[Digression …
The Island Breeze Bungalow has a stereo, but NO FM reception. We were able to tune in WFTL-AM (from Fort Lauderdale), an all-talk station, before we left for dinner. However, even that didn't come in when we got back. I was disappointed somewhat with the lack of any reception. I wanted to hear some island music, being a connoisseur of world music and all.]
Back to the main story …
Instead of going to sleep right away that night, I started reading one of the books left behind at the bungalow - A Brief History of Everything. However, I didn't get to far into it before I was out like a light.
Around midnight, Leia was still up - apparently not as tired as I was - and looking for chocolate. Some minutes later, she let out a yelp, cowering under the sheets, telling me (half-groggy, of course) about a huge insect that was skittering across the floor. From her description, it sounded like a scorpion, since I thought they only could be found in dry, warm places. Eleu is hardly dry - except when compared to being completely under water!
I asked her was the creature big enough to ride (at which she laughed heartily). I got up to look for it, but it seemed our nocturnal visitor had scurried out of sight. I got back into bed finally, the light Leia had on to read was keeping me awake. I shielded my eyes with my arm, which she noticed and asked if the light was bothering me. Yep, I replied, getting up to find my eyeshade. I joked that they were the perfect "anti-terrorism device" - because if she had been wearing them in the airport, she wouldn't have suspected a cabal of Middle Eastern terrorists at the airport. Anyway, I put them on and was immediately back to sleep.
July 7th
I woke up the first time at about 7:30 am, but Leia was totally out. Turns out, she ended up taking an Ambien. I fell back to sleep and didn't wake up again until 9:30. That's when she woke up, quite surprised I had slept so long.
[Digression ….
There is one thing to remember here at the bungalow. PLEASE CONSERVE THE WATER. This bungalow uses rain water for its water supply (for drinking, bathing, etc.) and two signs are posted reminding guests of that. The one in the bathroom is my favorite: "In the land of sand and sun, we don't flush for number one."
Since we're from Cali, we are already quite conservative in our water use anyway. Though I like to drink a lot of water, I have NO problems whatsoever substituting beer (Kalik) for drinking water.]
Back to the main story …
We had a brief morning "toilet," then I headed out to the porch to catch up on this journal.
While I wrote, people would occasionally drive by the by and wave. I'd wave back as that seems to be the custom around here. Eventually, a truck went by with a seemingly large black man driving it and stopped at the main house (next door to our little bungalow).
Soon, he drove back the other way and briefly stopped, calling out to ask our trip was going so far. I told him "great" and asked how he was. He replied "Thank God I'm alive" or words to that affect. I asked him his name and he told me to guess, though I didn't hear him say that at first. I repeated the question and he replied the same way. I asked if he was Stanton Cooper and he admitted he was. I laughed and asked him again - by name this time - how he was and he gave me the same answer as before! I asked Stanton about renting cell phones ($100!?). He told me to go to Tia's place to pick it up. He would leave it there for me. He then took off.
Leia eventually came out, carrying the journal left by the owner with additions made by guests that stayed there. She read to me some of the passages, then brought out her leftovers from the Unique. I popped open a beer and joined her. She wrote in the journal while I wrote in mine and the two of us talked about re-rethinking whether to have a house there some day.
[Digression …
A gecko / lizard was quite fascinated with us and vice versa. He was a cute little fellow, to be sure. While Leia was inside, I remained quiet and watched him slowly sneak up to me. I didn't move to see what he would do. I knew there are only one or two poisonous lizards on the planet (one of them is the gila monster) and none of them were on Eleu. So I didn't move while he went to my discarded flip-flop first because he came right up to my foot and licked it a couple of times. The second one felt closer to a bite than a lick - his scaly jaw, no doubt - but I twitched my toe which sent him scurrying.
He later walked by my feet while I wasn't watching, but being wary of scorpions, I moved my feet and he went running. I guess it was his little claws I felt. Anyway, I named him "Quentin" after Quentin Tarantino.]
Back to the main story …
Soon after I met Quentin, Leia went down to the ocean and I finished up my entry so I could join her.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Saturday, January 20, 2007
July 6, 2004 - Beach, Food and Kalik
Digression ...
To find Tia's Place, we had to stop on Queens Road to get directions. We pulled into Sands' General Store to ask and the proprietor pointed to some guy to lead us there on his bike because it was "on his way." Probably he wanted a tip for his trouble, but we followed him anyway (and sorry, I don't remember if we ever gave him any money).
Back to the main story …
We drove down Bank Road (ocean bank, not money bank) - also called North Drive - to get to our bungalow. At first, the road was pretty smooth, but quickly got bumpier and more difficult to traverse as we pressed on. We took note of a sign along the way that said "Unique's Restaurant" as we passed. The road now got narrower and rockier along the way. If only we had 4WD instead of the old jalopy we were pushing ahead.
There were many interesting looking properties we saw on Bank Road, all of them with fanciful names. Eventually we figured we were off track since we never saw a sign that said "Bank Road." Leia suggested we go back and ask at the Unique's Restaurant. I waited in the car while she ran up to talk to someone. As it turned out, we were heading in the right direction, just not far enough. Eventually we came across our bungalow, the first of two pink houses (Pink is a popular color for buildings in the Caribbean, I later learned, especially for government buildings).
We struggled to open the lock to the house, but finally we were "home" - for the week, anyway.
Digression …
On our way from the airport, Lee was the first to say that she couldn't see us living there, an idea we flirted with. I told her I was glad SHE was the first to say it, because that's what I was thinking, too.
Back to the main story …
The bungalow was as hot as hell when we first got in and it was SO stale and musty smelling. THANK GOD for the air conditioning and ceiling fans! Slowly, the place started to cool down as did we.
We threw on our bathing suits and walked down to the beach, just across Bank Road. I took note of the large hammock, for me, the symbol of idyllic vacation living, as we descended the steps to the Atlantic.
The beach was totally deserted, fairly clean, with coral formations from the beach into the water. We waded slowly into the ocean … so calm, clear and tranquil … warm, but not like bath water, either. Even though this was just the Atlantic side of the island, it was just beautiful - I couldn't wait to see the Caribbean side!
Navigating the coral formations was a bit tricky when you walked on them as the they could rise up or drop without warning. They weren't sharp - or at least dangerously sharp - but still a bit tricky. There was a bit of an undertow, too, so you had to keep bobbing around to correct your position. Still, very relaxing (especially when compared with bobbing and weaving on the job!).
At Leia's suggestion, we left the water and took a walk down the beach for a while. We noted along the way the intricately built-up coral formations, all seemingly of different ages … some looked like rocks more than others, unless you looked at them close up and you could see it was coral at one time. There was also large collection of flotsam and jetsam strewn along the beach, mostly made by nature (seaweed, driftwood and the like). We also saw what seemed to be waste washed up on shore from fishing boats, too. All in all, though the beach was very pretty.
After our nice long walk, we turned around and headed back to the bungalow to get cleaned up for dinner.
We decided to go to the Unique's Restaurant to eat as it was close and we knew where it was. When we got there, the dining area was empty with only a couple of people sitting at the bar. Gus, our waiter, owner and barman gave us our choice of tables. I opted for the one by the ocean, but inside instead of on the patio.
Gus was a character, quite charming in his own way. We introduced ourselves and told him where we were from. He said he was from Eleuthera - about eighteen miles away from Palmetto Point - though clearly, he was Caucasian. I guess that wasn't too uncommon - not only blacks settled here from the shipwrecks of the old slave ships. Eleuthera was actually discovered in 1492 by Columbus and his crew - who knows, maybe some of the crew stayed behind and the rest, as they say, is history.
We ordered the conch fritters for an appetizer. I ordered the conch soup and then the conch for dinner (I forget how it was prepared). It was there that I ordered my first Kaik beer.
Kalik is the official beer of the Bahamas. They so jealously preserve it that they don't export it anywhere, so you have to bring it back with you if you want it. Now, I'm a beer connoisseur and let me tell you, this is a beer you MUST try, even if you don't like beer much. Sharp, clean and slightly sweet - like Corona, except with more body. I gave Leia a taste - who hates beer - and she really liked it (in fact, she took more than just one trial sip).
The conch fritters and soup came at the same time. I started on the soup. It looked like beef stew, which I was surprised to see - it had carrots, potatoes and conch pieces all in a brown gravy that wasn't thick like beef stew gravy is. And the taste was outstanding - sweet, yet not cloying, and so, so good!
The conch fritters were round balls of conch fried in some batter, served with a mustard-like sauce for dipping. Yum! There were very filling along with the soup and for a moment, I was concerned I wasn't going to be able to eat my entrée. Ha, likely chance! The conch entrée came in a light butter, fried and not greasy at all. It was accompanied by carrot slices and peas in soy sauce (or something). It was all SO GOOD. I got full pretty quickly … of course, all the additional Kaliks I was drinking helped. Definitely, a very satisfying meal.
Funny note … while eating, Gus came up to me to tell me I left the dome light on. He tried to turn it off, but couldn't. I ran downstairs, expecting to find a dead battery. I started her up and voila, she was running. I figured out how I messed up before, turned off the dome light, and ran back upstairs to finish dinner.
This wasn't the first adventure we would have with that old piece of junk.
Gus took little convincing to sell us a couple of Kaliks and cokes to take back with us. The total cost for dinner, including tip - $100. Driving down Bank Road in pitch black on roads that never saw asphalt - priceless.
When we got to the bungalow, I just crashed. Between the early morning, the long day of travel, the beach activity and the great dinner with those Kaiks, I was more than ready to go to sleep and surprisingly so was my late-night wife, Leia.
To find Tia's Place, we had to stop on Queens Road to get directions. We pulled into Sands' General Store to ask and the proprietor pointed to some guy to lead us there on his bike because it was "on his way." Probably he wanted a tip for his trouble, but we followed him anyway (and sorry, I don't remember if we ever gave him any money).
Back to the main story …
We drove down Bank Road (ocean bank, not money bank) - also called North Drive - to get to our bungalow. At first, the road was pretty smooth, but quickly got bumpier and more difficult to traverse as we pressed on. We took note of a sign along the way that said "Unique's Restaurant" as we passed. The road now got narrower and rockier along the way. If only we had 4WD instead of the old jalopy we were pushing ahead.
There were many interesting looking properties we saw on Bank Road, all of them with fanciful names. Eventually we figured we were off track since we never saw a sign that said "Bank Road." Leia suggested we go back and ask at the Unique's Restaurant. I waited in the car while she ran up to talk to someone. As it turned out, we were heading in the right direction, just not far enough. Eventually we came across our bungalow, the first of two pink houses (Pink is a popular color for buildings in the Caribbean, I later learned, especially for government buildings).
We struggled to open the lock to the house, but finally we were "home" - for the week, anyway.
Digression …
On our way from the airport, Lee was the first to say that she couldn't see us living there, an idea we flirted with. I told her I was glad SHE was the first to say it, because that's what I was thinking, too.
Back to the main story …
The bungalow was as hot as hell when we first got in and it was SO stale and musty smelling. THANK GOD for the air conditioning and ceiling fans! Slowly, the place started to cool down as did we.
We threw on our bathing suits and walked down to the beach, just across Bank Road. I took note of the large hammock, for me, the symbol of idyllic vacation living, as we descended the steps to the Atlantic.
The beach was totally deserted, fairly clean, with coral formations from the beach into the water. We waded slowly into the ocean … so calm, clear and tranquil … warm, but not like bath water, either. Even though this was just the Atlantic side of the island, it was just beautiful - I couldn't wait to see the Caribbean side!
Navigating the coral formations was a bit tricky when you walked on them as the they could rise up or drop without warning. They weren't sharp - or at least dangerously sharp - but still a bit tricky. There was a bit of an undertow, too, so you had to keep bobbing around to correct your position. Still, very relaxing (especially when compared with bobbing and weaving on the job!).
At Leia's suggestion, we left the water and took a walk down the beach for a while. We noted along the way the intricately built-up coral formations, all seemingly of different ages … some looked like rocks more than others, unless you looked at them close up and you could see it was coral at one time. There was also large collection of flotsam and jetsam strewn along the beach, mostly made by nature (seaweed, driftwood and the like). We also saw what seemed to be waste washed up on shore from fishing boats, too. All in all, though the beach was very pretty.
After our nice long walk, we turned around and headed back to the bungalow to get cleaned up for dinner.
We decided to go to the Unique's Restaurant to eat as it was close and we knew where it was. When we got there, the dining area was empty with only a couple of people sitting at the bar. Gus, our waiter, owner and barman gave us our choice of tables. I opted for the one by the ocean, but inside instead of on the patio.
Gus was a character, quite charming in his own way. We introduced ourselves and told him where we were from. He said he was from Eleuthera - about eighteen miles away from Palmetto Point - though clearly, he was Caucasian. I guess that wasn't too uncommon - not only blacks settled here from the shipwrecks of the old slave ships. Eleuthera was actually discovered in 1492 by Columbus and his crew - who knows, maybe some of the crew stayed behind and the rest, as they say, is history.
We ordered the conch fritters for an appetizer. I ordered the conch soup and then the conch for dinner (I forget how it was prepared). It was there that I ordered my first Kaik beer.
Kalik is the official beer of the Bahamas. They so jealously preserve it that they don't export it anywhere, so you have to bring it back with you if you want it. Now, I'm a beer connoisseur and let me tell you, this is a beer you MUST try, even if you don't like beer much. Sharp, clean and slightly sweet - like Corona, except with more body. I gave Leia a taste - who hates beer - and she really liked it (in fact, she took more than just one trial sip).
The conch fritters and soup came at the same time. I started on the soup. It looked like beef stew, which I was surprised to see - it had carrots, potatoes and conch pieces all in a brown gravy that wasn't thick like beef stew gravy is. And the taste was outstanding - sweet, yet not cloying, and so, so good!
The conch fritters were round balls of conch fried in some batter, served with a mustard-like sauce for dipping. Yum! There were very filling along with the soup and for a moment, I was concerned I wasn't going to be able to eat my entrée. Ha, likely chance! The conch entrée came in a light butter, fried and not greasy at all. It was accompanied by carrot slices and peas in soy sauce (or something). It was all SO GOOD. I got full pretty quickly … of course, all the additional Kaliks I was drinking helped. Definitely, a very satisfying meal.
Funny note … while eating, Gus came up to me to tell me I left the dome light on. He tried to turn it off, but couldn't. I ran downstairs, expecting to find a dead battery. I started her up and voila, she was running. I figured out how I messed up before, turned off the dome light, and ran back upstairs to finish dinner.
This wasn't the first adventure we would have with that old piece of junk.
Gus took little convincing to sell us a couple of Kaliks and cokes to take back with us. The total cost for dinner, including tip - $100. Driving down Bank Road in pitch black on roads that never saw asphalt - priceless.
When we got to the bungalow, I just crashed. Between the early morning, the long day of travel, the beach activity and the great dinner with those Kaiks, I was more than ready to go to sleep and surprisingly so was my late-night wife, Leia.
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