Wednesday 28th April (Lini’s Journal)
Brindabella's Web Diary
Simon Williams
Mon 3 May 2010 13:18
Baths My eyes hadn’t yet focussed when I lifted the anchor and we
motored the short distance along the coast. We picked up buoy number
three of only seven. The day lightened into beautiful sunshine as we
ate breakfast on our mooring just behind the swimming area with
amazing views of the rocks. At 7.30am we gathered the snorkel gear and
went out to play. The water was so clear, although deep the bed was
easily seen as we headed towards the rocks. The whole area was empty
at this early hour but the light was bright enough to create some
stunning sights. We wove our way through the maze of boulders through
narrow gaps not much wider than ourselves at times and into tiny
turquoise shallow pools with miniature sandy beaches. On, round into
deep, darker areas where different fish hid in the shadows. Rays of
sunlight filtered between the rocks and everything looked like it was
artificially lit it was so spectacular. We swam out the end and into a
perfect bathing beach before heading back for an early lunch.
Dinghies are not aloud on the beach and there are no pontoons so
lucky Lini was taken ashore in Shovell while soggy Simon had to leave
the dinghy out on a buoy and swim ashore. I retrieved clothes and a
towel from the wetpack for him then we set off on the trail through
the rocks to the beach. Some parts formed caves with only glimpses out
to sea while other parts took us up and over the tops. From the beach
a freshly raked path led up through a sea of cacti and rocks to the
hilltop where the car pack and The Top of the Baths Restaurant were
located. We tried to buy a mooring permit at the car park office but
nobody was there. The walk back down was very short and conveniently
ended at a bar. There were no permits for sale here either but a fruit
juice went down a treat in the afternoon heat. The whole place was now
packed with people from boats and from cars. There wasn’t a space to
sprawl on the beach and snorkelers filled the water. We escaped and
returned to Brindabella for a nice cup of tea.
Our second snorkel was much the same stunning stuff as earlier on
but this time Si had brought the camera. I also saw a new fish which
Si said have been everywhere- they were funky blue glitter dudes;
cool! It is so nice being able to swim ashore from Brindabella and not
having to dinghy in, besides which I get some great exercise trying to
keep up with ex-competitive swimmer Si.
I dropped the buoy and we set off to Trellis Bay on Beef Island for
the monthly Full Moon Party. A sea of masts was visible from way back
and the anchorage was packed. Yellow buoys marking an exclusion zone
at the end of the airport runway were somewhat confusing and we were
asked to move out of the flight path, luckily before we dropped the
anchor. With no room left we zipped over to Marina Cay, a private
island a short distance away. There were still many boats anchored
here but there was room for us and we dropped the hook next to fellow
Norwegian ARC boat Trollwind. By now Simon didn’t seem too keen to go
across for the party and we ummed and arred over a couple of G&Ts
before bouncing back across in Shovell.
Things were still pretty quiet when we arrived but we wandered
round the area where several local artists and craftsmen have studios.
Under a wooden shelter sat the largest dugout in the eastern Caribbean
painted in bright colours and all around were the beautifully
decorated fire sculptures, huge cubes and spheres packed with wood
ready to burn and highlight the carefully removed areas creating the
designs. We strolled along the beach a little and flopped into a deck
chair with a beer at the Daily Loose Mongoose looking out into the
anchorage and the rapidly filling dinghy dock. While I drank the mozis
feasted on my shoulders. Live music called us back to the party where
we bought meal tickets for a wonderful selection of Caribbean food
that mostly looked surprisingly lean. I took a chance and we ate under
the trees by an enormous hammock, sharing a table with six Americans
on a charter week.
Fire dancers began their act around a blazing sphere just as we
finished eating and afterwards while grabbing rum punch we bumped into
Chrissie and Simon from Sharkita who we’d met in Antigua. They had
just met friends they hadn’t seen for over twenty years. Another band
now played as fire sculptures were lit on frames above the water and
more fire dancers entertained. I had a great view above the crowds
from standing on a table which brought me a few feet nearer to the
next dancers who were on really high stills. There was a great
atmosphere and I was sorry to leave for our bounce back to Brindabella
under the full moon. What a marvellous day!