Kind of like Canada - but different (as a foreign countrty)

I don’t mean to rub it in for all you northern snow-bounders, but it’s summer time all over again here in the Exumas. Most days it’s full sunshine with very few clouds. The temperatures are in the 70s or 80s. The trend has been for 2 or 3 days of stronger winds out of the north or northeast, and then a couple of days with lighter, variable winds. We’ve been moving 10 to 20 miles every other day, stopping to visit or explore on the off days.

Two days ago we stopped near Staniel Cay, which is where Thunderball Grotto is - filmed in the James Bond and other movies. It’s one of those “must see” places. I’m not a big fan of actually going in the water, which is why we’ve always had canoes and sailboats. But I decided to take the plunge anyway. Am I glad I did! First, the saltwater makes it very easy to tread water or stay afloat. Second, the view underwater inside the grotto was great, with colorful fish within arms reach, and coral and plant life on the bottom. We got there just as new friends from Amsterdam showed up to dive with us, and before the tour boats showed up to disgorge another 10 or 20 people into the water.
The local businesses use channel 16 on the VHF to advertise menus or special events such as the NFL parties at the Staniel Cay Yacht club on Sunday. Something the Coast Guard would take a dim view of back home - but then they don’t have much of a sense of humor. Staniel Cay is also the home of the swimming pigs. All the tourists and tour boats feed the pigs so as soon as they see or hear boats coming they rush out to the beach, and sometimes swim out to meet the boats. Our friends told us they saw one pig actually try to climb into a boat. Now that would have been a Kodak moment!

We did a little shopping while in Staniel Cay. We wanted cabbage, carrots, and bread. The pink store wasn’t open but the blue store was. She had two pounds of carrots ($4.50) but no cabbage. The bread we bought was home baked and fresh out of the oven at her house. It was a large loaf for $6.00. We are glad we stocked up on groceries before we left the U.S.! We bought a phone card and also a cell phone in order to be able to call home. The minutes are very expensive. It’s all controlled by Batelco, the Bahamas Telecommunications Company, which is a monopoly. The good news is the phone came with a 10 day warranty.

We’ve also been trying to listen to a little of the local radio programming, though we’ve also heard many Spanish speaking stations from Florida, and a New York and a North Carolina station. One of the features of the local Bahama station we listen to (the Voice of the Bahamas!) is the Community Service Announcements, which include obituaries, complete with extensive lists of surviving relatives, many of them living in the States.

This afternoon we’re going ashore at Black Point. It is the second largest settlement, after Georgetown, in the Exumas. I’m sure they will have a Wal-Mart and a Burger King!

View from above looking into Thunderball Grotto

"Looky bucket" view of ray.

Iguana at Allens Cay.

"Sidewalk" on main street in Nassau.

Rock wall - we don't know why - on Warderick Wells.

If you're high enough you have no difficulty telling water depths.