Virgin Gorda, The Baths

When the Red Cross confirmed they wanted me to come and deliver courses here in the British Virgin Islands I knew virtually nothing about them. As the itinerary for this trip began to take shape I noticed one place that really struck a chord, somewhere that looked magical and that I hoped I'd be lucky enough to visit.
The trip is pretty full on. I'm instructing every day and travelling every couple with a lot of equipment. But as the courses are intended for locals we've tried to be flexible with the hours - I'm quite shocked employers haven't shown more goodwill, but that's how it is. So today's session has been 16.00 to 22.00 (the red cross kindly provide a meal for participants). Which meant I could go exploring.

There's simply no way in pictures that I can do justice to how spectacular the Baths are. Huge granite boulders tumble down to the sea creating a wonderful playground and maze. Formed 70million years ago and eroded and shaped by the strong currents of the forming Caribbean Sea and the Trade Winds, they are a natural wonder.
There's a tourist trail with wooden walkways but even then there are places you need to crawl - but regular readers will be unsurprised to know that I went for a clamber (my knees will attest to the high quartz content) and largely made my own way.
Every so often there are the most amazing little sandy beaches, rich in the minerals washed out of the rocks, the sea full of life. Sunlight sends shafts of light glinting downwards highlighting patterns in the rocks, the golden sand is covered with the tracks of Racer snakes, the sea iridescent. It's simply magical.
A picture really can't convey scale. The large shot in extras is roughly 80ft high, I could have walked through the hole in the rocks with ease, as it was I crawled through a little tunnel, crabs running in front of me.
Clearly though its a potentially dangerous place. A fall here would have hugely serious consequences, talking with the local rescue team this evening they usually float a casualty out to sea as extraction is so difficult.
I had a long play and then a Snooze in the shade.