Sunday, August 9

Ram Head Trail

Up after sleeping in a little bit we both got up and I got the coffee pot going quickly. Something isn't right with the day if I don't get my coffee. We headed out of the house, dropped off some rat cages we'd picked up at Island Fancy on Friday, and went down Centerline, past Coral Bay, and into the Ram Head parking area. The parking area could be considered small, but to me, it was just right. Any more cars and the trails or beach area might end up getting too crowded. The trail led us straight to the beach. We picked up a few pieces of beautiful sea glass right away and then wandered over to the salt pond, where we harvested a few large chunks of sea salt. If you've ever made rock candy using string and a mason jar, the way the sugar crystallizes on the string is just how the salt looked sitting on the shore in large clumps. The pieces I got were about the size of walnuts, or slightly bigger. The water in the salt pond is brownish from a distance. Close-up, the water is almost pinkish near the shore, and browner towards the center. As a habitat for many island birds, the viewing is great here, especially if you are lucky enough to have a telephoto lens or a pair of binoculars. The trail is just a few feet from the pond and is bordered by prickly cactus, either dildo, prickly pear, or turks, and of course, other species of cactus I haven't figured out how to identify yet. Of course, we enjoyed a few bites of cactus candy, which were delicious.

After collecting salt and sea glass near the salt pond and Salt Pond Bay, we headed down Ram Head Trail. The arid trail crosses reddish and iron-rich soil, large pebbly and sand-free beaches, ragged cliffs, and steep drop-offs. After pausing along the way to snap photos of hazards and risks I wanted to include in my assessment, we did make it to the end of the trail, a 200 ft. drop into the open Atlantic. The wind howled through our hair, whistling past our ears. Kevin and I both almost lots our hats with the gusts of wind. It felt cool to have the breeze dry our sweat from climbing to the great views of the eastern side of St. John. We settled onto a few rocks and ate our snacks of granola and dried fruits. I scurried off to find a place to unload the morning coffee. I made a small miscalculation and stood atop a rather unstable rock. The rock moved beneath my feet and I quickly felt my right shin scrape a rock face. This is not a good place to get hurt I reminded myself. My left ankle burned with pain and I looked down to see blood on the inside left ankle right over my pre-existing scar from a rock-climbing fall last winter. Awesome. I stopped to see what and where I could move next to avoid slipping further and dislodging any more rocks. On the right shin, I got a nice scrape/abrasion. On my right ankle, one small abrasion and a mild ankle sprain. While I did have the first aid kit handy, nothing was really bad enough to warrant immediate first aid.

On the way back to the car, we stopped at Drunk Bay, which brought a most delightful surprise. The coral people art is wild and amazing. Visitors to this spot have spent a great deal of time creating something very entertaining for future visitors to the area. There are rocks, corals, coconut shells, trash, wood, and other natural items sculpted into people and animals and objects. There are easily several hundred pieces of art. I snagged as many photos as I could to capture the scenery. Waves broke over the rocky shore as we watched, mesmerized. If you make it out there, you've got to make your own coral person or thing. With each visitor, there is more art. Unfortunately, I didn't know that the coral people are made by visitors, so Kevin and I didn't make our own sculptures. Next time I visit, I'll have to make three (two for me, one for Kevin).

We also stopped in Concordia on the way back to the car. The ruins were cool to see and add to my list of assessments. Back at the car, we headed for Coral Bay. Next stop, AquaBistro for a cheeseburger. There is nothing like a long hike to make the tumbly go all rumbly. I am not sure if it would have made a difference what I ordered; it tasted like heaven. After refreshing ourselves with hydration and food, we perused the nearby market. True to what I anticipated, there wasn't anything I couldn't live without. I did see a can of chocolate flavored Nutriment that I thought about getting; it's basically skim milk supercharged with protein and vitamins. For a recharge after a workout, I may try a can in the near future.

We scooted over to Jolly Dog Trading Co. and Skinny Legs after lunch. I love the islands. We stopped into the tourist-aimed shop as a novelty stop while Kevin's here, and we ended up talking to the store attendant for close to an hour. I love seeing the same people over and over again, and even better, seeing them and knowing their names, and having them recognize me, too. It makes me feel more at home, a place where I feel like I belong. While talking to Carla, she told me about Shannon Sterling, the jeweler that makes the original St. John Fisherman's Hook Bracelet. The hook bracelet is huge here in the caribbean, with just about every jewelry store selling them. They are made on the distant shores of the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and other places. I don't mind buying imports, but I'd much rather support a local business. I'd also prefer not to have the poor quality bracelet that is mass produced elsewhere. I got talking with Carl and realized Shannon Sterling makes all of her bracelets here in St. John, which are available for purchase at Turquoise Turtle at Wharfside Village in Cruz Bay.

Clearly, that should be our next stop! Kevin agreed we would need to stop in at Turquoise Turtle, if I did in fact want a unique and locally made hook bracelet. I'm not huge on jewelry. In fact, I own enough pieces I could hold them in a single closed fist. So, if I'm going to splurge so I can slip on something silver or gold, I'd like to know I'm going to actually wear it, know a little bit about the piece, and feel a little happier each time I see it against my skin. Before going over to the Turquoise Turtle and still partially exhausted from a morning full of activity, we stopped at home to get copies of my divemaster information for the dive shop, now that I'm an official person there! We went into the shop, I copied my information for my files there, and found a new pair of closed-heel fins. I have been wearing my cold-weather booties and fins and quite frankly, it makes me look a little strange down here. I happily picked up a pair of new fins and then Kevin and I stopped at The Beach Bar... it's JAZZ night! A Bushwhacker for me, Dark & Stormy for Kevin. Mmm. I think when Mom visits, she will have to try the bushwhacker. It's a milkshake for adults, if I haven't covered this before- and it's darn delicious. After a round of drinks, we decided to leave, with the hope that I'd go home and work on some writing while Kevin read some of his book by Nevada Barr he's been reading this week. I do believe we got about 20 feet away from the bar before the plans changed. Turquoise Turtle! I leaned over the counter and started talking to Will about the bracelets, a beautiful collection of sea glass necklaces, the island, and more. I had no idea how rare different colors of sea glass are- orange and black are quite rare. Brown and green (almost entirely what I find...) are much more common. Blue is a little less common, but not as special as orange and red. I think mom would like one of the necklaces, especially one of the ones with teal glass. I found a bracelet that was quite perfect as I slipped it over my wrist. Yay! I happily took the local discount and let Kevin stew over whether he wanted a bracelet, too. Kevin also got one. Now he has a nice piece of the Caribbean to take with him, wherever he goes.

We stopped across the road to say hi to Slim Man, as I love to do whenever passing through Wharfside Village. The jazz was still going strong, so Kevin and I, after being prompted by Slim, returned to The Beach Bar to listen to more jazz. The empty chairs drew us in and I settled into a tasty bottle of Tropical Mango while Kevin ordered the Lime & Coconut. If you could imagine a key lime puree with alcohol, that's how I'd describe a Lime & Coconut. It's heaven in a solo cup. I'm getting one for myself next time I go there!

Eventually the jazz came to an end and we settled up the tab before going back home. We enjoyed Happy Fish leftovers, which were happy in our stomachs. After spending all day walking on my ankle, it seems as though I have a mild to moderate ankle sprain. There is some light bruising and definitely some major pain, but not too much in the way of reduced CSM's or anything out of the ordinary. It wasn't until after dinner that I finally iced the ankle and downed a few motrin tablets.

Tomorrow, I think we will go towards Trunk Bay, where I'll do an assessment at Jumbie and Peace Hill and Denis Bay. I've got plans to stop in the office and catch up on some paperwork since on Friday, I was virtually e-mail and internet free and have been since then.