February 14, 2012 Valentines Day

Tuesday February 14, 2012

Happy Valentines Day!

We did the most exciting thing today.  I had heard from for a local, there was a pirates lookout cave that was really hard to find by land but if you knew someone, they could give directions by dinghy.  I was all over that one.  The cave is on the end of Osprey rock, just past Turtle Cay.  I got on the radio and hailed “Polly on the Hill” (where that great local source came from) and after she gave specific instructions, we found it too far to dink with the seas swelling.  Four miles away was certainly within sight but wow, what an uncomfortable ride it would have been...unless…we pulled anchor.  Fred agreed and we were on our way.  We anchored and jumped into the dink with camera, water and the right shoes, the hand held radio, flashlights and oh yeah, the SPOT, just in case we got lost.  Yesterday the police told us some of those places are not safe because Haitians are dropped off on these points and can be dangerous if we ran into them.  That made it more exciting to me.  A real adventure.  We were working our way to the point, not really sure exactly where and it took one pass and there it was.  Bigger than Dallas.  It was small compared to what most people would call a cave but a perfect pirate hideaway on the lookout for other ships coming close from Mayaguana or the Crocked Islands.  The cove was small but certainly big and shallow enough to drop a stern anchor and tie the bow to a rock or nearby tree.  I couldn’t wait to get off and in that cave.  Someone had built a ladder to get to the top where the lookout would be a 360, back in the day there were most likely ropes or maybe yet, a ladder then also.  Who knows.  Fred and I figured out where the fires would have been to stay warm on a cool night.  One would be protected during storms but I seriously doubt it would be a good hurricane hideaway based on how close it was to the shore.  I would think a surge would pull one out to sea.  It wouldn’t be my choice of a hurricane hole anyway.  We searched the walls of the cave for carvings and names etched in hundreds of years ago but never found anything.  Maybe the tides wore them down.  There were hints of people trying to make their own marks but they were definitely too recent to belong to the days of the pirates.  In any case, it was worth the hunt.  We climbed the ladder to the daylight above and were instantly exposed to the beauty of the blues of the seas surrounding the rough rocks and small shrubs covering the island.  I felt like a pirate myself and the environment sucked me right into the era of the day.  Nothing seemed disturbed since the last pirate stood there where I was standing at that moment.  I still was not convinced there were no etchings or names left behind so as any curious soul would do, I went exploring.  There it was, the first etching, then another and another.  They were everywhere.  “Those poor pirates”, I thought “nothing to do but carve something into the limestone while they waited for their bounty ship to dare pass within their view.  One even told of a ship burning at sea and I couldn’t help but wonder how many made it off that ship and onto this rock.  One did anyway.  The proof was there at my feet.  I wandered until I had a hair brain idea to see if I could get a picture of the Osprey at the end of the rock, which it was named for.  Fred, probably thinking I still hadn’t come to my senses yet, and he was right, watched as I wandered to the point where the nest was.  I didn’t know if they would attack me or not for getting too close but I was willing to take the chance because I wanted a picture of her and her two little ones.  I got it, decided I was as close as she felt comfortable with me , snapped the camera a few times and turned around and headed back, but not without thanking her for the pose, along with thanking God for the most amazing rare opportunity.  I do hope to post pictures of this. Nothing like yesterdays short hike but something I will never forget.  Oh, one more note of interest...I didn’t see any Haitians but did run into another couple who happened upon us by accident.  They didn’t even know about the cave.  We are planning on leaving tomorrow (you know how plans go) but heading to Ambergist Cay, staying overnight then heading to Sand Cay, and may or may not stay the night, weather permitting, and head on to Luperon.  No internet after this until Luperon.  I am so glad I came on this trip with Fred.  Time to go into town to immigrations , give them the $50.00 to leave and meet with s/v “Island Girl”, who we will be traveling with tomorrow.  I love you all!