Nassau (1/14/13)

For the most part, cruisers avoid Nassau but to pass through to the Exumas and head further south.  It’s a big city with lots of crime and generally poor conditions for anchoring so getting a slip in a marina is par for the course.  We are in the Nassau Harbour Club and paying nearly hotel rates but glad to be where we can intercept family safely and soundly.  We're finding the people here to be friendly and kind in a city that just requires some basic safety precautions.

We waited in the Texaco Saturday night for Rob’s brother, Rich, and his wife Lisa to arrive and had a chance to skype with our mothers back home.   When we finally connected with Rich and Lisa Sunday morning, we headed right out to find where they were staying on neighboring Paradise Island.  It was a much longer walk than expected but we crossed the bridges over the Nassau Channel and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the city.

Rich and Lisa are staying at the Paradise Island Beach Club and have a lovely view of the ocean as well as plenty of space for lounging, something we’ve grown unaccustomed to!  We enjoyed the day getting settled and walked back over the bridges to experience the seafood stalls for lunch. 

Twin Brothers has a reputation among cruisers as being “the best” so we headed directly there.  The shacks are lined up one after another under the base of the bridge with their boats tied up behind them.  They serve up LOTS of conch (Rob was cautious!) and various other fish dishes as well as a decent hamburger – all at reasonable prices.

Rich, Lisa and I had conch fritters and conch salad while Rob ate a cheeseburger and carrot cake!  Every conch salad along the shacks is made to order, with a conch being pulled from the water on a string, removed from the shell and cleaned and then chopped up with tomato, onion and green pepper before being doused in lime and orange juice.  Quite a feast!  The mandatory Kalik accompanied the feast. 

We spent the balance of the day finding the local grocery store (pictures just wouldn’t do this justice!) and grabbing a few supplies before heading back to the beach.  Rob and Rich watched some playoff football while Lisa and I walked the beach where Lisa found her first sea bean (something I’ve been looking for this whole trip and she just stumbled on!  HA!).

There’s plenty more of Nassau to see but our first day was a success and we’re anxiously awaiting to share our findings with our son, Matt and his girlfriend, Danyelle who arrive on Wednesday.  Surely, more to come . . .