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Sunday, August 19, 2012

August 19, 2012: St. Maarten would be at the bottom of my recommended country list, but we had a very enjoyable day here today! We left Jungle Bay at 5:45am to catch our flight from Dominica. After landing at SXM, we went straight to Maho Beach to watch other planes land. There’s about 50 feet from ocean to runway, which makes for a great experience. “PLAAAAAANEEEEE!!!!!!!!!” was the repetitive phrase of the day from Em, she went absolutely nuts whenever one came in. So cute.

The Radisson Blu was fantastic! It has the largest freshwater pool on the island, and a great beach with minimal waves. Emelyn loved splashing. She also heard that the beach was clothing-optional, apparently, as she kept trying to rip her rashguard off.

At night, we headed to Grand Case, the ‘Gourmet Capital of the Caribbean’. Quite nerve-racking to take a 20 month old to a white linen, pick your own lobster, french restaurant… but we survived. :) I had a fantastic filet, Jen went with shrimp fettuccine. Emelyn also took a liking to the little French kid who worked there. J’adore.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

August 18, 2012: Today we went to Roseau, Dominica. The drive took us 90 minutes on some of the craziest roads I’ve ever seen. Triple hairpin turns down 1-lane (2-way!) roads with massive dropoffs and no guardrails. Bladder-rattling bumps the whole way. (And of course Em always loves going without a car seat!) The views were stunning. So tropical and green everywhere you look!

In Roseau we went through the wet and dry markets, which are labeled the last ‘authentic’ markets in the Eastern Caribbean. And having been through markets in 20+ countries, I can attest that it was a nice change of pace to not have rows of vendors lined up selling junk ‘Made in China’ out of a box. Everything was made by the person selling it to you, from hats to jewelry to dresses and more.

Next stop was Trafalgar Falls, a beautiful double waterfall that splashes into boulders and huge rocks as it works its way down the mountainside. Near the bottom of the waterfall is a natural hot spring that joins the stream. It’s crazy. Walk 30 feet from one stream to the other and you’re talking a temperature difference of 30-40F in the water! Very neat experience and without the sulfuric smell of other places like Wai-O-Tapu.

As you can see from the last 2 pics, Em has yet to meet a stranger on this trip. From the boys at the park (“Hey boys!!!”) to the waiters and waitresses at Jungle Bay, she has enjoyed meeting all sorts of new friends. Tonight we pack up, and with a 5:45am wake-up call we head to our final vacation destination… St. Maarten!

Friday, August 17, 2012

August 17, 2012: We started out our day with a hike just south of La Plaine, Dominica to the White River, which dumps into the ocean. We had a blast splashing around in the river, wading and skipping rocks. I even found a rope to swing on and jump in a few times! We followed the river down to the ocean, where huge rock and boulders meet the crashing waves. Definitely not a ‘beach’ destination, but we got enough of that in Barbados and the outdoors here is simply breathtaking.

We took turns at the spa this afternoon while Em napped, and tonight we’re just lounging around. I’m spending quite a bit of time in the hammock on our treehouse deck. :) Serene.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

August 16, 2012: Today we flew to Dominica. Initial impressions… WOW! Such a lush, green, natural place. It’s amazing. Huge sea cliffs, towering mountains, and 365 rivers. We were picked up by Justin, who took us on the 90 minute drive to our “eco-luxe” resort, Jungle Bay.

On the drive, we learned a lot of history about the island and the people. We stopped for a fresh coconut and had coconut water, which was fresher than any bottled stuff that I’ve had! We also tried cassava bread. To wash it down, we stopped for a drink at a small waterfall off the road. Crystal clear and delicious!

Jungle Bay is a very neat place. Everything is right in the jungle, but just a short walk from the ocean. All of the resort construction, down to the furniture, repurposes materials from around the island. Our treehouse is up on stilts as to not disturb wildlife. At the restaurant on property, 95% of ingredients are local. And the food is phenomenal! Back at the treehouse, there is no A/C because of the wonderful ocean breeze. No TV, no internet, our shower is outdoors, the pool uses water from the local river… I could go on and on about all the neat details of this place. They did a great job with it. I’ll post a few pics tomorrow!

It’s been raining off and on since we got here, but we haven’t minded. It makes it feel more like a rainforest, and we love listening to the crashing waves and the rain hit our tin roof at night! So peaceful and relaxing.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

August 15, 2012: Em’s learning all sorts of new words on this trip! Beach, seashell, umbrella, splash, boat, “mommy’s owie” in reference to her sunburnt back, and the colors blue and green are all common sightings now.

Spent the AM at the beach, where I hit the PAYLOAD. There’s this more stagnant area to the left of where everyone hangs out in the water. And it seems like when something gets there, it stays there in the tide. So it looks kinda gross.

Then I noticed a pair of sunglasses :) Fendi, it turns out. And another one. And then another pair. 3 pair, 3 minutes. Booyah! Haha. Jen’s looking fresh now.

Went back to Cuz’s Fish Stand for lunch and had a Banks beer, a Bajan favorite. Last night in Barbados, tomorrow we head to Dominica!

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

August 14, 2012: Another relaxing day in the ocean. Spent the AM playing on the beach with the girls, then I went scuba diving at naptime. Went back to Carlisle Bay to explore the wrecks further. Went inside of several sunk boats, which was really neat. We found an air pocket in the lower level of the boat, where water does not go for some reason. So we poked our heads out for a quick breath of non-tank air, which turned out to be VERY musty and likely toxic. :) Headed ‘up’ the spiral staircase to get back out, haha! Got to see lots of fish life again, and went back to get another pic of the seahorse, who was in the exact same spot as 2 days ago. See it? (Last photo)