Our first stop at Eluthera was Rock Sound, some bad weather was approaching and we needed a protected harbor to wait it out. The wind had picked up considerably since we had left Little San Salvador, but inside the harbour it was flat calm. There was a beach to take Prince to shore and as he had not gone that morning, he was desperate. The next day we moved across to the other side of the harbour, because a cocktail party was being held on there and everybody else was going, so we figured we should too. We spent most of that morning walking around town, exploring. We found a joint to eat lunch, called Sammy’s Place. As dogs were not allowed inside we had to tie Prince out back in the shade. It was good food (and had air conditioning!,) but I didn’t really enjoy lunch as I had to keep hopping in and out of my chair to check on Prince. Every time I appeared Prince nearly strangled himself with the leash to get to me. Some local Bahamians sat in their car watching, thinking it very funny. On the way back we stopped in a store that the sign said had local Bahamian arts and crafts. Inside there was a tiny area where a Bahamian was displaying his goods, but I was more interested in the movies that lined the walls. They were $5 a piece, or 5 for $20. There were movies that weren’t even for sale yet in the states! I ended for up getting 5 for $20. I walked out thinking, these are illegal copies, but hey they’re cheap illegal copies. (And good ones, too).
All I can remember about Governors Harbour is…. Jazz. It was Jazz music festival week. Mom and Steve decided to go to one of the gigs, they would have had me stay at the boat, but we didn’t know anybody in the anchorage, and it wasn’t the best anchorage. Now don’t get me wrong, I think Jazz is fine, it’s not bad, (jazz isn’t a 12 year old girl’s thing) but from 6 to 10, 4 hours straight nonstop of loud jazz music, with absolutely nothing to do…. Let’s just say I was bored out of my mind, wait, that’s understatement, I wanted to scream I was so bored. But I don’t want to get all whiney, so I will say that the library in Governors Harbour was very good, and also the oldest library in the Bahamas.
We didn’t really do much in Hatchet Bay; we spent a couple of days hanging on the boats, waiting for a 50 knot squall that never came. It was my job to take the dog to shore, and I must say I really didn’t enjoy it (taking dog to shore part). The only place to take the dog to shore was all rocky, and I had to be careful as I landed the kayak. The first couple days I walked around with Prince on shore, but I had to be careful, as there was broken glass and fragments of something once metal, but now just rust. The third day I thought I was smart and took him to a different spot, but this area was muddy. I didn’t think it was that muddy and let Prince off on his own, while I waited in the kayak. I didn’t see him for a couple of minutes, so I began to call him. When he finally appeared, I realized this wasn’t a good place either, he was covered in mud from head to toe, and smelled revolting. Ah well, it was time a bath anyway….. (I finally just ended up going to the first place, glass and rust and staying in the kayak and letting him wonder as I sat in the kayak).
Yesterday, we rented a car with some friends. We toured around Eluethra, stopped by the Glass Window, and then were on our way to Harbour Island. Harbour Island is an island off the coast of Eleuthera with a town and a tourist hotspot. We rode over to the island in a ferry. As soon as we stepped off the boat a man popped up and talked the grownups (and me) into renting a golf cart for the day, from him. We got an old beater. It was rattily, and not very good at turns. It had room for four but we squeezed in 4 adults and me. The golf cart however rattily proved to be a good investment, as the island was big, and we wouldn’t have seen as much as we did if we hadn’t rented the golf cart. We mainly window shopped, drove around neighborhoods, and had a picnic lunch on Pink Sand Beach (the beach was only faintly pink). We finally decided to stop at a fancy resort for a couple of drinks, mom ordered a mudslider, which she declared should be illegal. As we stepped outside laughing, our laughter died as we saw that oil was dripping from the golf cart, and it wouldn’t even start. But we decided to make the best of it, and it was only a short walk to the government dock, where we had gotten the golf cart. I have to admit it was kind of funny to see the guys face when we came walking back, his face turned to stone, as we told him what happened. Then he abruptly turned, walked away, got in his jeep and drove away. We hopped in a ferry and were taken back to Eleuthra.
All I can remember about Governors Harbour is…. Jazz. It was Jazz music festival week. Mom and Steve decided to go to one of the gigs, they would have had me stay at the boat, but we didn’t know anybody in the anchorage, and it wasn’t the best anchorage. Now don’t get me wrong, I think Jazz is fine, it’s not bad, (jazz isn’t a 12 year old girl’s thing) but from 6 to 10, 4 hours straight nonstop of loud jazz music, with absolutely nothing to do…. Let’s just say I was bored out of my mind, wait, that’s understatement, I wanted to scream I was so bored. But I don’t want to get all whiney, so I will say that the library in Governors Harbour was very good, and also the oldest library in the Bahamas.
We didn’t really do much in Hatchet Bay; we spent a couple of days hanging on the boats, waiting for a 50 knot squall that never came. It was my job to take the dog to shore, and I must say I really didn’t enjoy it (taking dog to shore part). The only place to take the dog to shore was all rocky, and I had to be careful as I landed the kayak. The first couple days I walked around with Prince on shore, but I had to be careful, as there was broken glass and fragments of something once metal, but now just rust. The third day I thought I was smart and took him to a different spot, but this area was muddy. I didn’t think it was that muddy and let Prince off on his own, while I waited in the kayak. I didn’t see him for a couple of minutes, so I began to call him. When he finally appeared, I realized this wasn’t a good place either, he was covered in mud from head to toe, and smelled revolting. Ah well, it was time a bath anyway….. (I finally just ended up going to the first place, glass and rust and staying in the kayak and letting him wonder as I sat in the kayak).
Yesterday, we rented a car with some friends. We toured around Eluethra, stopped by the Glass Window, and then were on our way to Harbour Island. Harbour Island is an island off the coast of Eleuthera with a town and a tourist hotspot. We rode over to the island in a ferry. As soon as we stepped off the boat a man popped up and talked the grownups (and me) into renting a golf cart for the day, from him. We got an old beater. It was rattily, and not very good at turns. It had room for four but we squeezed in 4 adults and me. The golf cart however rattily proved to be a good investment, as the island was big, and we wouldn’t have seen as much as we did if we hadn’t rented the golf cart. We mainly window shopped, drove around neighborhoods, and had a picnic lunch on Pink Sand Beach (the beach was only faintly pink). We finally decided to stop at a fancy resort for a couple of drinks, mom ordered a mudslider, which she declared should be illegal. As we stepped outside laughing, our laughter died as we saw that oil was dripping from the golf cart, and it wouldn’t even start. But we decided to make the best of it, and it was only a short walk to the government dock, where we had gotten the golf cart. I have to admit it was kind of funny to see the guys face when we came walking back, his face turned to stone, as we told him what happened. Then he abruptly turned, walked away, got in his jeep and drove away. We hopped in a ferry and were taken back to Eleuthra.