Green Leaves and Rainbows

The next day, we went back to Dominica.

From the ship

Closeup of the light over the museum entrance

We could look through the window at the island as we were having breakfast.

Rainbow over Dominica

I was gradually working my way through the breakfast menu, and I had Belgian waffles this morning. They were good.

Belgian waffles

Dominica has been called a Green Island because the plants grow well. The plants grow well because the soil is rich and there is plenty of moisture. The reason that there is plenty of moisture is that there is a lot of rain, mist, fog, and clouds.

Or to put it another way, Dominica has a tropical wet climate with characteristically warm temperatures and heavy rainfall..

The Green Island

The moisture is brought by the trade winds. Most of the rain falls between June and October (the Green Season). Average yearly rainfall along the windward east coast may exceeds 200 inches, and exposed mountainsides receive up to 355 inches which is among the highest accumulations in the world.

On the leeward west coast, it is much dryer - getting only about 70 inches which is about the same as the Gulf Coast of the USA. Humidity is closely tied to rainfall patterns.

What this means is that you should expect rain, especially if you go up into the RAIN forest. Today our tour was to be the Aerial Tram (in the rain forest). First we had to take a bus up the mountain. A couple of times I wasn't sure the bus was going to make it. It kept bottoming out on my corner. We passed a power station with a holding pond on the way up.

Laudat power station

Dominica Electric

Tramway

Sign in tram station

Mural at the tram station

Tram operator

Tram car

The tram held 8 people (4 seats with two people each) plus a guide sitting in the back. They went up to the top of the mountain on the lower track and came back down on the upper track. First, they had someone take a car around the whole system to be sure it was all working.

Empty car

It was kind of wet, and before we got in, two people wiped down and squeegeed the water off the seats.

Tram car getting ready to leave

Full car leaving

Palm trees

There was a plastic cover over the tram, and I observed that there was less water on the back seats, so that's where I aimed for. We didn't bother to get rain ponchos from the store, and of course an umbrella would be useless. I had a digital camera, and also a film camera in case it really started to rain.

Looking down from the top track

Looking out over the trees

Our guide (who was named Nigel) that rode with us told us many interesting facts about the plants and flowers we were seeing and also identified the bird calls and told us interesting things about the tram and the island.

Stream below

Apparently, although most of the flowering plants flower in the summer, the tram does not operate unless the cruise ships are in. And the ships only come in the winter.

yellow flowerlets

Red flower

I was fascinated by the many shapes and textures of the leaves.

View from the tram

Green leaf textures

Palms

Ferns with fiddleheads

View from the top

As we approached the top, it started to rain a good bit and I put away the digital camera.

Faint rainbow against the clouds

We could have gotten off at the top and walked down and across a suspension bridge

Suspension bridge

Suspension bridge

and get back on the tram at a lower stop. But since it was raining harder, we decided not to do that.

Tramway control room

When we got down, we were offered the obligatory drink,

Obligatory drink

and there was a chance to buy things at the store. I bought some of the woven grass craft items. Frommers says: "The handmade Dominican vetiver-grass mats sold at Tropicrafts Island Mats, are known throughout the world, and you can watch the weaving process during store hours. They also sell dolls, shopping bags, and placemats, all appliquéd by hand.

Then we had to get back into the same van that we came in (there were several so we had to remember our driver's name) to go back down the mountain.

Wooden pipe

On the way down, I was able to take a photo of the big wooden pipe, which was now on my side of the van. We also stopped at a place where we could take pictures of the mountains and buy souvenirs. I stayed on the van and Bob got off to take the pictures. In the dirt at the side of the road, someone had spelled the names of the ships that had called at Dominica in bottle caps or other items.

Names of ships

We went back to the ship through the Botanical Gardens.

Palm with number post

Poppies?

Cactus

Banyan Tree in the Botanical Garden

They were started by the Crown in 1889 on land which was formerly a sugar cane plantation. The planting of the Gardens began in 1890. The 40 acre gardens are the largest tract of semi-open land in Roseau. It is the setting for cricket matches, national parades and cultural celebrations, religious open air ceremonies and recreational activities. Space was also given to a school

Botanical Gardens trees

There are two distinct sections: an ornamental section and an economic section. The latter was devoted to research and the propagation of plants of economic importance. The ornamental section was once exquisitely landscaped with ponds, ornate iron gates, a fountain, and up to 500 species of exotic and indigenous trees and shrubs to enhance the beauty of and interest in the site. Subsequently, between 80 and 100 different types of palms were also planted. Hurricane David did a lot of damage to the trees in the garden, but there are still plants of interest. The guide explained about the trees and plants there which are numbered so that they can be identified. The guide had a list. This time I managed to take several pictures of the squashed school bus.

Camera didn't focus fast enough

{A brand new school bus had been donated to Dominica by the Canadians. Before it could be put into service, a hurricane hit, and it was crushed by a falling baobab tree. If you look at the photos of the whole bus, you can see the huge trunk of the tree is still on top of the bus.}

Mashed Bus

Quick closeup photo as we drove past

Detail of the bus

At the end of the tour, I got off and went into the market to buy some items. A grass placemat was $5@. I said that I wanted 5 but could not afford that much money. So she said she'd give me 5 for $30. I said that is the wrong direction - that's more than $5 @. So she eventually agreed to 5 items for $20 and she would throw in a small basket to boot.

Buying flowers for the Maasdam

As I got back on the ship, I noticed that they were selling flowers to the ship provisioners on the dock. The steel drum man had gone home.

Excursion buses returning

As we were leaving (while we were playing trivia) we saw multiple rainbows over the island. At first, I couldn't get a clear view through the window,

Rainbow from inside - 2:59 pm

Focused on the raindrops on the window

and when I eventually got out on deck, the greatest part of the rainbow had dissipated. I first saw the rainbow at 2:58 pm. I got out on deck by 3:06 pm,

Rainbow once I got outside - 3:06 pm

and the rainbow was gone by 3:09 pm.

Rainbow gone 3:09 pm

There was a boat with a dark blue hull where the Princess had been moored last time.

Blue hulled ship - Explorer

Rainbow over town as we were leaving

We had some festivities for New Years Eve,

Duet of beef and lobster

Roast rack of lamb with green beans and potatoes

My dessert

and our dinner partners took our pictures using my camera, and we took one of them using their camera.

Me, Bob and Sheela taken by Tom on New Years Eve

Old Year at the New Years Eve party

Tomorrow it is back to St. Thomas