Tabrechai Washington - Contributor - Caribbean Living Lifestyle Blog

An American Girl in the Caribbean – Catching the Bus!

nospam@example.com (Tabrechai Washington - Contributor) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 06:00:00 -0500

Catching the bus from Loubiere to Roseau is the total opposite than my daily commute from Brooklyn to Manhattan. The only labeled bus stops that are in Dominica are in town, not like what I am used to back in the States. Usually you can just ask someone where the bus stop is or you can use your judgement to realize that if you see a group of people standing around a collection of mini-vans, that’s your queue.

What I like about these buses is that they are frequent, unlike the ghost trains in NYC. Waiting underground is not fun in an empty station where you are only accompanied by the echo of your voice or the company of small critters such as mice. In Roseau there wasn’t any underground, it was busy and active and, as far as I could see, no mice.

It had been raining off an on for a few hours and, even though I had my umbrella, my pants were too long and I was wearing sandals so I was pretty soaked. I hopped on the bus to find my place on the already loaded bus of passengers who were also trying to escape the rain after a hard days work. I started to wonder why everyone was staring at me, then I remembered; I did not say ‘good afternoon’. I had been told to always say greetings when getting on and off the bus but it takes some getting used to. In NYC the subway commuters are notorious for plugging in iPods, reading books and becoming recluse. In an effort to not be considered rude, every time the driver stopped and a new passenger got in the van, I would belt out ‘good afternoon’ as to appeal to the masses and convince them that I was polite!
Continue reading "An American Girl in the Caribbean – Catching the Bus!"

Escape from America: An American Girl’s Adventures in the Caribbean Part 2

nospam@example.com (Tabrechai Washington - Contributor) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:25:41 -0500

From Melville Hall Airport in the North of the island of Dominica I had to catch a taxi into Roseau in the South. My taxi driver Frank was from Loubiere which is the village I am staying. On our long drive into Roseau he told me about some of the history of the island. To pay my driver I had to stop into town to use an ATM, because the Melville Hall airport did not have a cash machine. I did not know ahead of time, so here’s another small tip - get cash in exchange currency before you arrive.

After my bumpy but beautiful ride along the coast, the taxi driver helped me tote my oversize luggage out the car and left. My first destination was to pick up my keys. In Dominica, there are no numbered street grids but street signs, so if you are not from the island it can be a challenge at first to find your way around.

I arrived in the rental agency office sweaty and exhausted but with a big smile on my face. I was really tired, but had to go through the paperwork and other management details. As a new tenant and resident of Dominica I needed information about my apartment, banks and all that jazz. After being there for over an hour I was just about still listening and eagerly anticipating seeing my new place. I started daydreaming about what I would do when I opened the door. My plan was simple: throw down my luggage, blow up my air mattress and fall asleep, the rest would have to wait until tomorrow.
Continue reading "Escape from America: An American Girl’s Adventures in the Caribbean Part 2"

Escape from America - An American Girl’s Adventures in the Caribbean

nospam@example.com (Tabrechai Washington - Contributor) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 07:00:00 -0500

It is 6:32 am and I find myself rained in, not to complain, it is lovely to actually have a view of the Caribbean Sea despite the heavy rain. Of course moving to the greenest island in the eastern Caribbean, you would expect monsoons of rain right? At least that’s what I was informed, “We get lots of rain throughout the day, so it's best you carry an umbrella.”

Like most expats, I am a traveller on a budget, so flying during the hurricane season is a natural choice it you want to find cheaper flights. However, as much as I prepared for my trip and budgeted, my good intentions seemed to go out the window, as soon as I left my front door.

In my effort to get to the Caribbean as cheaply as possible, I over-packed my suitcase with every little thing I could find. I had other options of shipping my provisions like a barrel, but I figured I could use the extra 150 bucks for other fun stuff when I got to the island. However when I checked in my baggage at La Guardia, I realized I should have bought a barrel, because the overweight fee with US Airways was a whopping 80 bucks, plus the 40 checked baggage fee. Plus another overweight charge of $40 on my connection from St. Martin to Dominica!!! A bit of advice if you are planning on staying abroad for 6 months or more - compare the cost of shipping items before you go.
Continue reading "Escape from America - An American Girl’s Adventures in the Caribbean"