This short video provides a tiny window into the Dominican rainforest.
The peek, in a sense, is unfair... The scope of this forest, as any, is so huge, tall, broad, dense and green, from any square inch to any square mile that it is easy to
realize one's own true size in the scheme of things.
Inside the forest, it
is warm, heavy, humid and quiet. Everything is shaded or in a shadow. (Though the camera compensated for the dimness in this video and made the footage much brighter than real life.)
There might be the sound of rain or a breeze or a bird or stream... but those sounds can be and are quickly soaked up into
nothing in moments.
It is noticeably still and quiet... except in the
presence of any waterfall.
Energetically and generously, Bertie Vidal not only provided us with an on going abundance of friendship and fresh fruit, but he also took us on a one-of-a-kind tour of his farm & orchard.
Bertie produces tons of mangos, oranges, grapefruits, limes, bananas, plantains, cocoa beans, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, beans and much more. Besides distributing across
the island, his crops are also exported.
Farms on Dominica have to be seen to be believed! The majority of all fruit trees are planted up and down Dominica's precipitous slopes, the trees and
garden plots often clinging to
60% -75% angles. Yes, that's really, really steep! Quite literally, one wrong step and a person will tumble to the bottom hundreds of feet down. Matter-of-fact, in most places one can't see the bottom because of the steepness and abundance
of plant growth.
Skilled laborers not only pick fruit from precariously growing trees but also carry the crates of picked fruit, acrobatic like up the slopes to waiting
trucks. Roads, narrow, rocky and bumpy 2-lane paths, just wide enough for a small truck, often aligned along cliff edges, have been strategically
bulldozed for farm access.
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-- Layou River... flanked on either side by towering walls of rock and fauna, is the islands largest river; volcanic hot water springs feed in to the river in many locations
-- Emerald Pool... a small but picturesque water fall and pool -- the Vida twins, Dominic & Savannah
-- Atlantic shoreline... a few images of the island’s east coast
-- Cabrits National Park... location of the Fort Shirley Garrison – constructed by the English in the 18th century), located near the town of Portsmouth, and across Prince
Rupert Bay...
-- Morne Diablotins National Park... this particular trail, well maintained by the Park Service, provided an easy route into the forest, during
which we shared with no one else…. many other trails provide opportunity for more rugged ventures...
Roads & Driving
Moving from point A to point B on Dominica is a challenging adventure
for anyone, locals & visitors alike. Driving here
requires 100% attention with anticipation of expecting the
unexpected around every curve and crest of every hill. Dominica is a
right-hand-traffic country...just the opposite of
the US and many other countries. For first-time passengers, the sensation of
no apparent driving rules and impending collision intensify the experience.
Noticeably narrow, often rough, Dominica's roads present additional driver challenges as they wind up and down, over and around and near to dynamically steep mountains, cliffs of varying heights and challenging curvy coastline. Plus,
an ongoing moonscape of potholes, and long stretches
of
concrete "French" drainage ditches, generally a foot wide and a couple of feet deep,
which are the actual edge of the road, provide a scenero for
disaster... if not alert. And don't plan on arriving
anywhere quickly as, due to the landscape, where the actual
road distance might be only be 6 miles, getting there might
seem more like driving 20 mile.
Watch out for pedestrians, too! Many people walk along Dominica's roads both day and night. Hitchhiking is common and safe; children often hitch to school, adults & families between villages and workers to job
sites. Similarly, chickens roam the roadside, and expect to
see cows, goats, and a mule tethered for grazing anywhere along the road.
Need a meal, snack, drink or grocery item? Traditional "snacket" stores / restaurants are abundant. Small, often comfortably sitting 10 or fewer, snackets provide welcome convenience for everyone.
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