点评:Long Bay naturally divides itself into two distinct worlds. At one end, the guests of Pineapple Beach Club enjoyed the comforts and convenience of their all-inclusive resort. At the other, locals, independent travellers and day-trippers, like us, gathered to enjoy the same beautiful stretch of sand, but in a rather more informal way.
We hired sun beds and an umbrella from a friendly, local gentleman who immediately made us feel welcome. As a novice snorkeler, I was particularly grateful for the advice he shared about the best places to enter the water, the direction of the currents and the varying sea depths along the bay. Local knowledge like that is invaluable and often makes all the difference between a good day and a memorable one.
As it turned out, we couldn't have chosen a better spot. The sea was wonderfully warm, even by Caribbean standards, and the underwater life was surprisingly abundant. Shoals of fish seemed to be everywhere, darting amongst the rocks and seagrass, providing plenty to admire during my snorkelling adventures. I spent far longer in the water than I'd originally intended, simply enjoying the clarity, warmth and marine life.
The only downside to Long Bay was the lack of anywhere to grab a bite to eat as the local beach bar at our end of the beach was closed for the season. After a day of sunbathing, swimming and snorkelling, we found ourselves getting hungry and eventually had to pack up a little earlier than planned. Still, that simply gave us an excuse to continue our exploration of Antigua as we headed off in search of dinner.
翻译:长湾自然地划分成了两个截然不同的世界。一端是菠萝海滩俱乐部的宾客们,他们享受着这家全包式度假村带来的舒适与便利;另一端则是当地人、独立旅行者以及像我们这样的一日游游客,大家聚集在一起,以一种更为随性的方式享受着同一片美丽的沙滩。
我们从一位友善的当地先生那里租下了日光浴床和遮阳伞,他立刻让我们感受到了宾至如归的感觉。作为一名浮潜新手,我特别感激他提供的建议——比如最适合下水的地点、洋流的方向,以及海湾各处的海水深度。这类本地知识极为宝贵,往往能决定一天是过得不错还是令人难忘。
事实证明,我们选的地点再合适不过了。即便以加勒比海的标准来衡量,这里的海水也温暖宜人;海底的生物种类也出奇地丰富。到处都能看到成群的鱼儿在游动。这些鱼儿在岩石与海草间穿梭嬉戏,让我在浮潜时有无数可观赏的景致。我在水中停留的时间远远超出了预期,只是单纯享受着清澈的海水、温暖的水温以及丰富的海洋生物。
长湾唯一的缺点就是没什么地方可以买点吃的——我们所在海滩那一侧的当地海滩酒吧也因季节性原因关闭了。在经历了一整天的日光浴、游泳和浮潜之后……我们渐渐觉得饿了,最终不得不比原计划提前收工。不过,这也正好给了我们一个借口,让我们能继续在安提瓜四处探寻,去寻找晚餐去处。