Friends!
Hard to believe that almost a month has gone by since my last post. Although we are in Georgetown at this moment (as when I last wrote), we have moved around a bit in the interim.
Every morning began with a bike ride to the airstrip and back, first morning w/ Sue and Oscar, and after they left, I rode with Suzette. Suzette, Roy & guests on George's beautiful boat, Electra, were tied up just alongside us in the marina, & it was fun to catch up with them for a few days.
Bobby, with his usual generosity of spirit and fun, hosted and kept us all busy with small boat trips around the island to Salt Pond, various remote beaches, coral reefs and other adventure spots. We returned from all of these with conch, lobster, whelk, and otherwise delicious and delectable treasures. Evenings would find us up at the Out of the Blue restaurant, in the kitchen, conjuring up dishes, while we talked and sipped wine and saki. The fish and pizza (on pizza nights) was all roasted in the outside wood-fired oven.Needless to say, the nights ran late, & exhausted we fell into bed, within minutes of deep slumber.
Paul and I managed several deep dives on the wall just outside the marina. The deep trenches, and coral formations were as stunning as ever. After about a week, we took a calm weather day to cruise back to Georgetown, & caught a Mahi on the way back.
Georgetown activities then took over. Let's see.. yoga and beach walks in the morning, trips into town for laundry, garbage drop-off, or food shopping. Afternoons might find us at volleyball beach for a rousing game of regulation fours, or maybe just chatting & visiting with other cruisers at Chat 'n Chill. By then, the happy hour and/or dinner plans have been made with a small or large group- on the beach or someone's boat. There is usually an option for weekly night activities, such as: Texas Hold 'em, Trivial Pursuit Night, Rockin' Dances, or in town- Rake 'n Scrape (the live Bahamian music).
Being in Georgetown is a different kind of exhausting.
A few days ago, with some settled weather, a few of us cruised to Conception Island (about 35 miles from Gtown, or 5 hours for Independence). Conception is north of Rum Cay, & is a small, un-inhabited island in the middle of the ocean. The water is even more crystal clear, staghorn & elkhorn coral formations ring the north side of the island. (similar to Rum Cay) Picking your way through these formations on the dinghy is quite challenging if the sun is not directly overhead for good visibility, but once you find a spot to anchor and jump in with your mask & fins, it is like a magic wonderland.
We had a pot-luck feast on the beach, & a moonrise bonfire. Although, we did not catch a fish on our lines on the way over, Paul managed to spear a beautiful yellow-fin grouper to share with the group. The next day, the boys went out hunting again, and came back with an even bigger grouper! What a haul!
This morning we left the anchorage at Conception (and the rolling surge), and fished our way back to Georgetown. We were one of four boats out there, trying everything to snag a fish (following weed lines, birds, hitting favorite pinnacle spots, lures and bait...) and we all got skunked this time. Where did the fish go? Oh, I know, that's why they call it fishing, not catching.
So, it's late, I think I have an internet connection so I will send this off with our best wishes & greetings to everyone.
Cheers,Sue & Paul
Independence
