Barbados, Dominica and Martinique

We are heading home after 19 very enjoyable days in the Lesser Antilles, our first times in that part of the Caribbean. Most of the Lesser Antilles, including the very mountainous (no possible runway for jumbo jets) “nature island” of Dominica, and the French Overseas Department of Martinique, consist of an arc of volcanic islands (Montserrat in 1995 being the most recent eruption). Limestone Barbados, with its rolling hills, is among the exceptions.

Spent the first 3 days driving around Barbados in a golf cart-like “Moke” (rhymes with joke- may be more than just coincidence),and seeing that there is at least a little more than cruise ships and all-inclusives to the country. The capital of Bridgetown is a lively and colourful small city, with hardly a tourist in sight. Excellent succulent “flying fish” with Macaroni Pie at touristy shacks in Oistins, although Barbados is certainly deserving of status as an honorary member of the “Slow Food Association” (as is Dominica, leading to us eating 3 nights at a good Chinese place), which was trying at times for us. Returned to the island yesterday and had some great snorkeling in its famous crystal-clear turquoise waters just off the beach of the Grand Barbados Hotel (among the cheaper places to stay at $197, tho we stayed at the decent Sunbay for $123/night the first 3d). Amongst the sparse remaining coral saw several turtles, a scorpionfish (bottom-dwelling, camouflaged like a sand-covered rock, but with poisonous spines), and the very strange Flying Gurnard (looks like winged gremlin puffer fish- worth googling, Jiak Chin thought I was making it up when I described it to her! We later found it in a book), in addition to tons of the innumerable colourful standard reef-dwellers.

Snorkeling was excellent on the other islands as well. I got a prolonged close up view of an octopus (1st time I’ve seen one in the wild) among hip-deep rocks off Dominica, where we also snorkeled at “Champagne Reef”, named after its multiple constant streams of volcanic gas bubbling to the surface from underwater vents. In addition we both went on our 1st scuba-dives (26min, 6meter introductory, without any theory beforehand) in Martinique. For myself this was a long-overdue highlight, and marked the end of my shameful, and doubtlessly record-setting stretch of 7.3 years for the longest interval between getting 100% on a comprehensive PADI theory certification exam and actually going scuba diving! (I had to cancel a planned trip to Cozumel as I had gotten a terrible cold/cough).

We totaled 1 week on Dominica, which definitely was the most interesting of the 3 islands. Named after the day of the week Columbus spotted it, it remains among the most remote, rugged, and least modern of the Caribbean islands, and was the central destination of our trip. It was the last of the islands to fall to the Europeans (1635 by France tho was in British hands most of its history since), and has the only remaining indigenous pre-Columbian Caribbean population and territory (called “Caribs” or more properly “Kalinago”, 2-3000 individuals, 10km territory). We walked the road of the predictably more downtrodden area (avoiding its tourist village), and chanced into an ex-chief from the 1970s, Frederick Faustulus (who met Trudeau at an international indigenous peoples conference in Mtl), with whom I shared an afternoon drink, while JC was involuntarily serenaded by the territory’s overly inebriated, apparently star drummer banging a pair of sticks together! Booking our ferry to Martinique was straight out of the 70s as well: with carbon paper copies, no printed schedules, booking at the line’s central office only (website exists, but can’t book on it), and separate lines there for booking and paying.

The reason to visit, however, is the island’s natural wonders. In addition to the underwater adventures, we went on a day hike to the very rare “Boiling Lake”, which is visibly true to its name, heated to 100celcius from below by hot volcanic gases. Also the swimmable Titou Gorge, multiple waterfalls, natural-setting hot springs, and wave-pounded cliffs. We stayed at the converted Fort Young Hotel, with an oceanfront balcony view of… unfortunately a cruise ship. The capital of Roseau, and the rest of the country have a resulting Jekyll and Hyde personality depending on whether one is docked at that moment, and the money infused is having predictably mixed effects on the island’s character, as evidenced by outrageous fares demanded by the meter-less cabbies ($5-6/km). As a result we took several dirt-cheap, but overcrowded and very entertaining although scary, minibus rides; in one our Rastafarian driver using two hands, and a turned head, to engage in a witty Creole-slang verbal repartee with a female passenger while on the twisting roads. He then turned into a race-car driver as soon as she got off. We demanded to get off shortly after.

Martinique was a more stereotypical mix of Caribbean and French culture. We had several excellent and inexpensive gourmet dinners, on the whole better than in mainland France. And, unlike our many pre-2008 law dining experiences there, they were tobacco-free! In fact a highlight for me was when in a covered patio restaurant post-ferry arrival, a lady lit up a cigarette, but, to my near-disbelief, put it out as soon as I asked! The north of the island includes the former capital of St. Pierre, destroyed in 1902 by the eruption of the nearby Mt Pelee volcano, killing in minutes 30 000 inhabitants, with only 3 survivors, one of whom, Cyparis, was a prisoner ironically saved by his still standing solitary-confinement cell, found with burns (later turned into a circus career) 4d later.

All told, this was one of our most enjoyable trips.

Until next time,

Stu