Another day in Paradise

Off from Hawksbill to our favorite Exumas National Land and Sea Park, Warderick Wells.  But first, a good mopping of the decks to wash away the previous day’s salt. It is humid here – I mean humid.  Between my clammy hands and the moisture in my bamboo knitting needles, knitting is almost impossible.  The boat has such a layer of dew in the early morning that it’s easy to wash her down.  Luke had to squeeze out the mop after every few feet.  Lotsa water!

 

My captain and crew needed lunch en route to Warderwick Wells …

 

Ahhh….we love this place.  It doesn’t get much more beautiful than this.  That is Latitudes, sitting at her mooring in the channel of deep blue water (about 10 feet deep).  The rest of the mooring field is very shallow – great for snorkeling, especially at low tide!

 

Not only is it humid, it is hot.  Hotter than I remembered.  We have shades up to block the direct sun, as well as a “breeze booster” to help funnel wind into the bowels of the boat.  It helps but not enough on a day like today when there is almost no wind.  The sun is intense. Our solar panels love it!

Friends Mimi and Otto were here for 2 days, along with a daughter and granddaughter.  We had Happy Hour one night and played cards the next.  I won! We really enjoy catching up with friends as we cruise.

 Off for a walk on the shallows at low tide.  Luke and Lats!

And what is this, hiding in this tiny shell?

 

It’s a little hermit crab checking to see if my fingers are edible – and if you think those teeny little pinchers don’t hurt, you are wrong!  Look carefully – you can see his tiny blue eyes.

 

A little conch, awaiting the returning tide.  He, too, is peeping at us – note the one eye near the bottom right of the picture (it looks like a whirly-gig).

 

And rays!  Beautiful, huge Eagle Rays.  This is a large one – the one we don’t have a picture of has about  an 8 foot “wing span” and a 10 foot tail.  Gorgeous!

 

This sweet little bird is locally called a Sugar Bird - for good reason.  The first year we came to Warderick Wells, we were greeted as we entered the anchorage by several of them, landing on the boat and fluttering about.  What we didn't know is that they were looking for sugar handouts.  The park used to keep a big hanging bowl of sugar for them at all times and there were dozens of them about.  The park no longer "feeds the wildlife" and there are very few of the Sugar Birds.  Probably all died of sugar overdose anyway!

 

A walk before lunch and the heat of the day took us to Boo Boo hill.  A shipload of missionaries wrecked near here and all perished.  It is said that at night you can hear their cries.  We don’t go up at night… anyway, the cruisers all leave a piece of driftwood with the boat name, some elaborate, some not, to ask for good weather and fair winds.  Yes, we left one several years ago.  The stack is growing…

Inside Latitudes, I heard the sound of a very close airplane!  Couldn’t be! Oh, yes, it was.  A seaplane was landing in the shallows and motoring just past Latitudes.  For a mere $700/hr, you too can have a tour of the park or whatever your heart desires.

 

Late in the afternoon we took the dinghy for a nice ride to some of the other areas of the park.  Nice beach, but the bugs were coming out and this did not last too long!

 

On Saturday we again set out early for our walk.  Here is the dry creek leading out to the anchorage – Latitudes in the distance.  The water here is about 1-2 feet deep at high tide.  All of the mangrove plants are eagerly awaiting the returning tide, I’m sure.

 

Our favorite – and only – bridge in Warderick Wells, crossing a shallow pond at low tide.

 

It’s changing – the march of the mangroves has taken over about half of what used to be pond from only 2 years ago.   You can’t see them, but the pond is filled with a school of small fish, hundreds and hundreds of them, waiting for the incoming tide.

 

Every year we see a Southern Stingray here, burrowed in the sand.  Sure enough, there was one in the pond today.  Don’t know how long they live – and I don’t have much access to Google right now – but it would be interesting to know if it could possibly be the same one from 7 years ago.

 

 

No wooden bridges here – this is typical of the “walkway” around the park.

 

Lucky Beach.   On our first trip to the Exumas, we scattered a few of my brother’s ashes here – he would have loved it and we wanted to share it with him. It is a special place now.

 

A cairn, making the end of a trail at another beach.  Look carefully….

Did you see this rascal perched on top of his throne?  He’s one of MANY Curly-tail lizards living on the islands.

 

One more shot of our beautiful, tropical anchorage.  Tomorrow we plan to leave Warderick Wells and go to another area of the Exumas Land and Sea Park.  We won’t have internet, but will take pictures for later.

 

To the Exumas

100 gb or 24 hours for $15 - gotta type fast :-)

Finally – we escaped the comfort, shopping, and ease of Palm Cay Marina --- not that it wasn’t nice while it lasted!  The part of the Bahamas that we most enjoy is the out-island experience.  Our sail yesterday  yes, we sailed! – took us about 30 miles across the banks  to Shroud Cay, part of the Exumas and also part of the Bahamas National Park Land and Sea Trust.  Here is sailing at it’s best – really at sail while I knit!

 Eight hours later, we approached Shroud Cay. 

Not many boats here last night , but that is ok with us.  It’s a lovely place.

 

The only thing we accomplished after arriving was to watch the sunset.  No green flash, but a nice sunset all the same.

 

About 10 this morning we decided to take advantage of the high tide and so some exploring by dinghy.

Latitudes disappears in the distance as we wind our way down a narrow and shallow creek.

 

Mangroves!  This is truly a Bahamian creek!

 

See the different colors in the water?  This is what we watch for, both in the dinghy and in Latitudes.  Color tells us about the depth.  The lighter the water, the shallower it is.  The pale yellow is very shallow, with a sandy bottom.  Light blue – a little deeper, also with a sandy bottom.  The vivid turquoise is the deeper (10 feet or so) water where we are anchored.

 After that adventure, we took the dinghy on to another creek in the Shoud Cay, this one taking us to the Atlantic ocean.

 

On our way back towards Latitudes, we noticed the sneaky Osprey, cleverly hidden behind a mangrove branch.  Or so she thinks.

As we approached, off she flew, showing her full glory, including piercing eyes and long, sharp talons.

Back at the boat for lunch, I tossed a bit of old bread into the water.  We were stunned when 4 remoras darted out from under Latitudes, squabbled over the bread, and dashed back into the shade of the boat.
 

You can see the flat places on the top of their heads where they attach to sharks.  And maybe Latitudes...

 

No pictures, but we saw more fish in this creek.  Fast moving black rocks on the bottom – big rays.  One large Ocean trigger fish, drifting along beside us until Luke started the dinghy engine.  And about 3 very long needlefish, probably 2-3 feet long.
Smoke was glad we returned this afternoon – she is basking in the breeze and shade in the cockpit (not nearly as much fun as the remoras!  I was afraid she’d fall off of the side of the boat!).  The weather is perfect – sunny, high 70’s, just enough breeze, not terribly humid, perfect.  My apologies to our friends at home suffering in snow and below freezing temperatures!

 

On Tuesday morning, we awoke to completely still water.  That’s a treat, as we can get a very clear view of the bottom.  Here is our anchor chain, 10 feet under water.

 
On Tuesday, we moved a whopping 4 miles further south to another part of the park, Hawksbill.

We’ve been lucky to get cell coverage at these cays.  Not perfect, not good enough to publish my blog, but we hang the phone from the ceiling of the bimini and every now and then, we hear a little tinkle, letting us know that we have an e-mail.  Can’t get apps like CNN or weather to open usually, though..

 

Hawksbill has a beautiful, long white beach.  We did a little walking along it but the sun was intense and very hot.

Then, a dinghy ride with friends Loretta and Jim to explore the south end of the cay.

 

Here are our 2 dinghies, awaiting our return.

 

 We are in the Exumas land and sea park, Warderick wells, now.  A favorite place!  It will probably be a week before I can post again. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cloister, Versailles Gardens, shopping, and Ft. Charlotte, Nassau

Off to explore more!  We love exploring...

First, to the Cloister and Versailles Gardens, located on Paradise Island  http://www.karensgardentips.com/garden-travel/bahamian-gardens/versailles-garden-and-cloister-paradise-island-bahamas/

The Cloister is a French cloister from a 14th century Augustinian monastery, dismantled and imported from Europe by William Randolph Hearst. It was purchased while still in pieces from Hearst's estate by Huntington Hartford and reassembled stone by stone here as the centerpiece of the Versailles Gardens on Paradise Island. Overlooks Nassau Harbor to one side, and the Versailles Gardens to the other.

I love the statue of the woman in the center of The Cloisters.

Across the street is the Versailles Gardens.  Beautiful, colorful flowers everywhere - Hibiscus -

Water lilies in the ponds.

A statue of mother and child. That is the Cloister in the far background.

Hercules standing in a pool of water lilies.

Next, the shops of Paradise Island!

The ships...oh, my, the private yachts!  We googled this one - rents for about $120,000 per week, but it DOES sleep 12.  Of course, the food, drinks, taxes, tips to the entire crew, etc, are not included.

As we crossed back across the bridge from Paradise Island to the mainland of New Providence Island, you could see the enormous 4 cruise ships, waiting in port while their passengers shopped and dined.

With limited time left on our rental car, we scooted over to the west end of the island to the third and final fort. Ft. Charlotte.  http://www.bahamas.com/node/50514#zoom=14&lat=25.08311&lon=-77.30667&layers=T0B00  This is again a British/Colonial era fort built to protect the island.  As the others, it never saw battle.  One section is the built in the paddle steam boat design as Ft. Fincastle.

Her thick walls would definitely have protected her from fire.

Large cannons were set to protect her.

 

The largest of the forts, at over 100 acres, Ft. Charlotte also has a dry moat around her. This is a view of just the east end of the fort.

 

 

 

Here is the lighthouse on the point near Ft. Charlotte.

The weather looks promising for a run tomorrow from here to the northern part of the Exumas, probably to Shroud Cay.  Hopefully we'll be able to leave around 10-ish in the morning!
It has been a lot of fun staying here at the marina and exploring the island, but we are ready for some Out-Island life now.