Down Island Trip, Day 2!

Hello everyone!!!

Fiona and Hannah here; reporting live from Eleuthera. Today was an adventure-packed day as we finished our trip down island.

We woke up this morning after a long night of heavy rain- made especially loud in our three person tent. Luckily, our tent was in perfect condition and kept us very dry the whole night! After waking up at 7 this morning (a little bit later than our usual 6:30 AM) we gathered around and ate cereal with soy milk after packing our tents, which were covered in sand. Both of us (a first time camper, Hannah, and an OL leader, Fiona) found the sand an uncomfortable bed to sleep on but overall had a really great time.

We survived the rainy night and woke up to this view!

We got in the vans and drove for a few minutes before getting to our first stop, The Queen’s Bath. With little information about what we would be experiencing, we got out of the vans and struggled to walk across the ‘death rock’ in flip flops. The short but difficult trek was worth it in the end when we saw the enormous waves of the Atlantic Ocean breaking against the cliffs we were standing on.

The walk down to the Queen's Baths

Next we saw the Glass Window Bridge, a well-known tourist attraction in Eleuthera because you can see the calm turquoise waters of the Exuma Sound on one side and the rough, dark blue waters of the Atlantic on the other. The contrast between the two was spectacular and definitely a sight to remember for the rest of our lives. #blessed.

Can you tell the difference between the two bodies of water on either side of us?

From there we headed down the road to Preacher’s Cave, the place where the ‘Eleutheran Adventurers,’ led by William Sayle, took refuge in 1648 after fleeing religious persecution in Bermuda. The cave is of great religious importance to Eleuthera as Sayle often used it to hold sermons. Sayle also named the island ‘Eleuthera’ after the Greek word ‘eleutheros’ which means freedom.

Preacher's Cave

Back in the vans, we made our way to what Liz claimed to be the best beach in the world- but one we would have to walk for 45 minutes to get to. Drudgingly we got out of the vans and put on our swimsuits and plenty of sunscreen in preparation for the hike. We were pleasantly surprised when Liz called out that we were there after only 3 minutes. What we saw was not a beach but rather an amazing ‘blue hole’- a deep underwater cave created just after the Ice Age by rising and falling sea levels. We lined up and each made the 25-foot jump into the clear blue water of the hole, then put on our masks and snorkels so we could explore further. Tiny red shrimp and little crabs were the only animals we could see on the top, but blue holes are famous for holding the remains of past life, which made the experience even cooler! Cold water made for a short swim and we climbed out to head back to the vans.

Snorkeling in the blue hole after our jump!

We then stopped in Gregory Town to have a lunch consisting of peanut butter and jelly and pasta salad before heading off to our next destination. After an hour in the vans, we stopped at a grocery store to get snacks and go to a beach called ‘Sea Glass Beach.’ We explored briefly and found some beautiful pieces of sea glass and shells to bring home. Afterwards, we got back in the vans and made the trip back down to the whale tail we have called home for the past week and a half.

The cove in the center of Gregory Town

Thankfully, we showered almost immediately after we got back as well as cleaned up our gear and the vans. Tonight will be an early night for all of us because we have the infamous run-swim tomorrow morning!


Bye for now! – Fiona and Hannah