Times of the Islands Summer 2022

and the wonderful East Bay Resort staff had taken us to our planned campsite
where we had cached food and provisions for our arrival. This proved to be
a Godsend, as we could carry light packs during the day yet still have a feast
once we arrived.
The beaches of East Caicos seemed never-ending and with daylight falling
and five miles to go, we kitted up with head torches and pushed on. Deep
sand, rocky outcrops, wading through waist-deep surf in the dark, brought us
closer to camp and we finally made it a few hours after sunset. The beach fire,
warm food, and a comfortable tent made it feel more luxurious than Parrot
Cay—at least our aching feet and bodies certainly thought so!
From top: Someone from every island community signed the TCI National Flag—shown here
is Salt Cay District Commissioner Almaida Wilson.
When tired enough, a beach fire, warm food, and a comfortable tent can feel more luxurious
than an upscale room at Parrot Cay!
Day five
Awakening to hot coffee and the best
sunrise ever, we were aware that we
were only halfway along the coast
of East Caicos, our next stop would
be South Caicos, and getting there
would involve 20 miles of hiking and
another four water crossings.
Most folks believe East Caicos is
next to South Caicos.However, in
between are three cays (McCartney,
Plandon and Middle Creek) and each
one needed to be traversed. They are
predominantly thick bush, trees, and
deep sand beaches. Again, time and
sunset would be our nemesis today.
Going was slow, as walking the
ironshore of East Caicos was time-consuming
as we constantly zig-zagged
around large rocks and boulders. We
had limited water supply with no refill
until South Caicos. The hours ticked
by but the miles kept falling and we
eventually crossed all the cays despite
nearly getting swept out to sea at one
point.
Wading across the last water
crossing at sunset was magical (albeit
unplanned) and again Merinda captured
the moment by drone. Once
again East Bay Resort came through
with transport back to the hotel where
local dignitaries were waiting to discuss
the next day’s community walk.
Still on an adrenaline high, I packed
my kit into the vehicle and made the
eight-mile run to the resort alone.
That night we reveled in the hospitality
of East Bay Resort and readied
ourselves for the next day when we
would hang up our boots and start
our ocean adventure!
Day six
The 4:30 AM alarm never sounded
so loud! But just 30 minutes later
we were up and looking to prep our
trusty rowboat for its maiden voyage.
Joining us for this stage was
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