THE SIGHTS OF NASSAU

March 3, 2012  Dateline: Nassau, Bahamas

Yesterday one of MY WAY’s brothers came to Nassau to spend a week with Wayne and Francine, today they sailed off to Atlantis.  I will stay in place until they return at the end of the week.  I told Rich and Carol to head off and see what the island is like.  I noticed that Nassau is much different from Bimini and Chub Cay.  Nassau’s deep harbor has made the island an ideal place for cruise ships to stop.  It looks like each day there are three or four cruise ships in port.  If each one has at least 1,500 people onboard that means there are 5-6,000 being put into port each day and they all have money to spend.  Bay Street is the main street of Nassau and it is lined with jewelry stores selling expensive gem stones and watches, Tee Shirts, and duty free liquor.  The Straw Market is also located on Bay Street.  The Straw Market is full of small stalls with largely women selling trinkets made of straw and wood.  It appears that the basic item is manufactured and then the women add some thread based designs.  As you walk their stall they say, “come here Honey let me show you what I got.”

On Bay Street there is the Museum of Slavery and Emancipation.  It looks like it has seen hard times and has been burned out.

One of the cruise ships in the harbor today has a water tube slide on the top of it.  The ride down the tube must be fantastic.  Rich wants to put one on me, but it would have to be so small that it would not be any fun.

Rich met the Queen of England in one of the shops; he said she had a nice shoulder to lean on.

These two dive sail boats came into the marina I am staying at.  On each boat there were 21 divers and about 6 crew members.  They go out for a week.  Can you imagine what the boat must smell like after a week with all those people sleeping and eating inside?  

There is an area across from Atlantis called Potter’s Cay.  This area is full of fishing huts and restaurants.  Rich snapped this picture. He and Carol are planning on going there one day this coming week.