As you know, Dominica can be a tough island for us, particularly when it rains, as it so often does. But we got lucky today, and Dominica was looking her finest, all sunny with clear blue water and green mountainsides.
We were in bed early last night, so early that, had we still been on the Allure, we wouldn't have even had dinner yet. But that's ok...we need to pace ourselves. Part of it was the walk in yesterday's heat, but part of it (for me) was that I was anxious to get back to the cabin to try the mattress on my bed that had started out on G's bed. My bed had had an excellent mattress, but it was just cushier than G's, whose was very firm. I had been living with whatever I'd encountered on the Royal Princess and the Nieuw Amsterdam and Allure, because, for a week, who cares? But here on the Emerald Princess, we needed some tweaking and now we're good to go.
We both slept hard and still slept until 7am. We're quickly falling into a pattern: go down to the IC on Deck 5 for brewed coffee to go, walk up the stairs in the Piazza to Deck 6, say hi and complain to the folks at the Passenger Services Desk that we have nothing to complain about, and then go to the DaVinci Dining Room for breakfast. Today again we were seated at a table for four next to window with just us, and our waiter was our same dinner waiter Corn, who already knows that G gets four different juices and which ones they are, and that I like a big bowl of salsa with my egg beaters. Corn asked today if I always get the same thing, and I said yes, usually, even at home, though there I have to peel and section my own oranges and never have three different kinds of fresh berries at one time. Our junior waiter for dinner, Immanuel, made a point of coming over to say hi, and it suddenly occurred to us that we're going to have another wonderful winter waitstaff-wise.
By 8:50am (a little early), the Emerald Princess was docked and cleared in Roseau, Dominica, and we went to the forward port (left) side of the Promenade Deck to try to use the Fort Young Hotel's free wifi, but they've finally cracked down on the cruise ship crews and passengers using up their bandwidth and have locked it all. (G later found a bar in Roseau that is offering it for $3 without purchase, free with purchase that we will use if we need it in the future). No matter today; having been on St. Thomas yesterday our lives are under control from an Internet-need perspective.
We were in the mood again to walk, which is good because it is one of the only things we can do on our own in Dominica. We set out with water bottles and my collapsible walking stick (which is really a necessity to navigate Dominica'a horrible sidewalks and streets), and walked through the busy streets of Roseau, the capital city of about 17000 people. Coupled with its deplorable street condition, Dominica is a member of the British Commonwealth and driving is on the left.
Saturday is market day in Roseau, and the streets were busy with shoppers. We stopped into "grocery store" simply because we find them so fascinating. I'm always taken aback by the prices. 150 ounces of Tide was almost US $40; a dozen eggs were US $2.66. Dominica is the poorest island we visit..how do people survive here?
For the first time EVER we made our way correctly right to the Dominica Botanical Gardens. We've been here several times before, but have always come in a back or side way. Not today...we actually came in where an entrance sign is. Go us! We watched a team of young boys playing cricket for awhile (which, along with soccer are the big sports here), and I couldn't help but think that Saturday mornings all over the world are busy with kids playing sports...different sports, obviously, but still sports. We also walked into the bamboo house-cave-tunnel (I'm not certain what to call it, and this being Dominica, there wasn't an abundance of signage...or any signage at all except on the entrance gate). Mom, do remember the bamboo garden we visited in southern France? It brought back memories of that.
More memories- lots more- were drummed up when we walked up the steep trail through the rainforest called Jack's Walk. Dad was a walker of the highest order, and would have loved the challenge of it. In fact, we talked about him on the way up, which was fitting; I might have had more years walking with Dad but G certainly logged a lot of miles with him too. The path was dry today, and so it was a perfect day to make the hike (we know we can't count on another day like this all winter), but it was still a bit tough. It was like a hot house under the canopy of the forest and I was drenched with sweat by the time we made it to the top. It didn't help that G lives for this sort of thing, and, hiking ahead of me, would excitedly announce that the next part was particularly steep and proclaim that he loved the tight switchbacks the best. I mean, who does that???
When we got to the Morne Bruce overlook at the top, there were lots of our fellow passengers up there taking photos, brought there courtesy of taxis, and they all looked fresh and smelled nice. Oh well, it was fun to tell them we had climbed up there from the ship, and were walking back down.
Down. That's always the killer. It might tax the heart and lungs to hike up, but the knees cry all the way down. I had worn my Teva Toachis, and tightened down the straps to keep my feet from sliding, but it was still easy to trip on the heavily rooted path and I had to keep reminding myself to Pick. Up. My. Feet. or I'd fall flat on my face. In the end, I did fall (but not on my face) on the steps of the steepest part. Luckily, I was already crouched down picking my way down the steps when my foot slid out from under me on the dirt and -splat- I went down on my back and slid the rest of the way down that section.
I was fine, wasn't hurt at all, and couldn't understand why everyone who saw me on the walk back to the ship expressed concern and asked if I had fallen. When assured I was fine, one local lady told me Jesus must love me a lot (Dominica is heavily Christian and mostly Catholic). I'm sure He does, but He really loves my mom, who worries endlessly about us and prays for our safety night and day. Keep it up, Mom...it's working!
Even the ship's security was concerned when we reboarded and asked if I was alright, but it wasn't until I returned to our cabin and peeled off my drenched T-shirt that I understood why I had been a spectacle on the walk back to the ship...my shirt was solidly black in the back, reflecting that quick but wild ride down the hill. I hit it with Shout stain remover and hand scrubbed it with Tide before showering with it. I have to get it clean enough to wash in a washer!
G beat me to the buffet for a late lunch, the first time we've eaten there this cruise. It's not my favorite (and is certainly not nearly as nice as on the Royal Princess), but the salad bar is always good, and I added some fish and vegetarian curry. And three big glasses of fuzzy water. I was so thirsty! We sat with Sandy, of Gene and Sandy, who we had met at the manager's cocktail party at the Embassy Suites and who are on the Emerald Princess for three cruises back to back. We have really enjoyed getting to know them, and are thrilled to have made new cruise friends.
I returned to the cool darkness of our cabin to begin this post; G was headed to a hot tub but decided, half way there, that the cabin was more inviting. As I typed, he caught part of an indeterminate Tom Cruise movie. When he said it was good and he was sorry he missed the beginning, I responded that that was too bad, because he'd never get another chance to see it again. That's a joke...we'll see this same movie over and over and over and over again from now until we disembark. We'll see the middle part, the first part, the ending, we'll know the script by heart but we will never, ever see it from beginning to end in one viewing. That's the reality of TV on the Emerald Princess (and I'll have more TV-related thoughts it an upcoming post).
We were dressed for dinner and in Skywalkers at 5pm. Dominica was putting on a show for us, and looked absolutely spectacular from the ship. I don't recall many (actually any) prior visits where we didn't have at least a drop of rain from arrival to departure in Dominica, so those passengers for whom this was their one visit of the year were very lucky.
Jefferson from the Philippines is the cook who prepares our Skywalkers hor doerve spreads this winter (as Gerry did last year), and, like Gerry, he is a talent with fruit and vegetable carvings and sushi prep. He is also the ice carver on board, and I was talking with him about it yesterday. He said his dad was an ice carver on Norwegian Cruise Line years ago, and when I told him we had taken an NCL cruise is Alaska years ago where they fished a small iceberg bit out of the water and carved it on deck, he said that that glacial ice is the hardest ice to carve because it is so hard. Makes sense!
So, anyway, tonight's drink was the Japanese Slipper (too sweet for me- I had fuzzy water) and sushi and the display was gorgeous. Princess might not offer us free drinks every night (work on that, Princess, won't you?), but the hors doerves are far beyond those on the Allure. We have to be careful not to fill up before dinner.
We moved from Skywalkers to sunset, which we walked from outside on the Promenade Deck about 5:30. The Emerald Princess had not yet sailed from Dominica, so there was no wind at all. What a gorgeous start to the evening!
Dinner in the DaVinci Dining Room with Corn and Immanuel is becoming a treat. They are providing G with his special brioche rolls that he loves, and me with my plate of veggies every night (we alternate broccoli, spinach or brussel sprouts), and know we drink two fuzzy waters (me) and Cokes (G) and that caffeine is my kryptonite. We're all settling in just fine.
We have been eating really early, at 5:30pm-ish for several reasons: 1.) we're still laying our scent at that table for two by a window; 2.) we've been going to the early (7:15pm) show in the Princess Theater; and 3.) we're hungry by then but don't want to fill up on tea time or Skywalkers' hor doerves and then not be hungry for dinner. We're back to being the boring, early to bed, early to rise cruisers we usually are, and are feeling much healthier if not happier for it.
The show tonight was Disco: Blame it on the Boogie, the one that was new last winter (though they're still trying to get away with calling it a "new" show. Not quite, Princess). Not our favorite but always fun and especially enjoyable to see performed by a new cast. No second show in the Explorers Lounge tonight, but the Emerald Princess orchestra was playing big band dance music in there tonight so we swung In there to listen (not dance) for awhile. G had recognized the keyboard player from last year and had a chance to talk with him today. Apparently the new cruise director (JJ) is not a big jazz fan, and is not scheduling any "Jazzio in the Adagio" sessions during these cruises. Hmmmm....may have to get my letter writing pen out and make a suggestion. We adore Jazzio in the Adagio!
We took the elevator up to the Lido Deck 15 just as a Bruce Willis movie, Red 2, was beginning. G was instantly interested, and so I returned with popcorn and fuzzy water to the cabin where I'm watching Girl with the Pearl Earring (much more my style) for the eleventy-hundredth time. I simply don't grow tired of Colin Firth, even when he's reticent and in a wig.
Tomorrow: Grenada. After two days of walking, I think I could warm (ha!) to the idea of a beach day. It's an "early arrival-early departure" day, but, weather permitting (and if it's like today it will be perfect) we may get to Grande Anse Beach by water taxi.
