Posting up some blog notes that have accumulated over the last several weeks while busy traveling!
There's tons of it, it's ok if you don't read it all! :)
April Fool's Day was delayed by a month. :)
Trying to reserve a boat ticket, after finally deciding where and when to go. What a series of frustrations! Weak wifi at a couple of places (went out altogether at one). Multiple levels of obnoxious bank card verifications. Finally had to call the ferry company and talk with the rude service lady. Anyways, going to Martinique!!!!! :)
Took like an hour and three attempts for what should've taken five minutes and one attempt.
Whew! Made it into Martinique! Already dislike it! ;)
Not sure whether it was a reasonable or desirable decision to go, but anyways it seemed like my best choice at the time. No return boat available for the Desirade gambit within Guadeloupe, and I didn't want to spend two weeks there. Plus it's way overpriced, small, and stuff I've basically seen. Slight quarantine risk for Dominica, plus some other inconveniences like having to buy an onward ticket.
Decided to risk Martinique. Wasn't sure if my visa overstay would be an issue. After a long (four-hour) ferry ride, went through the police checkpoint. They looked at my passport and COVID fascism papers, then stamped my passport. Now I have a fresh new visa! :)
Not sure how long I'm supposed to be able to stay, I think 90 days? Don't think I'd want to stay that long anyways. Martinique seems to me like basically the same as Guadeloupe. I'm not that interested in seeing more. Maybe tour the island for a month or two then go to Dominica?
Somehow after an arduous travel adventure that you think may wind up with detention or deportation, doing some writing doesn't seem so hard! :)
You know you're a crazy writer when... You travel to another country in a long risky journey starting early in the morning, only to start your "real" job at 5 PM! :)
Tons of tough yet lucky days! Feels like I'm just making things work! Keep on at it! :)
It's tough to travel while working more regularly and staying indoors. While I carried the tent and worked on a flex schedule, I could just decide when and where to camp, more or less. Now it takes some more planning.
I think I'm going to want to tour the island (btw the north seems largely closed by the volcano). Not sure yet whether I should rent for a month in F-de-F before touring? Or just tour?
Maybe aim for e.g. 1-2 weeks in F-de-F, then tour? There are a bunch of rentals available around the island, maybe just as easy and affordable to go among those each week or few days, instead of hang out extensively in the capital which I think I've already mainly seen.
I'm aiming for the latter. I don't want to commit to a month in F-de-F to maybe save a few bucks, or maybe not even. Tough to find a decent place here, but maybe just push through for another couple of weeks then ride around the island?
I think maybe the monthly idea became my default expectation after my COVID delays, but that now it no longer makes sense to do so?
I think that makes sense, if I aim to spend a week or two in F-de-F instead of committing to a whole month, then tour the rest of the island! :)
For now focusing on tonight and this week. Too complicated to plan out the full month!
After a couple of days in Fort-de-France, Martinique, it seems bigger than I'd expected, but other than that quite similar to Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe. There seems to be a sizable Asian community in F-de-F. I've seen tons of Chinese restaurants and shops, and a few other restaurants like Vietnamese.
I think an e-bike would make good sense for touring. There are usually towns within 30 km of each other, a decent ride on a regular bike. If things come up though it could become tough to do that distance in a reasonable amount of time. An e-bike would I think make it more achievable. With its own downsides, of course.
I think I'm gonna aim to stay like two weeks in F-de-F, instead of five-ish. Then tour more of Martinique!
Tons more Asian places that I noticed today. Seems like half the town's East Asian. Even the main library has a huge Asian facade or architectural style. Also the supermarkets, restaurants, and many shops are Asian.
Fixed up a flat tire today, from yesterday's ride. I've been stuck due to COVID fascism for so long that I've pratically forgotten my bike maintenance skills that were already kind of sketchy! :)
I did manage to patch the tube effectively. However I accidentally made it more difficult than it should've been by doing things in somewhat the wrong sequence. Anyways, it works now! :)
Staying at least another week in F-de-F. Then maybe another week after that? Then maybe ride around Martinique?
Already starting to feel like I've seen about as much as I want of the main areas of town. Still a few more areas to explore, and maybe a few more times through the main areas. Not that appealing to me as I wrote before, since it reminds me of Point-a-Pitre. Still, a bunch of pleasant views, restaurants, etc.
Successful-ish days often have a ton of mishaps along the way. Keep at it! :)
Maybe some e-bikes for sale in F-de-F? Not sure that I'd buy one here. Would be somewhat useful for hills but I'm only covering short distances.
Not sure if I'm gonna stay more than another week in town.
Ooh, they have up to 120 km range e-bikes now?
F-de-F has numerous rivers and hills, which makes it scenic but somewhat difficult to get around.
Seems like no better apartment rentals available for the coming days/weeks than what I've found. I'd considered going to another in a farther part of town. Whatever, I guess just stay in this place a week or two then bust out to tour Martinique! :)
Went for a walk/ride around town. Turned into like a six-hour event. Ate some more Chinese food. Scenic city, but I often feel like people are looking to commit crimes! Anyways I think I've seen practically all of the main areas of town. Now aiming to leave town and tour the rest of Martinique Friday! :)
Tons of scary things while traveling, but I guess you just deal with them as you can. Sort of goes for life, too!
I've had tons of mediocre beer in the French West Indies. Not that appealing rum, too. Maybe I'm just not that into booze?
A lot of the beers have cheap and gross additives like glucose syrup. Some have high alcohol content, maybe to cover a mediocre brew?
The French wines are great, though! :)
I'm seeing many of these Caribbean islands as sort of theme parks. They're small enough and touristy enough that it's like a big open-air theme park. You walk around with your map and your camera out, snapping pictures. It's not totally accurate, there are regular people who live and work in these islands, too, more so than in a theme park (where to some extent that happens too).
There seem to be tons of military bases in Martinique, for some reason. I guess it's one of the more populous places in the French Caribbean.
I have my approximate route around Martinique mapped out. Fairly small island, basically one circuit around the perimeter nearly. There's a volcano in the north so the northern part of the ride dekes below that.
I've been in French and Spanish speaking place such a long time that now English looks strange to me! :)
Dominica has removed more of their travel restrictions!!!!! I'm now planning to go there after my quick-ish tour of Martinique! :)
Went to a delicious Vietnamese restaurant! Just down the street from me. They had signs up saying no dine-in, only take-out (along with a sign saying no this, no that, for a bunch of ingredients). I ordered a Saigon-style soup. The chef, an old Vietnamese-I-think man, took me through the kitchen and into a back seating area. Not only did he let me eat the delicious soup there, he also brought me some bananas he had grown himself right next to the restaurant, and some coffee and water. The ambiance was great, with tons of large paintings and photos of Vietnam on the walls, as well as plants including bonsai trees.
Now that more COVID fascism restrictions are gone in Dominica, I'm thinking of Martinique as a place to tour as fast as I can. I read up a bit last night and there doesn't seem to be much of interest for me on the island other than a bit of sightseeing and eating. So I'm planning to ride around the island doing a day or so per town. Extensions for work or if I come across anything surprisingly interesting.
Human. It's a fuckin' machine for delivering experiences. Work to make them desirable experiences! :)
Outright? Ourtight.
"Oh, I have this great spreadsheet..."! :)
I'm so used to staying in places where the electricity or water or whatever's busted that these amenities seem like insane luxuries! :)
And potable tap water? A man can dream...
I guess growing up in North America sets certain expectations...
There's an electric range at the place where I'm staying. When I put my hand near it, not even in contact, I get an electric shock. Hurts a bit. Don't think I'm gonna do much cooking here. :)
Booked my next Airbnb! Going for a place slightly farther than I'd planned before. Around 35 km away. Slight rain predicted. Some hills. I think it'll be a somewhat tough ride, but should be feasible. And if I wuss out, there's a boat that goes directly from here to there. :)
Maybe stay for a day, or through the weekend. Then keep on touring around Martinique!!!!! :)
Writer: "What are letters?" :)
Ow, just got an electric shock while unplugging my phone from my laptop, which was connected to an outlet here. I think they may have the wiring in the building messed up? Without proper grounding?
Aiming for around one day per town, around 30 km per day, around Martinique. No serious desire to stay long.
Learned another word/phrase in Kreyol: "ti tak"... sort of like "ti kras", a smidge. Not sure if that's a Martinique difference?
The human brain is kind of fucked in the head. :)
Alumini (n.): People who've graduated from a metal band. :)
A quick evolution of machines from blind to seeing!
Now that I'm on the road again, bike touring internationally, the feelings are coming back to me. The time pressures, the rewarding experiences nearly anywhere, the frustrations, the triumphs.
BTW French people seem to smoke a lot, at least French people on vacation.
Tons of beaches in this area of Martinique. I'm guessing the beaches peter out farther from Fort-de-France?
Delicious foods, including fresh local mangoes (not as tasty to me as on other Caribbean islands), colombos (curries), etc.
Trying to keep pace with the biking, Airbnbs and camping, contract work, and of course beach time! :)
The geography of Martinique is incredible! Tons of attractive beaches. Mountains that are nice to look at, but tough to ride. Hills that are gorgeous and fun to ride!
I'm increasingly feeling like buying an e-bike, which I've already wanted and even tried to do. Seems like it won't be practical until I'm back on the mainland.
Too many things to do, not enough time! Focus on the critical!
Previously I'd mainly camped while bike touring. Now I'm mixing up camping and Airbnbs and hotels. Staying indoors after a couple of days of camping feels great! Aiming to rent throughout most or all of the remainder of Martinique.
I think there's a natural tendency to think of things going smoothly, whereas things often instead go in spurts. I guess just adjust attitudes!
During the COVID craziness while staying put for a while, I worried somewhat that it would then become difficult to combine my work and bike touring again. So far now that I'm back to touring, it's seeming relatively feasible (if difficult!) to manage.
Heheh, getting Airbnb instructions with reference to confusing place names, and with GPS coordinates to convert through three different coordinate systems. Kind of fun to figure out! :)
I'm aiming to SCUBA dive while in Martinique! I happened on a SCUBA shop recently and found out that you don't need to do tons of classes beforehand, as I'd thought you did. Instead if I understood right you can go on a group training outing. It seems like it's not that huge of a time commitment or expense. Not entirely sure yet that I'll go, but considering it.
Heheh, I'm in a weirdly built Airbnb. When I lifted a large bottle of water to drink the last part of it, the bottle bumped into the ceiling. I had to duck to drink the water.
Tons of slip-ups along the way. Often enough they seem to turn out to one's benefit. Also there's a fair bit of leeway. I think it often makes sense to do things right when you can, even if it entails some mistakes. Nonetheless to do things as well as you can!
Rode to a new place! Gorgeous ride again through hills. Flat tire; pumped it with air that lasted just long enough to get to the Airbnb. Out in the countryside!
Ate a delicious shish taouk pita along the way. In the French West Indies (and also France?) they make it somewhat different than I knew. Fries go inside, and the available sauces are somewhat different.
Go for a ride. That's my answer to everything. :)
Lovism. That's my new philosophy name.
Often seems like the best decisions come down to simply going ahead!
Just a small island. Done the busy areas I think. Now a bunch of farmland, a volcano, some wide open spaces? Looks like not many Airbnbs, maybe camp out a bunch.
Internal combustion engines make terrible sounds and pollution. It's understandable for a few applications where necessary, which are dwindling with electric vehicles now available. Most uses are just annoying.
Coffee tastes delicious enough to drink even if it kills you! :)
Finally made it to Dominica!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WAY later than I'd expected. And after Martinique, when I'd expected to go to Dominica before.
BTW a new unit of measure for distance: the bottle of sunblock. e.g. Martinique is a one bottle of sunblock island. :)
Slept out in the rain last night to make it to the ferry on time. Did make it on time. Did make it through immigration and customs. Had to throw out my rotting mangoes, guava, and breadfruit, though! :)
Also seasick on the ferry ride. Can't wait to hit the continent again!
So far I'm quite liking Roseau, Dominique. More than Martinique maybe? Hard to say. And hard to top the French goat cheese. More positive in Dominica? It's my first day so I still have that new country high. Also limited impressions, and the huge relief of having made it.
Ran into a girl I met on Marie-Galante, Guadeloupe! Funny to see people from other countries while traveling!
There's some culture in common, they use some Kreyol here and I've heard some of the same music here. Dominica seems to cost noticeably less, but maybe not by as much as I'd expected beforehand. Dominica seems more laid back than Martinique?
It's an English-speaking country, Dominica, but they have a strong accent. Also my mind's still in French mode, I default to talking to people in French. I'm having trouble understanding the local English, but I'm sure it'll come with time. :)
A bunch of English influences remain. People drive on the left side of the street. I've met a bunch of English tourists already, starting from disembarking the ferry.
Found a dope Airbnb. Overlooking the ocean from quite a height, stunning surround views. Not sure if I'll be able to stay here long, though. I only booked one day beforehand in case of any issues with getting into Dominica. We'll see if my request to extend goes through...
Delicious Caribbean food in Roseau. Somewhat comparable to other Caribbean islands but with its own touches.
The island looks like quite difficult to get around. Mountainous and sparse. I'm trying to find an e-bike but haven't seen one yet. Even considering a gas-burning monstrosity, which I generally think should be illegal! :)
I had an idea for a funny segment in a "dude comedy". One guy is explaining to his buddy why he's gonna have problems with the girl he's interested, whose house he was looking after. The friend says, like, "C'mon, it can't be that bad. What happened?" The guy answers: "The dog's tongue fell out!"
I'm now planning just a quickish tour of Dominica, mainly by bus. See the the Karaib indians (after whom the Caribbean is named). See a few natural attractions, like hot springs. Then carry on!
Went for a nice ride today. Decided to try a different route into town, but it actually went out of town. I was already in the right general diretion and I felt like riding, so I went all the way to the end of the island. Scott's Head, an attractive volcanic outcropping. Also went to some sulphur springs. Ate at a restaurant. I'd thought I'd want to take a bus to that destination, but the bike ride worked out way better! Now I'm thinking of riding even more of the island.
At least one place, the Karib reserve, I think may be a bit tough to ride to? I found the bus stop for that in town today. Like a lot of other Caribbean islands, Dominica has gorgeous scenery. And of course delicious Caribbean food! It's more affordable here than in the French West Indies.
Just as I was getting ready to book an Airbnb in the next place, on the basis of a somewhat speculative plan, I decided on a whim to talk with the hostess at my present Airbnb. She told me the buses aren't running Sunday, which basically negates my plan! So instead I'm now planning to do a longer bike ride around the island! :)
Oppor2ni3s.
Goodbye.
The shortest story, with a happy ending! :)
Made it to the Kalinago/Karib territory! This is the last surviving population of Indians in the Caribbean. The Caribbean was named after them.
Hilly place, beautiful with tons of lush tropical vegetation. Raining practically non-stop. Made it into an Airbnb somewhat by chance, instead of sleeping outside. Huge relief!
Not long ago, this Kalinago territory didn't even have electricity or running water. Now there's fast mobile data! :)
Did you say "short circuits" or "short skirts"? :)
Kalinago territory is like an island within an island. Dominica is already a somewhat small, isolated place. The Kalinago territory is cordoned off by mountains and thus somewhat inaccessible.
The word "cannibal" derives from the Karib/Kalinago, but I don't think they ate many if any humans.
Seems from what I've heard so far that there isn't much Kalinago food. Some cassava/manioc, which I think they use as a flour. Available in the next town. Not that exciting to me, but I'll give it a shot.
If an American Indian eats a cheeseburger, are they appropriating my culture? :)
Apparently animals like coconuts, at least in the Caribbean. I've seen goats, chickens, and now a dog eating coconut.
There's a lot I like about Amerindian culture. The appreciation of nature especially. On the other hand I'm in a sense the opposite of them. I don't have strong connections to any land, whereas they're closely connected to their land.
Recently a friend called me at night while I'd been resting. She asked where I was. Half-asleep, I couldn't even think of which country I was in! I love travel! :)
Now thinking of doing something next like Saint Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago, Duth Caribbean (Aruba, Curacao, Sint Euseubius). We'll see how things work out. Looks tricky to get flights among them.