We (I) got up late this morning...Debbie had been awake for a long while apparently laying in her bed playing games on her iTouch. We skipped our walk and went directly to coffee and toast and went over the list for today's adventure. We were to return the car today but decided to see if they would make us a deal to keep "squeaky" for the week so we could continue on our adventure quests. It had really been fun having the car even if Debbie does cuss at it when it squeaks.
We have the Arikok National Park, Ayo Rock Formations & Indian Markings, The Donkey Sanctuary, Natural Bridge on our lists of things to see and we want to find Madam Janette's before Friday since we are going to drive there for dinner. Now what order we find or do these things will be determined by what we find first. We have maps in hand, water bottles and we are off to take "squeaky" for a road trip but first we must negotiate to keep her until Saturday. We went to the Occidental Grand where they have a satellite office and wait in line to speak with the agent. Debbie puts on her best hard sell to get a reduced rate but basically the best they would do is a $20 discount so we did our best and in the end agreed to the terms to return it there on Saturday. We head out Bricknell which is the only street we know besides L G Smith Blvd past all the familiar sights toward Noord where we will hang a right and do our best to find some of the places on our list.
This island is so vastly different from one side to the other. The hotels make it look like a lush jungle of beautiful palms and gorgeous flowers against the most vivid blue green ocean with white, white sand. Add in the tropical birds in cages along the beaches in the hotel properties and you have a tropical paradise. It is not as it appears if you leave the hotel areas. It comes close to being an atoll with the massive coral rocks and boulders and there is more huge cacti here than you will find in the desert of the southwest United States! It it very arid and today it is very, very hot. We are again driving around on dirt roads trying to find a sign of anything we have on our list. We are sitting at yet another crossroads with no roadsigns and a car pulls up next to us. A woman is driving with two men in the car. They ask if we are lost (ummm I wonder how they got that idea?) and we tell them we are looking for the Ayo Rock Formations. They try to explain and then say "just follow us". I guess they could have been leading us to slaughter but we trusted and they delivered so we gave them money for gas (it was not just a few blocks from where we ran into them) and they left.
When we pulled up here Debbie said "you aren't going to make me climb up there are you?" "Are you crazy I asked?" Debbie was the first one to start climbing and I followed. Reminded me of the Baths at Virgin Gorda under and over boulders until we got to the top. There is nothing up there to hold onto and the wind was blowing what seemed like hurricane force. I could barely keep my balance! Getting down was as much fun as going up....dammit Debbie! While looking for the park below we passed the blue house with the fence that is pencils...look closely as it is very cute and detailed. It was a day care center. Then we passed the guy with the machete...yikes! Debbie refused to look at him as we drove by and I took the picture. We then finally found the Donkey Sanctuary.
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| That's a machete! |
This place is a privately funded refuge for donkeys. They were very friendly and wanted attention and to be fed. Amazing to watch them eat cactus.
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