Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated islands in the Caribbean last September. Six months later, how are they recovering? To find out, writers for Travel spent time in Vieques, St. Martin, St. John, Dominica (below).
The hike to Middleham Falls took precisely 45 minutes, just as my guide, Dylan Williams, had predicted. In that time, Dylan, his girlfriend, Miriam Ormond, and I had marched a mile and a quarter up and down (and up and down) the hills of Dominica’s Morne Trois Pitons National Park, starting on a well-cleared trail through rainforest brush — tree ferns, rubber trees, shaggy epiphytes — and finishing with moderate scrambles over damp rock and down slippery wooden stairs. But finally, we stood on a sturdy platform gazing at the island’s highest waterfall as it thundered 200 or so feet down into a broad, inviting pool.
Between us and the pool, however, stood a field of water-slicked boulders. Suddenly, I felt every drop of my trekking confidence evaporate. I wanted nothing more than to bound over the rocks, as dreadlocked Dylan was doing in Converse low-tops, and dip my feet in the pristine water, but those feet, I was now irrationally sure, would fail me, and I’d slip, fall, dash my brains out below. Nature, until a moment ago so lovely and generous, had turned threatening and dark. Who was I to risk her wrath?
All the kings horses and all the Kings men , couldn’t put poor Humpty Dumpty back together again,……. Sigh…..
Dominica will rise again
Every blessed day Skerrit remains as PM is a day of burning Dominica deeper in a very dark pit. How do we bounce back when we have to import both skilled and unskilled workers. PM is on record saying he bringing in 100 plus from Cuba do do basic things? How do we bounce back when the PM has to import his financial advisor? How do we bounce back when the pm makes it governments job to build over 400 apartments on properties that individuals own! How do we bounce back when Erika destroyed 3 bridges on the west coast highway in 2015 and to date none has been restored and to make things worse, Maria destroyed another one and seriously compromised many more and yet pm doesn’t see that as a priority? How do we bounce back when most of our young and educated people are running out , including the PM’s family? How do we bounce back when we cannot assure Ross University that we are serious? How do we bounce back when many landlords in the Portsmouth area are stock with loans that they can’t…
Because of the long closure of Ross, there are hundreds of landlords that can’t pay back their loans, which eventually will become a major financial crisis? How do we bounce back when we cannot attrac any serious investor while we losing the few we had? Do we have eyes but can’t see? Do we have ears but can’t hear? Do we have brains but yet brainless? Do we education but made ourselves uneducated? What’s wrong with us? How long will we allow Skerrit to keep destroying our country? Aren’t you all concerned about the future of your children? Well, I have news for you guys because one thing we know for sure is that PM Skerrit is concerned about the future of his children and that’s why as the sitting prime Minister, he ensured that both of his children were born in the US and, has already moved them and his wife to the US. If is stupid we stupid let’s remain stupid but pm, his lead attorney and close friends have secured a future for their families in the US.
Dominica might still be a destination because of our unusual natural beauty that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Because of what God blessed us with there will always be something attractive that will bring people.
As far as Da is concerned I strongly agree with @Now or Never that if Skerrit remains as Pm for another year or more we might never boucnce back as a country because the man has done enough to destroy Dominica before Maria or Erika. Some think we will bounce back regardless of who is in power but, the truth is some don’t understand the magnitude of our distraction caused by the Pm. Yes the tree will get back green, some roofs will be rebuilt and some houses will be rebuilt but the truth is, the damage of the pm is irreparable or might take a new leader decades to bring us back. How do we bounce back when the Pm is on record saying we have no engineers, electricians, or roofers? He agrees he cultivated a lazy and dependent society with NEP. He destroyed…
The trails were terrible and not maintained in the first place, so no change. But bad roads no electric power in many places, etc., make it worse than ever. The best hotel, the Fort Young, never was better than a US Holiday Inn motel. Failure!
Great article. Can’t wait to come visit again.
Dominica can and will rebound perhaps better than before. In order for this to happen the people must be given hope and work assiduously together. Only with collectively efforts and unwavering determination will Dominica achieve any semblance of normalcy or improvement. To achieve this, leadership is of critical importance. The leader must possess the power of persuasion, must unite the country, must be humble and willing to listen to others who don’t share the same ideology as him/her, must be fair in all his dealings, and must have integrity. The citizenry must be able to trust their leader when he speaks. Does the present leader possess all these attributes? No amount of juvenile tantrums can save Dominica in times of crisis.
Dominica will bounce back again, but it will take time. The problem we face is that we can be set back another 20 years if we are hit by another hurricane in the near future.
Everything question has to be about politics with you people….
Yes Doninica will get back to where it was regardless of who the PM is…with Lenox or Skerrit.
It will take time but yes…..
Nooo… we need skerrit
Now or Never and Randy are loyal to the opposition party.
As a none voter looking in, it’s hilarious how politics is attached to every subject pertaining to Dominica’s future.
Randy comment is the funniest one yet ” drag us in the gutter and leave”
I’m curious about Randy’s insider knowledge on The PM future plans and what he will use ( equipment) to dray Dominica into a gutter.
Facts :
Hurricane Maria was a devastating event on the soul and heart of all Dominicans
Any one with clear unbiased thought can assert it will take 3/4 years before Dominica can and will return to its natural splendour
Economically Dominica requires a lot of financial assistance and the present incumbent is ideally suited to ask and seek that reward
The opposition has a part to play and that is to support the present Government in its current plight, partake in events that helps repair Dominica, provide suggestions that’s assist in the growth of the island , be it economically or…
If the opposition was to support the government in any shape or form, they would support CORRUPTION. Dominica, so far has had a good amount of help from outside already, financially as well as material. What has your PM done with it all??? Distributing it to DLP supporters. So you shut up about Skerrit, DLP, etc.
What needs doing is get that man and his cabal out, either by pressure or by force and then install a government that has Dominica and ALL it’s citizens at the top of the agenda. Then reform the elections system and pass a law that not one man can serve longer than 2 periods as PM. Then ensure that the police and the judicial system are totally independent again and if necessary pass additional laws to ensure this for the future.
My answer to this big question is conditional. If Roosevelt Skerrit remains PM, not only will Dominica NOT be a destination again but Dominica I fear, might never be a country again. We need Skerrit out, for the sake of Dominica because as it is now, the man has already destroyed the very fabric of the country that would surely cause us to perish without Erika and Maria and now that we are where he wanted us to be, we might be finished if we don’t act quickly and get him out at all costs possible
I agree with you! This man will drag us in the gutter and then leave.
He’ll leave like most laborites do
Only time will tell. You never miss the water until the well runs dry.
Well, I never get d water yu so how I will miss it
Lame. You sound desperate and sad. Linton can not and will not do better. Lesser of two evils….I’ll take skerro