Compared to all the other towns in the Exumas, George Town is the big
city. No, there are no stop lights and a one lane dusty road encircles the
town, but we can find most of what one might need here, and there is even an
international airport nearby. To access town one enters through a narrow cut
into Lake Victoria and ties up at the dinghy
dock provided by Exuma Market. Multiple
stops to the BTC office and J&K Productions (Julius and Krystal – a
computer store in a shack with a dusty concrete floor and no glass in the
windows where they really do know how to fix computers and phones - better than
anyone in Nassau) get us a Zoom air card and finally some access to the
internet on our computer. We can reprovision at the Exuma Market, a crowded
grocery with narrow aisles, the only true grocery store on the entire 60 mile
long island. There’s a bank with an ATM machine, one of only two in the entire
Exumas. Lee who runs the Corner Laundry welcomes us back; she has an incredible
memory for names and faces. The facility has seen better days but it gets the
job done, and we leave with bags full of clean laundry. Also along the road you will find a hair
salon that also sells fresh fish and lobster, an upscale gift/art shop, several
liquor stores, a gas station, and several restaurants that run the gambit from
casual Bahamian carry out to high end dining.
It is certainly a study in contrasts and you know you are no longer in Kansas, Dorothy.
Life in George Town
and the surrounding harbor is anything but boring.
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| Our anchorage just off the Chat and Chill beach |
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| Rainbow viewed from the anchorage |
With so many cruisers here, 280 boats at
latest count, there is no shortage of available activities. The morning cruisers’ net on the VHF radio
broadcasts the daily options that are available. Burt plays volleyball at the
nearby beach bar almost everyday.
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| Volleyball on the Chat and Chill beach - it is amazing no one gets hurt! |
I go to Yoga on the beach under the trees
some mornings and do water walking along the sandy shore with a group several
afternoons a week. We take the dinghy to some of the beach access points on Stocking Island and hike along the well
maintained trails to the spectacular shoreline along the Atlantic coast.
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| Not a bad view for a hike |
As the
not very official basketweaving instructor, I occupy a picnic table near the
volleyball courts most afternoons, giving instruction to beginners while also
working on my own projects.
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| Burt helps harvest some Silver Palm fronds that we use in basketmaking |
On Sunday
mornings we attend beach church under the whispering pines and Sunday evenings
we go to Trivia Night at the St. Francis Resort, where one night we actually
win, our team consisting of ourselves and the Babsons who hail from our area of
Lake Erie. Many nights there are bonefires on
some of the nearby beaches, Rake and Scrape dances in town, and happy hours
with friends on boats. One night we attend a jam session at nearby beach bar
where we hear a very talented keyboardist who we originally met in Marathon. And,
sometimes you just need a break from all the activity.
But if you are longing for peace and quiet, Regatta time in George Town is NOT the
place to be. For ten packed days, the
cruisers put on a slew of activities ranging from big and small boat racing, a
Bahamians vs. cruisers softball game, volleyball tournaments, dances, and a
variety of sillier events. We limit our
participation to a manageable amount of activities. Burt is helping on the race committee for the
big boat races and is on a team in the Fun Volleyball Tournament.
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| Some of the racers cut it pretty close to our boat |
We join in on
the Poker Run which is basically an afternoon spent visiting five beach bars
and resorts by dinghy where we sample their food and drink and pick up the
cards for a poker hand. It a fun and sociable way to pass an afternoon, and no
one seems to care which of the 52 dinghies actually wins when the poker hands
are revealed. And finally, there are the evening events – Opening Night with a
Cruisers’ Talent(?) Show and dancing under the stars on the sandy beach and
Closing Night with door prizes and more dancing.
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| The Conch Band at the Talent Show really sounded more like a herd of dying elephants |
One day we rent a car with another couple and drive the
entire length of Great
Exuma Island
and Little Exuma Island, a distance of over 60 miles. We see a mix of native small communities and
resort properties. We stop along the way to see loyalist plantation ruins,
several century old tombs, and a monument to the leader behind a slave revolt.
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| Ruins of a loyalist plantation |
Beautiful beaches abound, and one even features a cave where an ex-pat lived
the life of a hermit for several years. At the farthest southeast point on
Little Exuma Island, we stop for lunch at Santana’s Grill, a very simple
roadside, outdoor restaurant. Burt claims it is the best traditional Bahamian
meal he has ever eaten, and the view isn’t too bad either.
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| Open air kitchen at Santana's |
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| Joined by friends Al and Arlene, we look like we're having a good time at this scenic restaurant |
Next door is Mom’s
Bakery. Mom is a legend in the Exumas as
daily she baked up to a hundred loaves of bread and trucked them 30 miles to George Town. These days,
her health has dramatically cut into her business, but we find her slogan “A
hug with every loaf of bread” is still in practice as we patronize her shop.
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| Mom shows off her wares - just another of the delightful Bahamians we have encountered |
Nearby
we stop to see the large stone pillar that acted as a navigation mark for ships
approaching the salt flats that were actively “mined” by the British as early
as the 1670’s.
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| The Doric column used as an aid to navigation during the salt trade |
And just down the street we find the beautiful and secluded
Tropic of Cancer Beach.
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| The secluded Tropic of Cancer beach - note the lack of people |
Yes, we have crossed into the Tropic of Cancer, a
milestone for cruisers that spent the summer in Maine.
Back in George Town
the cruising season is beginning to draw to a close. All of a sudden, gulls and song birds appear and locals tell us that is a sign of Spring. People are talking of plans to head further
south to the Caribbean or north towards homes
or other cruising grounds. Seminars are given on Caribbean
cruising areas and passage routes, outboard repair, and other topics that allow
cruisers to become self-sufficient in remote areas. A local man comes on Sunday afternoons and
gives talks on Exuma history and culture under the pines at Chat and
Chill. To celebrate the beginning of
daylight savings, Chat and Chill supplements its weekly pig roast with a local
band playing native music well into the evening. The melodies float through the
anchorage. A large group gathers at one
of the beaches for a going away party for a couple who have wintered in George Town for the last
26 years. They are remembered for all they have done for the community
including developing the extensive network of hiking trails on Stocking Island
and beginning Beach
Church. After returning to the States, they will sell
their boat and move into a new home.
Thus, the circle of cruising life goes on.
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| The gathering on the beach at Monument Hill honoring Skip and Cheryl |
While we may be preparing to leave, Mother Nature has other
ideas. For the past month, strong lows along the US Atlantic coast and their
resultant cold fronts have played havoc with our weather. Now gales off the Carolinas
are sending record ocean swells our way.
The wind may not be that strong, but the crashing waves along the
Atlantic exposures make exiting cuts into the open water nothing short of
treacherous.
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| Crashing waves along the Atlantic side of Stocking Island |
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| More waves crashing into the ocean shore iron rock |
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| The waves form a waterfall through the rock into what we call our hot tub |
Everyone’s plans are put on hold until the seas subside and winds
begin to blow in an advantageous direction.
