It is the morning after Christmas. About 25 exuberant hiking fans gather at Hawksbill Beach to embark upon the Environmental Awareness Group’s (EAG) final hike for 2011. This hike, billed as a moderately easy promenade, would take us from Hawksbill Beach to the hill overlooking Galley Bay Heights and back.

The participants began to huddle at about 7:30am, hoping to burn some of the added calories from all the Christmas comestibles eaten the day before. With the sun bursting forth from the azure sky, and amidst the crashing of the white foam waves, we were sure that we were going to have a wonderful time. After exchanging our usual pleasantries, and ensuring that the last of the late-comers had arrived, we began our journey.

We made our ascent up the road leaving Hawksbill Beach, cresting to a beautiful panoramic view of Galley Bay below. This provided for some photo opportunities. Even some goats seemed to be taking time out to enjoy the view. We continued along the road bypassing Galley Bay hotel. Chatter and laughter filled the air as many people conversed about all the food they had ingested on Christmas Day.

The hike took us around the public entrance to Galley Beach, past the entrance to Galley Bay Heights, and onto the most challenging part of the journey – the hill overlooking Galley Bay Heights. The ascent, though not as challenging as other hikes we had done, still proved to be a bit intense for some. The view at the top, though, made the upward climb very rewarding. A 360⁰ view revealed the turquoise, crystal clear waters of the Caribbean Sea below, verdant foliage, the mansions of Galley Bay Heights, hills nestled in the backdrop, and St John’s in the distance. Of all the participants who came on the hike, only one had been to this part of Antigua before. We stayed on the hill a while, breathing in the majestic beauty that is so prevalent on our small island. Photographs from all angles were taken, and the smiles strewn across every faced evinced the joy and peace that we all felt in the moment.

It was time for us to journey back to Hawksbill Beach, and so we began our descent. The pace of our trek back was much quicker, and some were eager to take a dip in the ocean. We followed the same route that we took to the hill overlooking Galley Bay Heights, and at about 9:20am, we found ourselves back at Hawksbill Beach.

A sense of accomplishment was whispered by some, and many were ready to undertake the next hike. Most of the participants lingered at Hawksbill for a while enjoying each other’s company. Some gingerly entered the chilled waters of the beach to enjoy a refreshing swim, some were content to wet only their feet at the shoreline, while others relaxed on the grassy patch while sharing food and drink.

This hike culminated what has been a remarkable year of diverse field trips hosted by the EAG. We were excited to meet everyone who participated in all of our outings. 2012 promises to be another exciting year of eclectic field trips, so be on the lookout for our next adventure.

For more information about the EAG and to get a copy of our Wildlife of Antigua and Barbuda’s Offshore Islands 2012 calendar, contact our office at 462-6236, or send us an email at eaga...@gmail.com.