which we will travel that they should make a clear path for Exit Strategy.

We rented a scooter for the day and that’s all it took to see the entire island.  Driving along many of the sugarcane lined roads felt very much like rambling down the corn fields of the Midwest.  And just like when we were kids living on our quiet farm road, when we passed someone out in their yard, they smiled and waved at us.  No fences around the island either, but we did pass cattle, pigs, goats, and horses that were tethered to individual posts allowing them to graze in circular patterns. 

What I LOVED most about these French islands is that there were trees, vines, fields full of ripening tropical fruits and vegetables!  I could barely stand to walk by yards without picking something that’s hanging over the fence and popping it in my mouth, but I didn’t.  (And it’s been killing me!)

The other thing we find irresistible are the plentiful creamy-colored sandy beaches.

What do I HATE about the French West Indies?  I hate that we don’t speak fluent French.

GRANDE TERRE, Guadeloupe-FWI

Downtown Pointe A Pitre
(where you can buy 4 French cut swim suits for 16 Euros)

Next, the winds took us northeast 16 miles or so see some of the other half of Guadeloupe called Grande Terre.  Our course led us to the “crotch” of the butterfly island to the metropolitan port of Pointe a Pitre.  We anchored just outside the multiservice Marina Du Fort Burt and their ENGLISH SPEAKING STAFF were extremely helpful.  We ended up doing what big cities are made for- we shopped.

Guadeloupe is known for its madras fabric (see tablecloth) 

Dan managed to take a few photos at the huge market before a lady firmly told him in FRENCH that it wasn't polite for him to photograph them.   One little boy was selling small mangos and we were his first customers. He was so thrilled that he kept filling our bag with more and more.  At one point, he scurried over to his mother's table and got a few more for us- all for 1 Euro. The fish market was extensive and impressive with theprice of their catch posted as 10 Euros per kilo, translating to less than $5 US per pound. 

  We were going on day number 10 in the French West Indies when I realized that my French was NOT getting any better. One day I told a shop keeper that I was looking for a swim suit for “mon mairie.”  He looked at me funny and directed me to another store. I should have said “mon mari,” as in “husband” not “city hall.”  A few days later while ordering at lunch at a beachside café, I asked for a “gras” bottle of water…I should have said, “grande,” as in “tall” not “fat.”  Dan is doing much better than me because he mainly sticks with only “Bonjour” or “Merci” and flashes his million dollar smile.  And oh, yeah- “Heineken” and “rhum” roll off his tongue pretty easily also.

On this occasion, I spoke French to order a Rhum Punch. 
I got a shot of rum with a squeeze of lime, no ice.
 It took me about an hour to finish it...  

ILES DES SAINTES- FWI

Although we had not yet exhausted the list of all we wanted to see and do in Guadeloupe, we set sail for its sister island group- Iles des Saintes also known as The Saints.  At the time, making the 10 mile trip was a better point of sail and ES made good time.  We dropped anchor in a small bay on the eastern side of Terre d’en Bas that was unmarked as such, although three boats were there.  The Saints are largely a fishing area and this bay was next to a lesser bay with fleet of small French fishing skiffs. 

Many tropicals were loaded with fruit like this breadfruit tree.



Very cool playground (notice CONCH)

 The next day we made our way around the island to Anse De Fideling where we were able to hike the roads around the quiet villages a bit and have a wonderful dinner ashore.  There was no written menu… we were given the choice of a “whole fish or a filet” in broken English IF we returned after 7 pm. (Getting used to eating LATE is another subject altogether!)  We feasted on platters of rice, veggies, fruit and grouper while finishing a bottle of white wine for only 60 Euros!

View of The Saints from Fort Napoleon

The islands that comprise The Saints are a stone’s throw from one another, so the next day we motored on to Bourg de Saintes on the main isle of Terre d’en Haut.  Here we found it increasingly easier to find an islander who spoke a little English.  The Saints, we learned, are where many Guadeloupeans have their “cottage” and multiple ferries can get them there pretty quickly inexpensively. (For almost less that a round trip toll on the Chicago Skyway, with much less traffic.)  The islands are relatively small and easy enough to walk around IF you can handle the mountains and we did.