Dominica

Dominica, a set on Flickr.

There are Lyons in Dominica!

No not real lions (I may not spell well but I at least know how to spell the word lion) but the Lyons  Jenn and Kyle! Thats right I have been crazy blessed with another round of visitors! Jenn, Kyle and I had a fantastic time together exploring the island, eating good food, and just hanging out! Here is a short run down of some of the things we did:

One really great day we had started with snorkeling at Champaign Bay. This is one of the best snorkeling places on the island and we were lucky to have a clear morning to explore the reefs. We had a great time swimming around and taking underwater photos of all the fish (and ourselves)! After the snorkeling adventure we went to Trafalgar Falls. By this time it was raining off and on but we decided to go anyways, and I am glad we did. We had fun sitting in the natural hot springs while the rain came down  we were even able to stow our cloths, just before the downpour came, under a little rock overhang. Kyle and I also scaled up the rocks in the river all the way up to the water fall, but on arriving at the base the rain really started to pick up, and we were pre warned about flash floods when we arrived, so we didnt stay long before heading back down to the hot water. To finish the day we went to Screws Hot Springs  Screws is one of my favorite places on the island so I had to share it with Jenn and Kyle. It is a natural hot springs that Screw (thats the owners name) has built 3 different temperature bathing pools around. Its a very relaxing place to spend the afternoon lounging in the hot water enjoying nature and eating good fruit! The best part about this trip was Screw recognized me and as thanks for bringing Jenn and Kyle there, he gave us all free Screws T-Shirts! How neat is that!

We also got to spend an entire day with my friend Rashawna, we picked her up early one morning and went to breakfast at Pagua, which is the best breakfast on the island, and then went to the Carib Territory and explored the model Carib village. After that we headed to a new place I had never been before, and that I certainly can not spell, but basically in English is the Snake Steps. It was so cool! There is this old folk tail that a snake came out of the ocean and rocks formed around it making these huge lava steps from the top of the cliff right down into the ocean. Jenn, Kyle, Rash and I all hiked down the steps to get a close up look at the ocean  so cool. Then we headed over to the Emerald Pool, that to this day remains one of my favorite spots on the island. We had an awesome time playing around in the water, the waterfall and the rocks. And to finish the great day we all had dinner and exploring at one of the best restaurants on the island, Red Rocks! It was such  great day for me and I know for Rashawna too, thanks to Jenn and Kyle and all the extra driving they did to include Rash for the day!

Sometimes I forget that when visitors come they not only want to see the island and have adventures, but they also want to just lay on the beach it just slips my mind. I guess I knew we really needed a beach day after we visited Cabrits Natural Park, and I took Jenn and Kyle on an unplanned hike to the top of the mountain (flip flops and dress included). Turns out I dont know the trails as good as I thought. :) But Jenn and Kyle were good sports and we did have fun despite my error in navigating. But have no fear we did fit in some good beach days during the trip. And thanks to some positive energy Jenn put out we even had some really sunny beach time! We hit up three main beaches here on the island, Mero, Coconut and Purple Turtle! We played in the water, laid in the sun, and snorkeled at all of them! Kyle even found some cool sand dollars! Got to love being so close to so many great beaches!

We had a ton more adventures all around the island, Syndicate Natural Train, card games at Rituals, tons of good food, trip to the Peace Corps office, the list goes on and on!

One of the best parts about the trip was getting to show Jenn and Kyle my life here in Portsmouth. I was able to take them around to all the major spots I work, CALLS, the Womens Center, the Town Council, Care for the Elderly, and more. Plus they go to meet a ton of my co-works, students, and my friends. Even if we hadnt done all the other fun adventures, just being able to share my everyday life with them was priceless! Thanks again for taking the trip out here guys, it really was a great vacation for all!

The Most Amazing

I know its been a while since I wrote in my blog last, so sorry. I have been waiting for the company to fix it so I can upload photos but since it looks like that wont be happening anytime soon I thought I would just add my blog updates and then add the photos when its fixed. So here goes

The other night I got to see one of the most amazing things I have ever seen! Never in my life would I have ever thought I would get the chance to not only see but touch a giant sea turtle! Words cannot even explain how amazing this experience was but I will try.

Right now it is turtle season so various kinds of sea turtles are coming to the islands to lay their eggs. The generally come in on the east side of the island. So the other weekend I went to stay with Rashawna in Marigot in hopes that one would come in that night, we had it on good authority that one would due to the right weather conditions and various other signs.

Rashawna, Rudy (a local friend) Marcus and Stacy (PCV and his girlfriend) and I  headed down to the beach about 11:00 pm. The walk took us about 30 minutes or so. When we arrived on the beach we meet up with a group of guys that patrol the beach during turtle season to make sure no poachers kill the turtles or the steal the eggs (and yes that does happen a lot here). They said there wasnt a turtle yet so we just sat in the sand and chatted for a few hours. About 1:oo am or so Rudy said he thought there would be a turtle in about 5 minutes, well the turtle guys didnt feel like waiting anymore so they took off leaving just the five of us behind. We decide it was time to head back considering we had such a long walk back.

And what do you think we found 5 minutes into our walk thats right a giant leather back turtle who had just made her way onto the beach. We held back for a while because if you spook the turtle before she starts digging she will go back to the sea and not lay her eggs. Once they start digging they go into a sort of trance and nothing stops them from finishing. So when she started we got really close we got to pet her and watch her dig a huge hole (almost 2 feet deep with her littler flippers) and we even got to watch her lay her eggs. They generally lay about 60-80! Crazy cool! She was working so hard the whole time I kind of felt bad for her, its not easy for them to move around on the sand. The whole digging and laying process took at least 2 hours and we stayed the whole time, we didnt want someone to come and kill her.

After she finishes laying the eggs she barriers them in the sand and packs it down then she camoflodges the area! She goes around messing up the sand around the hole she just dug and it takes her about an hour to do it, again working very very hard! After that she follows the reflection of the moon back into the water. We helped her out a bit with a flash light in the beginning cause she got a little lost. Then we watched her take off in the water to go meet her mate and started our long trek home. We finally fell into bed exhausted but amazed at 4:30 am!

So so so amazing and I am so grateful I got the chance to experience it! I love my crazy PC life!

Oh and Happy 4th of July!!!!! :)

The Gs Do Dominica!

I lived a very blessed life, not only am I living this amazing adventure but I also get the chance to share this experience with family and friends that come to visit. And guess who the visitors were this time, none other then my amazing grandparents thats right Grandma and Grandpa Steinke were here on the island and we had a great time!

It was so amazing to share my life here with them and have them see all the places I go and work and meet all my friends and co-workers. We had a very packed week full of sightseeing, great meals, cards (Polish Poker to be exact) social visits and we made some great memories. I am probably one of the only PCVs that can say their grandparents came to visit.

Here is the rundown of some of the sights we got to see. Trafalgar Falls, Screws Hot Springs, Syndicate Nature Trail and bird watching, Indian River tour with James Bond, Cabrits, Arial Tram ride through the rainforest and much more! We also got to have some amazing food, breakfast cooked by grandma (so good) and tried out a lot of the restaurants around Portsmouth. I even got to try lobster!

They also got the chance to see my apartment and all the places I work, and meet my friends, co-workers, landlords and host family! And they even came to do meals on wheels with me and I know the people we serve enjoyed meeting them! Like I said we packed the week full! We also played a lot of cards which was a lot of fun even though I was really bad at the game and only won a few hands!

I am so blessed that I have such an amazing family and that my grandparents were able to come down here and spend the week with me. I wouldnt give up the memoires that were made for anything! Thanks for everything Gs!

I Survived Carnival!

I have officially made it through my first Carnival and while I may not have slept for 4 days (only naps) it was well worth it considering the fun that was had by all! I cannot really even begin to explain the craziness that is Carnival here in Dominica but I will try my best.

Carnival is a huge party that takes place mainly in the streets of Roseau that is celebrated for a month with the big party days on Carnival Monday and Tuesday and the weekend before. It all started with the opening parade in Roseau and then the opening parade in Portsmouth the following weekend. Both parades are full of music, dancing, costumes, flags and much more. Most people watch the parade go by just like we do in the States, however the last group is always a popular band here on the island (WCK band) and most people get behind the band at the end of the parade and walk/dance their way along the parade route jumping up to the music. Of course I participated in both these parades and jump ups  crazy crowds and crazy fun!

Between the opening parade and Carnival Tuesday are various events that include the Calypso Quarter and Semi finals, various Queen shows throughout the island, concerts almost every night, and lots of other fun events. CALLS even had their own Queen show and we crowned the first ever Miss CALLS! It was really entertaining and great to spend time with the students outside of class. One of my students even made an appearance cross dressing, a normal practice here for men at Carnival time, and the sad thing was.. he actually looked better than most women in the bathing suit he was wearing! I told you its crazy here around Carnival!

The weekend before Carnival Tuesday kicks off the big events starting with the island wide Queen Show were Miss Dominica is crowned. I didnt go to this event I can only take so many Queen shows (they are your typical beauty pageant, and not really my thing). Never-the-less the women here in Dominica love this event and it is very popular, and I do have to say some of the costumes that the women make are pretty cool. The next night is the Calypso finals where the Calypso King or Monarch is crowned! Now let me tell you a bit about what Calypso is Calypso is a type of music that is very popular here in the Caribbean. Each singer makes up a song about a popular subject or political statement, it can be funny or serious but they all make a strong statement about current events here in Dominica. Most contestants wear a costume and put on a show for the crowd (we even had fireworks this year) the better the show and song, the better your chance of winning. The nig twist this year a women won for the first time ever! How crazy is that! So people were not happy considering its the Calypso King but her song was by far the best and she deserved to win Im not bias or anything! :)

Then its finally time for Carnival proper! And what better way to start it off then a J'Ouvert (Jump Up in the streets of Roseau) at 3:00 am! Yep that is right we got up at 2:00 am got into our costumes and danced the morning away behind WCK! 3:00 to 10:00 am! There were all kinds of costumes there, cross dressing men and scantily clad women, a whole group of women dressed as Annie (red fro wigs and all) and I even saw an Avatar! We played it safe and a little more modest with our costumes black and white with neon accents! Very fun and the best event in my humble opinion!
After the J'Ouvert  its home for a nap before returning for the T-Shirt bands! Same basic concept bands drive around the city streets with people jumping up behind them. The point of T-shirt band is to buy the shirt our your favorite band and follow behind them. WCK had thousands of followers! This is by far the most crazy event lots of fights and way too many people! After a fight almost pushed us into a chicken grill on the side of the road we had to retreat to Rashawnas parents hotel room for a while till it calmed down a bit.
Tuesday is the official day of Carnival and is celebrated with an all day costume parade. Groups of people come together and wear the same costumes and parade around the city with, you guessed it bands! The contestants from the Queens Show come out and show off their costumes, there were steel drum groups, flags and much more! It is a very exciting atmosphere and feels very Caribbean and Carnival like! After the parade is the final lap the last jump up before Lent begins. I left Roseau for this event and went to Portsmouths last lap. They had a band from Antigua and a lot of my friends were up there so it was a good time, until the band ran over someones foot and they had to shut down of a while. But by that point I was so tired I went home and slept pretty much slept all day Wednesday too. Now before you go thinking I am a terrible volunteer let me assure you that everything and I do mean everything shuts down here for Carnival so there was no work to be done so I am in the clear!

So there you have it I made it through and I am so glad I have another year to recover before I experience another Carnival! You are pretty much gonna have to check out the photos to understand the craziness of what I was talking about, cause you know what they say a picture is worth a thousand words and this entry has too many already.

Happy One Year Anniversary!

So guess what I have been gone from the United States for a year now! Happy one year anniversary! Its so crazy to me, the time had just flown by so fast and I have had some many amazing experiences and I have grown so much as person in the past year its crazy to me. I have known my one year anniversary was coming up, but I really think it hit me this weekend when we welcome the new batch of PCVs! Thats right, I am no longer the new group but they older group? When did that happen!?
I cannot even begin to explain what I was feeling as we meet the new volunteers just coming off the plane. I even got a ride home from the airport from my host dad and we were reminiscing about that same trip we made a year ago together. And that night as I was falling asleep I couldnt help but think about the new volunteers in their host families house spending their first night in Dominica, and I remember how I felt I had felt so alone, but so excited now I live on my own and have no problem being alone, leaving my house at night, meeting new people, working at numerous organizations, doing hikes I never thought I could, and so many other amazing things have been able to do thanks to my PC experience!

I really have come a long way since I first came here Im not really even the same person I was then. Well I am still me, I am just more strong and confident and I know what I believe in and what I want from life. I cannot wait to see how much more I grow in the following year!

A New Year

Well first let me say, sorry it has been so long since I last updated my blog I have been very busy with the holidays, visitors, and work. Also I am sad to report that my computer crashed during all this as well. But things are getting back on track, I have a new computer (!!!) and I am slowly getting back into my normal routine here.  So here goes trying to put into words what my last month has been like AMAZING!

I have to say that while it was a little hard not to be home for Christmas, being here in Dominica for the holidays was a really amazing experience. And I just have to say that it probably wouldnt have been as great if my sister wasnt here with me to celebrate. With her company and comfort I was truly able to enjoy a Dominican Christmas. Kristen and I had a really great time together, we explored the island and I got to show her some of my favorite sights  Emerald Pool, Trafalgar Falls, the Indian River and the list goes on and on. We spent time with some of the other PCVs, made lots of new Dominican friends, and had ourselves a very Merry Caribbean Christmas.

So here is the breakdown of our Dominican style Christmas We spent Christmas Eve day on the beach, with the other PCVs that stayed on island, relaxing and enjoying the Caribbean sun rather than the Colorado snow! Christmas Eve isnt really a beach day here in Dominica, so we were really the only ones there so later that night we decided to do what the locals do and head to town (Roseau) to participate in the traditional Dominican Christmas Eve. You know how in the States everyone goes shopping before Christmas and wraps the presents and puts them under the tree? Well not many people do that here, instead the whole family goes down to Roseau on Christmas Eve and picks out their gifts from the shops that stay open extra late. Then they hang out in town enjoying their purchases, listen to music, eating and drinking, and just hang out with everyone else that is down there. We ended up staying till about midnight or so and by that time it was getting a little crazy lots of partying and firecrackers going off in the middle of the streets, so it was a good time to head back home. Most Dominicans would have gone to midnight mass about this time then after it ended party till the sun came up.

Christmas morning Kristen and I woke up and made ourselves a Christmas breakfast! We even found Corned Beef Hash for me (one of my favorites!) You will notice the day pretty much revolved around food! Then we skyped home (pre computer crash) and opened our gifts the family had sent down!!! At this time most Dominicans were probably at home resting from the long night before and getting ready to do it all again that night. Kristen and I were then invited to a friends house (one of the teachers I work with at the primary school) for lunch, not just any lunch but a huge feast of local Dominican foods. There was beef, pork, and goat stews, rice, salad, mac and cheese, coleslaw, veggies, local juice, tons of alcohol, and much more.  Kristen and I were stuffed! It was really great to spend part of the day with good friends and got us out of my tiny apartment for a while.

When we got home we skyped some more :) and then made ourselves a tradition (American) Christmas dinner! And man did we do a good job or what! I was so proud of us. We made a 10 pound turkey (which I am still eating today) stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans! We even had some local Christmas juice called sorrel from my landlords. We pretty much used every dish I own to make dinner. We were so proud of our little Christmas meal! After that we just spent time together chatting and probably watched a movie before falling asleep. It was a great Christmas to be sure. And I am so glad Kristen was here to experience a Dominican Christmas with me. And we made some really great memories that will last a lifetime. Kristen has a future being an island girl that is for sure!

After Kristen left (sad sad day) it was time to celebrate New Years Eve only problem is Dominicans dont celebrate New Years Eve the night is spent in church and the celebration is on New Years Day  a beach day. So what did we PCVs do, well the only thing there was to do (other than church) we went to the American school here and partied with the ROSS students. It was a typical NYE party very fun though. Lets just say we spent the rest of the weekend doing nothing but sleeping and laying low. :)

And then a few days after that I had another visitor one of my best friends from high school, Nate, came to visit me.  We had a great time, I always love when people come to visit cause I get to play tourist while they are here. Nate and I had a great time and we even did some new things that I had never done before. One new thing was we hiked to Boiling lake, it is a 8 mile gorgeous hike to 1 of only 2 boiling lakes in the world. It was a really challenging hike, but so worth it, and it was something that has been on my to-do list since I got here.

Now that Nate is gone, and the holidays are over it is time for me to get back to my normal life. Only problem is I am having a little bit of a hard time doing so so well see all I can do right now is put one foot in front of the other and be grateful for the amazing holiday season I had and the priceless memories made.