Trip up the Indian River

We headed back into town in the morning to see if our unblocked bank cards would release some money. Miraculously we got a little before the machine gave up again. We had to check out of Customs for our departure which was the opposite end of town towards the supermarket. I was challenging the ATM’s while Rowan went to Customs, I finally met him roaring back towards me, he had taken the wrong papers, so had to go back to the boat. On our walk back the inevitable had happened, a delivery truck had got one tyre in a culvert. These culverts are box shaped, no slope whatsoever. What a drama, we didn’t have time to see how they were going to get it out, but it was going to be a very tough job. We went over to the customs dock in JeldiJeldi to save us another hot slog through town. The customs office was a ramshackle building tucked away at the back of the port. Finally all the masses of paper work was completed for our departure.

Till and Julia from Turkish Delight picked us up after lunch for our river trip up the Indian river. We got on the river boat at the mouth of the river in town, Albert was our guide, who was very knowledgeable and seemed passionate about preserving the environment. No motors are allowed on the river so he rowed us up, it wasn’t long before it was pretty dense jungle, although a lot less dense since Hurricane Maria apparently. There was a shallow tributary that he took us up to show us the ‘Witches house’ that was built for the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. A few birds, green backed herons fishing and plenty of humming birds when there were ginger lilies about. The river was very clear and we could see the fish (he says they are trout which we found hard to believe) and plenty of crabs. Huge enormous Bloodwood trees with their flying buttress trunks and huge roots that help prevent the river banks from eroding. We finally got to a point where you could get no further, in fact it had a little bar and a couple of cottages, sadly the cottages burnt down last week. The bar has been abandoned, a year with no clients has shut it. In the dark moist jungle environment it doesn’t take long for it to look very overgrown and abandoned. Lovely ginger lilies and wax roses growing everywhere. We had a little look around. It was only half way back did I realise the Albert was missing a leg, we were all too polite to mention it, but it made sense then why he didn’t get out of the boat at the bar. The whole thing took a couple of hours and we were dropped back at PolePole.

Julia and Till

The Witches House from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie

Amazing roots holding up the walls of the banks

Albert our guide.

Getting off at the abandoned bar.

We headed off to Turkish Delight for sunset drinks. I think we got there a bit too early, the crew were still laying the table – with endless table decorations. But Wilmar the young black labrador gave us a very effusive reception. This boat is in a completely different league, it is so smart and enormous. Every bit of metal polished to gleaming perfection, unlike poor old PolePole! They have 3 crew, the captain a short rather cocky guy who spent way too much time talking to Rowan about how the boat sails! A female Ghanaian chef and another short American guy who does all the running around. It really does feel like a gin palace with sails, it is so smart. We had a really fun and interesting evening getting to know Till and Julia. They are both just turning 40, hope we were not too fuddie duddie for them! Turns out they met at school at Charterhouse. His family are Swiss and have a load of businesses there. He has started his own Hedge Fund in NY and Julia has set up her own business producing a carb rinsing energy drink for athletes. You don’t swallow, it is all a neurological trick to get an energy boost! Apparently what the foot ballers do for penalty shoot outs. Fascinating as she is the first person to be producing them commercially and making them with organic ingredients and flavourful. Really interesting although it has been quite hard marketing it during all the lockdowns. Till’s passion is classic car motor racing (we put in a . He has a plane that he flies to commute between NY and their rural retreat on Long Island, plus to take him to all his car races. Quite some life style, but both incredibly sweet and unaffected. It was a real treat to get some delicious chocolate puddings. A fun evening, but we didn’t want to stay too late or drink too much as we have an early departure tomorrow morning for our overnight sail to St Barts.

Turkish Delight.

Stunning last Dominican sunset, looking over towards the quarantine dock.