Let me back track and tell you how we got here. Our last entry had us leaving the French behind in Gaudeloupe. We arrived in Dominica in the middle of a downpour. It explains how this island is very green and lush. They get lots of rain, well over 200 inches a year. There is no water shortage here, in fact there are public water faucets every three blocks through town.
We were immediately greeted by the local boat boys (men). This would be the first of many encounters we would have with locals trying to make a living. Services would range from fresh fruits and vegetables, ice, laundry, trash or ?? 
It would be easy to call this island poor by US standards. They have few possessions. They live in small houses, some very run down. Unemployment among the local men is high. Women are frequently the breadwinners. Marijuana is widely grown and used. 
Spend some time here and you learn wealth is not necessarily about money and "tings". 
And pineapples
The number one industry is banana export (hidden in blue plastic to keep them clean and presentable to buyers). The number one buyer is the UK.
Tourism is a close second and we would learn many things from our great tour guide and island friend, Alexis. Sure he does not look like your stereotype of a tour guide but don't let that fool you. He and his fellow guides have extensive knowledge of this island. Politics, economics, horticulture, medicinal plants, and anything else you might want to discuss in English or French. Educated in the French islands, Alexis and a few other young men are working hard to ensure boaters, like us, feel secure and welcome in Dominica. And we did.
We took off with Alexis for an island tour. No air conditioning but the windows open. Good thing.
He took us to a small fishing village.
The fishermen build their own fish traps and bait them with coconuts and
Cats?
Just kidding about the cats.
75% of this island is covered by rainforest. The forest was a great hiding place for runaway slaves called Maroons. It also provided cover for the indigenous indians called Caribs. The French and English battled for control and eventually the slaves and indians were overcome but today there is still Carib Indians here. They live in the Carib Territory, a 3700 acre reservation on the eastern side of the island.
We visited the reservation and tasted delicious hot Cassava Bread.
A visit to the Emerald Pool. The fresh cool water was a great ending after a long hot day of exploring.
The Japanese have built a fishing port on the east side of this island for the locals. In return they were granted whaling rights. The Chinese are improving the roads next year in return for ? Venezuela is here also, helping out in small ways. There is oil on this island and the locals fear for the future.
We thought it would be nice if a country would help remove some of the washed up boats that litter part of this coastline.
How would you like to wake up some morning after a storm to find these rust buckets in your front yard? Eight years later they are still there.
We had one last sight to visit before we left Dominica. Fort Shirley sits atop Prince Rupert Bluff Point. This bay was the sight of the famous Battle of Les Saintes, a formidable battle between the French and the British.
Part of the Cabrits National Park, the fort is undergoing extensive restoration for future history buffs.
Getting ready to leave we found a stowaway. He was not much of a deck hand but was at least nice to look at.
We have also added another flag to our boat thanks to the very nice Swedish couple (on a Danish boat) in Antigua. 
It was time to head south again. The next island on our way was Martinique. We had discussed skipping this island. It is French. They don't speak much English. They use the Euro. Everything is expensive. But we relented and made a pit stop in St. Pierre. A very charming small town with great pizza.
The next morning we were escorted out of port by the French Navy. 
Bad weather forced us to make another stop in Martinique and we were soon Desperados. 
A few days and a few Desperados later we raised the sails and headed south again. 
The sailing community in the southern Caribbean is small but well organized. We have daily radio broadcasts with other boats that help us stay current on weather and security. Security is a concern here. There are places you do not go. There are modern day pirates.
Our next island south was St. Lucia. Some of our friends would not stop here for security reasons. We decided to have a look anyway. We are careful. But not quite careful enough as you will soon see.
First stop was Rodney Bay. Mangoes, pineapples or bananas anyone? 'The Fruit Man'
Boat boys (men) is another sore point with cruisers. These salesmen often do not understand "no". We spent 3 days in Rodney Bay St. Lucia and this guy visited every morning. We would buy something from him every day but his wares were expensive and not of the best quality. Is it extortion? If you don't buy will he come back when we are off our boat? And then what?
The islands are trying hard to deal with security issues. They know tourists like us will stop coming if we are harassed and our safety is threatened. They hire security guards, they educate the locals, they encourage small business owners, but the drug use and unemployment of young males is a very big problem.
A bit further south at Anse La Raye, we attended the local"Friday Night Fish Night". It was a memorable experience. This is a small town not frequented by tourist except on Friday night.
The nets are cast in the afternoon
A swimmer positions the nets and ensures the small fish are trapped.
The catch was not impressive. It took over 2 hours with 10-12 adults working the nets.
Soon it was nightfall and the tables were setup on main street. Families set up outdoor kitchens and soon the night air was rich with aromas of various delicacies: octopus, crab, shrimp, snapper, bread, rice, vegetables and much more. We walked from table to table sampling the wares.
The children played on the beach. Making friends is easy here. Ava and Lydia are onboard S/V Toucan from Colorado.
The local laundry, we opted to pass on doing our laundry at this stop.
The next morning we headed south to Soufriere and the Pitons. This is one of the most scenic areas we have visited.
It is also where our dinghy was vandalized. We forgot to pay our extortion fees to the local young boys. After returning from lunch at a local restaurant we realized our mistake.
The young boys eagerly told us to avoid a similar problem in the future we should be sure to pay someone to watch our dinghy, no kidding!
In addition to pulling up our stern anchor and allowing the dinghy to slam repeatedly up against the cement dock, they let the air our of our bow. We are not sure if they intended to sink the dinghy? There was scratches and loss of paint to the motor cover but no damage that cannot be fixed.
We considered leaving but didn't. We wanted to see some more of this island.
There is a beautiful botanical garden within walking distance of the anchorage. We paid to have our dinghy watched and set off on foot with our friends from Toucan.
It was worth it.
Lots of Nutmeg here.
The next day we went on a rainforest tour with friends on Alegria. We paid the local boys to not vandalize our dinghy again. They did a good job.
We had a great guide for our forest tour.
There is nothing like a waterfall after a long hot hike.
A nice meal, cold beer and great view to end the day.
And so we stayed for four days. We paid our security fees to the local boys and men. Is it right or wrong to pay for security this way? We are not sure. Interestingly, you never see a girl or a woman holding their hand out.
We are almost to Bequia but there is one more island to cover. The island of Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl. ARRRRRHHH! Stay tuned for the second half of this long winded blog.
Anne and Steve
S/V Fine Line
2 comments:
You have a very myopic view of these islands. You seem to claim to know about everything from a visit of only a few days. You have arrived at many hasty generalizations and have no doubt done more damage than good to the image of any of those islands.
Regarding your 'security' issues, too often do tourists to these islands become careless and at the end of the day blame others. As a tourist, one shoud be responsible and not buy into stupid stereotypes. You are one example of a catalyst for antagonism at a tourist destination. Do not claim to know it all- asymmetric information dude!
Jaz,
They report what they experience.
Come to my town for a visit and nobody will ask to watch your transport while you are on foot because nobody will bother it.
End of story.
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