Dominica - 06/02/2011 First morning

Maryhelen Shuman-Groh

Arrived at 7 p.m. last night – only about 5 hours later than expected but 5 hours past my wall. I was up 4 to catch my flight and as usual didn’t sleep well the night before as I’m always paranoid about missing my flights. That’s especially true of getting to places like Dominica where only one flight leaves from San Juan every afternoon. In the past traveling from Boston, we always had to arrive a day before the Dominica flight.

AirTran to San Juan was on-time with one minor scare along the way – the dreaded announcement from the flight attendant, “Is there a doctor or a nurse on-board?” We were only an hour out of Tampa which usually means turning the flight around… Fortunately, it was a bad case of airsickness and we were able to continue to San Juan. I had 2 hours to pick-up my luggage and check-in at American Eagle. San Juan airport is a jumble of corridors and deadend wings with little signage so it always a feat to get from Point A to Point B. By time I’d cleared security, made a quick stop at duty-free and sat down at the gate, they were starting to board.

Flights from PR to Dominica are in twin-prop passenger plans called ‘puddle jumpers’ – not for everyone. This is the major connection from mainland US so ANYONE not flying private can been found on the flight. Among yesterday’s passengers were a Minister, the outgoing Dean of Ross Medical School and her husband, a physiology prof at Ross, an accounting prof from New Rochelle, NY, a couple of divers, a tourism sales promoter, a woman returning to visiting her ailing father and this student from USF.

The landing at Melville Hill is still the most spectacular approach and dive I have ever experienced and t was just as great a rush as the first two times. Even the seasoned Dominicans were pressed to the windows. Dominica soars up out of the Atlantic with sheer cliffs hammered by ocean waves. The peaks are covered in rich green rainforest. I am always struck by just how shades of green there are. As this small craft approaches the peaks it veers sharply left and descends so low over the forest cover you feel you can touch the treetops outside your window. Then we are flying between two mountains when the plane suddenly plunges, straightens and plops onto the runaway to applause of the passengers.

Did I mention that boarding and leaving the aircraft is by the rear of the plane on built in steps directly from and to the tarmac? The terminal is a long, single level block structure. The arrivals has 2 immigration lines, one for nationals and one for visitors past which is the one baggage claim and customs. The immigration officer is impressed by my length of stay and wishes me well as I head out to meet my transport.

At this point I meet my first major FAIL. My pre-arranged transport isn’t there and I am beset by the gang of taxi drivers seeking fares. By time I confirm that my transport isn’t among them and also find out there is no public phone, most of the shuttles have departed. One driver offers to call the transport service for me and does only to learn they had me down for the wrong day (this despite me confrming with them the day pror to travel). I can take a private cab and pay the $50EC dfference or wait for the next arrival (Liat from one of the other islands) and travel with the nice man who called for me. I opt to wait and spend the next couple of hours conversing with Daniel who turns out to also be the secretary of the taxi association. Between him and one of the security guards who comes over to chat, I learn a lot about what’s going on these days in Dominica. For example, gas is nearly $6US a gallon here. Drivers can wait all day without getting a fare and just getting to the airport could cost some of them half their fuel. Is it any wonder that they are so aggressive in trying to get passengers? It can be a bit overwhelming to tourists arriving after a long day of flying.

When the flights arrive, Daniel is able to secure another customer by virtue of the fact that he speaks some Spanish. The woman is originally from the Dominican Republic and has lived in Dominica for six years. All this we discover as we make the hour and a half journey to Roseau with my bit of Spanish, her little English and Daniel acting as translator. He gives us a running tour as we climb and descend the roadway.

Disney has nothing on the passage between Melville Hall and Roseau. We must traverse the middle of the island to reach the capital city. Fortunately I have taken my motion sickness medication well beforehand.

We drop Ludas at her home inside the city and travel south to Castle Comfort just a mile further. The narrow roadway is packed on both sides by houses ranging from simple tin shacks to 3 story guest houses/hotels. To our right (west) the houses sit on a thin strip of land, barely a few meters wide and open to the Caribbean Sea. To the left the strip varies in wideness from a house width to neighborhoods of a few streets backed up against the mountainside rising perpendicularly. This narrow strip lines the east coast and is home to the greatest portion of the islands population.

We finally arrive at the lodge at 7 p.m. at which point I am barely coherent. Seems the lodge was expecting Steve to be traveling with me (again, despite having confirmed my solo arriving just the day before). They don’t seem too happy about that but by now I’m not going to be too happy about anything and it must show because I’m just shown to my ‘double’ room without further discussion. Fortunately, I have arrived in time for dinner but by time I have had the absolutely delicious pumkin & ginger soup, I can no longer hold my head up and have to retire. The remainder of meal is dropped off at the room just before I pass out. That is good because I woke at 2 a.m. wide-eyed and hungry. Finally fall back to sleep.

So it is a new day. I spent the morning obtaining internet access and trying to find out where to get a cellphone. After several hours I was able to set up at the bar where the connection is best. Can’t beat this for office space.