Calabash Bay 1201
Ambler Isle
V and S
Wed 20 Apr 2011 16:10
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Well, maybe we have not been here 1201 times, but we
sure do enjoy it here.
It was time for a walk, so we anchored the dinghy, tying
a second shore line to the stern and waded ashore in 1' of water. It was
already hot the moment we stepped ashore. Jim and Diana were enjoying a
seaside lunch and were going snorkeling. We offered to take them on a
dinghy ride to explore the coast afterwards. Walking the part sand/ part
rock road, we marveled at how difficult even a short car ride would be.
The uneven surface caused the cars to drive side to side to avoid the
bump. Still, several taxis and shuttles passed. About a mile down
the road we smelled the low tidal pool that banked each side of the road.
Small fish schooled along the edge. Someone had left "lobster hotels" off
their dock. In a lobster hotel, the lobster is not trapped. He goes
under the flat corrugated panel for shelter. He can come and go at
will. In a trap, the creature cannot get out and will die if the cage is
not tended regularly. We continued on the road another mile. Finally
we caught a glimpse of a car in the distance. That must be the main
highway. We turned around and returned to the resort. Our newfound
pals were still snorkeling. A big barracuda came into the bay and she was
trying to take a picture: smile! They grabbed their shirts and
climbed aboard the dinghy. We headed out to the north side of the island,
stopping over reefs so they could peer into the clear water with our look
bucket. Wanting to give them a good show, we edged closer to shore by the
shallower reefs. We were surprised by the rugged coast line when
viewed up close. It was pocked with caves, rock houses and grottos.
Some were big enough to drive the dinghy into. Back on Amber Isle,
Valt mixed up his famous chocolate martinis. We watched sunset from
the "sky lounge" and took turns blowing the conch horn to celebrate. Both
Jim and Diana were able to make melodious sounds. At 8pm, we dinghied back
to the resort so they could have dinner. They invited us along, but we
declined, we were still in swimsuits and the small restaurant liked to close the
kitchen at 8:30pm. Maybe tomorrow. So we whipped up chicken casa
deias with a leftover chicken breast. The moon was pretty incredible so we
even sat outside for a while. The temperature dropped to about 75 degrees,
and with a slight wind, we had to come inside. The wind waves were a bit
bigger, and the annoying NE swell was back, although less than a foot.
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