We ate Cheerios, made a couple peanut butter sandwiches, packed some beef jerky, tossed in 2 bottles of ½ frozen water. We were going back to Little Lameshur to soak up sun and snorkel.
It’s about 10 when we get there (the drive was not as hair raising as the 1st time). And are the first people to arrive. We figure out the very best spot and unfold our supplies.
It’s wonderful, sun is out, water is lapping at the shore as people start to arrive. DJ says – LOOK, a little crab. Sure enough. It’s a little yellow crab skittering across the beach. At about that same time a family moves in to our right. We talk about the crab louder because they have kids that might be interested. I talk about "Finding Nemo" to get their attention but they are not taking the hint.
5 minutes later a little girl asks where the crab is and I get up to see if we can find him. He’s among some pebbles and we stoop down to get a good look. She is mildly interested and her brother comes up (about 6??). We talk and he says "I use you have a crab" I say "cool, that’s awesome" he says "I killed him and threw him in the water". I look up and another adult who was looking at the crab exchange worried looks. At about that time the little boy picks up a rock and stands there. I brace myself for a road runner reaction. Time is frozen, all I can feel is myself lunging forward in super slow motion screaming in a deep voice "NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO"!
Seconds tick away, the little boy puts one foot forward and I spring, however, I have miscalculated the pebbles under my right, spring foot, and all it does is shoot rocks behind me. The CRAB, who had been watching this whole thing with claws out takes a VERY quick 500 sideways steps and is in the water, safe.
The kid drops the rock and walks back to his mom. The adult and I exchange laughs and shake our head.
Disaster diverted it’s time to snorkel. DJ is relaxing but I’m in snorkel mood, I have Vaseline now to go on my upper lip and feel confident.
AWESOME – it’s so easy! I glide around to the coral on the left side of the bay and see so many fish I am in a trance. I see 7 little squid floating by. I see sea urchins all over but from above. I float back as I see DJ getting her mask on and we snorkel together. I point out a school of yellow fish and she points out a big scary eel.
There are not many adventures snorkeling, unless you get caught in the rip tide at Waterlemon so I’ll just say it’s wonderful. We go back to shore and relax, soaking up the sun again. A while later we’re on a walk when DJ gets this look in her eye. Remember, "2001: A Space Odyssey"? Remember when the apes first come in contact and touch the monolith? That is the same reaction DJ had when she comes upon this perfect, palm size piece of coral.
Long story short, the coral is by our side and sharing our blanket, but, at this moment back in the States, it is STILL at Little Lameshur where it belongs!
The morning runs smooth as I go in and out of the water, snorkeling. However, we have a schedule to keep. Bill (internet friend) is meeting us at Skinnys so we can ring Howies bell.
We arrive at Skinnys and Bill says he is wearing a bright yellow cap. Just our luck, it seems like it’s bright yellow cap day. On our third try I spot a guy with a bright yellow cap taking a photo of a group – BINGO. I yell Howie and he turns and we meet. Drinks for everybody and burgers for us.
We talk and tell stories (you will have to ask Bill about the thong stories). Food is slow but, who cares. They have to get going so we get a guy to talk our photo ringing the bell.
It’s middle afternoon by the time we leave Skinnys with a couple extra tee-shirts and caps and we decide to explore Waterlemon Cay. The 1st thing about this is it’s a hike. Not a hard one but a long one if you are carrying a lot of beach/sunning stuff. Snorkels are OK but, chairs, drinks, coolers, rum, camera’s, towels and so forth and it’s a hike. We make it 2/3s of the way, see it’s beautiful and turn back. Another couple about 100 yards behind us go to where we turned around and also turn around. We’re just to beat from the morning and full tummies to be enthused about going the whole way. AND, clouds are building We call it a day.
Note - go here before you get worn out.
Back at Camp 1 we relax and watch a cloudstorm move across the ocean creating a beautiful rainbow for 45 minutes.
We eat some Lipton Caribbean Rice and cozy up to each other to Ziggy Marley, read books and relax. Cruise liners drift buy with lights blazing in the distance and a 4 masted schooner is seen drifting past Peter Island. The lights of Tortola are in the distance and we are drifting on a cloud. This is the best comfort zone you can ever imagine.
Tomorrow – The weather turns gorgeous, a day at Trunk, a taste of home (oh my god) and lunch in Cruz Bay.
Skinny's
