Fighting nature (and losing)

As Kirstin and I are walking toward our lunch, a barefoot guy with a machete appears. He walks right past us (cold sweat) and jumps on a bus. A hold-up? No.......actually most manual laborers carry machetes. It's a basic tool for living/working in a jungle environment. It's just a little disconcerting..........where I come from, a machete is the weapon of choice for the "too deranged to get a gun" crowd. Transport this scene 2000 miles..........guy gets on a DC bus with a machete and 4 off-duty cops will fill this guy full of holes before you can say "drop it".



Even with the proliferation of machetes, Dominica's population is slowly losing it's battle with nature. Everywhere you look, the jungle is encroaching on roads, buildings, houses. The sea takes it's toll as well. No fewer than 4 large freighters and fishing boats lie aground and rusting on the beach in Portsmouth Bay. "Think we need a second anchor Captain ?"............"No, that's a pain..........what are the chances of a storm tonight ?"

Even the critters are aggressive. As we're walking on our "hike from hell", a rather assertive goat blocks our path. I'm not afraid of farm animals, but this goat had big horns and kind of snarled as I approached. Hmm. We ended up going "off-path" for a while to get around him. Even this small red crab came after us with claws flapping. Until I kicked him into next week.

Anyway, I recommend visiting Dominica (and fast) before it entirely disappears under the foliage.