Various Adventures

Petroglyphs from Hartford Cave

We circumnavigated the island on "Rock Steady" and made a stop at Hartford Cave where the Lucayan Indians had left their mark. These are the natives that Columbus found here and on San Salvador, who were subsequently wiped out by slavery and disease. The cave is only accessible by sea-- we anchored close & swam in with the calm surge that day.

On this day, we took several dinghys around to Salt Pond for a day of picnic, mud spa and turtle spotting. Oh, we came home with lots of conch, & a few grouper speared just outside the creek opening, ending the day with another fabulous pot-luck!

Hard to see, but this pre-historic looking creature is sometimes called a shovel-nose lobster or a slipper lobster. I found it snorkeling a way off from the dinghy and grabbed it (with my dive gloves on) and swam it back for my first successful hunt! It was the last day before taking lobster is banned, for spawning season.

Groovin' on Rum Cay

The most recent, creative pot-luck feast...

and the gang that gathered to prepare and eat it!
We cooked and prepped sushi rice and fillings on our boats, then brought them up to the restaurant where we all got in the act of rolling nori rolls.

This happens every evening...

...and we all gather to blow conch horns and watch.

One day Peter & Suse flew their plane over from Georgetown with Paul & Melanie, and we did what we do best-- prepared food! Sue & Oscar hosted at their wonderful beach-side house.

Special lunch at Sue & Oscar's

The day we went "bush-wacking" was breezy & cool (perfect to avoid pesky noseums). Dressed in long pants, socks & shoes, we headed to an old settlement and plunged into the brush, following a rock wall up to groups of ruins. We found many broken gin bottles (over 100 yrs old), but non intact, also some shards of porcelain dishes. Most importantly, we found the only known sour orange tree, with a crop full of oranges which we shook down & gathered up!

inland to explore ruins & go bottle hunting

Rum Cay cats

A good fishing day on Independence! (and why the cats where there)

More photos

Coconut water-- Rum Cay Day

Happy Birthday Rachel & Jenny

Building the fire pit

Livin' it up at Rum Cay

Burning Man

Rachel- fire dancing

A ride to town on Rum Cay Day

sample feasting

Fred, Marcus & Paul (Marcus' boat)

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Rum Cay

Having just completed a week of fun with our buddies, Jen & Fred from home, we are feeling simultaneously the emptiness, and the slow—“now, what?” kind of feeling.

Oh sure, there is always the mountain of laundry to contend with, but let’s let that rest for a bit….

The Bahamian sun is beaming down, the southeast wind consistently breezing through the marina, and happily keeping the sand gnats (noseums) away.

As our stay extends, we become more and more bonded with the “family” of marina long-term guests, employees, and general gang that keeps things happening around here. There is an ebb and flow of people coming and going- by boat, by plane—often making it quite lively, sometimes easing into a short quiet solitude.

Rum Cay Day, the annual celebration for all descendants, friends and relatives of this island, has just been enjoyed with 2 days of music, food and drinks! The Lady Frances (the supply boat that comes in weekly) has been berthed at Government dock for two days, as it brought in the off-islanders, and musicians, etc. The local ladies cooked up heaps of Bahamian treats—conch salad, conch fritters, fried fish, fried chicken, mac & cheese, sheep’s tongue souse, sweet potato-coconut bread, and other treats. (uh-huh, very low-cal)

The kiter-kids have been very busy building a fire pit on the beach, next to the burning man sculpture, and we had a great bonfire & birthday celebration for Jenny and Rachel. There was some fabulous fire-dancing, and birthday dessert and a good time had by all.

Fishing has been keeping us in tuna, wahoo and mahi-mahi. Pot-lucks and group dinners are an almost daily event. The feasting is always gourmet.

Best wishes to everyone, Spring is just around the corner!

Honorable visit and Valentine's Party

Sharing the Valentine Love

loaded down for the pot-luck

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Yesterday the Governor-General of the Bahamas, Sir Arthur Foulkes, paid a visit to little ol’ Rum Cay. For weeks ahead of time, there was an island-wide spruce up—the ladies were in the old cemetery, hoeing, raking and burning up the weeds; the island’s only lawn mower made it’s appearance along the edges of the town roads; the airport (shed) was decorated with Bahamian banners.

Paul and I went to the reception and presentation at the one-room schoolhouse, which was packed to capacity with about 50 seats and standing around the edges. The school kids performed brilliantly—singing songs, reciting poems and history of Rum Cay, and presenting gifts to the honored guests. All the town dignitaries were there in crisp uniforms (the 2 nurses in their starched white caps & gowns, constables, etc).

Sir Arthur Foulkes is a gentleman, who started out as a journalist, likes jazz and opera, and spoke directly to the young students, imploring them to read books always, and to stay in school. He brought a message of unity to the people, noting how expensive & difficult it was to run a government over the many islands of the Bahamas, and he highlighted the talented Bahamians who have won Olympic medals and achieved fame in arts and entertainment.

We forget that these islands just achieved their independence less than 40 years ago. Imagine the growing pains and challenges to a country that offers no exports. Anyway, our slice of paradise certainly has a gritty reality.

After his visit, at the end of the day, there was a pot luck Valentine party at Kay’s Restaurant. Most of the gang from the marina & some other cruising folks were there, as well as many of the white folks who reside here in the winter, and over a dozen locals. A happy time, sharing the love…

This morning, after my bike ride and yoga on the dock, I happily consumed a huge bowl of cereal with Sue's homemade creamy coconut milk - yum!

Island Life

Our morning bike ride

Nice catch, guys!

The northeast side of the island

Oscar, Paul, Roy & Dimitri

Chrys, Sue, Suzette -- another group dinner

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Is it February already? It will be a short one, then we will roar into March…

Out travels have stabilized, now that we are at Rum Cay. Settled in like part of the family, we are fortunate to have Electra at the dock, also for an extended stay. This means some more good buddies and constant activity and interesting events going on.

Dinnertime is usually a large social event, that involves gathering up at the marina restaurant (which we surreptitiously take over) and cook our catch, bring prepared dishes up from our boats, and/or eat something delicious prepared by Rasta, Bobby or various “guest chefs”.

The days roll on, and we fall into the island rhythm. Maintenance, cleaning and cooking, although essential, take on a kind of island-aspect – almost a social activity. We all share the day’s events, the day’s catch and the day’s momentum.

Today, as the unexpected wind blows steadily out of the southeast, I appreciate the peacefulness and freedom of not having a schedule or deadline. The laundry is drying on the line in Sue & Oscar’s yard and we are drying our bodies after a refreshing swim in the glittering turquoise water. Yes, life is good and we are truly blessed.

PS Meanwhile, an historic moment unfolds in Egypt, and it is just incredible to me how the power of the internet has influenced, abetted, and informed so much social and political change in such a blink of an eye! What an amazing world we live in…

Rum Cay at Last

Arriving at Dolores' Birthday Party

A great sail on Rubicon- thanks Adam

no explanation needed!

January 24, 2011

Rum Cay, Bahamas

Although many friends said they would join us in cruising to this island this year, we departed Georgetown on our own and trolled 4 lines all day hitting our most promising fishing spots to no avail. We arrived fishless, but were greeted with a homecoming welcome, nonetheless. Sue and Oscar provided us with a luscious lobster dinner and the ever-running red jeep. Having wheels on this island is a real plus, especially when you hang here as long as we do. Happy to see our good buddies again.

Needless to say, activities began the very next day, and haven't slowed yet. Our morning bike ride to the airport is a resumed daily activity that we enjoyed last year. Bobby has made everyone welcome, as he always does, treating us to adventure days out on Rock Steady to surf spots as the swell comes up.

All the current folks at the marina made a great pot-luck up at the restaurant Saturday night, and Sunday Paul & I were treated to a great sail on Rubicon, a smooth-sailing St. Francis catamaran. Thanks, Adam, you are a consummate sailor!

Tonight we head to a community pot-luck Birthday party for Dolores, who turns 79 today. We have enjoyed this annual birthday celebration for years now. This year we bring king fish ceviche and a carrot cake. (the fish was given to us by another fisherman with more luck than Independence)

Sooo, time to go. Catch up with us next time on Independence...