Chickening Out

This hiking buddy was content to hang out alongside the
hurricane hole marina at Flamingo Bay.  If only he’d joined
me at Fort Segarra with a headlamp!

Note:  We are currently in the Southern Bahamas; this is a bit of a catch-up after an 8-day gap in internet access.  This blog post is about where we were a week ago.

There’s few more sobering considerations than a lack of health insurance, especially when I’m hiking solo.  Yup, I’d heard I should bring a flashlight to check out Water Island’s Flamingo Point viewpoint.  So why a flashlight during daylight to check out Fort Segarra there?

Okay, I forgot to bring the flashlight. 

It didn’t stop me from reveling in the 360 degree view, ranging from Water Island’s own lovely coastline, to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, to St John, St Thomas of the US Virgin Islands and the so-called Spanish Virgins, which are actually out islands of Puerto Rico.

Outer Flamingo Bay – the iguana’s home as the more inland marina.

If only I’d done my research before hiking up to Fort Segarra (click here to learn more about the Fort and Water Island)! I’d bring a flashlight and insist on a hiking buddy.  Instead after creeping in the semidark underground entry hall, I stopped, turned around, took in the viewpoint one more time, and headed back down the hill.  I decided between the loose floorboards with scattered sundry “stuff” and the realization no one would know exactly where I was or consider looking for me before dawn, it was okay to “miss out.”

Flamingo Point Fort Segarra lookout.  St. Thomas is
in the background.

Funny, sailing for hundreds of miles in a small sailboat with days between landfall, often with no one else in sight, is far less scary to me than hiking alone where I think there’s a reasonable likelihood I could hurt myself.

See Mom?  I am careful.  Really!

If you are in the St. Thomas area, do bring a friend, a flashlight and set aside a half day to enjoy Water Island’s trails.  Afterward, enjoy a dip at Honeymoon Beach, or a drink at Heidi’s or Joe’s beach bars if you’re more leisurely.

We sure wish our engine didn’t die before reaching this
sweet anchorage at Honeymoon Bay.

Taking in another viewpoint along the way of my
favorite USVI beach, Honeymoon Bay

Another USVI viewpoint.  This one’s of Magen Bay, from
St. Thomas' Mountaintop.