The Bahamas

Those of you that know me well know that I am rarely a spontaneous person. I like to plan. To evaluate. To weigh various options. However, when I received an email from my friend Kandice asking if I wanted to take a three-day cruise to the Bahamas, I decided to go for it...despite the fact that the sail date was just over two weeks away.

True to character, I did a bit of quick research on the history of the Island. I had less than 15 days to plan, but that is no excuse for not being prepared! I realized quickly that I did not want to spend my limited time in port visiting resorts or swimming with the dolphins. Not that there is anything wrong with those things—in fact I would had some point enjoy experiencing them, but they were secondary to seeing the local culture.

For a bit of history, 85% of Bahamians are of African heritage-many of whom have ancestors that arrived in The Bahamas when the islands served as a staging area for the slave trade in the early 1800s or were brought over by British loyalists who fled the American colonies during the Revolutionary War. Slavery persisted on the Islands until the British abolished slavery in 1834. Thank you William Wilberforce--imagine, one man's refusal to stay silent truly did invoke change throughout the world.

We docked in Nassau on Saturday morning and at first simply took in the view while we waited to clear customs. The beauty of God's creation is unspeakable and I am in awe each time I am able to experience another facet of His handiwork.

Immediately after disembarking, we stepped into a carriage to take a quick tour of the city. The stillness of the city was almost surreal.

The streets were empty save a few vendors beginning to display their wares.
Throughout the tour it became obvious that this tiny Island, where tourism together with tourism-driven construction and manufacturing accounts for approximately 60% of GDP, has been significantly impacted by the global economic downturn. Storefronts have been abandoned and houses left half constructed.

After finishing the tour, we began our trek to the Queen’s Staircase. From 1793 to 1794, local slaves carved the Staircase out of a natural limestone wall to provide British troops a protected route to Fort Fincastle. It was sobering to climb the stairs knowing the methods that were used to construct it.

After receiving several recommendations for lunch, we decided to check out Conch Fritters…were we ate…conch fritters! Shocking, right?! Ok, slightly predictable. We also tried a local soda, which proved to be enjoyable, but quite sweet.

Somewhere on our tour we walked past the pirates museum as well as a full on pirate who was a little too into character. This is relevant to Island history in that The Bahamas were known as a safe haven for pirates—with Sir Francis Drake and Blackbeard using the Islands as a base.

We also spent some time at the beach where we bought some jewelry and visited with a couple locals.

These adorable kiddos started posing for us once they saw that we were taking photos.

And lastly, this was the view while we were waiting to depart...