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.