Goodbye, Spanish Wells

Saturday, January 31: Spanish Wells

Tomorrow we hope to make our get-away from Spanish Wells. The newness of this unique little place has worn off: we've been in every store at least once and the grocery store, 4 times. We've had 2 golf cart rides: ask for directions and they tell you to hop in and we've ridden with the manager and co-owner of Ronald's Seafood (and marine store) in his truck and a young mother and her child another time.

Some Spanish Wells residents are descendants of Loyalist settlers; others claim to be descendants of adventurers who shipwrecked nearby. This Methodist community, the only one in the Bahamas, is "dry" - no liquor sold or served. The fishing industry and not tourism drive the economy - there are no cutesy tourist shops selling "native crafts". The only hotel/ motel we saw didn't appear to be open. Strangers in town are confined to a few boaters like ourselves staying at a marina which shares the waterfront with large well kept fishing boats.

The few stores wear many hats, so to speak. When the "computer guy" at the school supply store wasn't going to be in, I asked if there was anyone else who could help me and I was directed to "Manual's Dive" down the road. Since Spanish Wells accents are quite unique (sometimes they like sound to us like they have marbles in their mouths, sometimes like they've just arrived from South Africa - or is it Ireland??) - I had to ask several times what the nice young lady was saying and finally had to have her write it down. (I'm sure that I caught her rolling her eyes...) - Anyway, she wrote "Manual's Dive Station" - so we walked to the dive shop where another computer guy works and where along with dive equipment and snorkels, etc. there are a few computer peripherals and (among other things), live chicks sitting in a glassed in light bulb heated cage in from of the store for $2 a piece, cartons of eggs, and crocks (the shoes).

Bill and I have both had our hair cut in Mrs. J's hair salon/shed. Bill was pleased with his cut - mine is OK, I guess - it's shorter, that's for sure but the bangs look as though they were cut along a bowl placed over my head and they are just a little shorter on one side. The cut was done on dry hair, took just over 15 minutes and cost $10 - perhaps I should splurged and gone to the salon on the main road.

We have walked the main road many times checking out the stores strung out at some distance between homes. One must walk carefully - there is no sidewalk so the trick is to keep as far to the side as possible without being mown down. Cars and carts drive British style, on the "wrong" side of the road. We have had to keep reminding ourselves which way to look before crossing. All vehicles tear along the road - no speed limits posted. We have thought more than once of how ironic it would be to come all of the way safely and then be hit by a golf cart.

The next adventure is getting through Current Cut tomorrow - at the right time so that the current carries us along and we're not against it - it can be as much as 6 knots - too much for a sailboat engine to go against. There have been many questions to locals and much calculation to determine when the best time to leave will be - after that we'll just keep our fingers crossed - can't do any harm!