I arrived on Monday on the island of Dominica. As the plane neared the small country I felt I was landing on Jurassic Park. The island is completely green, lush with vegetation, and mountains popping up everywhere. As the plane neared the airport, we passed through mountains on both sides and then a small flat clearing appeared with a runway and small 3-room airport.
After disembarking the plane, passing through customs, and gathering my bags, I was outside the airport where a taxi driver asked “Ross?” Ross University is the medical school my friend is attending on the island of Dominica and the reason for my trip. As a non-local, there are very few places on the island that I would be going, so the van driver’s assumption was correct. I answer “Yes” to the van driver and I am on my way to city of Portsmouth, home to Ross University.
The drive from Melville Hall airport to Portsmouth is beautiful. As we drive on winding mountain roads, we drive passed banana trees, coconut trees, beautiful plants and flowers that I can’t name, and gorgeous views of cliffs and the Caribbean sea. About an hour and half later we arrive at Ross University’s main gate where my friend has told me to meet her. My friend Marcella is waiting for me on a bench by the main gate with a bag of groceries she just bought from the store.
Ross University is almost a city unto itself. The university has about 1,600 of students on the island and a modern campus complete with a fitness center, tennis courts, a couple restaurants, and a day school for the children of students and faculty. The town of Picard, which surrounds the university, has grown over the last 30 years to cater to the students. The university provides jobs for many Dominicans and has created a market for housing, restaurants & bars, a hotel, and other services for the students.
Marcella has lived on the island for the past year now and has 4 months left before returning to the US for the remainder of the program. There is an interesting life here for students. They are here for 16 months and go home between semesters for about 2 weeks at a time. They make a like here for themselves, many relocating here with spouses, children, and pets, and some even find local jobs. It was nice to find out from one spouse that Ross University looks to hire residents of the island first for jobs. This particular spouse was moved through the interview process for an IT job with the school but not selected because they have an agreement to hire locals first. The school keeps most students busy for a majority of the time but many also get to know local residents and explore the island.
Since I arrived, I have already seen a lot. I have had the chance to kayak to Secret Beach, snorkel at a local reef, walk through the town of Portsmouth, and hike to Chaudiere pool and jump off a cliff over the waterfall that feeds it. The island has a lot to offer in terms of adventure and eco-tourism and I am hoping to take advantage of as much as possible before I leave. That’s it for now, more to come…