That day, Viola and I wanted to visit a bunch of different waterfalls in the jungles of Dominica, and we started our little adventure hitchhiking and taking buses. First stop: Salton Falls. On our way there, we were already getting excited about the adventures of the day. The hike to Salton Falls is beautiful, right through the jungle. The beginning is guarded by the locals who own the rights of way and ask you to pay up before using their way.
The path is sort of well-maintained and easy to follow though. The hike is not too difficult, but it can be slippery in some places. However, the waterfall itself is 100% worth it. Hidden in a small corner in the jungle it's a true gem.
The water is quite cold because the area is a bit shaded but that adds to the beauty of the place. After some time bathing we noticed another person walking up through the river. At first, we were afraid that he was there to steal our stuff but then we started talking to him and found out he was a tourist, just like us. Jacob was his name. The two of us bonded immediately because he was wearing an Oura Ring and a CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) device but looked super fit and healthy. These are a dead giveaway that somebody is concerned with their health and taking steps to improve it and caring about themselves. People like this are also usually very knowledgeable and Jacob and I clicked.
Funnily enough, he was on the same waterfall tour as us, so the rest of the hitchhiking kinda solved itself. Sometimes the universe is funny like that. We just went with him, in his beautiful rented car to the next waterfall, the Jacky Falls. This one also cost entrance but at the beginning, there was a lady preparing maracuja juice and fresh fruit and giving it away for free on a donation basis. You could pay her as much or as little as you wanted and she prepared a lot and we were wondering because the place was quite empty. But then the tourists arrived, a whole truckload worth of wealthy Americans, right there, dropped off and guided safely down the stairs to this waterfall so that they could take some pictures in front of the waterfall for their Instagram.
Jacob, Viola, and I looked at one another, knowing that we all didn't like this. But we went down to the waterfall with the crowd anyway. But waited there, enjoyed the water, went for a swim, and even took a "shower" under the waterfall (we were the only ones to do so?!). The pressure and force of the water gave you a solid back massage because it was simply too much and falling from a considerable height. It was really scary to feel this on your skin because you had to maintain body posture and force yourself to remain upright. After all, the water tried to crumple you like a continuous hammer pounding down on an anvil. It was so fun though.
Eventually, the tourists disappeared and for a brief moment, we had the place to ourselves before the next group arrived. And what a change in pace! This place, without tourists (well except our motley little crew of three) felt so different. Suddenly nature seemed a bit closer and everything was quieter and the sounds of the birds and water came back and I loved that.
When the next group of tourists came, we left again, going to the next location - Spanny Falls. Again, we had to pay, and this time, the walk there was a bit longer but along a more beautiful path as well. We knew that there was at least one waterfall and even a little cave nearby. It was spectacular. A thin stream of water fell off a giant cliff and poured down into a perfect turquoise pool, deep enough to swim in. But then I looked on the map and saw that the Organic Maps app had marked another waterfall nearby and a path to get there as well. So I went looking, and lo and behold, I found a little trailhead, hidden more in the forest with ropes going up and around the mountain.
I was excited and happy and ran up the path to scout if we could get to the other waterfalls and then screamed back to the others! There was a way and the other waterfall looked even more spectacular than the first and this place was my favourite so far for the day. Completely sheltered from tourists, more natural, more pristine, more calm. Jacob promptly sat down and started meditating in this place to take in the energy and I could understand him. Viola and I went for a swim instead and then read a little bit while sitting on the rocks. This place was like a little cove, hidden from the world, paradise, like the rest of Dominica.
But eventually, we had to go. Viola needed to get back to her work in Roseau for the evening. So we went back to the intersection. After some back and forth Jacob and I decided to go and visit Emerald Pools alone because Viola had already seen it with some friends the other day and so we dropped her off, at a place where lots of local buses and cars for hitchhiking left towards Roseau.
And then we went to the last waterfall of the day, the Emerald Pools. It is a bit further up the road, away from Roseau but the way there was so worth it. We came in after closing hours I think so nobody checked us or if we paid tickets or anything, we just walked past an empty ticket booth and down into the jungle for a couple of minutes, descending into the little sheltered area of the emerald pools. Once we arrived our jaws dropped to the floor, the emerald color was surreal, just like in the photos, and the water looked so inviting, so clean and soft. And there was a quietness to the place, only the soothing whispering of the water falling. We spent a solid hour there until it started to get a bit darker, knowing that eventually, we had to return to Roseau.
On our way back we saw the sunset from the car, and it was the perfect sunset to end the day but I was in a bit of a hurry because the last buses from Roseau to the South in Soufriere leave relatively early and I knew that I might not be able to make it, if we don't hurry. Luckily for me, I didn't have to hitchhike because Jacob brought me back to the bus station even though for him it was a huge detour. But we talked a lot in the car and the time passed by so quickly. Sometimes it's weird, you meet people and you click with them, like this * snaps fingers in real life * and you can't stop talking for hours and afterward feel like you knew them for a long time already. I love moments like these, the serendipitous encounters, the new friends of the road and I am glad that I got to meet Jacob too.