Thank Goodness for Butterflies
I like Butterflies, but I am especially thankful for the kind that come in a box in your First Aid kit. Handiman John was at it again, this time installing a new water filter, which does not necessarily sound like a dangerous endeavour. He was trying not to have to dinghy in AGAIN to the hardware store, so, thirfty Yankee that he is, he tried to salvage a $.25 part from the old filter. He says he knew it was stupid, but he did it anyway. He succeeded in slicing his hand open between the thumb and index finger to the tune of about an inch and a half. After some initial first aid on the boat involving the wonderful invention of those butterfly bandages, lots of gauze, tape and lots of pressure, we ventured into town to the clinic, which, of course, was not open. It was Saturday and no doctor, no clinic, no hospital, no nothing until Monday. So, back to the boat where we just had him elevate the hand and we continued to apply peroxide, first aid antibiotic cream and squeeze the gap together with those butterfly things. When Monday finally arrived, his hand was healing sufficiently that he didn't even go to the doctor. Now I understand why the boat came with a couple of books entitled "What To Do When There is No Doctor/Dentist Around". I am sure that if it were more of an emergency, we could have gone to the doctor's house or someone would have pointed us in the direction of help, but as it was, we did pretty good on our own.
With our medical emergency behind us, and his hand healing nicely (he's going to have quite the scar, however, but it will just go with the other ones that he has, courtesy of growing up with Ken and Craig) we finally left Marsh Harbour. We had been there for over two weeks and were getting bored. In fact, after John gave a second thought to my last entry, he decided that it made it sound like our lives are pretty boring, just working on the boat, reading and running errands. So, we decided to give you all something new to read about and left for Man Of War Cay (pronounced 'Key').
It seems that everywhere we go we think, "Ooo, we'll have to bring Craig and Eleni (John's brother and our neice) here when they come (they are coming the last of March to snorkel, dive, etc.). But, then, we get to the next spot, and it is just as great, so I think we will be just as happy with the scenery as we go south. We arrived at Man Of War on Wednesday, the 12th of March, and THEY HAVE ICE CREAM!!! Just the simple pleasures for me, thank you, and ice cream fits the bill.
Man Of War is a small island with a restaurant and a snack bar, a small grocery store, and a long history of the Albury family who have been boat builders for several generations. Everyone drives around in little golf carts, and you can walk the island in probably an hour all the way around. I found it interesting that last weekend, while no one was at work, the boat builder's shop was just open. Nothing locked up. We have found several new flowers and other plants on the island, including several types of cactus, which was a surprise. We took a walk along the beach, which we had almost to ourselves, and found coral washed up on the sand, and coral reefs just feet off the shore. The sand reminds me of ~~ you know that flour (Wondra) that you use for making gravy? The sand is almost that fine. The water changes colors (or colours, as they would have it here) depending upon depth and whether there is sand, plantlife or coral reef below. Out in the gulf stream, it is deep, deep saffire blue, then closer to shore, it turns to a peacock blue, then emerald green, then light green, then at the shore is just clear. I hope our pictures can convey the colors as they are.
John has been snorkeling. I have been lying on the beach. One day last week, it was so calm (the wind has usually been blowing like crazy) that you could see way down to the bottom of the water. Could see all types of fish, the mooring for the boat, starfish, etc. just lying on the bottom. Also scared up a ray while we were in the dinghy. We estimated that in some places we could see 30 feet down and it was just as clear as your bathtub (before your bath).
Don't know when we will be able to get this up on the website, as everything here seems to be down. I am composing this on Thursday, March 13th, and everything seems to be over-taxed. This is spring break; there are probably just too many people here for the services. Whole islands temporarily have no phone service, no internet, etc. The things we take for granted in the US! (Like ice cream on every corner. Actually, in our little New England town it is a coffee shop on every corner. The ice cream in East Greenwich is across from the candy store~~awwwww).
With our medical emergency behind us, and his hand healing nicely (he's going to have quite the scar, however, but it will just go with the other ones that he has, courtesy of growing up with Ken and Craig) we finally left Marsh Harbour. We had been there for over two weeks and were getting bored. In fact, after John gave a second thought to my last entry, he decided that it made it sound like our lives are pretty boring, just working on the boat, reading and running errands. So, we decided to give you all something new to read about and left for Man Of War Cay (pronounced 'Key').
It seems that everywhere we go we think, "Ooo, we'll have to bring Craig and Eleni (John's brother and our neice) here when they come (they are coming the last of March to snorkel, dive, etc.). But, then, we get to the next spot, and it is just as great, so I think we will be just as happy with the scenery as we go south. We arrived at Man Of War on Wednesday, the 12th of March, and THEY HAVE ICE CREAM!!! Just the simple pleasures for me, thank you, and ice cream fits the bill.
Man Of War is a small island with a restaurant and a snack bar, a small grocery store, and a long history of the Albury family who have been boat builders for several generations. Everyone drives around in little golf carts, and you can walk the island in probably an hour all the way around. I found it interesting that last weekend, while no one was at work, the boat builder's shop was just open. Nothing locked up. We have found several new flowers and other plants on the island, including several types of cactus, which was a surprise. We took a walk along the beach, which we had almost to ourselves, and found coral washed up on the sand, and coral reefs just feet off the shore. The sand reminds me of ~~ you know that flour (Wondra) that you use for making gravy? The sand is almost that fine. The water changes colors (or colours, as they would have it here) depending upon depth and whether there is sand, plantlife or coral reef below. Out in the gulf stream, it is deep, deep saffire blue, then closer to shore, it turns to a peacock blue, then emerald green, then light green, then at the shore is just clear. I hope our pictures can convey the colors as they are.
John has been snorkeling. I have been lying on the beach. One day last week, it was so calm (the wind has usually been blowing like crazy) that you could see way down to the bottom of the water. Could see all types of fish, the mooring for the boat, starfish, etc. just lying on the bottom. Also scared up a ray while we were in the dinghy. We estimated that in some places we could see 30 feet down and it was just as clear as your bathtub (before your bath).
Don't know when we will be able to get this up on the website, as everything here seems to be down. I am composing this on Thursday, March 13th, and everything seems to be over-taxed. This is spring break; there are probably just too many people here for the services. Whole islands temporarily have no phone service, no internet, etc. The things we take for granted in the US! (Like ice cream on every corner. Actually, in our little New England town it is a coffee shop on every corner. The ice cream in East Greenwich is across from the candy store~~awwwww).
Typical Day At Anchor in Paradise
We’ve been ‘on the hook’ (anchored) in Marsh Harbour, now, for about a week and a half. Ken has returned home, and John and I are left to fend for ourselves. Some time spent in one spot has given us a chance to observe the people a little, to try out all the restaurants, to get some things done around the boat, to do a lot of reading, and to try to get some exercise every day. A typical day for us consists of going up on deck and reading for awhile after we wake up, having a light breakfast ( I know, it should be hearty~~the most important meal of the day, etc., etc.), doing a project or cleaning around the boat (John usually is doing a project–repair something or a project to make something better – usually repair) and I am usually cleaning something. (Still need to get back to my varnishing...) Then, we get ready and dinghy into town for lunch, errands, and some exercise. (While we do our daily work around the boat, we run the generator for about an hour and a half to refresh the batteries so that we can have lights, refrigeration, hot water, etc. for the rest of the day.) We usually spend several hours in town, hitting the grocery store, hardware store and marine store on an almost daily basis. You can only carry so much, so it’s a little at a time from each. After our errands, we dinghy back to the boat, read some more, watch the sun set and have dinner. Then, we usually listen to some music (we have Sirius) and read some more.
An interesting tradition here at sunset. People come out on deck of their boats and blow conch shells towards the setting sun. I can imagine that being an ancient tradition by Lucayan Indians who believed that you must salute the sun or it wouldn’t come up again the next day (but I just made that up.)
Yesterday, John and I both went to the doctor. I was in need of my yearly physical, and John had a couple of things he wanted looked at. (Everything good, not to worry.) Nicest guy, the doctor. He took his time, chatted, and then went about his doctoring business. He was half Canadian and half Bahamian, and his accent reflected both. He had just returned from vacation and I asked him where someone from “Paradise” goes for vacation. He said “Colorado!”
The population of the Abacos is about half white, half black. From our vantage point, it seems there is much more mixing of the races (well, it is a little island~~how far away can you get from each other?) People just come up and talk to you. Most everyone speaks and says hello. Even the children say hello, whereas most children I meet in my walks in the US seem to have been taught not to speak to strangers. Store owners seem to be of both races. I’m sure there must be tensions, but I have not read of them or don’t feel them like I do in the US.
Even though there are several restaurants, TWO grocery stores (yeah!), a hardware store and a marine store, we need not get too excited. The prices are astronomical. We save money by anchoring, but I looked at a box of Kleenex yesterday, and it was marked $5.50 (US and Bahamian dollars are one for one). A hamburger will set you back $11-12, and surf and turf, $52. There are, however, price controls on groceries. Most things I am finding in the grocery store are not that much different from home. A little more, but you gotta add in that transportation thing.
We have a mail service in Florida which collects our mail and forwards it to us. All we have to do is email or call them and tell them where we will be next. I emailed them last Monday to have our mail sent to Marsh Harbour, and it might take 2-4 weeks, regular mail! Just to check, anyway, we stopped in at the post office here yesterday (a week after the request) and the clerk just laughed and told us to come back in several days. Well, we were in the neighborhood....
Today, we will try the last of the restaurants we haven’t tried yet, check our email at the local marina, get some groceries and do laundry. We haven’t got the phone thing figured out yet. Verizon told me my current phone would work, but no... As for email, there are 2 computers at the local marina for general use and two at the local telephone company where you can wait your turn and log on for free. That is, if they are working. It is a developing country. But a nice one.
I think people might be wondering about safety. I feel perfectly safe here. Kinda like you would feel in a small town at home. The doctor was telling me yesterday that he grew up in Nassau, but he doesn’t like it there. “They have crime there,” he said, as if to say they don’t on this island. I am sure there are places we will get to further south (this area is still quite undeveloped) that we will have to take more precautions, but we’re not there yet. Pirates here are a thing of the past, (but one of them shared a common name with my family~~Kidd, my mother’s maiden name). Um, I wonder if I have a valid claim to any of this treasure they say is still hidden???
As for safety, if I could just get this thing right and look in the right direction before crossing the street. This being a former British colony, they drive on the wrong side of the street! Wish me luck.
An interesting tradition here at sunset. People come out on deck of their boats and blow conch shells towards the setting sun. I can imagine that being an ancient tradition by Lucayan Indians who believed that you must salute the sun or it wouldn’t come up again the next day (but I just made that up.)
Yesterday, John and I both went to the doctor. I was in need of my yearly physical, and John had a couple of things he wanted looked at. (Everything good, not to worry.) Nicest guy, the doctor. He took his time, chatted, and then went about his doctoring business. He was half Canadian and half Bahamian, and his accent reflected both. He had just returned from vacation and I asked him where someone from “Paradise” goes for vacation. He said “Colorado!”
The population of the Abacos is about half white, half black. From our vantage point, it seems there is much more mixing of the races (well, it is a little island~~how far away can you get from each other?) People just come up and talk to you. Most everyone speaks and says hello. Even the children say hello, whereas most children I meet in my walks in the US seem to have been taught not to speak to strangers. Store owners seem to be of both races. I’m sure there must be tensions, but I have not read of them or don’t feel them like I do in the US.
Even though there are several restaurants, TWO grocery stores (yeah!), a hardware store and a marine store, we need not get too excited. The prices are astronomical. We save money by anchoring, but I looked at a box of Kleenex yesterday, and it was marked $5.50 (US and Bahamian dollars are one for one). A hamburger will set you back $11-12, and surf and turf, $52. There are, however, price controls on groceries. Most things I am finding in the grocery store are not that much different from home. A little more, but you gotta add in that transportation thing.
We have a mail service in Florida which collects our mail and forwards it to us. All we have to do is email or call them and tell them where we will be next. I emailed them last Monday to have our mail sent to Marsh Harbour, and it might take 2-4 weeks, regular mail! Just to check, anyway, we stopped in at the post office here yesterday (a week after the request) and the clerk just laughed and told us to come back in several days. Well, we were in the neighborhood....
Today, we will try the last of the restaurants we haven’t tried yet, check our email at the local marina, get some groceries and do laundry. We haven’t got the phone thing figured out yet. Verizon told me my current phone would work, but no... As for email, there are 2 computers at the local marina for general use and two at the local telephone company where you can wait your turn and log on for free. That is, if they are working. It is a developing country. But a nice one.
I think people might be wondering about safety. I feel perfectly safe here. Kinda like you would feel in a small town at home. The doctor was telling me yesterday that he grew up in Nassau, but he doesn’t like it there. “They have crime there,” he said, as if to say they don’t on this island. I am sure there are places we will get to further south (this area is still quite undeveloped) that we will have to take more precautions, but we’re not there yet. Pirates here are a thing of the past, (but one of them shared a common name with my family~~Kidd, my mother’s maiden name). Um, I wonder if I have a valid claim to any of this treasure they say is still hidden???
As for safety, if I could just get this thing right and look in the right direction before crossing the street. This being a former British colony, they drive on the wrong side of the street! Wish me luck.
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