December 17, 2009. Travelling up or down Dominica’s mountainous roads on foot is not easy. Then again, travelling in a car is not particularly easy either. For the human body, heat is the main factor. Asphalt at noon is unbearable and the climb is steep. That I arrived at every destination, repeatedly, and without ever …
This December will mark 10 years since my spouse Davin and I travelled to the Caribbean for one month (staying in Barbados, Dominica, and St. Lucia) so that I could be in the lands of my maternal ancestors and trace my roots. For context, there’s a post here that I wrote before the trip that …
Lizards. What impressed me most about the little cottage we stayed in was the population of lizards that lived on the property. I noticed them immediately. Upon arrival, I ran up the stairs that lead to the highest cottage (the one we were staying in) and was startled by lizards of all sizes and colours …
There is of little interest botanically to write about today, as December 14 was all about walking into town to see about procuring a copy of my grandmother’s birth certificate. After a brief side trip to check out the library, we headed to the government courthouse where I was disappointed to find out that my …
So far, I have approached each of these looking back trip posts without a plan. Sometimes I can recall exactly what occurred and I start writing straight away. Other times I go through the folders of digital and film photos taken that day and build a story around the images. Before looking at images, I …
December 12, 2009. We woke up in Roseau, the capital city of Dominica, on market day. No matter where I am in the world, I am always drawn to markets. Food markets, flea markets, farmers’ markets, foraging, gardens… I prefer to do my shopping outdoors. Markets are also where the people go. They have a …
December 11, 2009. We landed on the east side of Dominica, our luggage, camera gear, and a pillow in tow, and travelled about 2 hours by cab through the interior to Roseau, home away from home for the next three weeks. I was not prepared for how mountainous the island is, nor how lush. I …
December 10, 2009. Growing up, I heard many stories about Barbados’Animal Flower Cave. While there were many other places that I wanted to see on the island, we only had one full day left so the Animal Flower Cave it was. We were staying on the south side of the island and the cave is …
I don’t like being a tourist. I like to see new places, but I’m not especially comfortable in the role of The Tourist. Or perhaps it is that I have been witness to the crass and vulgar behaviour of one too many Tourists on vacation and my discomfort lies in what feels like an unfair …
Day two of the trip had us heading away from the grounds of the hotel after a morning spent sitting by the ocean. I was worried there wouldn’t be much to cover for day two since my second post of the trip was about our experience eating golden apples, followed by a day two wrap-up …
Six years ago today, Davin and I embarked on a month-long trip that took us to 3 Caribbean islands. This trip was a really big deal for me as my maternal side is from the Caribbean, and until then I had never been, save a few weeklong trips to Cuba. At that time I had …
Whenever I travel I tend to be drawn to the mundane: Where do people live? Where do they shop? What do they eat? Somehow, I often end up passing a graveyard. Over time and many trips, I have started to make observations about the different traditions that are observed around burials. And as a gardener, …