Day 2b - Bees, Butterfies and Cliff/Roads

We left our heroes coming home with a fully tummy and much needed water. Before we go any further let’s take a peak inside their little love nest . . .oops – The Trade Winds Cottage.

We found the Cottage on the Internet and fell in love with it. Somehow we were attracted to it. We later found that Lois Woods who runs (and help build) the cottage went to school in Madison so we actually WERE linked together. Here is a link to the Trade Winds Cottage - beautiful place.

Along with the beauty of the cottage are the birds. There are three kinds that frequent the cottage. A Green-throated Carib, a large group of Bananaquits and "Spike" the Antillean Crested Humming Bird.

Well then - after a nap we decided to check out some more beaches on the south side Little Lameshur was our goal. We drove past the crowded Salt Pond and the road turns into a dirt road, then it turns into a rocky road and THEN we see our 1st obstacle. Half way up a narrow one lane pile of rocks is a jeep and it's backing/sliding backwards down the slope. I stop 50 yards behind him and observe. He backs all the way down and I can tell he's talking to his wife. Luckily I had a internet friend tell me about this barrierr. I put the jeep into 4W-L and as we drive past the backed down jeep I give him the thumbs up and we plow ahead. My fear is of a jeep coming THE OTHER WAY since it is ONLY 1 lane wide. All I we can see is sky as we climb up the rock pile. Robin (jeep name- they like to name their jeeps) crests the hill like a WWII tank going over a hedgerow and we're clear. YIPES - what a rush!!

The road turns back into blacktop and we're OK. UNTIL! we have to go down the OTHER side. HOLY CRIPS! It's cement with black skid marks going both ways and a hairpin corkscrew at the bottom. I've never been in such a steep decent, will we stop? DJ is, well . . . . quiet. I'm basically standing upright on the brakes as we creep down the cliff some call a road. We make it!

NOTE - I have just realized the crab story and little boy with rocks will not be in this addition - wrong day.

We travel the roads and look at the great snorkeling beaches, it's pretty cloudy now and not very good beach photo weather so we (I) decide to take a hike on the trail at the end. DJ is . . . quiet. I can tell she is on edge and out of her comfort zone.

We stumble along a trail of sharp, jagged rocks that some would call a trail and I call it an accident waiting to happen. It smooths out and we see our 1st 4 foot high 3 feet wide termite nest. CREEPY. It looks like something from a horror/alien movie and does very little to lighten DJ's mood. We hear critters in the woods and walk under a tree that is buzzing with bees and THEN, out of nowhere, a wild herd of butterflies appear and block DJ's way startling both of us. She goes into defense mode. It's at that moment we look at each other and break out laughing. We decide to call it a day and head back.

We're hot, the scenery is not so we turn around. Leave the trail for another day. The road back is MUCH better knowing what was ahead.

It was getting a little late (5ish) so we head back to the cottage. The entrance to the Concordia Eco-Tents are right next to the Trade Winds entrance so we decided to take a peek at them. Little did we know that at the end for the road is what we think was one of the most outstanding panoramas of the entire trip (ooooo, darn tripod!!) This photo was taken by DJ and her ultra compact camera.

The clouds moved in like they mean it and the wind is stiffening so no sunset (we were shut out on sunsets).

That night we relaxed, ate some Mac and Cheese, turned on Ziggy Marley's "One Bright Day" (this will be with us the rest of our lives) and listen to the strengthening howling wind (constant 22mph on my wind meter) and cozy up to each other.

Tomorrow - spitting rain, howling wind, our 1st view of Trunk Bay and a tour of Cruz bay.