Create your own little paradise

“Welcome you all, my name is Joan and this is my blessing: my little paradise”, so this wonderful old lady, named Joan, started to welcome us guests at her Christmas dinner. She is the owner of the guest house ‘Le petit paradis‘ in Wotten Waven on Dominica, where we spent the days around Christmas last year. “My husband Al, a former school principal now retired, and I started it with just one room. Now also my daughters are working with us”, continued Joan. As she spoke, you could really see the light in her eyes and the passion she invested in creating her little paradise.
I think this is what life is about: creating our own little paradise. Pondering about what we would like to be and to do with our time and moving in this direction. As Arthur C. Brooks, the Harvard Happiness Professor, says: “In order to build a happy life you need three things: enjoyment, satisfaction and meaning”. Nothing more and I think Joan definitely has them.

So full of colors: Le petit Paradis in Wotten Waven

Rely on each other

We are on Dominica since Sunday. This green island offers a lot of possibilities to hike. Yesterday we hiked all the way from Wotton Waven to the falls of Titou Gorge and this was a long hike. Therefore today we wanted to take it smoothly and decided to walk from Wotton Waven to the Trafalgar Falls which is about a one hour hike.

But there is a but: when we came to the falls one tourist guide approached us asking if we wanted to go to the warm pools with him. At first we weren’t sure but then we accepted. And soon he started to climb among the rocks in the falls. It was for me a big challenge to get to these warm pools. It was difficult to take big steps in order not to fall in the water and some of the rocks were so wet that I almost slipped. The view when we got there was amazing but I was already afraid about the way back that I could not even enjoy it.

Then another guide came to us and brought us back. He helped me all the way back, offering me his hands as a support and I was so grateful about it. He held me between the rocks and gave me advices about where to make the next step. I didn’t even know his name but I trusted him immediately. I came with his guide to the base: I was sweat but also proud of me.

This experience showed me how we can always rely on each other in life, even if we don’t know the other person. I also trust more my hands and feet that calmed down my mind showing me that I can even do difficult things.

Dominica

Dominica è un’isola dei Caraibi che spesso viene scambiata per la Repubblica Dominicana. È però un’ex colonia inglese, indipendente dal 1978, appartenente al Commonwealth e in cui si guida a sinistra.
È un’isola verde, dove solitamente piove molto, che è vittima a volte di uragani come Maria capaci di distruggere edifici, strade e alberi. A noi però ha regalato due settimane e mezzo di bel sole.
Ha tante cascate e bacini nei quali è possibile fare il bagno a volte con acqua calda, altre freddissima. Ha un’origine vulcanica e per questo ha spiagge come Bubble Beach con un bacino di acqua calda direttamente nel mare.
È baciata sia dal Mar dei Caraibi che dall’Oceano Atlantico e fra i due si può notare la differenza. Il Mar dei Caraibi ha una temperatura più calda e l’Atlantico è più chiaro e leggermente più freddo.
A Dominica hai la possibilità di vedere molti arcobaleni, a volte anche dentro una cascata.
A Dominica quando incontri qualcuno lo saluti sia a voce che con il clacson se sei in auto e ció è assolutamente normale anche se le persone non le conosci.
A Dominica si fa ancora l’autostop e, se non sei del luogo, vieni aiutato a trovare un passaggio.
A Dominica fare hiking è sempre un’avventura e quando meno te lo aspetti ti ritrovi a scalare una roccia con la corda.
Insomma Dominica merita, merita tanto: ecco alcune foto a conferma di questa tesi.