Playing Tourist with The Cruise Shippers

Nassau   

There are two big bonuses with the slip here at Nassau Harbour Club. The first is that for a flat rate, water is all you can use. Knowing that, Barry and I each took long showers this morning. It is the little things like this that start the day off right. This was our day to explore. Pete joined us and we walked up Bay Street, a very busy thoroughfare that parallels the harbor. The colorful mural on the Royal Bahamas Defence Force building was a bright contrast to buildings that appeared worn and neglected. Traffic was heavy. Horns blared. Exhaust hung heavy in the air. As we passed the cruise ship dock, we joined in with several thousand other tourists on the narrow sidewalks. High-end duty-free shops, American restaurant outlets, and souvenir stands became the norm.

Our destination was the British Colonial Hilton, just over two miles from the marina. Barry had visited this hotel way back in his Navy days and wanted to give it another look. We admired the grand lobby and staircase before enjoying a bottle of water in their lounge. In front of the hotel is a statue of Governor Woodes Rogers with an inscription that reads "Pirates Expelled, Commerce Restored."

Behind the Hilton, the Straw Market was in full operation. Spring break has begun so there was an interesting mix of families and groups of college students. I stopped in and said hello to Señor Frog. We had met his brother on an earlier trip to Cancun. The vendors were lined up along the street, in the shadow of the cruise ships, selling authentic Bahamian merchandise straight out of "made in China" boxes. Not our kind of scene, we sought out more peaceful surroundings and found a directional sign and some bougainvillea right across the street from Parliament Square. Although the sign says otherwise, we seemed closer to New York City than The Exumas.

The cruise ship crowd eventually thinned out just past The Bahamas Rum Cake Factory. We did not stop and partake. The Sidney Portier Bridge connects the New Providence mainland to Paradise Island and is named for the Academy Award winning actor who grew up in the Bahamas. Next of note was the MailBoat dock. These boats supply most all the necessities to the out islands. We stopped for lunch and sat on the deck watching boats come and go. Interesting that the slips had no finger piers and access was made by stepping on and off the bow. Not a place for Crossroads since our bow is eight feet off the water. A stiff breeze blew all day and it was chilly in the shade. The second best thing about this marina is that it is across the street from the grocery store. We made a late afternoon provisioning run for lettuce, milk, apples, etc. We plan to leave in the morning for Norman's Cay. After a day in the big city, the quiet of The Exumas is calling me.