Bahamas  

Palm trees and

Christmas tree

11/24 - 12/1/12

Darn, had to get up early, 6:00 a.m. , check out and drive over to car park lot by the airport. Hopped on the shuttle and to the airport around 8:15. The airline didn't even have anyone there until around 10:00, so we just sat and watched the clock. Flight to Nassau was at 12:30 p.m., but since we're talking "Bahama Time" we were probably an hour late. Land, get bags, go through immigration and then go through bag check. It was hysterical as the line we got in they just passed every single person through, no questions, no looking in bags, nothing.

Now we try to figure out where to go to get to the Freeport plane. We had to go outside, get a cab ($6 for a 2-minute ride, but we sure couldn't walk it due to construction which seems typical of most airports) and drive over to the departure terminal and the time was 3:07, with our plane boarding at 3:15, great, just great. Zoomed to the curb, guy took our luggage, checked in and we were luckily on time, but now for the plane boarding at 3:15 p.m., it finally started boarding around 4:00. Again, I remind myself this is the Bahamas, chill out, kick back.

We've been to the Bahamas before and it is good to take some deep breaths and remember this is not our fast, totally efficient, society in America. It takes me a few days here, and also in Mexico, to relax and just not worry about time.......here time is just a word, so relax and go with the flow. I think a super type A person could go crazy here. When I think that John and I are at least B- types, we usually adjust pretty well.

 

View from our first room

On the marina/canal



Our typical day:

Get up around 10:00

coffee and reading on patio
eat a little breakfast
internet time
shower, dress
walk on the beach/shuttle to town/snorkel
visit with people we meet
4-6 happy hour
eat dinner
watch a TV show
bathing suits on and hit hot tub
internet/TV
bed
repeat

Monday we took resort shuttle to the grocery store. I should have had some heart medicine with me because the sticker shock almost took me down. Regular size bag of Tostitos was around $5.45; the regular size Rice Krispies that I got was $7.99. It was amazing and I quickly realized that I could not afford to live on an island. A small bag of M&Ms is $1.50, so no candy for this girl, and not a lot of junk food. With the price of food, transportation and then a 35% tax for importing added, you can see that the prices really do go up. No sales tax thank goodness. We bought pretty basic stuff for a week and our bill was around $130.00 for the two of us for a week's worth of food. Luckily, rum is very reasonable.

 

Port Lucaya - Marketplace

Thursday, we took the shuttle into Port Lucaya to the Marketplace. Has some touristy stores, harbor, restaurants. We looked around and had lunch. I'm not big on Bahamian food, so I had a Greek gyro and it was the best one I ever had. Also tried a Bahamian beer, Sands, and it was tasty. All the people we talk to from Canada and U.S. are crazy for conch, a typical island food. When we were here before, staying at an all-inclusive, it seems like they served conch constantly and we did not like it. It was like chewing rubber bands. Maybe they just didn't cook it right. It has to be pounded to be tenderized, sort of like abalone (that we do like). I might be brave and give it another try maybe in fritter form, or breaded and deep fried.

Was a bit windy and overcast today. I was going to snorkel, but the waves were a bit rough due to the wind. This was the first day the water was not almost glass smooth. I will try to go tomorrow. Cooked a wonderful pot roast with onions and carrots all day long. Also made scalloped potatoes. Oh the meal tasted like heaven. Nice to make a homey, good meal like that every once in awhile. At 7:00 p.m. met up with two ladies staying here and we played Hearts in the bar area. It was fun and we didn't even keep score. 

 

Beautiful Bahama Sunset



 

 Saturday, 8:53 a.m. the phone rings. I woke up to answer it after several rings. No one there. Now why is my phone ringing? Why is it ringing at 8:53? This is irritating (I went to bed after 1:00 a.m.). This happens at these resorts. In Orlando we got a call every morning before 9:00 to let us know what the daily activities were. We did not care. Oh well, life goes on, and I'm up for the day.

Maybe I'll get to bed earlier. Oh yes, I will. We are going to the time share presentation. We went to one in Orlando, the time share was only $99,999. We didn't buy one, but got free breakfast and $50. Tomorrow we get breakfast, $40.00, 2 bottles of rum and 4 t-shirts, not bad for 90 minutes, just have to be there at 9:00 a.m...........an early day for us. Maybe this can be our new job going to time share presentations. Another lady from a place down the road is bugging us daily to see their presentation and they pay $60.00 for us to share our time with them.

Beautiful day, need to make a grocery list and go to the store, probably snorkel. Today is December 1^st, with Christmas close by. The below was posted on Face Book, a great Grinch quote, that I want to share. Make your entire holiday season a good time by not stressing, enjoy the important things and true meaning and don't go overboard:

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,

stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons.

It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he

puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of

something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come

from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

 

A deep thinker

I love this movie and The Grinch