Dominica The better island!

Incredible sailing fun, hot waterfalls, cuddling with iguanas and our new friend Filipo

With our friends Kent, Andy and Atlanta on board, we explore the island of Dominica. We've heard a lot about it, especially its jungle landscape and the fresh fruit and vegetables on offer are said to be unique. Well then, we're excited!

Roseau

Dominica - Affectionately called "sö bettör äiländ" by a French-speaking friend with his sweet accent. Should probably mean "the best", but better or best - pipapo 🤣 But now to the story you're all waiting for: who was seasick? Let me get straight to the point 😅 In St Pierre, Martinique, we cast off the lines from the buoy early in the morning and off we go. Today's destination: Roseau, 30 nautical miles away. For the first hour of our journey, we are still in the cover of the island, which means no waves and rather moderate winds. We are motoring. Until then everything seems fine, everyone is cheerful. And then, as we approach the cape of the island, we there they are: the White Caps (dramatic music). Yes, I can laugh now 🤣 Just a few months ago, I was shitting my pants 💩😅 Were going upwind with 16 knots of wind, the boat was heeling and the waves were coming from the side at an angle. Our crew quickly became very quiet, and after about half the distance some ballast was thrown off the boat 😅🤢 Three out of three were minimally undocked. After that, however, things are a little better, a plate of pasta is carefully polished off and the rest of the journey is spent lying around with dignity 😉👍 Here's the picture to go with it:

When we arrive in Roseau, we moor at a buoy. Thierry goes to clear in, I clear the boat and the other three slowly get their bearings 😊 The next day we go on an excursion to the Trois Pitons National Park with our guide Jones. We cruise up the hills in a van. Our first stop is a freshwater lake, which we circle on foot. Just like the volcano in Martinique, the path leads us up and down and up and down. Apparently, that's what these volcanic islands are like 😉 After about an hour, we've circumnavigated the thing. Super nice and a pleasant way to cool off in the slightly higher layers of air. Now it's on to Titou Gorge, one of the many filming locations for the "Pirates of the Caribbean" film series. Here we are allowed to swim through a fairly narrow gorge with quite cold water to a small waterfall. Fortunately, there are two hot water springs to warm up at the exit - cheers to volcanoes! 😂🌋 After a delicious but rather expensive lunch, we continue on to Trafalgar Falls, my personal highlight of the day, because: Here, hot water comes out of the rock in one place and the cold water from the waterfall collects in a pool right next to it. Organic spa at its best, and once again we are alone. Happy and a little exhausted, we return to the boat in the evening, I get a haircut from Atlanta and then we fall into our bunks😴.

Portsmouth

Or as our dear French friends say: "Porsmouss" 😂 We are warmly welcomed by a local called Elvis and tie up to his buoy. He tells us that there's a BBQ on the beach tonight with all-you-can-drink rum - we're in! We have also booked a tour with him for the next morning on the Indian River, another filming location from "Pirates of the Caribbean". The BBQ is delicious with chicken, rice and salad. Reggea music from the speakers tempts you to dance barefoot in the sand 😍 And the hero of the evening: some dude playing air guitar on stage like a world champion! 🤣

Elvis picks us up at 07:00 the next morning. That way we see more animals and it's less hot, he says. All right, off we go! There's another French family on board, and then we pick up a little helper for Elvis. We have to smile when we see the little helper, because it's none other than the air guitar dude from yesterday 😂 Filipo is his name, and he doesn't say much for the first hour... 😉 While Elvis is rowing, he explains the fauna and flora to us, we hear birds and see lots of crabs in the mangrove roots. The sight of these must have awakened Filipo's spirits, because he suddenly follows his hunting instinct and tries to catch the animals. The fact that he almost falls into the water several times is of course more than a little amusing 😉 We take a short walk through the forest, Elvis tells us something that we don't realise, because Filipo shows us a thousand herbs and knows something to say about each one. He also explains to me three times how to prepare a sweet potato 😂 The whole thing comes to a climax on the way back when Thierry discovers an iguana on a branch above the river. Filipo is naturally on fire, pulls the animal by the tail, it falls into the boat and Elvis, visibly unhappy and swearing (fokin Filipo! 😂) almost falls overboard himself. What a spectacle, definitely Oscar-worthy! 😉

After this super cool trip, we are back on the boat around midday. As little to no wind is forecast for the next few days, after a plate of pasta we set off in the direction of Marie-Galante, an island just south of Guadeloupe.

What we experience in Gwada and why we are up to our knees in mud after 5 hours of hiking? I'll just say:

Best holiday ever........