Indian River Tour

The River in question, according to our guide, guardian, friend and servant --Martin -- pictured above, is one of 365 in Dominica. (incidentally, the island's name is accented on the third syllable, not the second, and it is pronounced "eek" not "ick". It was a French island until the 1780's so think of the French pronunciation of Dominique.) What makes this river part of pop culture, in its beauty and the beauty of the forest surrounding it, is that the river scenes from "The Pirates of the Caribbean, Part 2" were shot here. In fact, many scenes from the film were shot in varying locations around Dominica, called "the nature island". Martin told us that he is a professional licensed tour guide, with university education in the history, flora and fauna of his island, first aid and CPR. He is also an entrepreneur who owns a boat and a van and a big smile. He has done this work for 20 years and is one of the ten current members of PAYS, the Portsmouth Area Yacht Services organization. PAYS sounds like a protection racket, but it is not. Its members provide real services and have rid the Bay of crime against boats. Martin took our laundry and brought it back, took away our garbage, brought us ice, took us to get dinghy outboard fuel and to the bank as well as on the Indian River cruise. PAYS regulates the touring industry and provides security, to protect their industry and hence their income.

He picked us up in his boat, made of wood, weighing perhaps 500 pounds, with seating for eight plus two kids, plus Martin in the front, facing back and rowing while explaining. His boat, named Providence, has a powerful enough outboard to get us to the river entrance at good speed, where we bought tickets, $5US, but Martin rowed the rest of the way, which is about one mile upstream, because no motors are allowed on the river. Its mouth is partially blocked (and hence protected) by a wrecked cargo vessel that broke loose in a hurricane and washed ashore several years ago. We didn't realize that there was a current in the river at first, because it was perhaps 50 feet wide. But by the time we got to the head of navigation, where boulders block boats, it was only 20 feet wide and the current was quite apparent. In fact the tour cannot be run after big rains because too much water is flowing. At the head of navigation we disembarked and walked to a campground.

Regrettably, our camera's battery ran out, so we have few pictures to illustrate this text. We saw land crabs by the river bank. They are an ingredient in local soups called callaloo.


We saw several types of birds and very many types of trees, including coconut palms and bloodwoods. A cut in the bark of a bloodwood produces red sap that looks like blood. Martin cut a gash in one on the way up and we saw the sap on the way back. Sap was used by the natives as dye. We drank the water from a ripe coconut and ate its flesh, as well as oranges. (we are finding the fruits and veggies, which are SO abundant and cheap, to be just delicious....tasty, juicy, fresh) Martin made each of us an origami style bird out of braided green coconut palm fronds. The tree roots wave fantastic patterns. You can see photos of these roots at the website link at the very beginning of this post. (It has been a few days and accordingly I have forgotten a lot.) The branches of the trees on the river's banks form a canopy of rain forest overhead.

We took the trip with the Bound family and after being delivered back at our boats we agreed to meet for wine, Orangina and cheese on their boat, "Volare", and then dinked ashore to Big Papas, where shoes are optional, for dinner .