The view from the Bad Kitty boat
The time was about 8:45am when I finally boarded the Bad Kitty for the day trip to BVI. As a black woman I noticed I was the only one until I saw another lady walk up and join the group. Bingo! We immediately gravitated towards one another and the rest is history.
Aboard the speedboat we received history lessons about the tiny islands we passed. About 45 minutes later we arrived in Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda. Here we were notified that we could purchase waterproof cases for our electronics, or any other items we might need because we would be "swimming" in to the baths. My new friend and I purchased waterproof disposable cameras, used the restroom and saw ourselves back to the boat. The prices were astronomical ($65 for a waterproof phone case). I took a mental note to order a waterproof case from Amazon upon my return home (btw - you can find one for about $10 on the site). However, take a trip with Coconut + Concrete and you'll receive a complimentary waterproof pouch. Smile.
Back onboard we headed for the baths. Stunning to say the least and according to our guide, there's no other place in the world like it except for Seychelles. Now here is where things got a little tricky. I can't swim and neither could the other black girl. Let me pause here for a second and say that there were about 20 people aboard our boat. I remember thinking that we couldn't possibly be the only two who weren't comfortable in water or with swimming in general. Yet here we were; true to the stereotype in every sense. Two black girls who were afraid of the water.
So we strapped our lifejackets on and were the last ones to leave the boat. Everyone else had jumped off (literally!) and were headed towards the shore. We both had a guide to lead us in. Using both hands to hold onto the buoy I kicked my way towards the beach about 60 yards away. Once my feet could feel the bottom I regained my confidence. We would have to make this journey again to return to the boat.
The baths were an amazing sight to see. I'd never experienced anything like it (I've been to caves in Mexico and DR, but this was just different). Using our bare feet we padded our way through a system of rocks and boulders. Climbing and sliding we went through what felt like a maze to reach the other side. Once there, we were delighted by the astounding view of the ocean, the rocks and the colorful fish fluttering by the tips of our toes in the small stream we stood in.
Now, it was time to "swim" back to the boat and head to lunch on Cooper Island.