Paradise Roques

Although we were confined to only one island in the Roques Cays in our 2 day stay this did not stop us from maximising our time.

We spent hours walking through the tiny nooks of streets in bare feet just happy to feel the sand between our toes. We climbed to an old fort, tried local ice cream (YUM) and floated in the crystal water around the boat.

We watched the hundreds of Pelicans wheel and dive into the ocean catching fish and, let me say, grace is not one of their qualities. Looking as though they are splatting the water head first and then fitting whilst they, half spluttering, drag their drenched bodies around may be effective in catching fish but certainly isn't a sight of elegance.

Time passed in a lazy Sunday afternoon way and was reflected by the way the population go about their tasks. An island of mañana was proven when we saw half a dozen young guys spend an entire work day creating some outstanding graffiti on the main stage wall of the town plaza. Moving and laughing without a care in the world. This attitude suited us perfectly, a little too perfectly as we only had 2 days to explore.

It was with force that we made ourselves go out in our little dingy (that we have named Crocito, that's little croc) to a lone rock that jutted out slightly from the main land to snorkel. It didn't look like much at all and from the surface we could see no reefs but hey, we were there so we thought we'd give it a go. And boy are we glad we did it proved, to date, to be the best water-life either of us had ever seen and once again made us so thankfully to have our underwater camera! The abundance of fish seemed surreal and more like I was watching a David Attenborough show than living it in reality. Hundreds of luminous blue fish swam past in schools whilst barracudas wove their way in between giant 2 ft rainbow fish. Sting rays, coral reef, jellyfish and ones every shade of the rainbow danced around us it was, in a word, amazing.

We ending our stay at a little Pizza restaurant, eating at our table in the dark street after a power cut with a candle flickering in the slight breeze and listening to Spanish guitar music floating down the street. The class and purity of the night was almost too much for us boaty types so it was thankfully drawn back into a more manageable level when Jarvis got a local beer to finish his meal that displayed a skimpy bikini clad beauty on it. Ahhh nothing like a hottie on a beer to bring the night to a close.

As we sailed away the next morning to head for Bonaire we saw a local charter boat called 'Paradiso Roques' which I think pretty much sums up our time there... Paradise does indeed rock!

Tia and Jarvis, Over and Out!