I slept in until about 6:30 this morning, then tiptoed around gathering my film gear to go out and enjoy some pinhole photography.
Pinhole in the wild - shooting the lagoon from our deck.
I finished a roll of film in the P.120 and started one in the Kodak Hawkeye before it was time for breakfast. D and I enjoyed some coffee for a bit, then I collected G and we headed over to Bizot for breakfast.
A couple of families had checked in during the day yesterday, so breakfast was more populated and slightly more lively. We also determined that there must be some kind of system with notes on the guests, as different waiters/waitresses know our previous orders and also approach the table saying "I already know about your allergies."
I ordered the plantain/peanut porridge again, along with steamed callaloo and roasted tomato for a bit of savory flavor. The veggies were filling enough that I don't think I'd really need the porridge next time. Fresh coconut water and coffee round out the large breakfast.
After breakfast, G and I wandered the grounds with our film cameras and I ran through a couple more rolls, taking advantage of the Button Beach area while it was empty. The water in Snorkler's Cove was calm and inviting, and G hadn't used her underwater camera yet, so we headed back to the room to cover up with sunscreen and head out for a swim. I was surprised to see no other people in the cove when we arrived. We picked a couple chairs which were partially shaded, put down our gear, and headed into the water.
I should have been more disturbed by this "water centipede" than I am. What is this?
Along the edge of the water, both in the lagoon and the cove, are thousands of these tiny fish.
THOUSANDS.
This fish looks solid blue with the naked eye, but the camera captured the Avatar-like lighter blue dots on its nose and back.
Just beyond the cove the ocean opens to some amazing coral structures completely filled with a massive variety of fish
Can you see the fish next to the tentacle-like seaweed? The coloring on the fish reminded me of Eric Carle illustrations, which I find intriguing.
Here is the same fish (with a buddy) away from the seaweed, where it stands out better.
I could pretty much point the camera at any coral structure and grab a photo of a variety of fish.
After about a half an hour in the slightly bumpy ocean water, we settled back in on the chairs to dry off.
My view of the cove from the chairs.
G - "There will be no sunburns on this trip!"
The salt water does a number on G's hair, and although they have freshwater showers to rinse off, her hair still felt too sticky, so we swam in the pool for a bit, then rinsed again, and dried off before heading to lunch at Bizot.
Swimming makes Red Stripe taste better. I had the peanut/red bean soup and a side of fries today.
After lunch we showered off the remaining ocean feeling and relaxed around the cottage for a bit.
My view as I backed up my photos at the table on our deck.
I had a bit of work to take care of, then headed out again to capture a few more pinhole photos of the lagoon area. The lighting looked good out at the main beach where the lagoon meets the ocean, so I spent some time working on photos out that way. As it was the hottest part of the day, I headed back to the cottage to cool down. Now I realize why they provide us with fresh towels twice a day, we could take five showers a day and not run out of fresh towels.
Tomorrow we plan to switch to a slightly larger cottage on the beach for a change of view, so I thought I'd take advantage of the personal kayak while I can, and I went out to take a few laps around the lagoon.
With each lap, I'd stop and say hello to G and D. Here is G from the bedroom doors of the cottage.
While we've been told that it is possible to tour Ian Fleming's house as long as it is unoccupied, I have not yet found out if that will be possible on our trip. So, since I had the kayak, and the water seemed relatively calm, I decided to paddle out of the lagoon to the ocean and take a quick peek at Fleming Beach.
It looks pretty calm out there in the open ocean. No problem.
Fleming Beach is just outside of the lagoon. There are several large coral structures in the water which made me hesitant to paddle any closer, as I didn't want to run aground or hit anything important with my paddle.
Once I snapped a few photos, the water picked up into a series of small waves. I turned to face them and bounced over them with no trouble as I paddled back to face the entrance of the lagoon. I picked a poor spot to turn, however, as I was directly in line with a shallow spot. As I turned toward the lagoon a small wave hit the coral, crested, and splashed right over the edge of the kayak. I was in no danger of tipping, but I did end up with a fresh dose of seawater from the elbows down, which meant another shower before dinner.
After cleaning up, and taking some more time to edit a few photos, we made our way down to Bizot for dinner. I had hoped to capture the sunset before dinner, but we arrived about 5 minutes too late, so I made a note of the time for next time. The staff had set tables out more by the sea wall for dinner tonight, so G and I picked a spot while D was engaged in a game of dominoes at the bar.
My drink: Black Passion - Blackwell rum, passion fruit juice and fresh orange juice. I prefer this over the Goldeneye drink because it is less sweet.
Looking back to the bar. There were actually several tables filled with people tonight, but they all opted for outdoor seating so the place looked empty.
Dinner - grilled lobster and callaloo (the dish is normally served with fried zucchini, however I can't eat the batter on it, so they gave me my favorite veggie instead.
After dinner I stayed up in the "tent" long enough to work through our snorkeling pictures, then turned in for the night.
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