All's Well That Ends Well

New Bight  

Shortly after last night's blog post, our plans for today were changed. The generator suddenly cut off and we were forced into diagnostic mode. After ruling out both a clogged sea stainer and a broken impeller, we agreed to call it a night and start fresh in the morning. I woke to a chorus of roosters ringing in the day. Large clouds filled the sky and blocked all but the streaming rays of the sun. Following breakfast, the floorboards came up and the tools came out. Barry had a good idea that our thermostat had stuck and proceeded to disassemble the generator. And, since he already had everything apart, there was no time like the present to do some additional maintenance by changing two hoses and changing the antifreeze. By 9:00, he had confirmed his diagnosis, and we were heading ashore with slim hope of finding a replacement. Our first stop was the service station. While he was inside gathering information on the next place to visit, I visited the church ruins next door. We were here last year, but I still find the windows captivating. 

Our next hope was the New Bight Food Market, another mile and a half walk down the road. The distance passed quickly as there were plenty to look at along the way, from the stonework and statuary at Holy Redeemer Roman Catholic Church to several ghost buildings that have held their ground through the years, but have also seen better days. I found the pump installation to be quite interesting.

The stars of the show were the plants. Bougainvillea, cotton, primrose-willow, morning glory, butterfly pea ...

prickly poppy, oleander, yellow bells, a Julia butterfly, and sea grapes had my head turning on a swivel from one side of the road to the other.

We reached the well stocked food market/hardware store and I waited outside as Barry went in to see what they had. I was impressed by the recycling container out front. Barry emerged with a shake of his head -- no have. No one has that kind of part on the island. Much like the Kalik sign touts, "It's a Bahamian Ting." We retraced our steps and headed back to the dinghy by way of Olive's Bakery. She was not open. This was not our morning. The cloud cover was still heavy, compromising our solar panels' production just when we need it most. On a good note, the water was like glass when we returned to the dinghy. Back onboard, Barry worked on the thermostat and got it to move more freely. He reassembled everything and we headed back to shore to give the adhesive time to set. It had turned into another beautiful afternoon. The sun was out and our solar panels were recharging Crossroads' batteries. 

We went to recharge our batteries as well by climbing up the Bahamas' highest point to view The Hermitage. Father Jerome built many churches around the world, but this is his most famous. We visited The Hermitage last year, but it is one of those places that you don't mind seeing multiple times. It was a warm uphill walk with the full strength of the sun on our backs. The hand-carved vertical steps led us on a path inspired by The Stations of the Cross.

Markers and details lined the trail to the top.

Barry signed the guest register located in the small chapel. A lone periwinkle blossom occupied a crack in the stone. The strong sunlight allowed for photos in one direction only. We were the only ones atop the mountain and explored the various buildings while enjoying the breeze. A less rocky path led us down and returned to the main road. We tried Olive's Bakery again. She was there and we picked up two items. Maybe our luck was picking up. We went back to the Fish Fry area, hoping to celebrate with some ice cream, but the place was closed. Oh, well. We walked along the beach back toward the dinghy.

We met Maya from last night as she was playing in the water. We also saw sponges and three different types of starfish before we got to Tingum Dem Beach Bar. Barry ordered a couple of Pink Sands and we enjoyed them at a waterside table. Back on Crossroads, he started the generator and everything seems to be working fine. We enjoyed another sunset and green flash from the upper deck before dinner and a piece of Olive's almond pound cake for dessert. All's well that ends well.