Tag Archives: Bahamas

“A friend may be waiting…

…behind a stranger’s face.” ~Maya Angelou

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…And the runner up goes to good ol’ Brian Cleary…  “When a child says, “Smell my hand, it almost never smells like cinnamon.”

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A Little of This…

A little of that… All the way from Grand Cayman and Andros Island – two slices of Heaven on Earth.

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Andros Crab Fest 2012: Food, Fun, and Well, Just About Everything Else but the Kitchen Sink, too…

The Bahamas. A country made up of over 3,000 bits and pieces of land sprinkled North of Cuba and Southeast of Florida. They’re known for many things. Things like giant starfish.

This guy was as big as a globe. He was thrown back about three minutes after this picture.

And adorably kind and funny families.

Brittany, Brandi, BJ, Bradley, and G. The life of the party right there, folks.

And in Andros, they have this little gathering once a year. A little gathering called “Crab Fest.”

Okay, so maybe it's not so little...

Remember those parts in the movie Forrest Gump when they’re talking about all the different kinds of shrimp they can make?  Bubba says, “Anyway, like I was sayin’, shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey’s uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that’s about it.”  In Andros, that’s pretty much how they see crab.  And it’s all delicious.

During my visit to Crab Fest, however, one thing kept popping up in my mind.  Every time I’d look around, in any direction, I saw something that made me think: OMG.

There’s a man drinking beer out of a large, empty stewed tomatos can.  OMG.

This stuffed crab (literally) is delicious.  OMG.

There’s a rather large woman wearing a bikini underneath an entire body suit of black lace…leaving not a whole lot to the imagination.  OMG.

That is one of the most adorable babies I’ve ever seen.  OMG.

People bring babies to this event?  OMG.

This Bahamian music makes me want to open a beer and dance.  OMG, how fun!

There are amazingly talented, half-naked male dancers on the stage.  OMG.

Did those amazingly talented, half-naked male dancers really just do that?! OMG.  (Those amazingly talented, half-naked male dancers looked like they were having some X-rated fun with the air.)

And so the night continued.  After about 30 seconds of mentally processing one OMG moment, another one came right along after it.  For a girl who grew up on a farm in the country, that’s one heck of a long night.  While Crab Fest was certainly an experience I’m sure I’ll never forget, I’m thinking once in my lifetime is just about right.

I think I’ll stick with traveling to the Bahamas for all the other reasons I love going there (the people, the fresh conch salad, the Kaliks, the great fishing with great guides, the almost hot-tub-like temperatures of the crystal clear water, the fresh conch salad, the starfish as big as cookie cakes, the traffic-stopping (literally) crab-parades across the streets, the fact that they serve almost anything with grits, the children who look at my long hair as if it’s Christmas, oh, and did I mention the fresh conch salad?)…Yes, I think I’ll stick with those reasons.  For all the other 361 days of the year.

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Saltwater, Sand, and Smiles: Three Simple Ingredients for a Happy Childhood…and a Blessed Adult Life

“They” say everything is better in the Bahamas. While I haven’t had the opportunity to try “everything” in the Bahamas, from what I have experienced (Thanks Bradley – the fishing is always great!), it sure does seem like it’d be better there. In Spain, I was a stalker attempting to catch people at their finest unbeknownst to them (with my very large Nikon…not so sneaky…). In Andros, people, particularly children, were flocking to me.

Not only were they flocking to me, they were happy about it. Smiles were everywhere. Beautiful brown skin and shining white teeth surrounded me for most of my days on my last trip. Now granted, during the day, I was at a school…a school where their motto is:  Learn while you can. So much to say about that…maybe another time.

Instead, here are some photographs of the happy people I had the opportunity to spend my time with. A day with these children offers a great deal of perspective. Their childhood playground consists of sand and water. That’s it. And they’re happy with that. In a time where we are bombarded with advertisements for video games and dolls that cry when they’re hungry, it’s nice to see kids happy with what they have, essentially nothing more than the land and sea The Big Guy Upstairs gave them. I don’t blame them. I’d be happy with that, too. **Fantasizes about a move to the islands** So without further ado, the stars of an island vacation.  (Next to the fantastic fishing, these smiles make it all worth it.)

Maybe it’s because I’ve actually met these children and spent time with them playing “ball and bat” (a version of baseball utilizing a UF squish football I’d brought, random tree stumps and ropes for bases, and our arms for bats), but every time I look at their smiling faces, I can’t help but laugh. Even though they have holes in their shoes and stains on their collars, these kids know how to have a good time. So if you’re feeling a bit overworked and underpaid, consider taking a trip to paradise. The sandbox is huge, the water is warm, and I have no doubt you’ll be welcomed with open arms and, of course, big smiles.

 

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