Location: Dominica
Today was the day we had been talking about since we first arrived on this boat. Today was the day of the eight-hour hike!! We woke up at 5:30 sharp to be ready for our breakfast of eggs and bagels at 6:00. After a prompt clean-up, we shuttled over to the dock in our beloved dinghies, Irving and Snow Darren, where we met our guide, Poncho. After a slightly scary van ride, we arrived at the entrance of the infamous Boiling Lakes hike.
The hike started out strong, featuring a slippery upward slope with some wooden logs to help us get a grip. They werent much help; many others and I were slipping and sliding all over the trail. It wasnt long before Lee somehow took a tumble into the brush at one of the flattest parts of the hike. She was fine, and we all laughed. After about an hour of hiking, the laughing subsided. We were all feeling the burn, and nothing was funny anymore. I kept thinking theres no way we have seven more hours of this, and I was pretty jealous of the few that stayed back. Eventually we reached the highest point of our hike at an altitude of about 3100 feet, not to be confused with the end. It was actually not even halfway to the turnaround point, but it was very pretty. We trekked along and reached our first boiling creek. The guides brought eggs to boil in the lake, which I heard were delicious. Alyssa, Lee, Emma, Lizzy, and I played I went on a Camping Trip, but we were too out of breath to play by the time we got to Q. After three hours of hiking, we arrived at THE boiling lake. We sat and ate our smooshed sandwiches while we chatted. The hike back was only easier due to the fact that I could no longer feel my legs. I hopped in a hot spring on the way back, which was definitely worth the wet socks. In the final 30 minutes, I couldnt stand the slow downhill descent, and in Zoes words, I sprinted away from her, Alyssa, and Emma. I caught up to Eva and Franchesca, and they caught my vibe of just wanting to get this hike over with. We finished the hike using the freight train method. This entailed leaning forward while going downhill, not stopping, and hoping you dont break an ankle. Our method worked, and we won the race. No one else knew it was a race, but we won nonetheless. On the way home, we stopped at some hot springs, which quite literally consisted of kittens and sunshine. It was a great reward for our hard work.
Once we got back to Ocean Star, we jumped in the ocean for showers and hosed off our muddy shoes. Perry made curry for dinner, and it was the perfect end to a long day. The sunsets here never get old, and as I watched it, I thought about how much I will miss this experience and these people when this is all over. It truly feels like a big family. As Im writing this, were watching Jumanji in the cockpit (inspired by todays adventures) before bed. I never thought Id be so excited to go to sleep by 8:30.
To my family, I miss you so much! To Champ and Rocky, I miss you most!! 🙂
-Chloe