After getting oriented - and stopping at a few boutiques and a grocery store - we set off on foot for Mount Pleasant. It was very hot out, so some of the crew peeled off for the beach while the rest of us toiled upward.
We were rewarded with excellent views:
We saw quite a few goats as well:
A wall with conch shells:
Eventually, we headed down and rejoined the others, making our way to (I believe) the southern edge of Princess Margaret Bay. By that time, we had finished much of our water and were thrilled to throw ourselves into the cooling waves.
It was a somewhat small and secluded beach, with abundant sea glass and waves that were strong enough to ride in to the shore. There was also a tree with a warning notice on it - apparently its leaves, bark and fruit are toxic to the touch.
From Carribean Magazine:
Manchineel Avoid contact with Manchineel trees orfruit.The fruit, commonly known as Manchineel Apples, since they look and smell just like small apples, are very poisonous and sap from the tree and fruit blisters the skin. Therefore, if it is raining, be sure that the tree you are sheltering under is not a manchineel, as drops of rain falling off can still produce the same unpleasant effect.
After that, we took a taxi to a cafe near the turtle sanctuary. (It felt a lot like an out-of-season hayride as we bounced along.) The cafe featured a limited menu and slow service in a spectacularly beautiful location. But the fries were good!!
I wasn't sure what kind of fruit this was - it was bright red and grew in bunches on a palm. A search online suggests it might be the cocorite, which is apparently "a palm fruit ... with a light, sweet taste" according to the ABCs of Carribean Fruits and Vegetables by Julia E. Antoine.
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| Cocorite |
The walk to the turtle sanctuary was actually a little longer than we expected, but the views were nice.
The turtle sanctuary was basically just a big open-air shed, which I suppose is fine in that climate. The turtles were all in really big uncovered buckets or tubs. There was no glass in sight, and certainly nothing as high-tech as an enclosed aquarium.
The baby turtles were just a few inches long, and I so wanted to touch them! But the signs expressly instructed us not to do this.
Luckily, the bigger ones were fair game... Although the keeper suggested we be careful not to allow our fingers near the turtles' mouths, at least the carniverous ones. (I saw some of the teenagers, one nipping another's tail a bit aggressively, so I'm inclined to heed the warning.)
The guys in the largest pool were a lot safer because they were herbivores
After this, we made our way back to the ship.
2 comments:
The lady with toddler (rear view) wearing the hat looks like you, but the hat seems to appear on another lady at the largest turtle pool ?
Bill.
Hi Bill, the rumors of a hat transfer have been greatly exaggerated. That's my sister-in-law in both pictures! I'm sure if you saw us side by side you'd be able to pick me out of the line-up, if only based on height. ;) LLS
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