A Tale of Two Chemists: Guests arrive

Guests arrive ... Tuesday March 12^th and Wednesday March 13^th 2013

Tuesday morning was spent cooking a beef casserole and key lime pie. In the afternoon, Mike went to Georgetown in the dinghy. Having survived three flights and two transfers, Rod and Sue arrived (along with their luggage). The dinghy ride back from Georgetown was pretty rough, judging by the wetness of Sue’s clothes. We spent a nice hour in the cockpit watching the sunset and then had dinner. Soon after the dishes were done, boaters midnight arrived and we all staggered to bed.

This morning we found some near by coral heads and did a little snorkeling. The clarity of the water wasn’t great possibly because of strong winds earlier in the week. In the afternoon we landed on ‘Sand Dollar Beach’ for a walk. After our walk we zipped over to the Chat ‘n Chill for and drink and some conch salad. To our amazement we saw people standing in the water, stroking stingrays (at least that’s what it seemed like). There were three rays in the water and people (including young children) very near to them. I asked the chap at the conch stand why the rays would hang around people. He explained that the rays get fed the conch scraps. Apparently they return each day to be fed and have become accustomed to the presence of people. The conch salad was delicious. The setting was fantastic. We enjoyed a relaxing hour watching the antics of patrons. Now we are all fed (ratatouille and pork) and showered. The wind has died off in advance of the cold front that will arrive over night. Tomorrow promises to be a very different day ...

Gloria

And our next career is …

We always envisaged that during the trip some flash of inspiration would come to us about what careers we would pursue after we get back. Well it hasn't happened yet and for those of you that are inclined to comment, we are open to suggestions! Whilst there have been no great revelations about what we should do, it has become very clear that there are some things we just don't have the aptitude for ... specifically becoming a professional angler / fishing guide. Today we set a record - for the smallest fish ever caught on a hook and line. This sad experience involved foul hooking a minnow that was significantly smaller than the hook (see photo below) and probably weighed about one gram. It was pretty too - a real shame. It was always going to be a tough location to fish, casting off the rocks into the swirling mass of rocks and surf below. Having lost two lures and robbed a baby fish of it's future We decided to give up for the day and enjoy the walk along the cliff top and subsequent trip to the "Chat and Chill" bar.

Mike