Thinking back to my time in Dominica, I remember the lush greenery, adventurous roads through the mountains, the chilly lakes and waterfalls, climbing over rocks and pushing myself to keep up with Dr. Hains, the frustration incurred in racing snails, and the people we saw. 

         Soon after my return home, I bought a wood-burning kit to decorate the handle of my cutlass. After practicing a bit on scrap wood, I decided that I just didn't have the artistic ability to capture my memories of Dominica and put them into such a small and unique canvas. I was going to have a girl at school do it for me, but it just wouldn't be the same as what I experienced. I might convince my cousin to undertake this mission.
          Our first major hike, the one to Boeri Lake, has come to my mind on many occasions. I know that I am not good at pacing myself, so throughout the entire hike I tried my best to stay close behind Dr. Hains. If there was a certain place where he slipped, I was sure to avoid it; and if he chose one route over another, so did I. At times I found it difficult to keep my breath, but I continued on anyway. I had no time to delay if I wanted to have a guide. When I felt like I was struggling in some of my difficult classes this semester, I remembered how I pushed through the hikes and survived to the top to have the most magnificent experiences seeing wildlife and swimming in chilly waters. Sometimes, like with the hike to Boiling Lake, my reward at the destination was not getting pictures of the lake, but learning that Elvis, our guide, creates websites and was interested in seeing mine. The rewards are small but meaningful. The Valley of Desolation made me appreciate my chemistry classes much more since I saw deposits of pure minerals like I had never seen before.
          Racing the snails, which turned out to be unsuccessful in my opinion, really hit home with idea that some experiments will not turn out the way you expect, but you can learn from that and adapt subsequent experiments. We were dealing with behavioral science, we can take the same idea and apply to human behavior. Some settings and conditions allow for better performance than others, and you just have to use reason and experience to determine how best to help students do better in the classroom and how to help families get along easier.
           It seemed to me that even in the city, most people were innately good. There were a few instances that recur in my mind, like the haggler who tried to get in my picture of the horizon and charge me money for it, but there will be some people like that everywhere. I have learned to stand my ground for what I know is right, taking that instance to remind how to handle people at my jobs in the summer and over winter break. For the most part though, I didn't feel the need to worry about my belongings or safety. 
          Main points:

• Be adventurous and push yourself farther and harder than you ever have before; then you see anything at the destination as a reward, and those little breaks along the way become more magnificent than if the trek was easy.
• Don't be discouraged by something not going the way you expect, just quickly adapt and carry on. Your goals may need to be modified based on conditions. 
• Know your limits. I can push myself in hiking, but I'm not a strong swimmer, so I would not swim in swift water under a rocky waterfall after rain.

There are many places I want to go in the world, but I would love to return to Dominica  for a few more weeks for a fitness vacation.

This is in response to the following assignment:
        Would you recommend this course to another student? Why? Any reservations?

        I would most definitely recommend this course to any student, regardless of major.  There is so much to experience whether you are looking for wildlife, plant life, many avenues of geology, scientific process, culture, economics, parks & tourism, or outdoor adventures.  Get your calves back into shape with mountain hikes and build up your endurance.  You can take a quick break if you need it, but it's much more rewarding if you push through and build up your endurance; your stories will be so much better.  Become sure on your feet, light on your step, and very acquainted with the various terrain. You might stumble upon rare creatures and you will most certainly find lizards of different colors.  I had such a great time being adventurous on the Nature Island and seeing the textbooks come to life. 
        Teachers gain ideas for activities to take back to the classroom. The environment is full of examples and questions that need to be answered both in nature and civilization.
        There is no question that, given the opportunity, I would love to return to Dominica for a second course or just to continue the unbeatable experience.  A perfect climate for hiking, swimming, and other adventures, as well as research, Dominica is a wonderful place and Springfield's a great establishment to do our work.  Investment in research and classroom equipment at Freshwater Lake would benefit Clemson's chances in the Top 20 Universities and Dominica's education and economy.

This is in response to the following assignment: 
        Was the course too long or too short? Was the packing list about right or does it need to be modified?

        I definitely could have stayed a few more days. There is so much to see and do and not nearly enough time. I understand that some groups may get irritated with each other, but our group was so great together; we didn't have any problems other than occasionally waiting on someone, which wasn't that bad.  To have the opportunity to live like the Dominicans, enjoying life with what they have more than most people who have everything in excess, would be amazing.
        The packing list covered pretty much everything.  Here's a few things I did that were helpful but not necessary:
            I bought insect spray for clothing and sprayed most of my outer wear the day before packing. It is supposed to last up to 6 weeks or 6 washings. I had no problem with bugs getting me through or near my clothes. I also used it on my misquito net, because I would have been a bit terrified if I found a ton of misquitoes lingering outside it in the morning.  I don't think that would have happened anyway, but it's nice assurance.
        If someone has a waterproof camera, it is definitely a great idea to bring along. Take pictures underwater, in the spray of a waterfall, and while it's raining.
        Although I brought a beach towel, I ended up using a smaller quick-dry towel from the camping section of Walmart. It took hardly any space in my backpack, dried me off quick, and dried quicker than a regular towel would so it could be ready for the next excursion.
        Some of the banks in the US have partner banks in Dominica. For instance, Bank of America's partner bank is Scotiabank. It's useful to find a partner bank because they won't charge you an ATM fee.
        I brought things I wouldn't mind leaving behind so I could have extra space in my suitcase for souveniers. I left behind about 8 t-shirts that I never wear at home and 3 pairs of shoes. I packed all of my toiletries in travel-size, so I left behind a small bag full of unused shampoo, conditioner, liquid soap, lotion, mouthwash, etc. Not to worry, I used hygeine products everyday; I simply overpacked.  I liked leaving things behind for people who could use them rather than let them sit around in my house or a Goodwill store.

This is in response to the following assignment:
        Did you think of any new ideas that might be fun for students in the future? How would they relate to tropical limnology or to aquatics in general? If you have some ideas on this, what could the activity be for students in a summer course? We are also considering a semester-long experience...what are your thoughts on this?

        There are plenty of places to explore. Waterfalls, pools, and rivers obviously relate to limnology and aquatics.  Take along snorkels and explore the life in the waters, and search for snails. Places of interest may include: Dubuc Falls, Boli Falls, Spanny Waterfalls, Brandy Falls, Chauiere Pool, Soltoun Falls, Trois Basin, and the Indian River.  I saw a few signs for different adventure groups like Wacky Rollers doing river tubing and kayak tours.  
        I saw that Wacky Rollers also has a high ropes course.  It could be a great investment for Clemson at the Springfield Plantation to set up a ropes course and drum up some more business.  That would be a great way to get people working together, learning about their strengths, overcoming fears, and working through challenges.  They could get up-close and personal with the forest canopy and have a chance at seeing more wildlife.  Open the course to other travelers by advertising with Fort Young Hotel and others, and open the course to locals.  Of course, it's a lot of logistics work with waivers, harnesses, and cover charges, but it would definitely be worth it to anyone who tries it.
        What are the Jacko Steps? Is that a good spot to view parrots?
        For snorkelling spots, one might consider the underwater volcanoes and springs off the coast of Pte Ronde near Portsmouth in addition to Champagne Reef. Other interesting spots for aquatic life could be Rodney's Rock and Rina's Hole & Whaleshark Reef.
        For a historical and cultural perspective, perhaps groups could view the homes of Lennox Honychurch and Elma Napier, etc. 
        Now for Freshwater Lake, the spot that seems like a great place to hold classes for US University students as well as Dominicans looking to further and enrich their education.  Just based on what is already there, kayaking and/or snorkelling in the lake would be a great way to take a look at the limnological life.  If Dr. Hains' plan works out, taking small boats out there to survey the depth of the lake and do other research would be great.  In making a map of the underwater surface of lake, one could open up so many possibilities in research and maybe even economics. Clemson and other students would not only benefit, but also the local businesses, as there is already a concession stand.  This has Top 20 University potential because Clemson University could be economically supporting and educating another country while providing Clemson students with cross-cultural awareness, economic studies, and scientific process skills.  It is a long-term investment and thus can generate more revenue and scientific data as a semester-long program than only short summer programs can offer. The best idea for this is to get underclassmen interested by bringing them on the shorter trips in the summer and then inviting them to return for a semester abroad. Of course, there will be some adventurous folks who want to jump straight in to a semester program, and the more the merrier!

This is a response to the following assignment:
        Aside from the airline and travel stuff, what were the greatest deficiencies in the program? How could they be avoided in the future? Try to focus on aspects that we actually can do something about. The roads and the weather, for example, are outside our control.

        My only real complaint is with those super-slow snail races. We thought we were going to have to wait 15 minutes for each snail to do its race, twice, with 30 snails in each size category. Please check up on lab experiments a little more often; it could save some time and frustration.
        When going to Sulfur Springs, be sure to tell students not to wear a light-colored swimsuit in the water.  The iron deposits will create stains on it.
        I would have liked to go to a different church the second Sunday, to get a taste of different denominations or congregations. However, it was nice to recognize people.
        Are there any more sand beaches? If there are, it would be neat to see them. If not, no big deal.
        Club Domingo near Laudat looked interesting. That would have been a cool cross-cultural experience, although not necessary. I imagine that the environment could have easily gotten risky with US students standing out in the crowd.  
        I have one last request:  just a few more days? :)

In response to the following assignment: 
   Now, on a strictly academic basis, do a completely independent ranking of the top 5 activities according to what you learned. Explain what you learned from each one and why you ranked it the way you did.

    Activities in order of the significance and amount of what I learned:
        1.  Boiling Lake hike
        2.  Emerald Pool
        3.  Checkhall River
        4.  Cabrits
        5.  Rosalie River

    1.     On the hike to Boiling Lake, there were so many new experiences. We went through several different types of forestation including the rain forest, montane forest, and elfin woodland. I finally understood the concept of the elfin woodland, where palm trees that normally tower over us were stunted at about 3 feet. Since the trees are so high up on the mountain away from shelter, the winds would surely knock them down if they grew much taller. The Elfin Woodland had more plants that resembled our own shrubs and small trees in South Carolina than other types of forest, there was more grass, and the shades of green tended to be lighter and have more of a yellow tint. In the rain forest, we saw a hummingbird nest and two Jaco parrots flew over us just above the canopy. Although we had seen vine-like roots hanging down from trees before, we got up-close and personal to some and even found one sturdy enough to swing on. We saw a tree that is used as a natural aphrodisiac and stimulant, and I learned that there are not many plants that are poisonous to the touch like Poison Ivy, but there is a moss-looking growth on some trees that has thousands of cactus-like spikes.
            Going down to the Valley of Desolation, I had never before heard of a natural wind tunnel, but I definitely experienced one. Then the actual valley was an educational experience itself. The smell of sulfur was clear and prominent. The square-footage of each mineral deposit of a different color made me feel like I was on a different planet; it wasn't all mixed together, but rather separated into distinct areas. The boiling springs, squishy gray mud, and unstable rocks gave me the realization that a volcano could errupt right there at any moment. There was very little life in the valley for there was no soil, but some low-growing plants were on the steeper slopes. I was amazed that although there were some hot streams eminating heat from the boiling springs, there were also cold-water streams in which we could rinse our hands after lathering mud-masks on our faces.
            I learned the most about Dominicans' access to education and media through Elvis, our tour guide. College education is expensive and thus out of reach of the average Dominican. Other than the medical university, one would have to go to another country for higher education.  Thus, as talented as Elvis is, getting a degree in his line of work would cost a lot of money. However, I see no need in him obtaining a degree since he already knows so much about his country's natural plant life and wildlife, as well as the ways of the land.  He reads many books and PDFs pertaining to his area of expertise and also designs commercial websites. He understood right away when I mentioned my website/blog on Weebly.
        Key points learned on this activity: 
            a) my endurance had improved since the Boeri Lake hike
            b) differences in forestation
            c) a closer look at wildlife and plants
            d) educational advancement must be self-driven

    2.        Emerald Pool, although not nearly as adventurous, showed exquisite forms of life.  Brown ground lizards with three prominent spots on each side scurried along the boulders.  River crabs scrambled into their burrows among a hillside of rocks. A spiderweb was set up horizontally between rocks.  While the water was so clear, we couldn't see any fish until we put on snorkels.  The sheer fact that gobies and freshwater shrimp managed to make their way up smaller waterfalls below astounded me. They stayed near the shelter of the rocks and underneath the nourishment of the waterfall. It makes me wonder what they eat and how the food gets up so far in the river.  
            On the walk back, the stick bug we found acted sedated. It did not try to get away from us. Initally we thought it had done its part in reproducing and was left there to die. Then Dr. Hains noticed a bit of fungus growing on its antenae and explained how the fungus takes control of the creature's brain to better support its own reproduction and eventually kills the creature.
            I was also amazed at the fact that years of eroding moved the waterfall back a good distance and created the pool. The falling water wears down the rocks, taking particles away with it down stream and slowly moving the waterfall closer to the spring.  The spray from the waterfall also hallows out the softer rock behind the falls, leaving space to walk among study boulders in a cavelike area. It's curious that none of the other waterfalls we went to had this feature; perhaps the rock is more dense in those areas.
        Key points learned on this activity:
            a) aquatic life in the mountains
            b) parasitic fungus on animals/bugs
            c) formation of caves behind waterfalls

    3.     At the Checkhall River, I not only gathered information about snail migration, but also local practices. After we collected sufficient numbers of our snail species from the fresh/salt water mix, we found out that it takes them a while to become acclimated to pure freshwater.  Trying to race these snails, they did decent when we first put them in tubes, but they soon grew weary as they adjusted to the freshwater.  We could not finish our snail racing, but we found out that the amphidromous snails needed time to gradually adjust to freshwater; they cannot automatically adjust. When we returned the snails back to the Checkhall River, I learned about the careful placement necessary for mark & recapture studies. We put different color groups at the mouth of the river, 10 meters away, and 20 meters away. Most of the snails moved toward the mouth of the river, with a few exceptions which probably were swept back with the waves. Some snails stayed in relatively the same area, but we found no snails, painted or not, in the river itself. We wonder what caused this phenomenon, since clearly size does not matter as we found smaller snails in the Rosalie River.
        Like most of the other beaches we saw, the beach was covered in rocks. There are pretty much all volcanic rocks, with some building scraps as well such as broken tiles and such. There were very few shells, but there was a good amount of fossilized sponge. What little sand that surrounded the rocks was brownish gray like the volcanic rocks.
        The reeds at the river created a great habitat for hummingbirds and they also created a screen so locals could bathe in the river water. As we walked past the tall grasses, we heard young goats but could not see them. Kala and I found that some goat-owner had tied up his goats to small trees among the reeds so they could feed on the grasses. Using some empty cola bottles found on the beach, we took fresh water to the goats, or at least the ones which would accept it.
        Key points on this activity:
            a) amphidromous snails need gradual acclimation to freshwater
            b) something was inhibiting the snails from going to the Checkhall River and should be investigated
            c) volcanic rocks indicate Dominica is much younger than other Caribbean islands that have more sand beaches
            d) goat-herders will tie up their goats practically anywhere that is available

    4.     Cabrits is the old British fort on the north end of the island. The climate is more arid, and there is a swamp nearby.  Plants look more like what we have in South Carolina, but there is one tree on display that is poisonous. Trees and strangler roots cause most of the destruction of the fort, but paintings and writing help builders get an idea of how the fort used to look. The restoration of the fort was begun by Dr. Lennox Honychurch, author of our textbook The Dominica Story, and is now mostly financed by the European Union. Other countries also have interests in giving foreign aid to Dominica, such as Venezuela, China, and Moracco, to gain favor in the UN.
            Dr. Honychurch gave us a synopsis of his book with extra information and connected ideas that were separated in the text. In addition, he gave us his theory on how mountainsides of lemongrass catch on fire.  The economy depends mostly on eco-tourism and good deals on imports since agricultural exports have been declining for years with each new wave of cash crops.
        Key points on this activity:
            a) historical setting of British and French claims over the island
            b) sources of foreign aid
            c) one should cross-reference any theories, regardless of the theorist's education and background, just to make sure
            d) eco-t0urism seems like the best bet to keep Dominica's economy strong

    5.     At the Rosalie River, we observed a lot of our species of snails where the waves of the Altantic Ocean crashed on rocks and into fresh water. For a while it seemed that they preferred darker colored rocks since those were more densely populated, but there were some on lighter colored rocks as well. Where we collected snails a few hundred yards upstream, we found larger snails as long as a large coin and tiny ones the size of fleas. We took some water from their habitat to use in the fish tank, and they raced better than the other group, although most became fatigued after a while and would not move anymore. This may be due to adding local freshwater to the tank. We painted all of those captured snails with pink "snail polish" and released them into the stream by Springfield station. It will be interesting to see how they have survived and where they migrate the next time Dr. Hains returns to Dominica.
            We also observed how to open an almond-like fruit without special tools. Using just rocks  at the riverbank, some locals were able to crack open the shell with a method that must have been past down for generations.  One can only imagine how the Kalinago people and early settlers must have managed to survive. 
        Key points on this activity:
            a) a possible study may be the population density of snails on dark surfaces vs. light surfaces
            b) differences between the amply inhabited Rosalie River (with our species of snails) and the virtually barren Checkhall river
            c) coloration differences between Rosalie River snails (dots were green-tinted) and Checkhall snails (dots were white)
            d)

This is a response to the following assignment:
Rank the top 5 activities with the best one listed first. Why did you pick these and why did you rank them in this manner? How did they relate to limnology and aquatic ecology?

    If I have to pick just five activities:
            1. Boeri Lake hike
            2. Boiling Lake hike
            3. Victoria Falls
            4. Kalinago Territory
            5. Emerald Pool
    1. The hike to Boeri Lake gave me a real taste for the hiking that we would be doing throughout our stay. It was sometimes difficult to keep up with Dr. Hains, the mountain goat, but I knew it was the only way I was going to get to our destination. I am not good at pacing myself; I preferred going quickly, straining myself, pushing myself to keep going to the next hilltop and then taking a  quick break to wait for the others to catch up. Climbing over the boulders to slip into the chilly waters at Boeri Lake, it was a great way to cool off. Had I dared to take my snorkel gear out of my pack, it would have been interesting to see what sorts of life have made it up that far.  We did find a crab hiding in the shade of some rocks, so there must have been other life for it to feed on. I found it amazing that we didn't see many insects on that trip. 
    2. On the hike to Boiling Lake, I understood a lot more about different forestation systems and how the geography affects other attributes. We went through several different types of forestation including rain forest, montane, and elfin. The elfin woodland really stood out when we approached the top of a mountain and I saw a palm tree shrunken down to about 3 feet tall. The hike up the Hill of Death wasn't too horrible; there were places where it levelled off a bit and you could take a quick break. After struggling through the natural wind tunnel and crab-crawling (sometimes scooting) down the slope, the Valley of Desolation was breath-taking. In my mind, I was picturing a dark, eerie swamp with fog, twisting jungle trees, and red-eyed crows. However, this valley was a light at the end of a tunnel (literally, the wind tunnel). It was bright and, although void of animal habitation, it was neither swamp nor desert. Around the boiling springs creating streams through the valley, there were deposits of calcium, sulfur and iron making the ground patchy with white, yellow, and orange.  Some light gray mud made a great face mask. When we went to a stream to add water to the mud, it was already fairly cool despite the boiling springs. There must have been some sort of algae growing around there, and small plants not too far away. I saw some patches of light green among the white and yellow, but I don't know if it was algae or some other mineral deposit. 
    3. The hike to Victoria Falls was certainly different from the rest. We waded through the river several times, stumbled over boulders, and climbed up stacks of rocks. My favorite part  of the hike was a little bit of rock climbing where I made some contortionist moves to get my foot almost level with my head a few feet to the left to raise up to the top of the boulder. When others were nervous about shimmying across a ledge with jutting boulders on one side and a nice rocky 15 foot drop on the other, I felt confident that I could make it after rock-climbing and seeing Dr. Hains do it. I just got in touch with my Native American side (some could say ninja, but I'm not into martial arts) and felt it was a rite of passage, literally.  The pool under Victoria Falls was a little chilly, but not bad. The waves and spray made it difficult to get close to the falls, but it was exhilerating as I swam hard just to stay in one place 20-30 feet from the falls. Had I gone back to get my snorkel gear, it would have been interesting to see what forms of life have made it back to the waterfall pool after a flood pushed everything back last year.
    4. I have always been entranced by Native American lifestyle, ever since watching Pocahantas as a kid. Thus, visiting the Kalinago Territory was very interesting. It was amazing seeing the views and fishing bay of the Kalinago people, although that aquatic ecosystem was more marine. There was a freshwater stream running down to the bay, which turned out to be one of the most scientifically notable water sources we found. (I will leave it at that unless I get permission to release research information.)  The repurposed fishing net was a great idea, making it into a giant hammock. I believe I enjoyed this excursion as the most tourist-like thing we did just because it didn't quite coincide with our normal activities. It was great being able to see the textbook come to life, though. The best part for me was going to the Kalinago basket shops and finding prices a third, even a fourth of that in Charleston, and with many more choices and endless variety. They made great gifts for people back home.
    5. Emerald Pool was our first outdoor excursion, and therefore it has a special place. An easy walk led us to a typical mountain stream with smoothed boulders and the water flowing easily around them and plants growing nearby. We continued down to the Emerald Pool with crystal jade-colored waters, with which I instantly fell in love. The hallowed-out cave area behind the waterfall was so cool and lizards scurried all about. As with most of the water features we went to, I enjoyed being able to see my feet in the water, but this was definitely the clearest. We could see little fish like gobies and freshwater shrimp with our snorkel masks, but no snails.  There were also a good many river crabs on the rocky slopes by the shallower pool. I liked that Emerald Pool was an easy trail so it was a good way to relax, but the most amazing part was that the first time we went down there, the lighting was perfect and we had the pool to ourselves the entire time. The cool water spectacular!

        We confused the staff a bit last night at dinner; they were under the impression that we were leaving Thursday. However, we got a better deal on airline tickets to leave today, Wednesday.
        Roger left for an earlier flight at about 6:30 this morning. Our flight wasn't going to leave until 2:20 pm, so we had plenty of time. We packed up fairly quickly; Kala and I already did most of our packing last night.  Then we cleaned up the lab and set our last batch of snails free in a slow-moving pool of the stream next to the station. They were all painted with pink "snail polish". It will be interesting to see how they disperse the next time Dr. Hains returns.
        We said our goodbyes and then headed down to Canefield to fill up gas in the rental car. On the way, we saw Tiffany's and just had to go in after getting gas. I can officially say I've been to Tiffany's in Dominica, and bought something! Tiffany's is a restaurant, bar, art gallery, and gift shop. She had stacks of soaps of many different local scents and walls covered in local artwork. One wall was a dedicated showcase to a young artist with a very different style. It was dark, gory, and reminded me of a biological sci-fi horror. But there is a reason for these odd paintings and sculptures; the dark backgrounds emphasize the 3-D fingers and toes emerging from the paintings with startlingly accurate nails and creases. Small sculptures show immense patience in moulding the medium (they dare not reveal its contents) to the shape of a brain and adding a pair of sunglasses to it. While most of the Dominicans worry about the boy's mental health, Tiffany sees talent and passion and gives him tips to perfect his work. I see his dark theme as a way of showcasing his creativity in moulding and smooth painting.
        Then we went up the hill past the station to Miranda's for fresh fishcakes (large hushpuppies with some hardly-noticeable fish meat in them).  They were much better hot and fresh than the first time we had them at the end of the day. She also gave us some baked mac & cheese (except instead of macaroni she used some other kind of noodles). 
        We went on to the airport where we ran into another group from the US. We debated over whether they were missionaries or a university group.  My money was on missionaries.  We talked to one guy and found out that they were from Macon University in Georgia. Some of the students were researching sea turtles and some of their work included teaching science classes in a primary school. I was randomly selected for special screening, as was one of the girls from Macon. They made us be the last ones to board the plane, but we got a chance to talk. She said some of their stay also included missionary work; they stayed for 20 days. The screening was a very easy process. The lady gently patted major concern areas (side of waist and ankles, just places that one would typically conceal a weapon). She opened my laptop bag and I helped her move things around, telling her where things were so we didn't have to waste time. I didn't feel so bad boarding the plane, people were still in line to get seated so time wasn't an issue. 
        Once we got to San Juan, we went through customs and immigration, which didn't really take that long, we just had to have our passports and boarding passes out constantly. We got Kala to her terminal and waited until she left, then Diane and I looked around at a duty-free shop and sampled perfume and lotion. We joined Dr. Hains at Air Margaritaville for one of the best burgers I have ever had. I got the Mexicali burger with several different types of cheeses, jalepeno peppers, and tomato salsa. 
        I didn't sleep on any plane rides until the one from Miami to Atlanta. Somehow Dr. Hains expected me to help him stay awake on the drive from Atlanta to Clemson.  I hope he took a caffeine pill because I didn't have much to talk about so I continually dozed off. I did, however, wake up once every minute the entire ride to Clemson to try my best to keep a look out. Unfortunately every time I blinked I took a 45-second nap.  We met my parents and boyfriend at Waffle House right off the interstate in Clemson.  The first thing I wanted to do was brush my teeth, then Jared and I got a snack for the road and I stayed wide awake that whole ride telling them about the awesome food and different things I experienced. We arrived at home at 4:30 in the morning; I didn't wind down and go to sleep again until six.

    Our last full day on the island, we went to Cabrits National Park on the northern part of the island. At the tip of a small peninsula, the British fort was meant to guard Portsmouth, the most accessible port  city and previous capitol. Abandoned in the 19th century, the fort lay to ruins mainly due to rainforest trees and strangler roots taking over. The dryest part of the island, the area around Cabrits definitely reminded me much more of home than the other forests. Luckily, the author of our textbook The Dominica Story, Lennox Honychurch, is heading up a project to restore the fort into a tourist-friendly environment. One of the completed buildings has a bar and serves as a great spot for wedding receptions and conferences. The outdoor terraces are beautifully manicured with more work continually making the estate a wonderful place for outdoor weddings and gatherings. 
    We went on a short hike up to one of the cannons and found a plum tree along the way, most likely due to a tourist dropping a plum and then it sprouted. We also saw lots of land crabs and little hermit crabs, as well as two grove snakes. When we went back down to the fort area, we found out that Dr. Honychurch was on-site. After a few minutes, he came up to meet us for a few minutes before he gave tour to another group. In the meantime, we walked over to some more ruins of fort buildings where trees and vines were taking over in a more rain-forest type habitat. There were golfball-sized bullet things used in cannons (one would stuff about 20 into the barrel like a buck-shot) still in their storage room. We walked over to the other side of the peninsula and saw a more open bay that other cannons guarded.
    When we returned to the main buildings and battery, Dr. Honychurch was ready to tell us about the history of Dominica. In 45 minutes to an hour, he gave us a captivating lecture and synopsis of his book as we looked out over the bay and to the mountains. Dr. Honychurch explained that Dominica receives a good bit of international aid from foreign powers who compete for their support in the UN, because a small country such as Dominica has just as much voting power as the United States. The Chinese, who initially came over by practically purchasing passports/citizenship, came to do certain skilled work. This is particularly evident in their civil engineering capabilities as the Chinese people renovate road systems and make places on the island more accessible. Venezuelans provide financial aid, although I do not recall what work they are most famous for. Just outside of Cabrits, the King of Moracco is building a resort complex, which we sincerely hope withstands hurricanes and other incidents. The European Union is significantly helping to finance the restoration of Cabrits.   Unfortunately, I understand that the US is doing little more than send the Peace Corps down here, which is so small compared to all of these other countries.
        Upon returning to the welcome center, I bought a table-top doily from a lady who was crochetting at a picnic table and Diane became friends with Earl the Pearl, a sweet older man full of smiles. I had Dr. Honychurch sign my copy of his book, which my grandmother wants to read in a few months. Then we went to lunch at the food court by Ross University, which was a narrow street of small shops selling different types of food to cater to the tastes of the medical students there. There was smoothie shop, juice bar, local favorites, Indian food, Hispanic food, pizza, pasta, and a coffee shop. There was no place to sit except some picnic shelters inside the fence of Ross. We were able to mostly finish our meal before someone asked us to leave; apparently it was for Ross students only. 
    Next we went to Sunset Beach hotel to go snorkelling at the reef there. I opened my bag to change clothes and realized I left my swimsuit at the station. Luckily, Diane had brought her swimsuit but only planned to sit on the beach and enjoy the sun and shade. I borrowed her top and wore my quick-dry shorts and I was good to go. This second snorkelling expedition was not as eventful as the one at Champagne Reef, but it was still pretty fun. There were several large schools of fish and I enjoyed swimming through them and chasing them a little. I felt like a little kid in a swarm of butterflies.
    Once we showered off and dried some, we went back towards Canefield in our last attempt to see the Green Flash. We were on the other side of a long shipping dock (it wasn't far above the water so I won't call it a pier), but we still had a decent view of the sunset. I found a sea-urchin shell and some bone-looking things, but they could have been fossilized coral. The sky looked clear and then the sun began to touch the horizon. We would have seen the green flash just after the sun went under the horizon, but there was a haze just above the water in the distance that prevented us from seeing it. It was still a pretty sunset.

        This morning we began our excursion by going to the Forestry department so Roger could buy some books on the local plant life. One of the books had pages that were upside down when the cover was held upright. We thought it would be a great way to mess with people if he were reading the book with the cover upside down. Next we went by the post office, where they supplied Elmer’s glue to make the stamps stick on. 
           We went for a very long drive to a rutty dirt driveway that was supposed to lead to one of the most spectacular waterfalls on the island. For $5 US parking, one could cross the river about four times along a winding trail up to Victoria Falls. I apologize for not getting any pictures of that excursion, but it was just too wet. After crossing the river the first time, we found a few goats tied up to graze; later one of those goats had grazed on his rope and set himself free. We scrambled over rocks and waded waist-deep in the water at times. Sometimes we tried to scoot along rocks to avoid getting in the water, sometimes we just didn’t care. A couple of times we had to do a bit of actual rock climbing, bracing our hands, feet, and shins into contortionist angles to shimmy up some of the stacks of boulders. It was reassuring, however, to stand on a large boulder and see the waterfall up ahead. Just before we reached the rocky shoreline of the pool, we had to slither along a two-foot wide edge, holding onto the two jutting rocks that gave no grip with the feeling of leaning slightly backwards. 
        With careful footing, we made it to the pool. Diane and Kala refused to go in the water and thus began to eat lunch on the closest large rock.  The spray from the water rained on them so much that they had to relocate about 40 yards back. I decided to go into the water and get as close as I could to the waterfall. Dropping some great distance, the waterfall’s spray made it nearly impossible to face the falls as we made our way towards it. I managed to get about 20-30 feet away from the bottom of the fall before just staying place became a workout.
        On the return hike, it was interesting to maneuver our footwork into precisely the same path we came on some of the steep declines where we rock-climbed before. Occasionally we had to sit down and slide to a spot to stand up. A couple of times we got out of the riverway and onto a path in the forest, finding crab dens and skirting around squishy mud as much as possible. When we were just about to exit the driveway, a French-speaking couple from Guadeloupe asked us for directions, apparently on a backpacking vacation. Thankfully the woman could speak. They wanted to hike up to Victoria Falls by themselves, which would be practically impossible without knowing the right way.
    Skipping over Sari Sari Falls in leu of the possibility of going to Champagne Reef again (we wanted to go back because Roger accidentally deleted all the photos from his underwater camera), we took a very long drive around the island. We drove over to the Rosalie River, one of the sites where we collected snails, and took a water sample. Did I mention before that there are some ruins by the river that were used in a scene in Pirates of the Caribbean 2? There's several other places on the island in that movie as well.
        We didn't make it back in time for Champagne Reef, unfortunately. By the time we would have arrived there, the scuba shop would have been closed. We did stop by to get some pictures of signs, though.  We also went by a hotel so Roger could get a t-shirt from Dive Dominica to show his diving buddies back home. 
        Just before sunset, we set out for a short hike to Stinking Hole with Clynton, the station's bartender and chef's son. Stinking Hole is where the bats live. They emerged in waves from a cave in the side of the hole. We estimate that it holds tens if not hundreds of thousands of bats of several different species. We stood at the edge of the hole, Kala and I hiding partially behind Dr. Hains to keep the bats from flying into us. The bats would sweep past us, brushing against our arms or touching the side of our heads. Diane was able to get some really good pictures of the bats in flight, including some great close-ups. A day or so later she found a dead bat wedged under her suitcase. Apparently it got trapped in our room and tried to burrow between the suitcase and the bed she had it on, then couldn't get itself out. I'm so happy we had misquito nets on the beds we slept in so it couldn't have burrowed under our pillows!