One Last Walk Along The Pink Sand Of Long Island

Thompson Bay     

Today's sunrise was the signal for many boats in the anchorage to move on to their next destinations. We had made the decision to stay and enjoy one more day in beautiful Long Island. I cleaned our air conditioner return grills and all the exterior windows before moving out to Fiberglass Beach to read. The south wind brought in warmer temperatures and higher humidity, but no complaints from me. After lunch we joined Kelly and Richard (Untethered) and Danielle and Kirk (Sea Horse) on Boaters Beach for another walk of the island. On the trail from our dinghy landing to the road, we passed by a large and deep well/cistern. We all took turns looking in at the water pooled at the bottom. We followed the same route we took yesterday, up the hill toward the lush palm trees, then down to the Atlantic shore. Today's deep blue sky was a definite improvement over yesterday's heavy cloud cover.

We picked up from yesterday's rainout and continued south. It may have been the same stretch of sand, but the beach was entirely new and different. Both the waves and the tide were lower. We walked along a much broader stretch of pink sand. Occasional waves still broke high on the outer reef, but the waves morphed to ripples by the time they reached their furthest point in the sand. 

Every step was a gift in this beautiful setting. 

As we reached the rocky cliffs at the southernmost point of our walk, we came upon two stunning tidal pools. No more than a foot of water filled the deep end. On shore the absence of water revealed intricate arches and passageways carved out by the surf. 

After one final look we retraced our steps back to the dinghy and returned to Crossroads for a brief time onboard. Kelly and I grabbed our trash for one last run to shore. We tied up at Basil's dock and said "Hello" to his sweet dog and marveled once more at his beautiful bougainvillea.   

A quick walk up the road took us to Hillside Market for a  few last-minute provisions. With our bags full, we left the store as the day's final customers. After a quick "Thank You" to Basil and his wife for the use of his dock, we lowered our purchases into the dinghy. The sun had already moved below the horizon as we enjoyed one last high-speed run across the anchorage. Final goodbyes were exchanged and I hopped back onto Crossroads. Barry and I quickly raised our dinghy to the upper deck in preparation for tomorrow's early morning departure. Huge thanks go to Kelly and Richard for all the great times these last few days. Extra thanks to Kelly for all the walks, smiles, and the pictures -- including the three below. The final one was taken today at the tidal pool when I found a large conch shell. 

On a separate note, tremendous thanks to everyone who has followed this little journal over the years. It blows my mind to report that the little picture show I began as a way to organize my photos and memories 834 posts ago has now accumulated 100,000 views. Here's hoping for many more adventures. 

A Sunday In The Palms

Thompson Bay     

It was nice to have a slow morning onboard. I didn't intend to sleep late, but did and hit the floor running. We did a load of laundry and I spent the morning catching up on all sorts of computer work. There was another dive into the commissary to retrieve an item, from the furthest corner possible, that I missed last week. I read a little in the pilothouse and later moved to Fiberglass Beach. The wind had clocked some to the southeast, but was still strong. Around 2:30 Kelly and I went to shore for our daily walk. We anchored her dinghy in the shallow water and walked to Boaters Beach, coming ashore at the tree "decorated" with conch shells. We followed a path through the trees to Queen's Highway then turned onto a road that crossed the island. Along the way we kept commenting on the lushness of the vegetation and were stumped by the presence of a large cactus. Further inland we came upon two grazing wild goats. I was quite surprised by the steep incline, but appreciative of the much-needed cardio workout. As we neared the east side of the island, large groupings of palm trees lined the road. The pavement led to the edge of the dune where the stalk of a century plant towered above its surroundings. These plants bloom only once during its entire life (which is closer to 20-30 years). The stalk can reach a height of 30 feet and produces yellow flowers.   

Through the seas oats, the path opened onto a wide and flat beach. We walked north first and enjoyed the blue sky and gentle waves. Much like yesterday's beach, this cove was protected by a rocky outer reef that settled the surf before it arrived on the pink sand.   

Large rock formations lined the shore. A tall cliff extended out into the Atlantic and signaled the end of our northern trek.   

We turned south and walked through the surf, studying the waves as they broke around the rocks. As we continued walking, the waves breaking offshore became more impressive.  

The sky also darkened and rain was spotted offshore. We never quite made it to our destination rock. Rain began to fall so we turned around and headed to our trail. Once again we stopped to admire the onshore vegetation.  

The rock beyond the dunes had been eroded to form several caves. Back on the path, we stopped at the palm trees and gave them a closer inspection. Several different species were intermixed. The tall coconut palms craned at odd angles in search of sunlight, while the smaller palms kept their fan-shaped fronds at eye level.     

Today was the Fourth Sunday of Lent, but for Kelly and I it was more like Palm Sunday. We enjoyed our time in this small, but beautiful, oasis. In the palm tree nursery, five coconuts had given life to new sprouts. After gathering a couple of coconuts for the boys, we headed up the steep hill. Uphill both ways? Somehow we did not remember there being a downhill stretch only a few hours prior. A heavy shower took our minds off of the climb. By the time we returned to the dinghy we were drenched, but the squall had moved through and the sun was shining bright in a blue sky. After a shower and getting into dry clothes, it was time to fix dinner and close the day with another beautiful Bahamian sunset.