No time for any plumbing repairs this morning – we need to catch an early bus to Calibishie to meet Ormond and Ruth. From there we will go south to the Sari-Sari River for Hugo’s birthday celebration at Lowell and Anne’s house.
Ormond said we will stop for breakfast in Kalinaga so we eat lightly before departure. We’re at the bus stop by 8:30 am as planned and the bus is there but won’t leave until full. So far we are the only two passengers. He offers to take us for EC$80 which is a good deal but Christy wants to wait to see if anyone else will come. After 10 minutes no one else is here so I call for Patrick, the driver, we settle on EC$70 for the trip and off we go. He tells us he is returning at 6 pm and will pick us up right at Sea Cliff Cottages for the regular bus fare tonight. Good deal. (Note for later self Patrick’s phone number is 285-1609). Sea Cliff Cottages is at the far end of Calibishie so I give Patrick the extra EC$10 for taking us all the way there. He is happy.
The cottages are very nice but the view and the location is spectacular. We meet Jim and Gwen who used to own the place but recently sold it and kept one unit for their own use 4 months a year. I could live here.
Soon enough we’re on our way south. We don’t actually stop anywhere for breakfast and I am getting hungry. We roll on down through the lovely countryside and stop at Pagua Bay Bar and Grill which also has some cottages for rent. It’s at least a 4-star spot right on the ocean with a beautiful open air restaurant, deck and pool. Ormond is checking something with the truck while Ruth, Christy and I walk around. The proprietor comes out and we start chatting, she is from Colorado. Turns out she can whip up a breakfast sandwich in 2 minutes she says. Coffee is free. I’m sold and though Christy is giving me sh*t soon Ormond comes up and he orders one too. She accidentally puts cheese on it which Ormond doesn’t eat – so she donates that to the team, cuts it in half for the girls and makes another one for Ormond. Everyone happy we ate.
On we go again, at Castle Bruce we head inland – the road doesn’t go all the way down so have to go up the Castle Bruce River valley. On the way we stop at Emerald Pool, a very pretty, very touristy waterfall and pool. In Dominica, the touristiness is determined by accessibility. This place is very accessible with stone pathways and good stairs with railings. Maybe 40 or so tour tourists there with us. Ruth and Ormond don’t go but Christy and I go down, take a few pics and find the alternate route back which is very nice and no one on it. Total time here about 15 minutes.
On we go past Rosalie and just before La Plaine. We cross a bridge, think we’re close and so Ormond calls Lowell who can see us we’re so close. He opens the gate and lets us in to his fabulous home.
The guest list includes: Lowell and his wife Anne (the owners), Hugo (his birthday) and Nadia who is Hugo’s friend, a cute native about 40 years younger than Hugo, Vivian and his Venezuelan wife whose name I never do get, Paula who we’ve met 3 times, Ormond and Ruth, Christy and Perry.
It’s not huge but very nice with a big, wide, wraparound veranda. It’s within earshot of the ocean and right on the Sari-Sari River (apparently you can hike up the water course to the falls but it’s tough) and he takes us down to lovely path to wear the crystal clear water tumbles over some rocks and makes a lovely pool for swimming. Inviting but we don’t go in. We spend the afternoon chatting in the shade, eventually Anne (Lowell’s wife, a wonderful cook she owned Hemingway’s in St. Maarten) says the food is ready. It’s a buffet of excellent Indian food. Yours truly has two helpings and two desserts. Wotta pig.
We’ve been hinting at Ormond we need to leave at a reasonable time to be at Calibishie for 6 pm. He seems to be ignoring that until Ruth says something and we realize we can’t get there for 6 pm. But turns out Portsmouth is actually closer in time than Calibishie so they agree to drop us there. I call Patrick and tell him not to wait.
Eventually we say our goodbyes and head out, back through the heart of Dominica to the other side and along the familiar coast drive to Portsmouth. I’m glad to get out of the truck, there is not enough room in the back for my legs and after many hours my legs, knees and back are tired.
We say fond farewells and go to retrieve the dinghy. We brought it up on shore beside the main pier this time and it seems to be OK. If we leave it tied up it gets smashed up by the swell and other boats at either dock. This time it just got pretty wet from the waves crashing on the shore but otherwise safe and sound. It is a little troublesome running for the next two days as when the motor gets wet it sputters at low speeds until it dries out.