A Matter of Perspective

New Bight to Fernandez Bay |  1.5 Hours  |  6 Miles 

The air and water were both still as the sun rose over New Bight. So far in The Bahamas, we have experienced few days with one these conditions and definitely none with both. I took the opportunity to Be Still myself. The view was stunning from the upper deck, with the colorful sky reflecting off water so clear the bottom could be seen 15-feet down. I took a walk around the deck to check our anchor and the local wildlife. Starfish and sand dollars dotted the sea floor. With perfect conditions, I dropped the paddleboard in the water and made half a dozen laps around Crossroads. Very much a newbie at this activity, there is security in not wandering too far from home.  

Our little group had planned to meet on the beach at 9:00 to explore the area. What a beautiful ride to the sand. A short walk south past the police station took us to the sign for Mt. Alvernia Hermitage,  a miniature monastery atop the highest point in The Bahamas. Halfway to the gateway, it began to rain. Joanne and I pulled away from the pack and awaited its arrival under the shelter of the cross-topped stone structure.  

The Stations of the Cross trail led to the top on the hill. Along the way were numerous markers depicting the namesake journey of Christ. Father Jerome Hawes hand-carved the steep steps from the solid rock along with building his retreat. Once atop the hill, it seemed we entered a scene from Lilliput in Gulliver's Travels. The structure that looms massively from sea-level, is in fact, very tiny. In the chapel, a small altar held the guest book opposite seating for one. Father Hawes did not have to worry about someone sitting in his spot on the pew. We ducked through stone arches and marveled at his sleeping quarters. My great dane friend has a larger bed than did Father Hawes.

I was drawn to the juxtaposition of colorful living things against the stark, weathered stonework. We all gathered to take in the scenery, feeling rather large against the structures of man ...

... and rather small in the grand scheme of things. I lingered until all had cleared and captured a signature image from New Bight.

We descended on a gently-sloping trail through the canopy. Remains of long ago-tended gardens lined the way. Corn was tasseling and squash was in bloom. Once the pack regrouped at the bottom of the hill we headed for Olive's Bakery where we all helped the local economy with purchases of her bread, cakes, and cookies. It was Monday morning and her selection was small, but we all had more than enough. Next stop was the ruins of an old church. The skeleton of a once-grand building continues to tell its story through its windows. Some windows were well preserved with the edges of contoured millwork still defined. Other windows deferred the story-telling to what lies on the other side.

Our only disappointment of the morning was that the Fish Fry in the Cultural Village was closed. Cute and colorful buildings displayed menus that made my mouth water. Attractive seating areas were empty. Establishments with appealing names were deserted. We all waited for a while to see if the ice cream place would open. It wasn't to be for it was a slow Monday morning in The Bahamas. Time to flip the switch and appreciate all we did have. The crystal clear water softly lapping on clean, soft sand and

tropical scenery cannot be topped. It IS better in The Bahamas. We split off and headed to our motherships for lunch. We stopped by Salty Mare and enjoyed a great visit with Susie. We look forward to visiting more with her and Todd along our journeys back to Virginia. Our group picked up anchor right after lunch to relocate further north just as it started to rain. We waited until the heavy stuff passed and then followed.

It was a short trip so we elected to tow the dinghy. We kept a close eye on it on our rear view camera. Crossroads received another fresh water bath. Three cleanings in 24 hours will have her spoiled, but she is looking much more loved these days. Showers continued to pass north and south of us all afternoon, but we remained dry. Others in the group went out to snorkel around the rocks. I chose to get some more time on the board and increased the diameter of my laps while staying upright and dry. At 4:30 we all gathered at the Tiki Bar at Fernandez Bay Resort for an evening of celebrating Joanne's birthday. 

We met one of the owners who told us she and her husband had bought the closed property in October and have been working hard to get everything up and running again. The central grounds are nicely landscaped around 15 oceanside villas. We watched the sun go down and stood for our group photo before moving to the dining room for a delicious meal. Everyone was a member of the clean-plate club which included a protein, two sides, plus cake and ice cream for dessert. We departed full and tired. It was close to Boaters' Midnight and the stars were shining brightly overhead against a clear and dark black sky.