My husband is finally on vacation after around seven months of working. His last vacation was in the Philippines and this time we'll spend it just here in Martinique, no airplane rides. He's been here for more than three years so he knows the island and he's been showing me around since I arrived in May. We live in the south and he's been telling me about showing me the northest point of the island which we have decided to do in this vacation. He's a very good guide and the best in planning vacation activities. He invited two of his colleagues to join us in the longest trekking of the island, at the north.
Since we're from the south he offered me a three day vacation in Grand'Rivière, the northest and last city of the island facing the Atlantic ocean. The first day we'll enjoy to ourselves, the second day we'll spend trekking with his colleagues and the third day will be to relax a bit before driving back home.
Indeed, we left home at ten in the morning and started hitting the road. We made a few stops along the way; first was in a grocery store at the city called Le Lorrain to buy us some bottles of water. Then at Basse Pointe (where Aimé Césaire was born) for lunch, we found a good native restaurant called Petit Palais, the price and food were correct and the waitress was very kind. The last stop was at JM rhum distillery in Macouba, the last small city before Grand'Rivière. It's a small distillery which is being renovated at the moment. We bought a bottle of an old rhum and a few rhum glasses.
At last we arrived in Grand'Rivière at a little past four in the afternoon. The city is very small, it's just like a small barangay back home (in the Philippines). There's only one hotel/guest house in the city, my husband booked a room a week ago-which was pretty challenging because he had to call back around five times before it was actually done-. The name of the guest house is Chez Tante Arlette which is also a very good native restaurant. When we arrived we found a parking lot facing the Atlantic ocean where we could also see Dominica, the next island, it was very nice then we walked a little towards the newly built dock to enjoy the view even more. After enjoying the view, the sun and the Atlantic wind we went looking for Chez Tante Arlette which never took long at all, it was just a few blocks away from where we parked. When we arrived at the guest house it was kind'a strange, they were all looking at us like we're some kind of zombies..lol...but a few minutes later Tante Arlette welcomed us so warmly and we felt better. We then moved the car and parked it in front of the guest house. There are only three rooms in this guest house, at the second floor and the first floor is their very good restaurant and it's where they live too I suppose.
We settled in our room and went out after a quick shower for a sunset walk. Then at the same time I suddenly felt sick, I couldn't stop peeing and it's painful...a Urinary Track Infection for sure and it scared me. Well, we still went for a walk...the sunset was very beautiful and we went to the church too. They have a very beautiful church, small but beautiful and there's a huge christmas tree across it. Unfortunately we didn't enjoy the afternoon so much since I was feeling so sick. I started drinking a lot of water because I know it can help, then my husband called one of his colleagues whose coming the next day to try to drop by at a pharmacy to see if he can get me something.
At seven-thirty we went downstairs for dinner and I asked my husband to inquire if they have coconut water because I know it's good against the UTI too. Unfortunately they don't have it available at the moment but Karine, the daughter of Tante Arlette called someone to ask for coconut water for breakfast. We were so happy and amazed with their kindness because we don't see that a lot in this island. They also gave me a glass of half beer and half water, apparently it could help too. For dinner we had grilled fish, the best grilled fish in the world!!hahaha... It was marinated and prepared by Tante Arletter herself, she's most likely over seventy years old but she still does what she does best, cooking and welcoming guests. During the meal I forgot for a moment that I was sick, it's that Delicious!!!
After dinner there's nothing else to do there so we went back to our room and I was feeling worst. It was like a nightmare, at some point I peed more than a dozen times in an hour. It's not making us sleep and we had a very long hiking to do the next day. It was scary and frustrating at the same time. There's no doctor or pharmacy in this part of the island so it was very challenging. At around midnight I wanted to sleep on the floor because I didn't want to bother my husband since I kept going to the toilet every three or five minutes but the moment he noticed it he didn't allow me. Thankfully the urge to pee and the pain somehow decreased allowing us to sleep a few hours and in the morning I felt a lot better and I was sure I could go hiking with them. During the breakfast I had my coconut water and it indeed helped so much!
We met the colleagues of my husband at the tourism office of the island where we had to pay for the boat which will pick us up after the 18 km hiking. There was another guest from Tante Arlette's who had to join us because no one is allowed to be alone in the forest. We started walking at eight-twenty, the first hour and a half was pretty challenging because we had to climb a little but it was fine, we stopped a few times to take some pictures. We walked and walked until we were totally inside the huge virgin forest, where you could almost not see the sun. It was so beautiful, I love the smell of the ground with dried fallen leaves, the fresh cool air, the sound of the birds and the wind and in a way I was forgetting that I was even ill. After hours of walking inside the forest all the time we started seeing the ocean every now and then, the view was amazing! At eleven-thirty we stopped for lunch after a short tunnel. Fabrice made and brought a cocktail for everyone. It felt so good to fill our empty stomachs after three hours of walking. As we continued the view got even more and more beautiful but the last hour was a challenge again, our feet felt so heavy and it was so much more for Fabrice because he was carrying two back packs, he didn't want me to carry my back pack... great husband I have, I know :)
We arrived at the beach in Anse Couleuvre where we could see the bottom of the mountain touching the sea directly, it's very beautiful! We walked five hours and thirty-seven then we spent about an hour and a half at the beach waiting for the boat. I didn't go for a swim, the sea is too wild and besides I thought it was not good for my UTI. The boat arrived at four forty-five and I found the boarding funny and scarry at the same time. Since the Atlantic waves are so strong we had to be very quick in boarding the boat and since I don't swim it scared me so much. I ran like crazy, got on the boat and sat very quickly then I saw the others doing the same thing like we were running away from a mad man...LOL... While on board the boat the challenge continued for me because the waves were so wild and big. I still got scared even if I was among some sailors because sometimes I felt like we were flying. Nonetheless, I still did my best to look at the view and oh my God! It was so beautiful seeing the forest that we walked, we saw the very beautiful landscapes, the very high cliffs falling directly to the Atlantic ocean.....breathtaking!
The boat ride wasn't so long, thankfully. When we got to the guest house we had some drinks, they had beer and I had my coconut water again. Fabrice's colleagues then left as they gotta work the next day, Xavier (the other guest from Tante Arlette's) stayed for the night like us. We took long showers and relaxed a little before dinner. At dinner it was a feast! I had a plate of La Grillade du Pecheur which is composed of a half crayfish, lots of shrimps and grilled conch with rice and local vegetables on the side...hmmmm.....It filled my very hungry stomach. Fabrice had a plateful of giant ouasous (local fresh water shrimps) with rice and local vegetables on the side too! Everything was delicious and we enjoyed our dinner with our new friend, Xavier.
The next day at around mid-day we left for our long drive home and unfortunately on the way I was so road-sick. I hate long drives :( Because I was so sick my dearest husband surprised me by sending me to a very good restaurant again for lunch in Depaz rhum distillery called Le Moulin à Cannes. We had another very delicious meal!!! Then the next and last stop was the Neisson rhum distillery. It's a small distillery and they're so good with white rhums.
It then felt soooo good to be home, in our own little paradise in Les Papayers.
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The trekking map (image from http://internes-au-soleil.over-blog.com/5-index.html)         |
