Big day today but not large in the picture department (hold on… Christy here… luckily I AM the main photographer of this duo and have come to the rescue!).

We hear from Ormond early, before 7 am and he is on his way to Roseau where his truck is undergoing some clutch repairs. He won’t be back in the Portsmouth area until late afternoon so Christy and I are cleared to do a section of the Waitukubuli Trail – part 13 and the last half of 14 which, when complete, will mean we have done both 13 and 14 (we did the first half of 14 by walking to Toucari last weekend).

It seems Christy is trying to talk me out of it by reading guide book and online comments but I’m not having it. If she doesn’t want to go, I’ll go alone.

But go we do. Pack a lunch and catch the Pennville bus at 8:40 am. By 9:00 am we’re at the trailhead and walking northwestward.

The first km or so is quite muddy but a slow descent towards the ocean. Nice views in spots but largely forest, jungle and steep steep ravines everywhere. The trail stays generally level as it weaves in and out of ravines, crossing the headlands of each gully one by one. It’s verdant, a good effort, some steep sections but nothing crazy. This continues for 2 hours until we come to a sign declaring this was the Fond Estate, a coffee plantation from the 1750s. Hard to imagine carving a plantation out of this jungle.

A half hour later gets us up to the end of the trail at Connor Bay where there is a nature centre, unfortunately closed. It’s right on the edge of a steep cliff with a great view of Guadeloupe, looking over the fence gives me the heeby jeebys it’s so steep and high. Would have been a great place to watch the Battle of the Saints between the French and English in April, 1782. We have lunch, then carry on.

From here the trail goes downward in a long, gentle slope to the ocean. Ah, beach walk to Capuchin. Except this beach is no sandy picnic. It’s maybe a mile of rubble beneath a steep cliff. There’s not much admiring the view because you have to watch every step. Every now and then, perch on a large rock and look around, then head down carry on. We’re very glad to get to the end where we have to scramble around some pickup truck-sized boulders onto a public boat launch. Grass. Flat road. Nice. We take a water and snack break.

The rest of the walk to Toucari (our destination) is on the road so easy walking except for the steep hills. Maybe 4 or 5 sets with detours inland to skirt the deep valleys. Very quiet, no people, few cars. Christy’s knee is bothering her so we’re very glad to make the final descent into Toucari and take a breather at Keepin’ It Real bar and restaurant, the same place we stopped last Saturday on our walk up from Portsmouth. 5 hours walking and even I have a beer to celebrate and cool off.

At this juncture we’ve officially knocked off two full segments of the Waitukubuli Nature Trail. We did a bit of the first part down at Scott’s Head but that hardly counts.

The same Michigan couple we met back at Connors Bay are here, maybe we can get a lift from them back to Portsmouth. There is a bus but much less predictable. We’re deciding if we should eat here (Christy REALLY wants the lobster) but if we’re having dinner with Ormond then it’s too late for a big meal. We connect with Ormond, he’s stuck in Roseau with his car troubles, we’ll meet him at Portsmouth on his way through but no dinner tonight. Bring on the lobster. I have the pork.

We strike up conversations with those around us – two more sets of Americans, a young couple from Michigan again and a threesome from Texas. The Michiganites depart, as do the other two from Michigan but we end up in a nice, protracted exchange with the Texans while we eat dinner.

The portions are generous, the food pretty good (no danger of my pork being undercooked) and the prices reasonable. Many say this is the best restaurant in Dominica but there is not a lot to compare to on the budget side.

Eventually we bum a ride with the Texans back into Portsmouth. Dinghy is safe and sound so we take a load out to the boat, I am very near a biological emergency.

Ormond calls and he’s on his way. We dinghy back in and meet him near the coffee shop where big hugs and smiles all around. We have a juice at a roadside place and decide we will connect up in the morning.

Back to Milu, pick up some groceries on the way. We’re both pretty tired.