A magical trip up the Indian River, just south of Portsmouth, Dominica.

No motors are allowed, so aside from the clicking of camera and the clunking of the oars, there was silence as we splashed lazily up river, searching for herons fishing for crabs in the shallows and secretive little birds nesting in thick undergrowth.

The boat cruised gently through the narrow, dark waterways, winding its way between twisted buttress roots. Little creatures plopped into the water and scuttled away into the shadows. The heavens opened to soak us and we clustered underneath plastic sheets, enthralled by the mystery of the place.

A stop at the Bush Bar for a tour of the local rums and other produce, before strolling through the beautiful gardens out the back and a section of the Waitakubuli Trail, and then it was time to get back into the boat and paddle back to the real world.

I wanted to stay there, in the thick air and the tangling magic.

Original painting in oil on canvas, measures 20cm x 20cm and is painted on the sides in cobalt blue, which reflects against the offset white wooden frame. This painting is already framed and ready to hang a little tropical sunshine on your wall.