April 10- 24: Sampson Cay to Shroud Cay

"You're in the scene, not just watching it anymore and the sense of presence is overwhelming."  Robert M. Pirsig

As you approach the Exuma islands, called Cays, the first thing you notice is the four shades of blue water, each signifying a different depth, from dark, dark blue to irridescent aqua.  Rising above the water are what appear to be pebbles discarded by a giant but are really a series of small islands, some inhabited, some not.  Each set of cays is more marvelous than the one before and each has a special feature or characteristic that make them distinctive despite their initial similarity of appearance.  Our schedule was purposely indefinite and we realized that we were not just viewing the scenery; we were part of the scenery.  We were in paradise...

As we entered the harbor that led to the Sampson Cay Marina, we could not believe our eyes.  The Cay was studded with many beautiful flowers and small stone cottages were set here and there.  The forward most building was clearly an office and ship's store and beside it was a small restaurant and bar.   After marinas that did not even offer shore showers, motoring into Sampson Cay Marina was akin to Shangri-La.  Not only were the marina buildings lovely, but the Cay offered white sand beaches, without current, where we could actually swim; little pavilions with comfy chairs designed for ocean gazing and completely exposed sandbars at low tide, perfect for finding lovely shells.  It had the nicest laundry and shore shower that we had seen.  At its little restaurant, we had the best meal we had eaten in the Bahamas:  Sampson lobster.  What a treat!  If we had to be in a hidey hole to avoide gale force winds, this was the one to be in.  Every day was an adventure with snorkeling, shelling and even attempted spear fishing.  We would quickly go back if offered the chance.

Cambridge Cay, one of the islands in the Exuma Land and Sea Park, where we hooked to a mooring ball was equally wonderful.  The Cay was uninhabited so we kept all activities to the boat, except for Murphy's morning and evening trips ashore and our own snorkeling. One evening we discovered a path that crossed the island and led to a marvelous beach with an imposing rock that reminded us of Arches National Park in Utah for it had an arch of its own. One morning, we took a very long dink ride to see the Sea Acquarium.  Despite strong current and high waves, we snorkeled this amazing reef with it many varities of fish and corals that defied the color pallet.  Were they purple or magenta or lavendar or burgundy? 

Next we next journed to Big Majors, famous for its caves and feral pigs who often swam out to anchored boats for a treat.  We hoped we were far enough off-shore to discourage this activity; we had no idea how Murphy would react.  Our visit to Fowl Cay was precipitated by plans for a gourmet dinner at the Royal Plantation Resort, one of two in the Sandals chain of resorts.  With a dozen other guests, we enjoyed the hilltop view while drinking tropical fruit drinks and eating conch fritters.  Dinner was a lovely snapper followed by a chocolate bundt cake with guava sauce.  We returned to Llyrical under bright stars and a crescent moon.

From Big Majors, we headed for Compass Cay, to ride out another strong wind and took up residence in their unique marina, decorated with folk art, much left from cruisers featuring their boat name or crew.  The marina did have a shower but it was not working and it had a laundry, complete with biting insects.  It was quaint throughout and even had six pet nurse sharks that cruisers could swim with; we resisted the urge.  We did walk to its beach--reputedly the most beautiful in the Bahamas for more snorkeling and spear fishing.  It was quite a hike and we were both weary the following day when we returned to Warderick Wells and a mooring ball. 

We got there just in time for a Happy Hour to celebrate Earth Day.  We dinked to the beach with our a margaritas, chips and salsa and met a number of other cruisers.  We were sad to see that the German travelers, who we had met the day before at Compass Cay did not attend the party.  We had enjoyed their company and would have liked to get to know them better. 

From Warderick Wells, we headed north to Shroud Cay where we hooked a mooring and where we took the dink through the mangrove "forest" to reach the eastern side of the Cay and its beautiful vistas of the Atlantic.  Most of the "interior" of the Cay is a wetland with both kayak and dink streams running through it.  All travelers are cautioned to proceed only at high tide to avoid being stuck and unable to get back.  The views of the Atlantic afforded by this "float" were spectacular.

Or two and a half weeks exploring the islands of the Exumas were enjoyable for many other reasons, as well:  we had no sense of time--rarely did we know the day of the week; our activities were guided by the sun and the wind; we had lots of time to read, to chat and to experience the environment.  We were able to do all this on Llyrical, a boat we both love, and with Murphy, our beloved Terrier.  It was simply a magical time.  We were privileged to experience it.  sandra