Mom's Visit Part 2: Adventure Day!

Saturday was our “Adventure Day,” and though we did plan most of the activities, there were a few things that sprung up along the way that made the day even more interesting and adventurous.

Let me start by saying that not only did I love having my mom here, I loved that Kyle was done with classes and had nothing to worry about for school! Normally I get to explore the island with friends and other spouses, but it meant so much to spend so much time with two of my favorite people!

Our first destination was Trafalgar Falls, but the drive there was quite the adventure. It takes about an hour and a half to get to the falls, and the roads there aren’t the greatest - at some points they aren’t even paved! We were driving Ryan and Ashley’s car, and the entire trip I was covering that car with prayers that it we would make if safely, and the car would still be in one piece. My mom sat quietly in the back seat, and though she seemed cool and collected, I know she was freaking out a little bit too with every pothole (there had to be millions) and every car that zoomed past. But I can’t thank Kyle enough for driving that day!!! We all joked that he definitely needed a stiff drink when we got home for how hard he was gripping the steering wheel! And thankfully, two other families were driving cars along with us, so if anything were to happen, we could get a little help from our friends.

So my fervent prayers were answered and we made it safely to Trafalgar! Trafalgar Falls is made up if 2 waterfalls - “Mama” which is cold and “Papa” which is hot. The hike there is pretty easy, and just takes 10 - 15 minutes. Last time I was at Trafalgar, we stopped at the viewing deck where you can see both falls, but they’re still pretty far away. Well, with this being “adventure day” no way we were stopping there.


View of Mama Falls from the deck


Kyle and I on the deck with Mama Falls behind us


Me and Momma in front of Mama!

After the deck, there is a path that leads you all the way to the bottom of Mama Falls. To get there, we trekked through several natural sulphur springs - as warm as hot tubs! I think we could have stayed there and relaxed all day! Water from these springs came from the warm Papa Falls.


Me and Mom in one of the sulphur "hot tubs"


The gang at Trafalgar:)

We followed the water, and it leads toward the bottom of Mama Falls. We went from hot water into frigid cold water in just seconds! The view from the bottom of that waterfall was beautiful, and we could see all the way to the top of Mama Falls.


Kyle and I at the bottom of Mama Falls. The water we're standing in was freezing!


Mom and Me :)

We explored and found the point where the two falls come together. I had one foot in hot water and one foot in cold - it was so cool! And then Kyle found a ledge to jump off of - and though it looks tiny, it was higher than it looks! We made sure we followed Greg’s advice to be adventurous!


Mom and her crocs where the warm and cold water came together!


Mom waving hi from Dominica!


Kyle jumping off his "little cliff" into the bottom of Mama Falls

After our little exploration through Trafalgar we found some picnic tables and ate the lunches we packed. I made some of Ashley and I’s bread so my mom could try some! After eating, taking a little rest, and saying a little prayer for the car, we continued on to our next adventure…

From Trafalgar, we drove on to TiTou Gorge, which was only about 15 minutes away, though the roads didn't get any better! TiTou Gorge is one of my favorite places to see on the island. They also filmed a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean 2 there! (I've never seen it, but Kyle tells me it's when they are being keep in these huge round cages by ingenious people, and then they cut them down and they fall into water. Well, they fall into TiTou Gorge!)

The only way to get into the gorge is by swimming, which doesn't sound bad until you found out the water is FREEZING! When you get in the water, your body tingles all over and then eventually just goes numb! I was a little nervous because the first time I went, Ashley and I were a little hesitant to swim through, but being the trooper she is, my mom got right in the water! And after a few yelps of "Are we crazy?! This water is freezing!" we started doggy-paddling and we were off through the gorge!

Kyle led the way through, and I can't tell you how gorgeous it is inside! (We did find a spot above the gorge where we snapped a few pictures, but it doesn't look nearly as beautiful as it does in person!) Only a small amount of sunlight comes through the top. We swam a few minutes, and then reached a spot halfway through the gorge where we could touch the bottom. The next stretch of swimming leads to the end, where a waterfall falls right inside of it! It's a little tricky to swim through because of the current of the waterfall. We made it to the back, where there is a rock you can climb on and jump off of! Kyle and I jumped off, and my mom gracefully slid off the rock:) and we swam back through the gorge.


A view from the top - the waterfall in the back of the gorge


Though it's a little dark, this is Kyle and I inside the gorge. (He had to hold onto me, because when I went to grab onto the wall, a giant spider popped out!)

Kyle couldn't help but try to scale the walls inside. He quickly found out they're really slick and there's nothing to grab onto. He also quickly noticed something was missing - his wedding ring!!Luckily, the water is so clear and we happened to be in a shallow part, so right as we looked down I spotted the ring. WHEW! Major catastrophe avoided...

At the beginning of the gorge, there is a small warm waterfall that was perfect for heating back up! Once we got out, the three of us went exploring and found the spot where we took pictures from the top of the gorge. To really see how awesome it is, you'll have to see it in person - we'll take visitors anytime!!


Mom under the small warm waterfall


The bridge that leads above the gorge


Inside the gorge

To get to and from the gorge, it's a short walk, but part of it you have to go across a questionable looking bridge.


Kyle and Mom on the bridge

We all made it back safely, but there was a surprise waiting for us...



The car had a flat tire!! After inspecting it, the guys found out it was from a nail, and the bad roads probably pushed out the air faster. So we're in the middle of nowhere, but thankfully we have friends with us! My mom and I decided to stay with the car while Kyle went with the others into Roseau, about a half hour away. We actually had fun standing by the car (we were nervous to get in in case it tipped over!) because it just gave us even more time to do a little mother-daughter bonding:). The only bad thing was we got attacked by mosquitos.

After about 2 hours, they made it back with the repaired tire, fixed by a boy who was about 10 years old - and it only cost 20 ec! The guys got the tire back on, and we were off. We were supposed to make one more stop at Screw's Sulphur Spring, but it was already starting to get dark, so we all decided to head home. It definitely was one adventurous and fun day in Dominica!