Walking around Hatchet Bay

On Monday, Tom, (a cruiser we met from another trawler,) Allen, and I walked two miles to the south to a produce stand. It was pretty unimpressive, but most of it was from that farmer's small, hand-tilled plots. We bought a pound of ocra, two local grown potatoes that they said are similar to sweet potatoes, a very small eggplant, right off the vine, and four pieces of newly discovered fruit, sapadilla, known locally as dillies.  I think I have discovered the first fruit I don't like.  It is a fruit about the size of a tangerine, with a peel about the consistency of a nectarine, and doesn't taste like anything I've ever eaten. It created a sticky slime on the roof of my mouth that I literally peeled off, like a piece of skin, that then stuck to my fingers, and I could barely even flick it off. I was grateful Tom had a bottle of water to wash my hands, and that I had some candy to get the taste out of my mouth. I was relieved my bowels worked this morning, and wonder if that coating is now in my colon. At 75 cents a piece, I chunked $1.50 worth overboard last night. The four mile treck cost $16 for those couple of items. I don't know how people here afford to eat.

After returning to the boat, another cruiser had a borrowed car, and I rode with him to the north, past the cave we explored the other day, to the road to Surfer's Beach.  I am determined to see pink sand. I realize now that I didn't take any photos, only video that I shot slap-happy as I did my best Captain Ron imitiation. "You've heard of Harbor Island, the world famous pink sand beach? Well this is the next island over.... Its almost as good... Just don't get off the trail, or the go-rillas will get you!" I love Captain Ron!

The paved road turned to a limestone and sand road, deteriorating to an impassable road without a high clearance 4 wheel drive.  Or, in my case a good pair of shoes.  I trapesed over a couple of hills, and finally ended in a sand spot on a hill with I imagine 100' elevation, overlooking a not-pink beach, gorgeous water, beautiful coral heads, and no surf. That was interesting to me, since the wind had the seas crashing on our side, outside our little harbour. There was a footpath down to the beach, through otherwise impenetrable sea grapes, but I'm smart enough to know that if I walked down, I'd have to climb back up, and changed my mind. I walked one dirt road to the south to return, since there were tire tracks on that road, and eventually came to water puddled all across the road. I tried to walk around the puddles, but even leaning into the brush and the spider webs, I ended up slipping into the water. It was easier after that, I just waded. I couldn't believe that I couldn't talk Allen into coming with me, especially with all he missed!

Eventually, the underwater dirt road lead to a dry dirt road, and finally, I was back to the paved road, though still a few miles from the harbor, and the boat!  I walked south, past the cave, and someone stopped and offered me a ride, which I gleefully accepted!

I've given out a couple toy cars and coloring books and crayons in this town. The items were given to me to hand out by some cruisers that didn't get down as far as they had planned. If they are reading, I gave the first car to a little boy driving a rock along a dirt trail, similar to what you had described. He saw me walking and ran out to ask if I had another car, for his friend, a little boy who was with him. I told him I didn't, but I did have another one on the boat I'd get to him later. He told me he could go with me to the boat... He was probably 5 or 6. I told him to go ask his mom if he could walk to the dinghy dock with me, which he was reluctant to do, but, I told him I'd wait while he asked. He came out dejected, since his auntie had told him he could not! I told him that is why it was important to ask, and that I would bring him a car. I think his auntie heard me, and called the boy back inside, and he returned, bouncing, telling me he could go with me if I'd walk him home. I waved at the house, and we walked to the dock. The dock is close enough I could call out to Allen, and asked him to bring me a car and a coloring book. The boy picked a car from a couple that Allen brought, and I carried the coloring book and walked the boy back to the house, with instructions to give the book to his younger brother. That was one happy little boy!

We had one passing squall last night with gale force winds, but otherwise, the winds here have been 20-ish.

And the birds?  After the ungrateful mockingbirds removed all the dog hair from the nest, they took every stick out of the radar reflector, and threw them on the deck.  Then they started to rebuild...


The birds didn't like my nest, and removed it

I finally lost patience, and put a plastic bag over the reflector, after cleaning up their mess while being dive bombed by attacking birds. They've pecked a few holes in the bag, but, I think at this point, have relocated.


Anti-nest contruction attempt