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First impressions are that this is a pretty good place to hang out for a while with plenty of trails across the island to the windward side, a Tiki Hut on the beach that people meet at for sundowners and beautiful multi coloured Bahamian water.

  

Exploring the east coast of Hog Cay - I kayaked there with 2 other ladies, it was a long trip for me - about 21/2 miles in all and rather hard slog back against the wind and waves - needless to say my arms and shoulders ached a little afterwards 🤣, lovely beach, very shallow water and a lot of young conch - sadly there were also a number of shells from far too young ones which had obvoiusly been taken for food, sad and stupid as these are too young to have bred and if they kill all the future breeding adults then there will be none left at all! 

  

  

The following day we went on a dinghy trip to Duncan town - a small settlement on Ragged Island and the only inhabited island in this chain.

   

We found a time capsule left in 2000 to be opened in 50 years - then there were 127 people on the Island, however Irma 2 years ago destroyed most of the homes and everyone who wanted to leave were evacuated, many especially the elderly did not return!  We were told by Margery, a lovely friendly local that there are 46 people on the island, most are still trying to rebuild their homes, She was working on what was a small tourist shop selling things she and other ladies on the island had made - jewellery from shells, bags, mats & baskets from palms and things from goat skins! Her home was destroyed and now she lives in what was a bar her family - husband and son ran. We went and had a nice cold drink in the bar /come her front room and chatted for quite a long time about life there etc.  Most of the men on the island including her husband are fishermen making some money from selling the fish and conch on to traders - the conch is dried and goes to -  guess which county is encouraging the devastation one the conch population? -  China 😡. 

The church is rebuilt and the water RO is running making fresh water for the island but a lot is still in ruins.

   

This was the police station. 

    

There are a fair number of goats roaming around the island - of course they are the staple source of meat here so get slaughtered as and when required - the skins are dried in the sun.

   

View from land of the long canal into the towns little harbour - far too shallow for anything other than a shallow draft boat or a dinghy.

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We hiked to the windward side a couple of times once on our own and the second time with our friends Erica and Jos from Endless Summer who arrived a few days after us and kindly brought some fresh veggies to keep this vegetarian happy 😃.

We went on 3 walks to the windward side of the island to beach comb and look for sea beans - well Me and Erica looked for sea beans while Steve and Jos just got bored.

   

the trails are marked with debris from the beaches!

  

The windward East coast of Hog Island

       

Sadly there is a lot of plastic and debris on the beaches - look at all these little bits of plastic mixed in with the sand! Its the same where ever we go, Bahamas, San Blas, Los Roques. 

  

At the Tiki hut we found our friends Cain and April boat sign - its a tradition to leave a memento of your visit from sea debris - sadly we weren’t here long enough to make one - maybe next time

Steve Jos and Erica chilling.