Final Thoughts

We're back in the U. S. of A!!
After a rolling, 10-hour crossing from Nassau to Great Harbor Cay in the Berry Islands, and then a smooth  25-hour crossing to the Florida coast, we're back in the States. Currently, we're in a marina in Stuart, Florida on the St. Lucie River, an inlet between the Atlantic and the Okechobee Waterway of central FL.

Today we plan to do LAUNDRY :) and decide if we want to rent a slip here for the next year. We've already met some friendly people at the marina's St. Pat's Day party and have checked out the pool and other facilities (lovely).

In the meantime, I want to share some random, final thoughts about our adventure in the Bahamas.

• Did I mention that Barry had his evil spirits exorcised in Nassau? Really. A little, wrinkled old woman dressed in old clothes approached him in a marine hardware store and said "I'm hongry. I need $2.00 for a loaf of bread."  Barry gave her the money, and then she said "Let me take away your bad spirits." She placed her hands on his back and his chest, closed her eyes as if in prayer, and mumbled some words. When she finished, she said "You be better now." Barry thanked her and went his merry way.  Hmmmm....Bahamian panhandling? But since his head doesn't spin around 360 anymore, I guess it worked :)
• Island time: This is an adjustment, even for retired people! We learned we could not be in a rush to get fuel pumped, to be served in a restaurant, or certainly to use the internet! A sign in a bar in Staniel Cay summed it up: "The internet may be slower than you are used to. Just relax and look at the beautiful water surrounding you. Eventually you will get a connection--in the meantime, enjoy the view."
• Weather predictions aren't always correct--too bad you discover this when you're miles offshore in 6 foot waves.
• People are amazing! The man who saved our dinghy; the guys who set an extra anchor on our sailboat as it was being dragged to the rocky shore; the couple who are traveling with their disabled son and showed us the true meaning of patience and love; the waitress in a local Nassau food 'shack' who remembered us and the food we had ordered several weeks previous; and adventurous people who just follow the wind!

IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS:

• Fast, free wifi
• Cell phone towers
• Laundry facilities
• Paper towels
• Fresh veggies
• Ice cubes
• Charged batteries
• Trash disposal

      and it's the BIG THINGS:

• A night sky splashed with thousands of pinpoints of light, a sliver of moon, and phosphorescent sparkles in the wake of the boat   
• The breath-taking experience of entering an opening at the waterline of a non-descript rocky island--to find an opening to the sky 

  

• Placing your face mask under the blanketed surface of water and watching an invisible universe of fish and coral unfold before your eyes
• Coming over the crest of a hill, where you are met with the sight of waves crashing onto a rocky shore below you

• Deciding to go a few steps further along a narrow strip of beach....to discover a small enclosure of turquoise water, surrounded by sugar-loaf boulders of limestone upon which the Atlantic crashes from behind. One of the most beautiful places I've ever seen...and I didn't have my camera! (But here's a picture of a similar boulder)

• The way the sun melts in an orange puddle, leaving behind clouds that are the color of conch shells

• Climbing down a rough embankment composed of sharp coral and limestone rocks lined with scrubby brush....to emerge onto the ledge of a blue hole

• Traveling for the past 3 months with a man who throws his head back when he laughs; who greets me like a puppy dog every morning (you're awake! give me a kiss! do you want some coffee?); who looks at the ever-present mechanical break-downs as a challenge, not a problem; who revels in the beauty and wonder of the natural world almost as much as I do.

First Week of March, 2013

Well, it had to happen....we've had some rainy, cool weather in paradise this last week. (I can hear the groans from winter weary St. Louisans all the way down here:) While hanging out in Staniel Cay, home of the airport thru which Dale and Deni were departing on Monday, we were hit with significant winds (up to 30 knots) and heavy rain for the entire weekend. So what else can you do? We played poker (betting with the laundry quarters) and ate lots of Deni's fabulous veggie jambalaya. 

Dale and Deni at Exhuma Land and Sea Park

 

After seeing Deni and Dale off, we were desperate to do LAUNDRY. This is not a simple operation...first we threw the 2 black plastic trash bags filled with bedding, towels, etc into the dinghy. Don't forget the detergent and fabric softener! Don't forget a book to read! Don't forget money ($3.50 per load--which is cheap by Bahama standards) Then we head to the marina....home of a new laundromat. WRONG. Go back to the dinghy, reload everything. Ride to Isles General Store...promised to house a laundromat. WRONG. Go back to the dinghy, reload everything. Listen to Linda say emphatically "I am ready to go home." (home as in Missouri, not the sailboat)

Regroup. Head to Black Point Settlement...a sailboat ride taking 3 hours. Find a lovely LAUNDERMAT (owner Ida's spelling). Do 4 loads of laundry, meet some other cruisers, decide to eat dinner at Lorraine's Cafe, and head back to the sailboat with fresh, clean laundry. It's the simple things! 

Prior to our meal at Lorraine's Cafe, we visit her mother's home behind the restaurant and order some of her famous coconut bread. I simply knocked, was invited inside her lovely home, and ordered fresh bread that would be ready following our meal. The smell inside her house should be bottled and sold in the states... a mixture of cinnamon, yeast, brown sugar, coconut and Bahama magic. We were lucky enough to share our meal with a couple, Mag and Wendy, from Newport News, originally from Norway. They've crossed the Atlantic numerous times and sailed the Mediterranean (we're envious). After dinner, we joined them for a nightcap on their 50 foot sailboat that resembles an upscale apartment (we're envious). Lovely people who shared their amazing stories with us (we're still envious:)

Barry the Bartender at Lorraine's, where customers fix their own drinks!

Looking at the calendar, and listening to Linda's need to leave the camping lifestyle behind, we know it's time to start heading back north. So we stop at a place that was highly recommended by Wendy--Compass Cay. This is what I've imagined the Bahamas would look like....lush green foliage, crystal clear water in various shades of turquoise, white sand that is almost blinding. We anchor, and decide to check out the lone, small marina that caters to yachts. Someone has taken a lot of time putting up funky artwork and building a set of trails that head to a gorgeous beach. And of course, there is the requisite shark feeding in the afternoon.

Since we know a good thing when we see it, the next morning we are up and at it by 8 a.m. We head to a  pair of coral heads called Rocky Dundas and enter a small cave, complete with stalagmites and stalactites. (I was reminded a bit of the caves in Missouri) We actually took the dinghy right into the mouth of the cave! Beautiful and mysterious!



Our dinghy inside the mouth of the cave in Rocky Dundas





The mouth of the cave at Rocky Dundas

Inside the cave....wow!

Next, we headed to the 'Sea Aquarium'...a part of the unbelievable Exhuma Land and Sea Park....recommended for snorkeling. Barry jumped in first and comes up exclaiming "It IS like snorkeling in an aquarium!!" When I jump in, I quickly realize this is the most amazing snorkeling I have EVER experienced. Orange, magenta, and aqua coral in the shapes of tubes and cylinders are surrounded by fish painted brilliant shades of yellow, purple, turquoise, and orange. Rainbow parrot fish, butterfly fish, rock beauties....their names can't do justice to their beauty! Some of the fish come right up to our masks. When we are worn out and cold and have to quit, I tell Barry that this is one of the best days of my LIFE!! 

(Just an aside....Johnny Depp owns an island near here. Unfortunately, he didn't show up while we were in the area. Oh, well...)

We are currently back in Warderick Wells, the headquarters for the Land and Sea Park. This morning, we took a long hike up to the top of the hill overlooking the ocean. Then, despite the temps in the 60s, we practically went snorkeling right off the sail boat. For the first time, we saw a Bahamian lobster scurry across the ocean floor, as well as several new species of fish. Snorkeling makes me feel so happy....as if everything is alright with the natural world. At least here....it is!!

 

Heading South!

The last time we 'talked', our sailboat was aground. Have no worries, we managed to float off and limp into a marina in Nassau for some rather rough weather the weekend of Feb. 16th.

Potter's Cay, Nassau

While in Nassau, waiting for Deni and Dale to fly in, we visited Potter's Cay for a breakfast of grits and fried eggs and then  later for an afternoon snack of fresh conch salad, prepared right in front of us. Potter's Cay consists of many small shacks operated by local Bahamians at which you can purchase food, drinks, dried fish, crabs,and produce. Men sit here and play dominoes all day. In between meals, we visited Atlantis--a huge resort across the bridge with casinoes, aquariums, restaurants, shops, hotels, and yachts. We got to see how the 'other half' lives (a suite at the hotel costs $1700)!
 

Rose Island
We were all excited to leave Nassau behind as we headed back to Rose Island, where Barry and I had spent Valentine's Day. We found a beach, complete with a hammock! As Deni, Dale, and I relaxed in beach chairs--Barry decided to try the hammock. The rest of us took bets on how long he would stay in the hammock--I was the closest with 2 minutes. *He actually lasted 2 min, 26 seconds. I won a case of beer--which I still haven't collected:)  I'll give Dale and Deni a break, since currently (in the central Exhumas) a case of beer costs $65. You read that right.

Bahama waters!

After a long day's sail, we anchored in Allen's Cay--home of the world-famous and endangered Exhuma Iguanas.


What you lookin' at?

These reptiles rush out to greet boaters....we had a welcoming committee of at least 25!!
For several days, we sailed and had days on the beach as we headed further south towards the Land and Sea Park of the Exhumas. The weather has been consistent--highs in the upper 70s, windy, no humidity. As we entered the waters of the Park, I was reminded of the blue waters of Disneyland's submarine ride--a clear, brilliant turquoise in several shades. At the park office, a nurse shark lingered under the docks, along with lots of sting rays.

Exhuma Land and Sea Park--Warderick Wells

At Warderick Wells, we took a walk up a trail called Boo-Boo Hill. Looking at the sharp edges of the coral and limestone path, we could see how it would be easy to get a 'boo-boo'. At the top of the hill is a place called 'Camp Driftwood, at which you can place a piece of driftwood with your boat's name carved into it. The view is spectacular!

We are currently in Staniel Cay--home of the Thunderball Grotto, in which scenes from the James Bond movie was filmed, as well as the movie Splash. The past couple of days have been filled with adventure! While we were trying to attach to a mooring ball in a fast current, our dinghy decided to come unhitched and head out to sea!! Luckily, it was quickly lassoed by a fellow boater and returned to us. Afterwards, Barry and I plopped down on the deck of our boat and realized our trip would have been over without the dinghy (aka our water taxi).  Another learning opportunity for us! (We've had enough of those)

On the bright side, we snorkeled yesterday in the grotto--which just happened to be about 100 yards from where we anchored our boat. (Sometimes we are so LUCKY) On the outside, it looks like any other of the hundreds of ancient coral islands down here. But at low tide, several small boats started to arrive with people ready to snorkel. Barry took Deni and I over--life vests and snorkeling equipment ready to go. We slid over the side of the dinghy and swam about 30 feet to the entrance of the grotto--ducking our heads under the edge of the island. Inside it was magical--resembling a coral cathedral 40 feet high and 30 feet wide. Light fell in from the holes above us, while tropical fish swam beneath us. Unbelievable! The coral and fish on the outer edge of the grotto were the most beautiful I've ever seen. Deep, clear water was surrounded by coral of purple, neon orange, teal. Every fish seemed to be of a different design.

To top off the day, we dinghied over to a beach known for their special inhabitants--wild pigs! These are not your normal pigs....they swim to your boat and beg for food! As we neared the island, two of them approached us. Deni threw lettuce and old vegetables to them to entice them closer. I had read about pigs, weighing 500 pounds, trying to climb in boats, so I was a bit nervous about all of this. We realized they don't like to swim too far--so we stayed just out of reach. Weird!

I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your boat over

MORE PICTURES AT A LATER DATE....I have some terrific photos to share, but the wifi connection here reminds me of dial up service a dozen years ago. (and that's with paying $25 for three days service at the marina). I can't take it any more....time to relax and watch the sunset.