LONG ISLAND, BAHAMAS

From George Town, we participated in a 41-boat sailing regatta to Long Island. Although the winds were somewhat fickle for most of the day, it was a great sailing day and we certainly had fun in our first regatta. We arrived on February 4 and spent the first two days anchored in Thompson Bay, involved in regatta sponsored events. We moved to Salt Pond after several boats returned to George Town. From there, we and friends Jodi and John from Jay Sea Dee and Jenny and Charlie from Lady rented two cars to tour the island. Typically, our mode of transportation is by foot, which, of course, limits our exploration and also can hamper our ability to get any real sense of the community we are visiting. Having a car for the better part of two days gave us a wonderful opportunity to really see this beautiful island. We highly recommend it. Long Island is about 80 miles long with about 4,000 residents. As has so far been our experience in the Bahamas, most everyone we met was friendly and welcoming. Everyone waves, whether on foot or in a car. But this is also an island with its share of struggles. For example, fresh water is not plentiful and so the residents must purchase it at a premium. In fact, everything here is expensive. A typical power bill for a small house for one month can exceed $250, and the price of food is about twice what we pay in the United States. There are no mansions, no Wal-Marts and no fast food. You will find grocery and liquor stores, marine supply and hardware stores, bakeries, restaurants and stores that sell locally made baskets and the like as well as other such treasures, and these businesses are locally owned, much as I imagine they were in the small-town America of yesteryear. In the photos in the slide show you will see some businesses and some homes. Two words about the slide show: There are a lot of photos and many of the photos of the building were taken as we drove by and so some are a bit off. It is a colorful community. On our two-day car trip we visited the Columbus monument at the northern end of the island, the Blue Hole (although we did not stop to snorkel or dive), the Long Island Library, Museum and Community Centre, churches and lots of stores, many of these depicted in the slide show. We dined at Long Island Breeze, Club Thompson Bay, Parrots of the Caribbean, Coco's and Ounce's Hot Spot. We recommend them all. At Long Island Breeze, a new and more modern establishment, you can bring your computer and access the internet and do laundry while you dine at the restaurant or lounge around the bayside pool. Mike at Long Island Breeze does the cruisers a great favor by conducting the cruisers' net every morning at 8:00 on VHF channel 18, providing an update on national news and weather and information about local businesses, and giving cruisers an opportunity to ask about the island (like how we get our propane tanks filled). When you dine at the other restaurants, which seem more "local", it is like eating at home, where the food is always good and you always feel comfortable. All-in-all, we are happy to have met some of the fine people of Long Island, and we thank them all for their hospitality.