14 January 2009

Today was an adventure indeed. After waking up and checking out of what was our home for the week, we picked up my new bike (an Electra Townie, 21spd, white) loaded it in our car, and drove to our new home. There, we quickly ditched the bike and went to meet our friends Dale and Amber at their house before heading off to the beach. Unfortunately, my navigating skills took us to Nevis Place instead of Ben Nevis Place, so we were about half an hour late. From their place, we drove through winding country roads covered in sheep, cows, and horses before arriving at the beach. We feasted on roasted chicken an veggies while waiting for the tide to recede enough to expose a path between the mainland and an island about a kilometer out to sea. When we finally set out, we were all well-fed, lathered in sunscreen, and excited by the prospect of the sand-dollars which are said to hide in the warm sand.
However, the trek wasn’t as simple as expected. We had to cross long stretches of lichen-covered rock which were very slippery. I fell twice, each time letting out a loud “WHOOP!” Dale thought the beach should be re-named “Whoop Beach” because of my antics.
Once we reached the uninhabited island, we followed a set of stairs to the plateau. There, instead of lush greenery and a great view, we found thick, sharp grasses, thistle bushes and spider webs. Nonetheless, we braved the jungle in an attempt to cross to the other side. We were disappointed to be halted by a dead-end, and in our bathing suits and flip-flops, there was no possibility of bush-whacking.
On the way back to the beach, we checked out a marooned and abandoned boat named “Orca,” and picked up half a dozen sand-dollars. I opted to walk closer to the water to avoid the deadly lichen, and it occurred to me that the waves, the sun, the sand, it all reminded me of one of the happiest times of my life: my honeymoon. I always speak of it as a magical time where Brandon and I did nothing but enjoy ourselves. Of course, this is no honeymoon. But the fact that such a beautiful place is so close to what is now our home makes me so grateful to be here. I hope that ocean views and sandy beaches never become commonplace in my life. If they do, I guess it’ll be time to move on.
Wish you were here!