Location: Dominica
Ahoy! After waking up the crew at 6:30, which was hard after having a late Pirates movie night, we were greeted with some good fried apples, yogurt, and granola. Despite the fatigue in everyone’s eyes, we were all so excited for the big day ahead of us! After a couple of dinghy rides to the dock, we filled the taxis to go on a fruit tour across the island. We got to try all the exotic and mysterious fruits. Dominica hides in her beautiful rainforest. Even if some of them were quite doubtful in appearance with a strange texture and a way too sour taste, we all put our taste buds to the test. Breadfruit, star fruit, and Bajan cherry stood out, but of course, the classics: mangos, bananas, and pineapple, were also at the rendezvous. We also got to try some pure cacao chocolate. After a few stops, we were dropped at the beach for a quick lunch.
The bravest of us went for a little body surf session in the seaweed waves. Seaweeds were found in places we didn’t expect to, but fortunately, our next stop was the emerald pool, a UNESCO-protected site. This hidden wonder of Dominica gave rise to a lot of giggles, big splashes, and shivers from its cold water. Some of us had the idea to jump from a cliff behind the waterfall, and by the end, the more reluctant ones overcame their fear, and we all jumped from the cliff one after the other. And this was only the preview for our next stop; the Trafalgar falls. After having been badly advised to go barefoot, we went on a hike, which ended up climbing slippery rocks barefoot for most of us. We were thanked with good luck as many falls were avoided, and everybody got to the top safely. We all quickly jumped into the cold water at the bottom of the waterfall for one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Surrounded by a Jurassic World landscape, we got to be mermaids and mermen by sitting at the edge. When the shivers became unbearable, we went down to a hot waterfall that directly came from the boiling lake. A paintball game was started with the iron mud, and we painted our bodies like warriors. We didn’t see time go by, and it was already 5:00, so we needed to head back to the boat for dinner. On our way back, we made a quick stop to watch the sunset on top of the hill. Our day ended with an AMAZING chicken/tofu mango rice and some very awaited ocean showers. Now, we are going to do the knowledge review for the advanced open water course because we have two exciting dives tomorrow! Stay tuned for more adventures to come!