The Abacos

In Atlantis, Nassau.
Here we are in the bar again!  Daryl looking like a rabbit in the headlights, having been told to 'open his eyes'!
Simon is trying yet another cocktail, before flying back to England the next day.
It was sad to see Val and Simon leave, but hope they will be back for more sometime.

The Aquariums at Atlantis were absolutely fabulous, with a huge selection on fish, including the huge and graceful manta rays, sharks etc. all in huge numbers.

Never one to miss a party!  Joining in with the parade through the Atlantis Marina.

The best way to look around these islands is by golf cart, it's great to able to see and hear what's going on, but keep cool at the same time.

The day we were there happened to be election day in the Bahamas.  All the shops were closed and the locals were out in force promoting their party, driving golf carts and shouting out the name of their party to anyone that was listening.
Apparently the Progressive Liberal Party won the day, ( the yellow team) and we loved that 'No Rehearsal' was dressed in the colour of the winners!

Pete's Bar in Little Harbour is a great place to chat to other cruisers over a  rum punch or two.    Hung from the roof are hundreds of old T shirts and odd bits of memorabilia that have been left by passing yachts and their crew. 

Next to the bar, there is an art gallery and most of the sculptures are made of bronze which is cast in the foundry just down a sandy path.  So we went along to watch a pouring.  As if the temperature was not warm enough, the heat inside was extreme and the poor guys were covered in fire-proof overalls too.

Georgetown in the Bahamas

Near the end of April there is a regatta in Georgetown.  It is a beautiful sight to see all these boats racing.  They have a great way of 'hiking', on a plank of wood, fixed amidships and then pulled through to the other side after a tack.  Great to see.  The competitors bring their boats in from the other islands by ferry, and the locals set up wooden stands to sell beer and punches.

Good friends, Val and Simon from London joined us in Georgetown for ten days on the boat.  One of the important features the holiday was rum punch and here are Val and I getting to grips with a recipe that Daryl found on the internet!  The first jug was measured out precisely as per the instructions, but after that, we got a bit sloppier with the measurements!

One of the local specialties is conch.  There is quite an art for getting the creature out of it's beautiful shell.  Here is A J from Chat and Chill, a beach bar, giving Daryl a lesson on the trick.   You have to make a hole in the shell and then prize the conch out.  It is a rather tough meat, but softens in the local salads with lemon and orange juices added.  Then some chopped tomatoes and peppers and viola!  Delicious!





When the unwanted bits of the conch are thrown into the sea, the rays come into the beach for a feed.  AJ gave us some scraps and the rays, now familiar with this deal, appeared.  They seemed to enjoy being stroked every bit as much as being fed!  It was a wonderful experience and they were unexpectedly soft to the touch.

Kailk is the local beer here in the Bahamas and this pile shows it is rather popular!