Dominica was perhaps the most volcanically active of any island we visited, and also one of the poorest. We were told that nine volcanos make up the island, and geothermal activity creates hot springs both on shore and in the adjacent sea floor. A lush rain forest covers most of the island, although enough land has been cleared to allow for growing a few crops, including a limited amount of coffee. As far as we could tell, all of the crops are used locally and few if any are exported, so tourism is the backbone of their economy. Here are a few photos:
Sunlit clouds during our early-morning approach to Dominica. We were the only cruise ship to arrive that day.This started out as the rainiest day of our cruise, but the rain stopped soon after our arrival. We found this beautiful rainbow waiting for us as we made our way along the pier from ship to shore.Typical street scene as we rode through town on a small tour bus. Many of the buildings on this and other West Indies islands have flat roofs with gutters and drains designed to catch rainwater. Some of the richer islands have (or are building) desalination plants, but most residents still store rainwater in cisterns, or have wells. A hurricane grounded this ship a few years ago. We saw hurricane damage on this and other islands, usually in the form of buildings abandoned after winds blew away their roof. Materials and skilled labor for repairing wind damage are limited and costly, so repairs go to the highest bidder.Jacko Falls, running full after rains the night before. That’s my favorite tourist gazing at the falls. Our guide was a member of the local Carib Indians, living on native-owned property on the east side of the island. Our tour started and ended in the capitol of Dominica, on the west side of the island, and she planned to hitchhike back home after her work day was done.Red hot cat’s tail, also known as chenille plant or foxtail, growing in a clearing near the falls. I think the locals see it as a weed, but it does add color to the landscape.View of our ship, the Viking Sea, from a hill overlooking town. The area with white markers in the lower left corner of the photo is a cemetery. Above that, and just this side of the ship, is a large building missing its roof, probably due to hurricane damage some years ago. The multi-story building with the green roof near the center of the photo is probably a tourist hotel, and the surrounding buildings are shops and businesses. Surprisingly, the people we met could tell you which hurricane hit their island and when it happened, and they could do this for the past 30-40 years or more, but they usually could not say who pays for their education, health care, or roads.Afternoon view looking south along the coast from the top deck of our ship. The clouds had given way to beautiful, breezy weather, and I expect the snorkeling would have been wonderful.
Sunset on the Caribbean as we set sail for our next stop, Antigua and Barbuda.
