A Climb To The Highest Peak ... Rewarded

Old Bight to New Bight  |  .9 Hours  |  4.1 Miles   

A pretty sunrise ushered in the day. We upped anchor a little past 8:00 and made our way four miles north on Cat Island to the more commercialized town of New Bight. While setting the anchor I noticed a large sign being installed on the beachfront. Once we got to shore we took a good look at what is going to be a beautiful sign with colorful letters and the historic tower of Mt. Alvernia serving as the "I." I spoke with an on-site worker and learned that only the electrical work remains to be completed. Hopefully by next week the black plastic will be removed. I cannot wait to see it -- next year. After a quick stop to put on my sneakers, we walked a short distance up the road, and past the sweeping palm tree, to Olive's Bakery. To avoid the possibility of being sold out later in the day, we purchased her famous almond pound cake and stored it in the backpack.

Our main destination was in view from sea level. We set off up the paved road and enjoyed the sights along the way. Wildflowers were plentiful and both the purple spurred butterfly pea and bright yellow damiana caught my eye. Further up the road, our ears were alerted to the next points of interest. Several goats were tethered along the road. They were quite talkative, but not aggressive. The road took us to a path which led up to Como Hill, the highest point in The Bahamas at 206-feet above sea level.

Sitting atop the hill, also known as Mt. Alvernia, is The Hermitage. Monsignor John Hawes, a Roman Catholic priest and skilled architect and sculptor known to locals as Father Jerome, built the small medieval monastery in 1939 as a place to get away from the world. The next uphill segment of the trail was lined mainly with tall trees, although a small palm was also present. The path veered to the right to follow the rocky "Stations of The Cross" trail to the top. Elaborate hand carved stone monuments marked the 14 Stations of The Cross, each one representing a different moment in Jesus' Passion and Death. Station 1 (Condemned to Death), Station 2 (Carries the Cross), and Station 3 (Falls for the First Time) were all placed on relatively flat ground. After that narrow rock steps led upward with frequent switch-backs.

Lush plants grew in the rock. Although all Stations are represented for a bit of brevity, I've only included the more dramatic ones here. Station 7 (Falls for the Second Time), Station 8 (Meets the Women), Station 9 (Falls for the Third Time), Station 11 (Nailed to the Cross), and Station 14 (Laid in the Tomb) directed the way to the base of the monastery. 

The blue sky served as a great backdrop. Father Jerome was a small man and he constructed the buildings on a smaller scale. Our first stop was the chapel with a single-seat pew and a small altar. 

Barry signed the attendance register then we walked though the rooms to the other side. I entered the bell tower and swung the rope attached to the clapper to make the bell toll. We were fortunate to be the only ones atop the hill which made for good photo opportunities, both tighter ...

... and wider. Back down the hill we went, looking at more flowers (I love lantana) and more goats.

At sea level, we walked along the main road and looked at the signs as we entered the Fish Fry area. Being Friday afternoon, many of the little food vendors were open. The bar at Duke's Conch Stand was busy, but we had our sights set on a treat we haven't had since we entered The Bahamas. Comforted that Lil Gippy's was open, we continued our walk down the road before eventually cutting over to the beach. 

We approached our final destination from the waterfront and enjoyed two nice cones for only $6 ... total. What a deal! And we were able to enjoy an amazing view along with our treat.

The walk back to the dinghy was done in the surf. This section of beach was coarser and less dense than our previous location. The water was also more exposed to the wind which created more wave action onshore. The tide had risen a bit more than expected and I went out in chest-deep water to bring the dinghy in for Barry.

Back on Crossroads, there was time for showers and a little reading (finally finished latest book), before dinner and sunset. Tonight the orange clouds to the west had some competition from the white clouds and still-blue sky to the east. 

Back For Seconds

Old Bight     

Showers swept through the anchorage shortly after daylight. The clouds, wind, and whitecaps remained for several hours. After lunch the blue sky and sunshine returned and by 2:00 we were in the dinghy heading to shore. Yesterday's walk was so wonderful we came in for a second helping. We anchored just south of Rollezz with our sights set on the southern half of this beautiful crescent beach. Both the dinghy and Crossroads awaited our return.

Barry and I walked barefoot in our standard formation -- him on the dry sand and me in the ankle-deep surf. The surf zone was clean so we scoped out the sand upward to the tree line for interesting items. A makeshift totem constructed of flotsam, tree stumps bleached by the sun's rays, occasional shells like a pair of angel wings, and resilient trees growing from the rocks were all noteworthy. 

There was never a doubt, however, that the main attraction was water. Barry turned back toward the dinghy to begin his assault on another coconut. I continued on to where the sand ended at the rocky entrance to Joe Sound Creek before turning around.

I kept taking photos of the many views that seemed special. Many images look similar, but all will transport me back to this special spot for years to come.

At the end of my two-hour walk I took a dip in the shallows. It doesn't get much better than this. Our dog friend came to visit as we were loading Barry's project into the dinghy. Back onboard he cracked open the coconut and found this one to be a winner. Clouds moved back in for the close of day and muted the sunset. Not wanting to be greedy, we were plenty thankful for a wonderful afternoon.