The
CHEMIN LETANG or Lake Road began as a Carib track across the island.
There are Carib folk tales and mythological stories of things that
happened to Caribs as they walked on the path. They told of a giant
serpent with one eye and a precious stone on its head which lived
in the Boeri Lake and rose out of the mist
from time to time.
The road was cut and improved during colonial times as it was the
main route across Dominica by land, although many people and much
produce went by sea instead. It cuts through a pass in the mountains
which is the lowest gap along the ridge of volcanic peaks in southern
Dominica. The pass is still over 2000 feet above sea level however.
The Rosalie estate, starting point of the DOM-Trek Coast to Coast
Challenge Hike is situated island's east coast on the banks of the
Rosalie River, and was one of the largest estates on the island totalling
2,081 acres. Since the 1950s much of it has been sub-divided and sold
off.
Rosalie Estate produced
sugar, cocoa, limes and coconuts at various times in its history.
The ruins of an aqueduct and sugar works are still standing and
the site of the old estate house can be seen on the hill above the
works near to the modern estate house. A maroon attack on the estate
buildings under the Maroon chief Balla took place here in December
1785. After emancipation a village developed around the estate yard
and there was, for a time, a police station, school and church,
but when new owners took over in the 1950s the land was reclaimed
and the villagers had to disperse to the settlements at Grand Fond
and Riviere Cyrique. The church which remained is now the site of
the FMI Retreat Centre.
The trail rises from
the Rosalie River and passes up and along the plateau and through
the village of Grand Fond. The route continues gently through village
gardens. Then begins the steepest section to a point overlooking
the Freshwater Lake. Two streams are crossed, one of which is called
Laivye Dejeuner because people used to stop, eat the food they were
carrying and drink the water there on the way across the island.
Then the track makes a series of tight hairpin bends as it climbs
steeply to the higest point. From here one gets wonderful views
down the Rosalie Valley to the Atlantic Ocean and the East Coast
and, with one turn, there is the Freshwater Lake and surrounding
mountains to the west.
The walk continues around the lake and along the rough but motorable
section of the Chemin Letang to the village of Laudat. Much of this
route passes through the UNESCO World Heritage Trois Pitons National
Park and views of the forested mountains of the park can be seen
as one walks.
The village of Laudat was a main resting and overnighting spot for
walkers in the old days and a "rest house" was operated
by one of the village families for generations.
On approaching Laudat one looks down the Roseau Valley and sees
Morne Bruce and the city with the spire of the cathedral dominating.
The rest of the route is all down hill with spectacular views all
around and at the valley bottom it passes through the old citrus
plantations of Shawford, Fond Cani and Bath Estate which are now
virtually suburbs of Roseau. Like the people of the east coast in
the days of old, who were called "gen Au Vent" (people
of Windward side), the hiker enters Roseau across the Bath Bridge
and the journey is over, although in times past, loaded with baskets
of goods from town, the people of Au Vent had to do it all over
again in the opposite direction!
This article
reproduced with the kind permission of Maxine
Alleyne of the Southeastern Tourism Development Committee
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