Location: Dominica
Arrr! Our busy day began at an early 5:45 AM wake up to catch our ride to the Boiling Lake at 7 AM sharp. Our last few mornings have been extra early. However, we powered through together as a crew and made it to our ride *early.* Breakfast was delicious, thanks to the hardworking chefs that started cooking the night before.
We made it to the Boiling Lake trail and were surprised by a sign that stated the trail was closed; after asking the tour guide, who responded with the trail was indeed open and the sign was accidentally left on. In relief, we began our hike to the world’s largest boiling lake, unaware of what the rest of the day had prepared for us. The hike began with plenty of mud, and a few of us attempted to dodge it. However, all eventually gave in to having muddy shoes and feet. This trail was no walk in the park; we endured many high elevation gains and crossed streams and rivers, which was refreshing and would clean off our dirty shoes.
Our crew had already split into many groups, where everyone walked at their own desired pace. We had our first resting spot around 45 minutes into the hike, and very well-deserved as we were climbing the trail faster than expected. The resting area was at the top of a hill and hosted great views. We were in awe, seeing the clouds nearby dance and create vortexes while we soaked in the condensation. After rehydrating, we continued on.
The remaining part of the hike was very rocky and resulted in us having to be much more careful with our steps. There were times when we had to repel down a tiny cliff to continue and others when we were hugging the side of the mountain not to fall down the tall ridge beside us. As we neared the Boiling Lake, we could begin to smell the rotten-egg odor of sulfur in the water. We had a lot of fun boiling eggs in the sulphuric water and then eating them afterward. At last, we finally made it to the Boiling Lake. In celebration, we had a feast and ate our packed lunches, which included rice, mango salsa, beans, and plantains. The tour guides also brought up fish sandwiches for us to share. The crew took many pictures, and some of us threw rocks toward the lake to see who could make the farthest splash.
The way back was calming, and we took a few stops in lakes for a swim. When everyone made it back to our starting location, we celebrated with cold drinks and a cave swim. The water was frigidly cold. However, we had great laughs and was perfect to relax our hardworking muscles. A cool, fun fact that we learned was that the cave swim was also the same location that was featured in the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie. We finished the hike in around seven hours and a total length of about fifteen kilometers. Back on Ocean Star, we laughed and recalled our memories from today while eating a delicious dinner prepared by the chefs.
We leave for Les Saintes early tomorrow morning, the first of the French islands to visit. The Boiling Lake hike was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. However, the best is yet to come.