Lovin' the Blues

Day 287  |  South Bimini

Just down the road from Bimini Sands Marina is the ferry dock where you can catch a quick shuttle to North Bimini. This morning we took the boat over to continue our exploration. The trip took less than five minutes and we were dropped off right in the middle of Alice Town. It was the perfect place to start. We walked a short distance south to the tip of the island and got a good look at the cruise ship that had anchored offshore overnight. The crew was busy ferrying passengers into town, dramatically increasing the island's population. It seemed that everyone who came ashore rented a golf cart. The roads were busy with drivers of varying skill and knowledge of driving in the left lane.

The southern beach was rocky, but had many very interesting tidal pools. The water in these pools was so clear you could barely tell it was there. Beyond the rocks the brilliant blue water continued to amaze me. I would be happy just sitting in the sand and staring out at the many blue hues and shades. We walked up the main drag and through the craft market, stopping for a pleasant chat with Glenda outside her storefront. She makes straw hats and bags, but today she made smiles and sent a little of her paradise to another special Glenda down in George Town. Across the street from the market was the access path to Radio Beach, Bimini's most popular beach.

I walked the surf line and checked out the shells and sea glass, saving a few pieces. From there we walked up to Joe's Conch Shack for some local lunchtime cuisine. Joe (center) was right up front, slicing and dicing. Barry had the conch salad and I had the tropical salad, which is conch salad with additional mango and pineapple. Joe was telling us how they went out hunting for the conch yesterday. They had to go out three miles and dove in 15 feet of water. All that they harvested were brought back to holding pens in the water behind the shack, where they kept the conch alive until it was time to be the main course.

We returned to Crossroads and I went to the pool with my book, making good progress. Just over 100 pages to go. At 5:00 Jan and Annette (Lullabye) hosted us and Jeff and Melissa (Flip Flop) for appys. Lullabye is a beautiful 49-foot Altena Trawler which looked very familiar to us when we pulled into the marina. Turns out, we actually looked at in Wilmington, NC, in the early days of our trawler search. Its so good to see that it has owners who appreciate it. Jan and Annette are from Austria and plan to leave it in the States for a while, but eventually will take it back to Europe and explore the rivers. Small world.