ROSEAU, DOMINICA - DAY 21

 

                                        Our position today denoted by the circle on the maps.

Historical/Background Info:

        Dominica is an island country also in the West Indies also being just 112 miles from our last port of call, St Lucia.  The volcanic formed mountains here are covered by rainforests and the world’s second-largest hot spring is here.  The island is known as “The Nature Island of the Caribbean” because of its lush rainforests and varied flora and fauna.  The island’s population is just over 70,000 with about 15,000 of them living in Roseau, its capital and where we are docked today.  The island is especially vulnerable to hurricanes.

       Banana plantations once dominated Dominica’s economy with nearly 1/3 of the labor force worked in agriculture in the early 2000’s.  But Hurricane Dean in 2007 caused significant damage to the agriculture sector.  The government has since diversified the ag sector promoting coffee, aloe vera, cut flowers and fruits production.  Tourism is becoming increasingly important to its economy but since it is mostly volcanic there are few beaches.  As a result, the island had the fewest visitors (only 56,000 in 2008) of 22 Caribbean islands.  Surprisingly, its visitors are about half as many that visited Haiti.  Cruise ship stopovers are on the increase now that a modern dock and waterfront facilities have been constructed.  Dominica’s mountains, rainforests, lakes, hot springs, waterfalls, and diving spots do make it an attractive ecotourism destination.  We were here twice on our 2022 world cruise.

LAST EVENING

            Every evening in the lounges canapes are offered.  The canapes change every day.

                                                       But we get these pigs or poppers.

                                               Black mussels to start with in Compass Rose.

        I knew better but ordered this ribeye.  Too tough so did not eat it.  I just had the baked potato that I also ordered.  Rebecca had the chicken stir fry which was good.

                                             This apple croissant pudding was very good.

                                          Set up for the ABBA dance party later in the atrium.

TODAY

Here are some photos taken from deck 12 (sports deck).

                                                      We are docked right downtown.

        Went down to coffee connection to go out and get this photo but it was pouring rain over downtown and that side of the ship.

                                                        Rainbow outside our balcony.

                                                      

        Here are some photos of my "trolley" tour that I took on our 2022 world cruise.  We visited this island twice on that cruise.  I was scheduled to take this tour today but due to the rain I cancelled.  Interesting place but not too photogenic.  Very poor people.

                                                                         The trolley

                         Newest looking thing in town was the soccer stadium built in 2005.

                                                                          Old shack 

                                                              The high school

We stopped at the Dominica Botanical Gardens and our guide named all the different plants and trees.

This thorny plant is used to prevent erosion.  Up in the rainforests they get 365 inches of rain every year.

                     At the gardens we were given a "very small" cup of fruit punch or rum punch.  

                                                                           Coconuts

                                                                             Church

          Hurricane Marie in 2017 blew this 300 year old tree over on a bus.  No one was hurt.

        I actually decided to walk into town in search for a pharmacy this morning.  I was off the ship for 45 minutes.  Glad I took my travel umbrella as there was a brief shower.

                                           Gangway taken from the coffee connection patio.

                                               It was a bit of a walk from pier into town.

                                                       Got a great photo of the ship.

              This is a very poor island and everything very run down.  People here are poor.

              Gotta watch where your walking.  Gutters are along the streets not underground.

        Handicraft stalls in the tents lining the road.  I finally found a pharmacy but what I wanted was a prescription item.

        Lunch up in La Veranda.  This is cannelloni pasta stuffed with meat, spinach, mozzarella & tomato.  A little coleslaw also.

Went out to the pool grill and got this bratwurst.  Not the sausage I was expecting but ate half of it.

        We shall be sailing again at 5pm.  Heading to the last port of call on this cruise, Philipsburg, St Maarten.  We are due to be docked there by 7am tomorrow.

        Compass Rose menu for tonight.  I have ordered some fried soft shell crabs for our starters.  The guest entertainer for tonight's show in the theater is a comedian, Jim David.