Dominica

Dominica (Dom-in-eeeka) lies between Guadeloupe and Martinique and was our next stop. WOW!! What a beautiful island. I loved it. It is so picturesque, an unspoiled Caribbean paradise. However, with all those stunning but high mountains, rough roads and hairpin bends, I'm not sure whether I could live there. But it is so pretty. Gorgeous.

And for the record, Christopher Columbus discovered this island on a Sunday so he named it after the Spanish word for Sunday.

We chose to join others from the ship on a tour of the island which began with a tour of the Botanical Gardens, here is a sausage tree.




We climbed higher and higher till we reached the viewpoint looking over the bay



and down onto Dominica cricket ground.It is an 8,000 seater stadium built with Chinese money. You could come up here with your radio for commentary, a few cans for refreshment and a pair of binoculars and have a brilliant view of a game. FOR FREE! Indeed that is exactly what a local taxi driver plans to do when India take on Pakistan here later this year!




Orla and me. Drake and Orla. Pixen and Mr Denton.

Husb and possibly a Scirocco.



Local traders must love it when a cruise ship comes to their island.



We headed into a rich rainforest where one of the group spotted this crab.






Some trees had roots which grew DOWN to the ground.



This is why cashews are so expensive.. there is only one nut per fruit.


The waterfalls were lovely.






Pineapples growing by the roadside.



Tree with a skirt.



It was a short ride to the Emerald Pool (phew... one can only take so many hairpin bends)
There was a vague mention of a possibility of swimming in the Emerald Pool so I had half a cossie on but no towel or change of clothes...











...but it didn't stop me stripping off and going in for a swim!! We may not come back to this beautiful island again. Gotta take your chance! The Pixen would be so proud of me!! (It was "refreshing!!") I just had to dry myself on my teeshirt (now in the bin)









Back down the hill to the boat...



...to meet our cabin's new swans.

"Christleton CC, these will soon be appearing on your tea table" (if I can get the tea towels to behave)



Tropical Night! so flowery clothes!



Doing a "Lottie Daly" haha. =)



I LOVED Dominica. I can understand the locals saying

"after God, it is the land."