by Anthony Ciccone

Created on: August 22, 2008   Last Updated: November 24, 2008

Dawn at Smuggler's Cove, Tortola
It's an hour till dawn and you're up. The first thing you notice is the quiet. This time of day is serenity; the world is yours. Slipping silently out the door, the darkness envelops you on this island hillside, two hundred yards from the sea as the bird flies. Being wingless, the pockmarked, rutted, winding path is the only way to reach the water. Palm trees tower overhead. The gentle tropical breeze brushes over you and the intermingled fragrances of countless island flowers fills your head. As dawn approaches, the sounds begin. The early morning chatter of insects is nature's music.

The end of the path is unexpected. The palms open up and there is a hint of light on the horizon. The scent of flowers and the sounds of bugs are replaced by the smells of sand and sea. The sand retains it's night chill, but the warmth is always there. The gentle sound of the surf lapping the beach washes over you. In the next ten minutes, the sun shows itself low in the sky and this small cove becomes paradise. Alone with nature and nothing else, a peacefulness wraps itself around you. Birds begin to work the water, searching for breakfast. Pelicans, at least twenty, circle the sky overhead. They dive, scooping in a mouthful of water, straining it out, finally feasting on the remaining tiny silver fish. Gulls of all types flit along the beach and dig for their morning meal. Small, bright yellow crabs, following their one large claw, poke out of holes all along the shore, hoping to find food without becoming breakfast themselves.
Another fifteen minutes and the sun is up and the heat begins to soak into your body. There is a feeling of isolation on this swatch of sanda good feeling. Civilization has disappearedno wires, no houses, no cell phones, no people. Running five steps to the sea, a dive puts you under the brilliant, blue- green water of the Caribbean. A mask over your eyes and a hard kick or two downward puts you in another world. All the colors of the rainbow surround you as uncountable tropical fish go about their business, darting under rocks and around coral and sea fans. They accept you as just another form of life, not a danger at all. There is more underwater exploring to be done here, but not right now.
Out of the water, the sun is your towel. It is time to rejoin the rest of the world as they begin to arise. Back to the path and civilizationwires and motors and people. After my dawn at Smuggler's Cove, I m ready.

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