My turn:-)

Arrived after to find my Dad where he said he'd meet me some 3000 miles from where I started, waiting on the pontoon at Hope Town. I had already been blown away by the truly amazing colours  of the ocean here but to be able to spend the next few days exploring it was just a dream come true.  We headed back to the Kinky Turtle - just have to say how cool it is to her all the way down here on an adventure - dropped off backpack and headed to the beach. We stopped for a coffee - I had iced chai tea - in a lovely coffee shop full of scrummy food. After we felt slightly more alive, we headed to the beach. It's the first time I've been snorkeling but headed straight in without hesitation, could not wait to see what was out there...ish. I had heard mention on the previous blogs of barracuda, nurse sharks and sting rays so was definitely craning my neck around a lot to make sure nothing crept up from behind. Instead I was treated to an array of reef fish without to much effort to look. Dad led the way and I followed until I had I have a break. We sat in the beach amazed at my luck for a first snorkeling sesh. When we asked up the beach I noticed the sand was so fine and soft it felt like flour under foot and when the waves covered it, it left it shiny almost looked like silk. When you walk along the beach you leave a deep footprint  from where you've been. As we headed back to the boat, we called in to Vernon's store for some famous fresh coconut bread. Then dad showed me the two chairs at the end of the road (see earlier blogs) this is a perfect spot to sit and relax or look for shells that have washed up on the shore. I picked one up not realising it still belonged to the occupant, a hermit crab:-) I put him down and watched his slow relaxed journey back up the shore. Just off in the shallows a man was fishing and caught a baby barracuda, he threw it back in after.
The colours of the houses, shops are complimented by the flowers - everything embraces colour and is so vibrant it gives you a happy feeling. As we reached the dinghy I saw my first sting ray glide under the pontoon - don't even need to snorkel and you can see amazing things. Back to the boat, tea, catch up and bed - day 1.
5 Woke up absolutely burnt to a cinder - be warned the sun is crazy hot! I never burn but I did yesterday and still do today.  Dad made me a lovely breakfast of French toast made with the coconut bread and some fresh coffee, had it up on deck and boy was the view good - what a way to start the day. In a kind of lucky way it is overcast which means I don't feel too bad about covering up and dodging along the roads to find shade when needed and also dodging golf carts as there are no cars here. Today consisted of mooching - we stopped at Sugar Shack for some YUM ice cream! Lots of nice gift and stuff to buy in there. I bought a diet coke. We were going to rent a golf cart but didn't get round to it. The wind was picking up and a storm was due. Headed to the beach for a quick dip to calm my amazing new hairstyle that had seemed to take over and turn into a matted bush. Sea tamed the mane of monstrosity and we went further down the beach to a place with a bar and decided to watch the ever impending clouds make their way towards us with a Sands Beer in hand - lovely beer and rather refreshing. Back to the boat and the detoured to go and have a look at the lighthouse. Such a treat to be able to climb to the top and a great opportunity to see all the mechanics of it - especially as it's a working lighthouse.  Then back to the boat then tea, more putting the world to rights and we managed to sneak in a couple of episodes of Only Fools and Horses (classic) before bed - day 2.

Day 2 - night time was when the storm came through, wasn't much but the wind blew, the boat rocked, the lightening rolled around in the sky, the rain came down and we took turns getting up to sort things.

The morning brought with it much of the same weather wise but in daylight.  The rain had stopped and so had the lightening but the wind was still blowing hard. We spent much of the day on the boat lazin' which was a luxury:-) I sat at the bow and read a book. As I read something caught my eye, I couldn't believe it, I slowly moved down the boat and got dad and told him there was a dolphin swimming around the boat - how cool was that! Then another appeared and they played in the wake of little dinghys, it was such a treat. We only went on land for more coconut bread:-) Also a quick dip in the ocean because I could:-) Also helped the hair again.  The wind stayed with us all day and night - day 3.

Today we woke, the wind was settling and this was it a break in the weather so we could move on to explore more. As soon as all was sorted aboard we headed towards Fowl Cay , Dad had said this was a good place to snorkel. The winds were still high  and the waves were rolling but we anchored. Dad set his fancy drift alert thang for the anchor but  the alarm kept going off so  I got my snorkel on and made sure that the anchor was in properly - the water was so clear, the shadow of the boat on the ocean floor and the anchor had taken and all was well.  Quick brunch, then set to getting everything ready. We got in the dinghy and headed to the dive point. Was starting to get concerned by the size of the waves but dad kept trying to reassure me. Saw a nurse shark just off of the dinghy we tried to follow it but it lost us pretty quickly. We kept crashing through the waves to the dive point, hooked up and dad jumped in. I stayed in the boat watching. When dad returned I stuck my head over the side of the dinghy and  could not resist - made dad wait in the boat to keep an eye me incase I got in to trouble  and jumped off the side in to the ocean. Was so nervous to begin with but then  just kind of relaxed and stopped worrying. A Sargent major came up about 30cms from my face - kinda looking at me like  strange but I guess he was probably thinking the same thing;-)  The reef was pretty and colourful and when you turned there was just vast ocean - amazing! Headed back to the dinghy and gracefully got in - not!  Getting in a dinghy in an ocean with biggish waves, flippers on and a slippery side on the dinghy ain't gonna be pretty -  infact slid right in, nearly slipped right the other side but saved myself with mahoosiive nose dive in to the bottom of the dinghy where upon heard dad having a little chuckle  offering to help take my flippers off as I was well and truly stuck!  Once regained composure went to the little beach and looked for shells. Then snorkelled from the beach back to the boat.  We had lunch and then dad came up with the fantastic idea of cleaning the bottom of the boat - what fun! I agreed and we decided one side each. After drinking part of the ocean and banging my head  several times with the waves , I decided my job was done ish! I headed to the back of the boat noticing dad wasn't in the water - apparently he had decided the tool he had wasn't good enough. The kitchen spatula I used worked rather well!!!;-) jobs done we set off towards Guana.  The clouds were starting to roll in but not before a  good spell in the sunshine. However as we sailed towed as the entrance the wind won and yes folks I had to put on a hoodie!!! What!! Picked up a mooring. Watched the last bit if sun fight it's way through the clouds, got togged up for the bar on the beach but then decided to have a looksee in the morning. We started to settle and heard a cry from another boat and sure enough another dolphin was swimming around the boats - just beautiful to watch and how privileged am I ? Two sightings in four days. Went down below deck - both dad and feeling like we should go out but just not loving the cool wind and that when the rain came for a spell, kinds made our minds up for us;-)  - day 4