Dominica! Canyoning

The vacation log continues:

Did I mention I'm afraid of heights? Not paralytically afraid, but nervous nonetheless. So when Cocoa Cottages/Extreme Dominica asked us if we wanted to go canyoning, I was skeptical. Sure, rappelling down jungle waterfalls and journeying down a canyon river sounded exhilarating...for someone else. Dangling by ropes 60 feet in the air wasn't really my thing.

We all suited up, and I made sure everyone knew there was a very good chance I was going to chicken out and wait for them near the van - I was OK with reading a book and enjoying the jungle breezes by myself for a while.

Richard took us to a five foot high garden wall to teach us all how to rappel...being taller than the wall, I had no problem with it...still unsure if I'd really do it in the canyon. We drove to the access trail for the canyon and made our way to the first waterfall...thunderstorms were rumbling in the distance and Richard and Geoffrey, our guides, gave each other nervous glances...they didn't want us to get caught up in a flash flood, stranded on the canyon walls...they rigged up the ropes and hurried us along. When it came to be my turn, I let them clip me on, gingerly stepped to the edge, took a half a dozen deep breaths, took half a dozen more deep breaths, decided to focus on the beauty of the location and started to lower myself down...

I did it! Here's the photo to prove it (see the little people down below?)! It was the most exciting thing I've done on land! I want to go again! The canyon was beautiful, the water refreshing and it was and all around perfect day. In all we rappelled down 7 waterfalls and had a picnic lunch on the rocks next to the river. Dominica is truly spectacular.