A Wedding & A Funeral @ Hatchet Bay

Since we are heading to the Abacos for a wedding we decided to head on back to Hatchet Bay for more stone crab!  We were only able to buy it once as the guys did not go out for a few days due to weather.

On Friday night the mailboat (fast ferry) arrived with loads of people, vehicles & produce.  There was a piece of unusual cargo as well.  It appeared to be a coffin on a gurney.  There was a spray of flowers on top but the coffin itself was in a cardboard box. 

The front moved through later that night and  Rob & I decided to walk about town the next day.  When we were here in December he had injured his foot and was boat bound so he was ready!  On Sat. 4/6 we walked and stopped at Da Spot – Bar & Grill.  Now this is truly a Bahamian bar.  There are photos posted from Christmas.  We grabbed a Kalik and saw that there were several local  men dressed to the nines with drums, horns & a tuba.  We had heard that there was to be a large wedding that afternoon.  These men were preparing for the funeral.  You have seen the processions in movies of New Orleans?  Well that was what happened.  While sitting at the bar they did several somber numbers  such as Amazing Grace and several hymns I know by sound but not name.  When at last the service was over at the Methodist Church down the road -  they got up and led the procession down the street, around the corner to the cemetery.  It was not the somber music they were playing but joyful tunes!  They were truly celebrating the fact that this woman had gone home!  She was in her forty’s and a nurse in Nassau.  Several of her coworkers were clapping & dancing with the music in their stiffly starched uniforms and caps.  The family behind them was much more subdued.  It is difficult to explain but it was truly touching.

Later that afternoon there was indeed a wedding.  It had been postponed as the settlement is not very large and both events had many of the same guests.  The reception was held in the ball field with a DJ and a beautiful wedding cake.  The festivities lasted until well after dark and it sounded like a fine time was had by all!

We were up with the sun and are currently underway towards Spanish Wells.  We have not been there in 10 years so we are looking forward to it.  More later!

 

The Front Porch Restaurant                                Liberty Clipper Outside Hatchet Bay 

                                                              Asked them about the Great Chesapeake Bay

                                                              Schooner Race They were there. Currently

                                                              running charters out of Nassau to either

                                                                Governors Harbour or Staniel Cay

Easter In Rock Sound

You would think that after all the time spent in Rock Sound in January that we would not be in a big hurry to return. Well, Homecoming in Rock Sound is an event not to be missed. This is our 3rd or 4th year attending. There is little work other than tourism in most of the Bahamas so the younger folks tend to go to Nassau or the U.S. for work. Every Easter folks return home in conjunction with the Easter Holiday and appropriate days off. The Bahamians are a devoutly religious people and most business close not only for Good Friday but for Easter Sunday and Monday as well. This gives those who have left an opportunity to return home to be with family for Easter.

This year while a great deal of fun seemed more subdued than years past.  On Friday night the headline act was Gina Moran.  Imagine Madonna on steroids!  She had some moves but her backup dancers had it goin’ on….  There were little boys & girls doing great dance routines and on Saturday night there was a children's fashion show.  In the youngest category there were several little girls but only 2 boys to escort them.  Those little gentlemen really took their roles seriously too.  There were curtsey's and bows.  It was too cute.  The headliner on Saturday was a singer Novi who had a new ‘hit’ Rock Sound  You can find it at https://www.facebook.com/RSDHomecoming 

One surprise was seeing Hampshire Rose on the cover of a brochure for the event.  It was taken last year.  We are the ketch (2 masts for you none boaters) behind the Bahamian sloop.

Our brochure!                                               Always great food at Homecoming

Although the schedule of events included a Saturday regatta and fireworks that night neither happened.  Oh well – it was still a great time

Rock Sound to Harbour Island by Car

Since we arrived in Rock Sound many days before the Easter Home Coming festivities started on Thursday  the 28th we decided to rent a car & explore the island.  On Long Island when we rent a car you get it for $60.00 for 24 hours.  Most people will pick it up at noon and go north, come home at dark and go south in the morning and return it car on time.  Not in Rock Sound!  The car costs $75.00 and you get it from 7:30am to 7:30 pm.  No exceptions!  Even if you rent the car for 2 days you MUST return it at night. Geezloouese!!   We did some math on our journey & figured Mr. Dingle had made a couple of hundred thousand off this beat up Nissan.  We took off northbound with Roger and Jane & had a great time.  Since we are usually on foot it gave us a chance to see things we had not seen before & also from a different view – car rather than boat!  The Glass Window (mentioned in an earlier post) looks quite different from the land.  We stopped in Gregory Town which we had not been to in several years.  I went their to “Surfers Beach” when I was young and a lot is still the same.

                          The seafront and Church at Gregory Town

On to Harbour Island were we went 10 years ago and again, not much has changed except that it was even more crowded & more expensive!   To get to the island from the mainland you take a water taxi.  It is a runabout boat that will ferry you for $5.00 a head.  They take mostly Bahamian workers and run every few minutes from Eleuthera.  The trip takes about 4-5 minutes but is quite fun.  Harbour Island is a place where the “beautiful people” go to see & be seen!  We found a jar of Crazy Frank’s Hot Sauce too!  We met Crazy Frank while in Spanish Wells 10 years ago but that is a whole different story.

                                             Harbour Island sights

                                         Pink House and famous Pink Sand Beach

Ten years ago while exploring the island we came across a bar/liquor store that was a locals only type of place.  We managed to find it again though it had changed.  It must have had hurricane damage as one of the large trees out front was gone as well as the deck that was around the tree.  The 2nd tree was still there and the interior had recently been remodeled.  It wasn’t the same atmosphere as before.  It had been discovered by the tourists!  Oh well, I am sure it is good for their business.  We had lunch at the Queen Conch Conch Salad Bar where you place your order & they tell you what time to come back for it.  We were told 30 min. but it was closer to an hour.  That’s OK, we are on Bahamas time.

           The Queen Conch ladies                  Relaxing at the liquor store

The afternoon was winding down and we were cognizant of the fact that we needed to get the car back & there were places to stop on the way back too so off we went to the water taxi.  We wanted to stop back in Hatchet Bay to pick up some more stone crab to take home and we had seen a couple of produce stands too.  Unfortunately the fisherman had left for the day when we got there and the veg stand was closed.  Near Windermere Roger spied a stand we had not noticed on the way out and the selection was great. All in all it was a wonderful day.