We awoke early on Saturday morning taking our breakfast of coffee, hot chocolate and toasted bagels out to the cockpit where we could enjoy the sunshine and warm breeze. As we looked around Thompson Bay we counted 31 boats in our anchorage and decided it would be fun if we all got together for dinner. I put out an “all-call” over the radio and within minutes had 45 cruisers signed up for the Bahamian Buffet at Thompsons Bay Inn where the cook, “Tryfina,” was famous for her culinary skills. What a great time we all had! Cookie Monster, Persephone and Two not Available were there along with Mike and Angie from “Lady of Lorien” who we hadn’t seen since our trip to the Bahamas 2 years ago! We were delighted to run into them once again and spent several hours together at dinner catching up on news.
The next day we rented a car and headed north to explore the island. We stopped at a rambling flower filled resort called “Stella Maris” which had been founded by a German consortium which attracted European clientele and then headed off to find the “Adderley Plantation” ruins which the original United Empire Loyalist settlers here had built over 250 years ago. Most of the trails were overgrown but we continued on till we finally arrived at 3 buildings--still intact to some extent--after all of this time. There was a little plaque at the site telling what happened to the settlers and their descendants--a little tragic but very interesting. Then it was off to Santa Maria where we enjoyed a delicious lunch overlooking turquoise water at another absolutely gorgeous ocean front resort owned by Canadians. On the way home we checked out the local real estate, knocking on the door of a villa that was offered for sale “by owner.” He graciously invited us inside for a tour of his house and grounds telling us much about life an an expat resident. But it was too rich for our blood--he wanted 1.5 million for his piece of paradise--a little out of our price range. But it was good to visit with an American who actually lived here. We had left on our little expedition at 8:00am and returned at 4:00pm completely exhausted! Our cruising friends had planned a cook out on the beach that evening but we were too zonked to get involved, choosing instead to hit the sack early.
The next morning we returned the car and bid farewell to most of the boats we had been cruising with. Many of them were heading off to alternate anchorages in Long Island with subsequent trips further south towards the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos and beyond--nowhere that we were going. Instead, we chose to enjoy a leisurely day aboard the boat, reading our novels and later, exploring the beach.
When I had arranged the big dinner party earlier in the week, I spent a lot of time getting to know Tryfina--the Bahamian who cooked for us. In addition to being an excellent chef, Tryfina, like me, is an avid shell collector. And she had been so grateful to me for bringing so much business to her restaurant that evening that, in appreciation, she promised to take me to her secret “shelling beach” later in the week. On Tuesday, as arranged, Vince and I went back to her restaurant for breakfast, after which we all piled into her little red pick-up truck and headed along back roads and trails which eventually took us to a secluded beach which--as promised--was littered with shells! She returned several hours later to pick up two completely exhausted but happy beach-combers carrying bags of lovely specimens.
After dinghying back to the boat, we dropped off our loot and, picking up laundry, showering gear, and computer--jumped back into the dinghy and headed off to the Island Breeze resort--the local hangout for cruisers. Here we met with friends, enjoyed a late lunch, showered, washed all of our clothes/bedding and spent an hour on the computer catching up on correspondence and posting this blog. We have decided to leave Long Island tomorrow. We had planned to stay here a little longer but the wind is shifting and so it’s time to move on once again.
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