Although it's Dominica's capital and its largest city, Roseau is only a few blocks wide and deep so it's easy to learn the way around. Bordered on one side by the Caribbean and on the other by mountains, it's a picturesque town so obviously different from America that it's sometimes hard to remember we're on the same continent.
Due to the heat many residents spend their days outside in the shade, chatting to each other or selling their wares to passersby. Though few of the shops I visited were air conditioned, most had fans, and standing near them made the temperature quite manageable.
With husbands in meetings almost every day, my friend Vonce and I had to entertain ourselves (and Joseph). We spent a lot of time wandering about the streets and exploring the shops. Every morning we met for breakfast and took Joseph for a walk. A few blocks from our hotel was a small stand where a man made yummy smoothies from fresh fruit for EC$5 (about $2.80). She and I often bought one and took it on our walks. And shopping and walking were about all that we could do, for the city had only one small museum and no beaches nearby.
By the time lunchtime rolled around we were sweating and ready to return to the air-conditioned comfort of our rooms. It was unfortunate that the Garraway hotel lacked a pool; we really would have appreciated it. Joseph needed a nap after lunch so I spent the afternoons alone wandering the streets with my camera (and sometimes another smoothie). Heaven.
Roseau is small enough that most of it can be seen in a day or two, so by the end of the week our daily routine got really old. We were thrilled when Friday rolled around and the men didn't have meetings; it gave us all a chance to show them around the city and visit the Botanical Gardens with them. Dan and I took lots of photos there.
Dominicans are very family-oriented. For that reason very few sho ps (or restaurants!) in Roseau are open in the evening. Sundays are particularly difficult and you most likely will have to eat in your hotel restaurant. Dan and I did manage to find a local pizza parlor (green beans are good on pizza!) and ate at a Chinese restaurant twice. I actually enjoyed eating there even though I'm not a fan of Chinese food; the food there tasted nothing like the Chinese we are used to in the States. (Perhaps the owners were from a different part of China?) Whatever. Dan and I ate at KFC on Friday night and discovered they don't have combo meals; everything is a la carte.
Roseau comes alive whenever a cruise ship comes in. Our hotel windows overlooked where the ships dock so we had a chance to watch everyone set up in preparation for the tourists. Vonce and I didn't enjoy our walks as much on those days because we were constantly being mistaken for tourists. It seemed like every guide on the bayfront offered us a tour and that shopkeepers (who normally let us shop in peace) became competitive to get our dollars.
Still, the cruise industry is vital to Dominica's wellbeing. If it doesn't get income from tourism, Dominica may someday be forced to find its income elsewhere, perhaps building the Chavez refinery it has been resisting. It would be a shame if this island had to sacrifice its greatest resource - its natural beauty - in order to survive.
Due to the heat many residents spend their days outside in the shade, chatting to each other or selling their wares to passersby. Though few of the shops I visited were air conditioned, most had fans, and standing near them made the temperature quite manageable.
With husbands in meetings almost every day, my friend Vonce and I had to entertain ourselves (and Joseph). We spent a lot of time wandering about the streets and exploring the shops. Every morning we met for breakfast and took Joseph for a walk. A few blocks from our hotel was a small stand where a man made yummy smoothies from fresh fruit for EC$5 (about $2.80). She and I often bought one and took it on our walks. And shopping and walking were about all that we could do, for the city had only one small museum and no beaches nearby.
By the time lunchtime rolled around we were sweating and ready to return to the air-conditioned comfort of our rooms. It was unfortunate that the Garraway hotel lacked a pool; we really would have appreciated it. Joseph needed a nap after lunch so I spent the afternoons alone wandering the streets with my camera (and sometimes another smoothie). Heaven.
Roseau is small enough that most of it can be seen in a day or two, so by the end of the week our daily routine got really old. We were thrilled when Friday rolled around and the men didn't have meetings; it gave us all a chance to show them around the city and visit the Botanical Gardens with them. Dan and I took lots of photos there.
Dominicans are very family-oriented. For that reason very few sho ps (or restaurants!) in Roseau are open in the evening. Sundays are particularly difficult and you most likely will have to eat in your hotel restaurant. Dan and I did manage to find a local pizza parlor (green beans are good on pizza!) and ate at a Chinese restaurant twice. I actually enjoyed eating there even though I'm not a fan of Chinese food; the food there tasted nothing like the Chinese we are used to in the States. (Perhaps the owners were from a different part of China?) Whatever. Dan and I ate at KFC on Friday night and discovered they don't have combo meals; everything is a la carte.
Roseau comes alive whenever a cruise ship comes in. Our hotel windows overlooked where the ships dock so we had a chance to watch everyone set up in preparation for the tourists. Vonce and I didn't enjoy our walks as much on those days because we were constantly being mistaken for tourists. It seemed like every guide on the bayfront offered us a tour and that shopkeepers (who normally let us shop in peace) became competitive to get our dollars.
Still, the cruise industry is vital to Dominica's wellbeing. If it doesn't get income from tourism, Dominica may someday be forced to find its income elsewhere, perhaps building the Chavez refinery it has been resisting. It would be a shame if this island had to sacrifice its greatest resource - its natural beauty - in order to survive.
