We went climbing with Poul (Pi) the other day – and discovered how out of shape we are! We wore long pants to protect ourselves from the sharp grass and the ticks, and good footwear to grip the steep hillside – at least I thought mine was good until I checked the bottoms to see why I was sliding so much on the pine needles. Then I saw that the tread part of the soles was completely gone – the glue must have dried up in the summer heat and allowed them to wear off or fall off. You can bet I was doubly glad to have the sturdy walking stick that Poul provided.

We took a path behind Manati restaurant, followed a pleasant trail past houses and gardens, and then made a sharp turn to starboard and straight uphill, steadying ourselves with a not very well secured rope, and pausing for breath every few steps. From there the narrow path wandered along the ridge of the mountain, gradually rising to give gorgeous views over first, El Bight on the south side of the island, and then Pine Ridge Bight (where we climbed the faux lighthouse the other day) on the North side. From this vantage point you can really see how densely populated Bonacca cay is.) We walked along paths of white rock, and through semi shaded areas with long blades of sharp grass reaching out to grab at our pant legs. Jim and I stopped after a couple of hours but Poul continued to see if he could find the peak. He got close but would have had to go down and back up through a gulch to get where he thought it was so he decided to content himself with this visual accomplishment. While it seemed like hard work at the time, it’s a good excursion for anyone with a moderate to good fitness level – and (unlike our trek to the lighthouse at Cayos Cachinos) the views are stunning. The whole experience reminded us of how important it is to push ourselves physically whenever we can – that rush of endorphins feels so good.

When we got back to Madcap, I stripped off my long pants and shoes and jumped straight into the water - ah blessed relief!

The next day, we opted for a watery excursion. A gorgeous coral reef lies just off El Bight – inside the main reef and the line of cays that curves up the coast – just a 5 minute dinghy ride out from the anchorage – and better to go on a calm day. We tied the dinghy to a stake and spent a wonderful hour drifting along among coral heads rich with texture and colour, and feeding fishes. The heads dropped off to deep water so we could also enjoy that fabulous sight of schools of fish emerging from the blueness that so captivated us last year in Roatan. Jim spotted a porcupine fish, a big tiger grouper, among other good sized fish. I missed the big ones for some reason, but spent long periods watching brilliant tiny fishes flitting in and out of the coral. One of the joys of this particular snorkeling area is the varying depths of water and coral – we were following pathways, and looking sideways as well as downward.

After reluctantly dragging ourselves out of the water (it does get chilly even here in the Caribbean unless you wear a wetskin or suit) – we continued along the cays until we reached Graham’s place. This was once called Josh’s cay but I guess “Josh” gave up the name when Graham’s place was built. It’s an attractive and well-tended resort with hotel, bungalows, and open air restaurant all brightly painted in blues and pinks and yellows and greens. Right beside the dock, we watched sea turtles swimming in a penned area. I always hate to see sea creatures in pens, and I’m not sure if these are there merely for entertainment or if they are part of a protection program, but it was a nice chance to view these large and oddly elegant animals.

Our evenings have been filled with happy hours on Pi, Lady Mys and Madcap, as the six of us – from Denmark, Sweden and Canada have shared stories and great laughs along with food and drink. Alice and Bjorn outdid us all in the food department with platters of smoked salmon, potato salad and tomatoes. While we often forgo “dinner” after spending the early evening nibbling on a happy hour array of nuts and olives and crackers and assorted dips and cheeses, we really dined well that night.

And so it’s been a week now since we arrived. We thought we might go around to Michael’s Rock today but … we want to go back to that special snorkeling spot, and Matt and Renee (Outlandish) have arrived, along with a beautiful little ketch from Nova Scotia with Dave and Sara on board. There are people to visit, and good food to eat and more fish to watch. Maybe not another mountain to climb – unless we stay another week!