day twenty-eight

My alarm went off at 6 am – a terrible time anywhere, but especially terrible when it’s because of a 6 hour hike in the very near future. Today was the hike of hikes, the one that had been in the back of my mind since the trip had started – the hike to the Valley of Desolation and the Boiling Lake. A half an hour bus ride us a steep mountain led us to the beginning point of the hike, Titou Gorge. This was a filming location for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, when the crew is being chased by the cannibalistic island people. Thankfully, we weren’t here because of a chase, but just for the sake of hiking. We walked up a gently sloping hill for 45 minutes, before a 15 descent straight down to the Breakfast River. It’s so named because of it’s location: travellers coming from the eastern side of the island would stop here for breakfast on their journey to Roseau. After a brief break, we began a (seemingly) 90 degree ascent to the top of another mountain, named Nicholas something after the guy who first climbed it and named it. After going up a never-ending staircase for almost an hour, we reached the summit – a plateau with a view of the Atlantic. After another brief break, we descended into the Valley of Desolation. A 30 minute hike down included a wall of rock and streams going into the Valley, leading to a slippery but exciting challenge. The entire hike had thus far smelled of sulfur, but here it was overpowering. The natural sulfur springs from the island’s volcanic origin make the streams boil and bubble, giving off stream and an eerie look to the place. Some of the group put the natural sulfur mud on their faces as war paint, but discovered it was a facial, too. It was really neat to see water boiling just feet from where I was standing, but heading back to the trail away from the heat was a relief. We walked a thin trail, down a hill and then up another huge hill, to another Valley of Desolation-looking area. After being passed by another group of hikers, we pressed on. Only 15 minutes away from the Lake, I felt like I was going to collapse from the intense 3 hours I had just hiked, but I pushed through. We climbed another rock wall and walked through a field to a sunning view – steam. Because of the high water temperatures, the Lake is completely covered in steam, preventing anything from being seen until the occasional gust of wind comes by and clears it for a photo. We are lunch, took some pictures, and rested a bit before embarking on a 3 hour journey back to Titou Gorge. I have no idea how I did it. By the time we reached Breakfast River, it had been raining intensively, making the trail muddy and slippery. My glasses were so coated in rain droplets that they were rendered useless, so I began carrying them. I was out of water, and the river is completely pure drinking water, so I leaned over to fill up my bottle. My glasses, which had been transferred to my head, fell off right into the river. After a few expletitives and frantic searching, Papa Hastings came to the rescue! He found them while I had been just grabbing twigs resembling glasses. Thank You, Lord! Another hour on the trail and we were at the Gorge. We all jumped in, clothes and all, for a relaxing swim in the cold water. The Gorge is a small river that has cut through rock (somewhat like the Grand Canyon, but on a much smaller scale). We swam through the crystal clear water and took in the breathtaking view – after 7 hours on the trail, this was a wonderful and rewarding experience. This trip was not nearly as muddy as Morne Diablotin, but a fun and memorable experience nonetheless. Dinner at the hotel, with a surprise: it was Dr. Seraphin’s 62^nd birthday! He had neglected to tell anyone, but his wife had called the hotel and they made him carrot cake. Such a fun surprise to end the day. After finishing up the group paper for GEOG, watching some trashy TV, and Skyping home, sleep was the welcomed with open arms.