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Purely Dominica

Purely Dominica

Archive for October, 2010


Image of Morne Trois Piton

Why not to spend a beautiful day in the mountains? Especially if this day is quiet and sunny; especially if you are on the Dominica Island.

So, I decided to climb to the summit of the most beautiful mountain in Dominica – Morne Trois Pitons. This mount is Dominica’s second highest peak and one of the most spectacular mountain trails in the Caribbean.

Of course, this is not a trip that should be taken alone. Usually a group of several people is formed and they are guided by a person who is familiar to these places. Our guide was Jerome, a pleasant man about sixty, a resident of the island. To get to the starting point of our trip was not difficult at all. Buses that pass Pont Casse are usually in route to Castle Bruce, Marigot or La Plaine. West Bridge in Roseau is a place to catch buses in this direction.

At last, I was on the place and our trip began. First, the path was very wide and that gave us a lot of optimism. As Jerome promised us, the first fifteen minutes we easily walked through the forest. Jerome told us about all those trees we passed: Richeria grandis, miconia mirabilis, Symphonia globulifera… Then the path narrowed and our journey became more difficult: we faced short rock scrambles and wooden steps.The next forty-five minutes gave us steep steps, another scramble up and more and more steps.

A view of the Caribbean sea from Morne Trois Pitons in Dominica

Only after an hour of our journey we began to spot the first sighs of the summit. It was worth doing it: we were granted with magnificent views of the whole island. The panorama included Dominica’s highest peak Monte Diablotin, the Layou valley, the southern edge of the Central Forest Reserve. The views were really fantastiс!

All in all it took us two whole hours and a half to reach the summit. It was not that easy! During ascending, we enjoyed beautiful sceneries of rainforests and the mountains of Morne Couronne and Morne Negres Marrons. In spite of the fact that our guide warned us beforehand that it would not be an easy trip, it was sometimes very difficult. The major part of the trail was clear and easy to follow.

Top of Morne Trois Pitons in Dominica

However there also were places where you had to climb up rocks, avoid branches and tree routes. Besides, the wet places were very slippery. But everyone felt that the job was done not in vain. We managed to climb a mount 4,550 ft high! We reached the summit and broke out a picnic to celebrate our ascent. The pleasant aroma of herbs and the fresh light breeze strengthened our hunger. And only then our guide Jerome told us that eighty percent of the tourists do not reach the summit and prefer to stay on the slopes.

Hiking up Morne Trois Pitons in Dominica

You cannot imagine how proud we were of ourselves! This mountain hike is considered one of the finest in the Caribbean. This trip was really great, it was magnificent! Not only was it much fun, but it cost every effort we put.

This trip gave me more than just several hours of climbing and the picturesque views. The moment you step on the summit and see all that beauty of the island spread out in front of us, you understand that there are much more things in the world worth living for. Do you agree?

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freshwater lake in dominicaPhoto by sidewalk flying via flickr

If you’re looking for adventurous Caribbean vacation, try Dominica. Anna Brones, a writer and social media strategist over at Matador Trips recently wrote a beautiful article entitled “Caribbean Romance In The Shadow Of Volcanoes“, says that “Dominica is mountainous, and the towns boast a friendly, rustic elegance. Countless jungle trails lead to waterfalls and steaming hot springs.

So if you’re considering Dominica as your next Caribbean vacation destination, don’t expect to lounge in a beach chair; Dominica is all about exploring, getting dirty and embracing romantic discovery.” Imagine yourself exploring lush jungle, listening to the roar of a secret waterfall. So if you thought the Caribbean was all about cruise ship and cocktails, think again!

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An image of baby sea turtles in Dominica
Photos by Marinecreatures.com

Being on a beach can be something far more interesting and thrilling than merely getting tanned, taking photos and building sandcastles. Especially if we’re talking about Dominica’s beaches. What makes them so special? The answer is: Their wildlife.

If you happen to be in Dominica, you may prove to be lucky enough to watch the sea turtles crawling ashore… Or their hatchlings making their first journey. Many of them will perish in an hour, but some will be back in thirty years to lay the eggs of their own.

Life is cyclic, and observing it recreate is always fun. This kind of observation is a part of ecotourism. In the North and Southeast Dominica, it exists thanks to the Sea Turtle Conservation program which aims to save the endangered species.

Observing the turtles may be fun, but you can’t do it by yourself. You ought to have the special permission for that, because the beaches are not open for all comers. Fortunately, while not open, they are still accessible. A good option is to get the beach patrollers give your group a tour. Not gonna be hard, one of their duties is escorting visitors to the beach and back, to ensure civilized behavior and to guide them. The tours are organized by RoSTI (stands for Rosalie Sea Turtle Initiative). You may contact RoSTI on 225-7742. The tours are held from March to October, each one costing ten bucks per person.

turtle watching in Dominica

What else the patrollers do? A significant part of their work consists of data collection and turtle tagging. That’s what we call monitoring. There are three endangered species monitored by them: Hawksbill, green and leatherback turtles. From time to time, relocating nests is required, and they do it, too.

If you expect them guard the beaches and the turtles, you are right, the turtle guarding is of the highest priority. Recently, poachers became a major trouble, since the hunting has put the leatherback and hawksbill turtles to the brink of extinction. Moreover, one may cause harm by accident, destroying a nest, as an example. So, steps had to be taken.

Dominica baby turtle

Many of the poachers are the local citizens. Unfortunately, first of all they consider the sea turtles a delicacy, as a result, their behavior cannot even pretend to be civilized. Feeding on the endangered animals is barbaric and highly irrational; these are the things the people have to learn. In fact, the ecotourism programs are primarily targeted at the locals. This would help to encourage their pride for the island and its wildlife. Every new tourist shows to everybody the turtles may be a source of income when living, not dead.

So, are the sea turtles worth of looking at? You decide. After all, the three species are endangered, that stands for rare. Watching them must be interesting. Especially rare are the leatherback turtles. Some people call them monsters. At first glance, they may look like monsters indeed, but in fact they are very cute, harmless and helpless creatures. Touching them is just exciting, and listening to them breathe is also fun.

You may also help the patrollers to get rid of some rocks laying in turtles’ way. Taking pictures of these reptiles feels even greater… But this is something you can’t do many times at a time. The turtles lay eggs at night, so flashes scare them away. If they are in the water, they may but come ashore because of their fear. So, every taken picture is precious, unless you use an IR camera.

sea turtle in Dominica

If you are a nature enthusiast, you must fall in love with leatherback turtles (if you still haven’t). They are the largest and most unique giant turtles, each adult specimen reaching 1,000 lb in weight. Their shells are not connected to the skeleton, and this distinguishes them from the other existing turtles. Interestingly, on the beaches of Dominica, you can find turtles tagged in other places of the world, including Africa.

So this is what the endangered turtles are, and how they are conserved and monitored. If it were up to you, what would you choose: Being a beach patroller, or being a plain tourist?

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