We made it to Staniel Cay today, motoring in 5 knot winds and flat seas. The weather really does clock around, as “they” say, regarding direction and speed – if you wait long enough after a windy cold front, the wind continues to decrease, until eventually you have 5 knot breezes. Then it starts all over again with very windy conditions. However, the next cold front, starting tomorrow night, is forecast to last a whole week. This year, supposedly, has had more frequent windy fronts than normal. This is sounding much to much like a sailing log – what came over me!!??
It’s only been a week since Nassau, but it seems like eons ago – we were also in need of all the basics: water, fuel, GARBAGE disposal (- where’s my compost bucket? Have you gotten my last few shipments? I still feel guilty throwing away banana peels-), fresh food, and washing machines. You’ll be happy to know that our mail was waiting for us – both packages. First I was guided to the post office – the green building – which was closed, for no apparent reason. However, the mail was at the marina office – thanks again. We did our grocery shopping at the Pink Store and the Blue Store (pink and blue buildings, respectively, resembling large storage rooms). There’s a hand painted sign along the road, traveled primarily by golf carts, which reads: “the blue building on the top of the hill is the grocery store.” We luckily arrived the same day as the weekly mail boat – which also brings the food. I bought the last quart of milk at the blue market, as well as an $8.00 bag of 10 apples. I assume the Bahamians look at Americans cockeyed - sailing in on large vessels, balking at the price of cereal. This week the mail boat didn’t bring bread to the Pink Store, but they had some home baked bread out back – which I’m eating as I type this – pardon the crumbs. Speaking of devouring, it is somewhat disconcerting to climb up the ladder from the dinghy dock, with 3 “harmless” sharks and a manta ray circling below – and we thought the Atlantis casino viewing tanks were an experience…
We’ve received mixed information about internet - it’s either 50 cents per minute, or $5.00 for 50 minutes, or free if you get something to eat at the marina. The marina office also sells phone cards, and has a phone booth right outside. We’re still with Dance and Nammu, Voyager and Omache are one island behind. Two of the Nammu folks need to fly back to Nassau – planes fly daily, although sometimes, they don’t – so it was recommended that he get there a few days early, just in case.
This afternoon, Dance (impersonal but shorter than writing everyone’s names, which would probably be shorter than this explanation in parenthesis) and Missa Gaia (….) decided to explore the remaining settlement (as it is called) highlights, as indicated on the map. First we tried the Happy People Restaurant – but it was closed. Then we stopped by Nelly’s Straw Shop – but it was closed. Then Jonas attempted to open the library door – but it was closed. We barely slowed our steps for Lindsay’s Boutique – since it was closed. We considered DATT Art Gallery on the other side of town, but “datt” was closed yesterday. Well, the map specifies telephone booth – we could call home… - but the entire phone unit had been removed. Brenda had a letter to mail, so maybe we’d drop by the post office again – but it was closed. We figured we’d make some inquiries about these establishments’ hours, to the group of Bahamians we noticed chatting by the Blue Store. Well, as luck would have it, who should we find in this group, but the woman who runs the post office – she commented that the other places should have been open – I hated to ask whether the others in the group with whom she was conversing ran the restaurant, straw shop, boutique, library, gallery, and phone company…Brenda handed her letter to the postal employee, with an estimated $3 for stamps, which we hoped she’d open the post office to retrieve.
heave ho, (Staniel)
pink grocery store (Staniel)
this way for a bargain
Saturday, February 19th:
If pigs could fly, they wouldn’t be at Staniel Cay - home of Pig Beach, where pigs (and hogs, if they’re over 180 pounds) swim out to greet the approaching dinghies – hoping for a quick snack, and hoping the dinghy crew members aren’t hoping for a quick BLT snack. Now why don’t they feature swimming pigs in those luring “It’s Better in the Bahamas” ads? Maybe if they were taught a few synchronized swimming routines…On the other hand, this beach might be good for those people with poor body self images. I felt sorry for the pig unknowingly made the brunt (as opposed to runt or grunt) of a joke, wearing a sign on his back that read “this way to the beach pig roast.” Coincidentally, this ties in nicely with our evening reading of Charlotte’s Web – I’ve been trying to select literature that enhances our experiences. When Elias begins the farm unit in preschool, following our return, and the teacher asks where pigs live… Elias will naturally reply – on the beach in the Bahamas – at which point the teacher will search for something reinforcing to say like, “my Elias, that sure would make a great fairy tale.”
Yesterday we happened to find the library open, as we were passing by it. In the U.S., we were not permitted to check out books at any of the libraries along the ICW – although Blockbuster honored our New London cards. However, in the Bahamas, where the books are donated and the library staff are volunteers, they allow us to borrow as many books as we want, for as long as we want.
Today we explored Thunderball Cave, site for the filming of “Splash” and James Bond’s “Thunderball,” coincidentally with the same name. We acted out our own action packed sequel: I – swimming with goggled eyes focused on tropical fish below – crashed head first into a stalactite, which triggered the classic knee jerk reaction: stalactite precipitated calf cramping. Maybe you should wait until it comes out on DVD. Actually, it is a picturesque grotto - holes above allow the sun’s rays to illuminate the water (today was the only cloudy day we’ve had so far in the Bahamas), which is perfect snorkel viewing of colorful fish and coral.
Sunday, February 20th:
Yesterday, our next “door” neighbors* must have “overheard” our VHF inquiries about laundry services. They stopped by to offer use of their on board washing machine – and I thought we were pretty progressive with our on board staple remover. We casually told them we’d let them know – as we zealously filled our laundry bag. How could we make it up to them? Well, we could eat their homemade banana bread, which they dropped off with the clean laundry, and accept their dinner invitation to a gourmet meal of pork marsala and flan (- I guess we could put off our parmalat marinated baked beans one more day). And who needs ESP (or ESPN)? – we got advance notice of this invitation, as well as their shortage of hotdog rolls for the kids’ meals – a little VHF birdie told us so. In appreciation, Jonas and Elias wore their freshly laundered t-shirts. They also had an 80 year old gentleman to dinner, who single handed his boat to the Bahamas. We unsuccessfully watched for the Green Flash (wasn’t that Spiderman’s arch enemy?) – the last spectrum color viewed on the horizon, prior to sunset.
* Barbara & John of “Mandala”
 post office |
woman who runs post office
pigs in blankets - not (Staniel)
Tuesday, February 22th:
We weighed all the essential factors when deciding which island to visit next, and then chose Blackpoint – first island since Nassau reputed to have a laundromat. We arrived at the pretty anchorage, with palm tree strewn shores. With 300 residents, Blackpoint is more populated than Staniel Cay (80 residents), but its people and resources make it more welcoming. However, we did have to cue up at the washing machines – there were 3 (boaters) ahead of us, which gave Jonas and Elias a chance to work at their brick factory in the adjoining cement lot, and gave Tom time to catch Suzette Kelo’s house, and a related story, on CNN – broadcast on the laundromat TV – kind of bizarre to watch it from the Bahamian out islands.
As we waited for our turn, I ran to the nearby grocery – I brought my trusty list, and quickly crossed off eggs, milk, apples, butter, cheese – because they were out of these items (the food boat hadn’t visited here since last Wednesday) – so I bought canned butter and boxed milk. As opposed to home, where cheese might have 25 subcategories from which to choose, here cheese has 2 fated subcategories – in stock or not in stock. Although even though prices are at least double, we spend a lot less on food or anything, for that matter, available merchandise seems to create needs (maybe I should have gone into advertising). Yes, yes, they go to the Bahamas – voyaging for a year – and half of the correspondences deal with a fascination for grocery shopping and laundry….
conch-ering his fears (Staniel)
arriving at Blackpoint
Blackpoint settlement
Wednesday, February 23th:
Last night we had some grouper fingers at Scorpion with Dance –the other eating establishment served pig souse and sheep tongue – there’s a limit to my adventuresome spirit for local cuisine. Scorpion’s signage boasted web café – they had a laptop inside on a table in the room in which we dined – which also had an empty aquarium tank (where the TV console had been) – with a coral backdrop for that aquatic feel we’re so deprived of otherwise - (maybe that’s where that mermaid tail in my grouper fingers came from). We all went in our dinghy, since theirs was leaking (Notchka – their dog - passed – her name means midnight in Russian, in case it comes up at a City Council meeting).
Today Dance and Missa (for short) continued together towards the southerly Exuma’s Georgetown. Similar to the ICW, traveling on the banks is the way to go (if you’re me) – much calmer/more sheltered than the Exuma Sound. However, the last portion of the Exumas requires us to go in the Sound, since the banks are too shallow. So, we’re trying to make our way as far as possible in the banks, without running aground. I think we’re at that point now (not running aground), where we’ll need to go on the outside (ominous music) tomorrow. Not to pressure us to go, but…a windy, rainy front with unpredictable 40 knot squalls is on its way. We’re anchored off Cave Cay – which has no residents, but does have a marine research center, and caves (they put some in to go with its name) – it’s a bird sanctuary. Unintended, but fortunately for us, Dance served as our scout today. We were debating about eventually going through a cut to the Sound today – so we traveled along the banks, and they traveled outside (thinking it’d be less tricky for them, navigationally speaking). In the end, they joined us inside – they had been experiencing 25 mph winds and choppy seas. We’ll see how tomorrow goes in our Georgetown or bust plan. There’s some sailboat regatta week in March – I hear it’s followed by the Anna Karenina read-a-thon.
After our stay in Georgetown, I guess we’ll technically be heading home – although you may want to wait a bit before letting the ice cream soften. This brings to mind some related burning questions …Do I need to start reading Anna Karenina in reverse? Will we continue to substitute “Roger” for “okay,” once we’re back? Will you feel put out at not being able to enter our house at will to adjust the thermostat? Will reunited friends secretly think “she sure was more entertaining in print?” Although home is so far away, geographically and time wise (although I can’t believe it’s only 5 days until March!), I wonder where my job future will lead – sometimes it can be exciting…new possibilities…or nerve racking…what possibilities?
It’s really nice (such a descriptive word) here – the only other boat anchored with us is Dance – even in these remote islands, most of the anchorages have had over 25 boats. Brenda, Jonas, Elias, Notchka, and I hung out at a deserted beach, while we watched the mail boat ground nearby – so much for milk or important letters this week… Ken, Chelsea, and Tom went snorkeling with a barracuda.
Today Jonas was singing along with the theme song to one of his story tapes – maybe not an unusual thing in general – but not usual for Jonas.
Thursday, February 24th:
Well it’s tomorrow, and we’re 2 miles closer along the banks (- we went during high tide). Thanks to our “scout,” we’re stationary at Rudder Cut Cay – their reported 27 knot winds and 5 foot seas did it for me. I now remember I heard something about the mail boat taking passengers – which I hadn’t considered at the time, not realizing this passage would be such a deal – riding the mail (food) boat seems like it could have its advantages, getting a jump on the one head of lettuce, as long as it wasn’t the mail boat that we saw grounded – although I guess that’d give one plenty of time to eat to one’s (lettuce) heart’s content. We did not follow through the cut to the Sound, but decided to anchor, and then anchor, and then anchor – the tide and winds were in opposite directions. We’re across from this water cave and palm tree grove, with yes, another beach – featuring private property signs – no man is an island, but some men (and women) own islands. Dance braved the trek…and we remain…did you ever read Robinson Crusoe? What shade of marooned do you prefer? That’s two days of Dramamine false alarms – I hope they’re not immune by the time the winds calm down. Well, gotta get back to our scheduled afternoon agenda: Jolly Time popping kernels. (Excepting the lurking possibility of any emergency) this deserted scene much more effectively feeds one’s soul (which is a good thing, considering the mail boat’s record). Upon rereading these last few entries, I do seem to be milking the Anna Karenina and mail boat themes – I wonder if Anna ever rode the mail boat..Sometimes I feel like this is the MAD Magazine version of Anne Morrow Lindburgh’s (spelling?) Gifts From The Sea.
In the sentiments of Scarlet O’Hara, “there’s always tomorrow.” Each day we hear that tomorrow the seas will lie down and the winds will mitigate – how’s that for sailor lingo? There’s a full moon above, and it does seem to be pretty tranquil (windless).
Friday, February 25th:
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Cave Cay
Ruddercut Cay