Dominica's Minibuses

Here in Dominica, public transportation consists primarily of 15 passenger vans that zip along the island roads. I sometimes see a bigger bus carrying tourists up to Trafalgar Falls. I've found the minibuses to be a very reliable and inexpensive way of getting around Dominica. Sometimes there are long waits, as the buses only depart when they are full.

When walking by the bus stops of Roseau, drivers holler out to ask you "Hey, going Portsmouth?" "You want to go Soufriere?" The bus stops are spread out across Town depending on the destination. (Buses headed to Trafalgar meet by Astaphan's market; buses headed north meet by the vegetable market; those headed south gather near the craft market.) If catching the bus along its route, all I have to do is flag the bus down with a wave and ask if it's going my way, and whether I can hop on.

roads of Roseau

Once crammed full of people and all our belongings, the buses jump to life. The drivers maneuver the crowded, sometimes pothole-ridden streets, and only slow down for an upcoming "speed hump" in the highway. Given the unpredictable traffic, many hairpin turns, and weather-worn condition of most roads, I'm really enjoying using the buses, and not having to worry about driving. I still get confused that traffic is on the left side.

Many of the mini-buses and taxis have names stickered to their dashboards. Some display the driver's name : "Uncle Toney," "Eddie." Many invoke religious blessings: "Praise God," "The Lord is My Salvation" (the latter written in tiny print to fit across the window.) Others are beyond me to explain. I've started keeping a list of favorites:

Carrie's Favorite Amusing Minibus Names:

1. Awesome
2. Sizzler
3. Heaven Sent
4. Patience
5. More Lonely
6. Creeper
7. Solid as a ROCK
8. Get Use To It
9. Lizard Lick
10. Batman.

(Disclaimer: those mentioned are named because I find their names amusing, and have no bearing on the quality of service of said transportation. Never fear, dear readers. Interesting names aside, almost all the of public-transport experiences I have had in Dominica have been excellent!)

If you wish, you can try your luck at "riding" too, a.k.a. hitchhiking. Rather than putting out your thumb, extend your arm and wiggle your hand. Drivers may give you a honk or a wave to tell you they aren't going your way, but wish you well. Your best bet is likely to try flagging down a pick-up and hopping in the bed. Rastas seem the most willing to pick up riders as far as I have seen.

I have only tried riding while in the company of locals. I have heard that it is hard to flag down a ride if not a local. This may be because you are a stranger (small island means most locals recognize each other or know a friend of a friend or distant family member), but I suspect there are other feelings at play. To my other solo female travelers, I've been cautioned by locals that I should take extra care if riding alone, and often expect not to get picked up. Better to take the buses, many locals have told me. Personally, I haven't given riding much of a try, but I know I'd feel safer getting in a car or truck bed that was also carrying other women. I've found that ladies look out for each other almost universally. Of course, many men also look out for ladies, but I'm speaking out of my own experiences of how to look for safe(r) situations.

Using the minibus system has been one of the most obvious examples of the importance of my Grandpa's wise advice. When I left to go abroad he reminded me that two of the most important things to remember were patience and a sense of humor.

Sending you a smile and a deep breath,
(hopefully full of Caribbean breeze, and not bus exhaust),
Carrie

Roseau Library Writing Workshops

Hello!

I’ve been holding writing workshops at the Roseau Public Library for the last few Wednesdays. This past Wednesday was the fourth of the series, and I plan to continue holding them weekly until I leave Dominica at the end of October. So far they have been a big success!

I teamed up with the library to hold these workshops. Some of the librarians warned me that few people were likely to turn up, especially adults. They explained that when they held events geared toward adult patrons, they had few attendees. I wanted to try anyway.

My format for the workshops is very simple, and inspired by the Writer’s Circle I attended at Wheaton College, held by the talented poet, Ellen Parent. Here at the library, we set up a long table and chairs so that everyone can see each other and have space to work. The library provides the table, chairs, paper, and pencils, as well as an easel and oversized notepad on which I write the prompts. I also provide snacks of juice and cookies. But most importantly: what goes on during the workshop?

1. Introductions:

writing board with agenda and prompts

We begin with introductions: name, perhaps where you are from, your interests, your writing style. For the first few sessions we also spent time talking about our goals as individuals and as a group.

2. Writing Exercise:

Next we jump into a 15-20 minute free-writing exercise. I provide three to five prompts to spark people’s creativity, but encourage them to write about whatever they want; the workshop is intended as a space for creativity to flourish, not as an exercise in following instructions.

3. Sharing and Feedback:

It’s always hard to end the free-write, but the final portion of the workshop (the last 20-25 minutes) is dedicated to sharing work and receiving feedback from the group. Sharing is voluntary, but I’ve found most people are eager to read their work. The writer reads the piece aloud and individuals from the group offer their comments. We established a rule that feedback must be positive or constructive.

Happily, 14 people came to my first workshop back at the end of August! It was a mix of children and adults, ranging from eight year old girls to young men to middle aged women. After that first group, I decided to split the workshop into two sections. So, now we’ve been meeting from 3-4pm for children and teens, and from 4-5pm for adults. Not only has this made it so more people can attend, but it allows me to work better within the specificities of each group’s writing, and allows adults to bring pieces that aren’t completely child-appropriate.

participants in one children's/teen's writing workshop

So far, the average number of people in each section is about ten. Many are repeat attendees! That’s really exciting for me because it feels like we’re actually creating a writing community. We have spent some time talking about how we can function as a community and support one another’s work. I think this is one of the most useful things I’ve done so far in this fellowship. My dream is that the groups (especially the adults, who are more established in their identities as writers) will continue to meet once I leave.

I’ve learned some lessons after holding a few workshops:

1. Many people will think the workshop is a writing class. (If you are holding a writing class--great! But that’s a horse of another color.) I’m not a teacher, and my workshops are meant to be a collaborative space for fellow writers to meet and recieve feedback in a low-pressure environment. I explain this to those thinking it’s a class on ‘how to be a writer’ and emphasize the fact that writers of all ages and experience are welcome. Most people stick around to try it out.
2. Someone may ask for general writing tips. Since I don’t pretend to have all the answers, especially about things like publishing, I open the question up to the group, and turn to a group discussion. This seems to work, and has gotten us talking about interesting concepts like audience, dedication, taking ownership of your work, focus within the writing, momentum, openness to criticism…These have been really valuable discussions for our group! (And for me.)
3. It can be hard to keep a group on task, especially working with kids and teens. I’m still working on this element. I have to act a little more like a leader in the workshop for younger people, but I think it’s been effective to be gentle yet firm about the importance of listening to one another, focusing on one’s own work, and keeping feedback positive and specific. Luckily, most everyone I’ve met through these workshops have been very respectful of one another.
4. Kool-aid and fruit juice look alike. Literally--no metaphor here. If you are confused why no one is drinking the juice you bought, it may be because they don’t know what it is. No disrepect to kool-aid, but it’s funny how much the tension in a room can be cut by just giving a bit more background information to what’s on the table.

Do you have any suggestions or tips for holding writing workshops? I’m definitely still learning, but I’m pleased with how things are going. I’ve meet a few dozen talented writers. My next goal with the workshop is to ask attendees if I can interview them personally to talk about what inspires them as writers. So far, when I’ve asked in the group setting, people mention things like nature, family, general impulse.

Here are the prompts we’ve used so far. I encourage you to try them for yourself. At the very least, holding these workshops has motivated me to keep writing.

Sampling of Writing Prompts:

1. Firsts.
2. Lost and Found.
3. Voices and Silence.
4. Nerve.
5. You are here.
6. “And then it hit me…”
7. Extended metaphor.
8. Injustice.
9. Beauty
10. “She walked back in holding a…”
11. Family.
12. A Guarantee.
13. Dilemma.
14. The Five (or more) Senses.
15. Chain Reaction.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Happy writing!

Love,

Carrie

Boiling Lake

left side: Boiling Lake steam, right side: Valley of Desolation

happy rainy hobbitses, entering Morne Trois Piton Nat'l Park

The journey began in pouring rain. Nahgie, our guide, handed flimsy pink ponchos to me, my flatmate Emese, and his friend Baronnie. We tore them promptly as we wrapped them over our damp bodies and packs, and laughed. A good start to our trip to Boiling Lake, one of Dominica’s most arduous and famous hikes.

The first hour was a gradual ascent uphill. We slipped uptrail along the earthen steps and logs slick with the torrential rainpour. Many steps are made from the timber of fern trees, which are slow to rot, and have excellent traction compared to the other trees with smooth bark. We crossed the Breakfast River and took a stop to drink the clean mountain water. This river runs down to form the Mama falls of the two waterfalls at Trafalgar. One of Dominica’s 365 rivers.

From there, we entered into the Morne Trois Pitons National Park, and the ascent truly began. Nahgie explained that the trail used to be more of a thrill, with fewer steps cut into the steep trail. Nonetheless, many of the steps that were built a few years ago were hip height, and it was still quite the scramble.

view of Morne Watt, from Morne Nichols

We climbed to the summit of Morne Nichols, at about 3,200 feet. Lha Ghelol! The rain cleared up at last and we opened up to a 360 degree view of the island. To the west was Roseau, glittering by the Caribbean Sea. To the east, the Atlantic. Four Jaco parrots flew across the valley, calling raucously. That seemed like a good sign. To the northwest, steam rose from the Boiling Lake, still hidden from view. From this highpoint in our hike, we could see Morne Micotrin and Morne Watt, both soaring up to over 4,000 feet.

Boiling Lake is certainly an important element of the island. Many local books I’ve read so far make mention of it. In his novel, Pharcel: Runaway Slave, author Alick Lazare depicts a scene where Pharcel, a young chief of a Maroon camp, escapes the militia by running through the Valley of Desolation, though he is badly wounded in the attempt. In Unburnable, Marie-Elena John comments sardonically on the disparity between tourists who ‘give up’ every day comforts to come and hike a challenging path to a dangerous place, compared to the locals, who ‘wait for the volcano to come down to them.’ (I already returned the book to the library--please forgive my paraphrasing.)

descending the landslide into the Valley of Desolation

Danger and wonder in mind, we began our own descent into the Valley of Desolation. We snaked down the east side of Morne Nichols, down from the elfin woodland with its short trees into a scene that can only be described as otherworldly. We climbed down a recent landslide, smudging our soaked hiking boots along the loose rock. I was very glad for my hiking stick.

We entered the Valley of Desolation, careful to follow in the exact steps of Nahgie and Baronnie, who knew the safe route. One misstep could mean a drop through the thin crust into boiling water. Pools of black, grey, and green water bubbled to the surface and formed pluming vents of steaming water. The pungent scent of sulfur filled the air and seeped into our clothes in the clouds of warm vapor. Chunks of burnt logs poked out of the yellow, blue, orange, and white filmy crust. No flames ever touched these logs, they simply baked in the intense heat under the ground. Amazingly, some rocks and logs had moss growing on them.

steam rising from fumaroles in the Valley of Desolation

Nahgie explained that the valley exists because the magma tube is so close to the surface that the groundwater bubbles up, reaching temperatures up to 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Many of the fumaroles of the nine active volcanoes on the island are found within this valley. Although safe to cross if one knows where to step, even these thicker spots are warm to the touch. If you visit Dominica, you must take a guide with you on this trip.

We sat on the edge of one non-boiling stream, where Nahgie gathered up a handful of mud the color of wet cement. We made face-masks with the moistened mud, and allowed it to dry on our skin. Nahgie told us that during cruise-ship season, some savvy people will gather mud from the valley or other volcanic sites on the island and sell the mud as an exfoliate for up to $10US per ounce. Good stuff.

boiling stream in the Valley of Desolation

From the Valley of Desolation to the Boiling Lake was about another hour’s hike. We passed a series of four hot pools where we’d return to bathe on the way back. Then it was down and back up and across another landslide before we rounded the last bend before the lake. There is something so magical about coming to a summit or rounding a corner in a trail and having the beauty of nature so suddenly appear before you. Takes my breath away every time.

The lake was way bigger than I had expected. From pictures, I had imagined it to be about the size of a large swimming pool. Nope. About two hundred feet long, about two hundred fifty feet wide, and nearly two hundred feet deep. Under the surface of the greyish blue water, the lake is formed like an upside-down cone. The boiling water surges up, fed from the bottom at the center of the lake. Two cold water streams run into the lake from the sides, but these cannot cool it. The Boiling Lake is the second largest of its kind in the world. (The largest is Frying Pan Lake in New Zealand.)

Dominica's Boiling Lake

Nahgie told us that the lake has dried up three times in recorded history, including in 2004, when he saw it. A small amount of cold water pooled at the bottom, and he swam in it. But, when the lake did refill, it did so overnight, and returned to boiling immediately. He told us a story of one guide who slipped into the lake attempting to retrieve a fallen camera. Although he only touched the water for a few moments, he had to be air-evacuated to Martinique and lay in hospital for six months.

We stayed a safe distance away, and admired the lake from above while eating our packed lunches. I brought avocado, bananas, and a “coconut tablet” made by my neighbor Joan, which was much like a power bar. Yumm. I felt lucky that we were the only people there (and had only passed one other group on the trail), and simmered in the feeling of open wilderness.

hot pools in the Valley of Desolation

We didn’t linger too long, knowing that we had a three hour hike back to the start site. We paused at the hot springs to take a soak, and dear god it was hard to put my wet shoes and socks on after that brief relief. We washed off our face masks in one of the few cold water trickles. This was extremely rejuvenating. My face felt soft and clean, despite how sweaty the rest of me was. We returned up the slick slopes of Morne Micotrin during the “golden hour,” facing lovely views on all sides. Though I could already feel the soreness building up in my calves and glutes, the hike down went fairly quickly.

Our last stop of the day was Titou Gorge. I totally forgot to take pictures of this part of the trip, but I guess that means I should just try and go back another day. If you want a reference, several scenes of Pirates of the Caribbean 2 were filmed at this narrow gorge. We started our swim by jumping from a ledge into the skinny but deep passage in the rocks. My legs were shaking from both fatigue and fear, but with some encouragement and the knowledge that the longer I stood there, the worse it would get, I plunged into the water!

I popped back up from the depths after that first moment of wondering which way is up, and followed Emese and Nahgie up the gorge. The black rocks swirl in rounded twists. Imagine a lava lamp if it were suddenly frozen. Sun beams shown down through the gap in the forest above, making the place very ethereal and spooky. We climbed a waterfall into an upper pool and stood under a second falls. I got a pounding massage that would have drowned me, had Baronnie not held my waist and pulled me back out.

Having had enough adventure for one day, we toweled off and drove back to Trafalgar for a late but well deserved dinner. Emese and I walked down the hill to a final warm soak in the pool ten minutes from our apartment, then ambled slowly back up, and went to sleep.

If you do come to Dominica, which I hope you do, you absolutely should try the Boiling Lake hike with an experienced guide. It does require some level of fitness, but the trail is well maintained and the landscapes are unlike anything else in the world. That level of rarity is not to be underemphasized. I’m so glad I went, as exhausting as it was.

another view of Boiling Lake

me and Emese at the Boiling Lake, wearing sulfur mud face masks

another view of the Valley of Desolation

Sending love on the winds of volcanic vents,

Carrie

Mountain Chicken Day

Carnival "costume" King Crapaud overlooks Mountain Chicken Day 2014 

Mountain Chicken Day was last weekend, stretching into a two-day event on Sept 12th and 13th. The events took place at the Information Centre in the Botanic Gardens. Our goal was mainly to achieve as much public outreach as possible, and provide a day for people to come and have fun while learning about the Mountain Chicken Frog (Crapaud).

Nearly 200 people came through, mostly student groups, but also my friends from Gaiadid Gardens, and writer/blogger Gwen Whitford. Gwen is an admirable writer who I have been lucky enough to meet and chat with; she writes about living on the island here. Her writing was one of the first ways I started learning about life in Dominica!

We had coloring pages, word searches, informative videos, a station to practice “how to be a frog scientist” and a treasure hunt. The frog scientist station was my favorite. We had plush frogs as our test subjects, and taught the kids how to swab, measure, and weigh the frogs. The kids took to it readily. The hardest part was getting on the latex gloves! (We wore gloves to demonstrate how we have to protect the frogs from exposure to the fungal disease Chytrid that decimated the population.)

Despite the heat, the events were really fun! Most people who came were too young to have seen the frog population in its prime, but many adults came in with questions about what had happened to this once-so-familiar frog. Several visitors were disappointed that we couldn’t show them the live frogs up at the Captive Breeding Facility, but seemed pacified when we explained that it’s currently breeding season and it would simply be too stressful to have people coming in and out of the pens during the event, as well as the potential risks of Chytrid exposure.

Another cool aspect of the Mountain Chicken Day events was the showcasing of local poet Delroy Nesta Williams’ poem “The Crapaud Story.” Watch it below! 

You can check out Delroy’s other writing at his blog: And Then There Was Nesta.

These are the kinds of intersections I’m really looking for with my fellowship, and it’s been so fun to see the ways that conservation, writing, and learning come together. Yay!


Learn more about the partner efforts to protect the Mountain Chicken Frog in Montserrat here:

All the froggy love,

Carrie

Save the Mountain Chicken!

Mountain Chicken Captive Breeding Facility

Mondays and Wednesdays I volunteer with the Mountain Chicken Frog Project. I help out in the mornings at the captive breeding facility in the Botanic Gardens and in the evenings with the field work. The project is intended to conserve the critically endangered mountain chicken frog (Leptodactylus fallax), also known as the crapaud (kwapo in Patois Creole), giant ditch frog, white-lipped frog. The frogs are only found on Dominica and Montserrat, and are in serious danger of extinction due to overhunting and the invasive fungal disease Chytridiomycosis (usually shortened to chytrid). The first reports of the fungus stem from 2002, when people began reporting massive numbers of sick and dying mountain chicken frogs. Estimates range that 70%-95% of the population died around this time. 

Mountain Chicken!

one of the cricket rooms

Since then, it has become illegal to hunt, capture, or move wild frogs. The breeding facility aims to raise frogs to ultimately release into the wild into the remaining pockets of populations. When out in the field, we monitor how many frogs seem to remain, and whether they have chytrid. The project runs under the Forestry, Wildlife, and Parks Department, in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London and Darwin. I mainly work with Machel Sulton, the Amphibian Technician in charge of the project, and Alex Blackman, a volunteer conservation biologist from ZSL. 

In the captive breeding facility, my tasks have mostly consisted of feeding the food. The frogs in the facility are fed a rich diet or crickets and cockroaches that are also bred onsite. I cut up cabbage, pumpkin, watercress, for the crickets. Bananas and oranges for the roaches. After delivering the food to the insects in their homey plastic bins, we tend to the frogs. We check where in the pens they are hanging out (under leaves, near drains, out in the open, inside nest boxes). We change their water and make sure the peat substrate is moist. 

tending the frog pen

The facility is biosecure as an effort to keep chytrid away. We rinse our boots in a sweet-smelling disinfectant called Virkon, upon entering the facility and between entering different pens. We wear and change gloves whenever doing different tasks or going into different rooms. I'm not allowed to wear the same clothes out for field work as for work in the facility, which can be a challenge. It encourages me to do laundry though, which is good for everybody's sake. 

I really love this work. I get to play with bugs and frogs and go hiking in secret locations at night listening for the whoops and croaks of a critter so beloved in the country that it features on bank logos, the national coat of arms, figures of speech, and in the past--featured on dinner plates as the national dish. On one night of field work we also found a five foot boa constrictor along the transect. I got to hold it! Wah!

Sadly, when I tell people I'm involved in the conservation work, some smile and say things like, 'well, isn't that nice.' It doesn't seem like most people are convinced that the frog will recover. I think the efforts we are making to try are worthwhile. The best sign would be if there were evidence of natural immunity among the wild populations, which has been hinted at in some of the data. 

Alex and Machel demonstrate how to swab frogs
to visiting press from the National Youth Council

Alex and Machel put a tremendous amount of work into public outreach and awareness. The hike along segment 5 that I discussed in my last post was part of their awareness campaign. And, coming up this Saturday is Mountain Chicken Day! The public is invited to the interpretation center in the Botanic Gardens and there will be lessons on how to swab frogs for skin samples to detect chytrid, a scavenger hunt to discover frog facts, colouring books, crosswords, prizes, and all sorts of herpetological fun! I've been doing super exciting intern duties of sharpening pencils and folding origami frogs, but they are using the flyer I made to promote the event!

More to come soon about writing workshops and other frog-related news. <3

another Dominican endemic species: Anolis oculatus

treefrogs carry chytrid but aren't affected
we study these cuties too!
(Eleutherodactyls martinicensis)

Mountain Chicken Frog Project logo

With love,

Carrie