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The mile or so walk around Lake Victoria shows you George Town’s clinic (being renovated), a few restaurants, government office building (where we will go to get a visitors permit extension before ours expires in mid-March), local straw market for selling local goods, Miss Lee’s Corner Laundromat, a few simple lunch spots where some offer wifi. We did sample a Bahamian lunch of pork pieces with a tangy cole slow topping, fried plantains, pigeon peas & rice and mac& cheese. Kalik is the popular local beer brewed in the Bahamas. |
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| Unable to get a reliable internet connection on the boat in the harbor, we ventured into George Town and visited J&K Computers. You can sit and stay logged on all day or come back during the day as many times as you would like for $5. Julius and Krissie are a young married local couple who own and operate this business near Lake Victoria. They live in and are fixing up their house behind the computer shop as time permits. The business occurs in a very small low green building with a door about 5 ½ feet high. You step down into the building and check in with Krissie to pay your fee. Julius studied computers in school and is very helpful and skilled at technical questions. Krissie runs the shop and sets up “we” cruisers to log on. There was a refrigerator in one corner of the room and Norma noticed a few people opening the top freezer to get a red or green Dixie cup. Krissie sells the cups of frozen Kool Aid for 30 cents. They were popular. Krissie knows her market and clientele – great little idea of hers. |
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| On Lake Victoria, Jay filled the diesel jug from the local Shell station. As well as serving local vehicle customers, they have a small dock for boaters to tie up which is where we have our dinghy in the photo. A new station has opened in town across from the Market where we filled our gas jug. We try to support them all! |
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| In the distance is the main dinghy dock on Lake Victoria behind the Exuma Market usually full of dinghies from cruiser boats anchored across Elizabeth Harbor. We leave our “homes” or boats anchored over by Stocking Island and dinghy across Elizabeth Harbor into George Town since Lake Victoria is only accessible through the arch and only a couple feet deep by the dock. We fill our water jugs from a hose at the head of the dock maintained by cruisers but the RO water is compliments of Exuma Market. There is another market on the lake used mostly by the local folks, although cruisers are welcome, since it caters more to their grocery needs. |
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On Volley Ball Beach near Chat 'n Chill, AJ took a conch from a string of them collected and stored in the water behind him to make a delicious conch salad as we watched. He lets visitors feed the conch wastes (head,etc.) to sting rays that swim right up to the shore to take them from your hand. The rays seem to know when AJ is chopping at his stand as they just appear. He says he has them trained. |
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AJ learned to make conch salad and do his “chef” style chopping by watching his father. He used to drive the boat as his father hunted and collected conchs. Then his younger brother (AJ is one of 6 children) took over the driving job and AJ moved on to salad maker. AJ chops onion, tomato, green pepper, fresh conch to mix and sprinkle with his special mix of “island salt and spices”, and drizzles on lime and orange juices. He works at this stand seven days a week “saving every dime” to go to chef school anywhere, he says. They throw the empty shells away but usually leave the conch tail in the shell which begins to smell. AJ cleaned out the tail from one shell for me to keep. After consulting with fellow cruisers the conch will be modified to become Priority’s very own announcer of sundown. |
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Peace & Plenty is another local bar/restaurant/hotel in George Town that we visited with boating friends for a refreshing drink and lunch. A good time for all! |
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| We have enjoyed many walks and hikes on Stocking Island. Here we captured a Kodak moment on an ocean beach. We met our good friends, Reto & Sally on La Danza, back at Emerald Bay before we all moved on here to George Town. Pat and Dave aboard Ten Years After are anchored next to us in the harbor. We also found some coral reefs with colorful fish out in the Harbor and an impressive cave on the ocean side one day when it was pretty calm. We explored all around Crab Cay and Red Shanks by dinghy. George Town has been fun but the winds are calming down as we plan to sail on to Long Island. |
