A Place Like Home (Bahamas)

Author: Victoria Elizabeth P.
Date of Trip: December 2010

The whole trip started by seeing a fishing charter boat fishing off the Bahama’s bringing in a beautiful big tuna so we both said at the same time that is where we need to go! So we did! Next step was to get there! So I booked the Discovery Cruise Ship! We drove to Ft. Lauderdale December the 24th boarded the cruise ship the 25th at 8:30 had a wonderful and very friendly experience arrived at the Bahama’s 9:30 that same morning! We had arrived to gale force winds and it was pretty chilly but the warmth of the people at the Ocean Reef Yacht Club and Resort warmed us up and made us feel welcomed. We met a very talented and humble man King David who was playing the steel drums.He does God’s work and has a recording studio which I visited later and had a great time! The first night we ate at the Grouper Restaurant at the Resort. It was delicious and I am very particular! We ate grilled grouper and snapper with peppers and onion served with beans and rice, macaroni pie, and cole slaw. I felt right at home because being from the South I make a dish called Hoppin John which we fixed for New Year’s that was similar to their beans and rice.

The resort was beautiful and our room was very spacious and the layout was great. There was of plenty room in the kitchen for me to made a mad dash at cooking where at home they know to stay out the kitchen when I am cooking! I loved the big dining room table and open living room! The view out our back door was unbelievable. The docks were right there along with the crystal blue water. Mr. Ray one of the locals took us to a fish market owned by a Greek Family. Nick the son of the owner served us by providing me with 12 of the most beautiful fresh red snappers I have ever seen and at a great price! So we hit the City Market which we found to have the best produce and groceries at the best prices. We grilled the fish right outside our back door and enjoyed eating them looking at this beautiful place God created.

Later right down the walk way and by the back pool I played bingo at Mrs. Ester’s bar and grill. I got there just in time to buy a loaf of her famous Cinnamon Bread. In sharing my bread, I met Mango Man who I has seen play his music and steel drum at the sguare at Port Lacaya. In the Bahama’s it is even a smaller world! We went deep sea fishing out from Port Lacaya. I caught the biggest barracuda’s and that is all we all caught! The first man had a chance to bring in a Mahai Mahi but it got away and the last guy had something really big but it broke the line so just fish stories is all we have. We took taxi’s at first but then we found buses to be more affordable. After riding the buses we found affordable didn’t become the reason anymore. When you ride the bus you get to hear and see a side of the Bahama’s no one else gets to see! Everyone has a story and the stories were precious and dear to my heart. So many of the people there had visited North Carolina or had family there that just seemed so funny us being from South Carolina!

My son got a bad eye infection so we had to visit the emergency room that was a side most people don’t get to see either. While he was there I was outside with gloves and a garbage bag picking up trash. I had one friend come out of his house and appologize to me for me seeing his yard look like that. He brought out his trash can and rake and we worked together to clean his yard. We got to talk about God that is something most people don’t talk about here in the US but in the Bahama’s God is real important! I saw the beautiful shops at Port Lacaya and all the fancy things but what I got to see that mattered was the heart of the people from the Bahama’s. That is why I loved it so much! Everywhere I went friends gave me treasures from the heart.

On the beaches there was beautiful purple and blue coral. Red star fishes hiding in the rocks! Everytime the water would break on the shore it looked at if diamonds were being thrown from atop of the crystal blue water! So much of everything to enjoy! Fresh fish served fried or grilled, shops with beautiful handmade dresses, sandy beaches with crystal blue water, but most of all simple people who cater to not so simple people with out complaint but with compassion and love remaining humble at all times. They thank you for coming and say please come back! And I will very soon! Thank you and God bless all of the People in the Bahama’s!