It's Better in The Bahamas

It’s Better in The Bahamas

Imagine this, white picturesque sandy beaches, seven hundred stunning subtropical islands, fathomless ocean trenches and an ever-present golden sun. This ideal Caribbean beauty is in the North-western West Indies just below the coast of Florida. The Commonwealth of The Bahamas is home to not only 380,000 locals but the birthplace of fun in the sun, sand, and sea. As a tourist, you peer out the window and see the varying hues of blue in the Atlantic Ocean. The plane descends, and you feel the soft embrace of the sun's warm rays. As a first-time tourist, you do not know what to expect. Covering the newly built area of the airport are images of turtles, dolphins, and seashells. They are all glimpses of the tropical way of life before you have truly seen the island beyond four walls. A traditionally clothed policeman statue points you in the direction you need to go. The infectious beat of a goat-skinned drum rattles your bones the further you go.

You must know where the sound is coming from. As you join the immigration line, you notice a band dressed in androsian printed shirts and straw hats to the far right. The five-membered group are using a combination of instruments you have never seen, but the music they produce fits the vibe of the atmosphere. You see a guitar, a drum and a piano. The strangest instrument was the handsaw a young gentleman is repeatedly bending, with the tip against the floor as he scrapes the rough edges with a screwdriver. Now that you have disembarked from your plane you clear through customs without a fuss. Thanks to your foreign passport your bags are not searched, and you are greeted by clean, hot air.

You see a man walking over to you from his white taxi van. He offers to take you to your hotel. You almost did not understand what he said to you through his thick Bahamian accent, but you understood enough. He assumes you are staying at the Atlantis Hotel as the majority of tourist book their stay there. He quotes a price to you in the local currency. As an experienced traveller, you are well versed in things like rates of exchange. You are driven to your hotel on a smooth road. Your driver engages in small talk with you. He takes a genuine interest in where you are from, the reason for your stay and suggests hotspots for you to visit for an authentic Bahamian experience. It was hard for you to concentrate when the road transitioned from smooth to bumpy. Your driver is careful, trying to avoid the many potholes where possible and without colliding with cars on the opposite side. You are looking out the window. For miles, the only living thing you see is the forest green vegetation (which can only mean one thing for an island, mosquitoes, and swarms of them).

You notice that all the cars you see are Japanese-made, or almost all of them and others are European-made. There are no new European cars at least none that were manufactured in the last ten years. You wonder how such a popular country would not have the best of the best being driven on its roads. You want to raise your question to the driver, but you mustn't ask the person who has given you high-class hospitality because then he’ll have to tell you about how corrupt the government leaders has become over the years by skimming money off the top from the treasury and harbouring it for themselves. That will only bring up the touchy subject of some government workers giving special treatment to their family and friends. You come to wonder why a western country drives on the opposite side of the roads as you in North America (and most of Europe).

You feel oddly out of place, but you must not think of such things. You are on holiday after all and in one of the most historically rich Caribbean countries. You are passing through the heart of the downtown area, A commercial district on Bay Street compact with the most interesting shops and restaurants. Bay Street is known to be the busiest and oldest street in Nassau. As the traffic slows down your journey, you could not look away from the Bahamian crafts of handwoven straw hats, bags, conch shell jewellery and well-crafted wood carvings. Your eyes are captivated by the blue, gold, and black coloured fringed towel. From the research, you have done you remembered they were the colours of the national flag.

“If you want anything pure Bahamian you can get it at the straw market.” Your driver says as he glances at you through the rear-view mirror. "Everything you see is handmade by Bahamians from local materials. You can get all kinds of good deals.” He chuckles. “If you’re a good haggler that is.”

You furrow your eyebrows in curiosity as you pass a square, displaying statues on opposing sides of you. You struggle to pull out your camera to take a picture of Queen Victoria on her throne surrounded by three flamingo-pink colonial-style buildings. They reminded you of the buildings in the capital of North Carolina. The buildings you are passing in parliament square are government buildings. To the right is the house of assembly where parliamentary meetings are held. The building to the left houses the office of the Leader of Opposition. The centre building provides a meeting place for the senate. Although you cannot see it, located at the back of the senate building is the supreme court where judges and lawyers have dressed in traditional British wigs and robes since 1921.You are excited to explore such a place that has history on every corner.

You are taken aback when your driver takes a turn on a bridge and not just any bridge, the newly built Sidney Poitier bridge. It couldn’t possibly be named after the actor. This bridge connects Paradise Island to Nassau. Coming into view is a large coral coloured ocean-themed hotel. The same one from the pictures you saw when you booked your room. You knew it was a large resort, but not once did you think it would occupy an entire island. You are ecstatic to try the 154-acre aquaventure water park that features: slides, pools, lagoons, and marine habitats. You look forward to swimming with the dolphins at Dolphin Cay. Perhaps you will take a stroll through Marina Village and shop for even more souvenirs for your family or show off to your friends when you return home. You revel in the thought of them being envious of you staying in the one place that has appeared in four James Bond films and the Pirates of The Caribbean.

By now you are overwhelmed by the new sights, and all you want to do is take a long nap, unpack and award your stomach with some peas and rice and steamed fish. Maybe you will try some of the juicy conch salad the driver kept raving about. For dessert, a sweet plate of guava duff. Your mouth is salivating at the mere thought of some local food. You look out the window from your balcony view in your room at Royal Towers. You gasp at the breath-taking sight. Far out into the horizon, you can clearly spot the crystal-clear azure water. The beach appeared to stretch out for miles with powdery white sand. Across the landscape, you spot a woman, and a handsome young man as they lay back on their beach towel, absorbing the sun rays. Parents are enjoying the peace and tranquillity floating through the air as their kids build sandcastles. You envy the Pillsbury shaped man gliding through the water on a windsurfer like a pro. You can see yourself enjoying the tropical island paradise known to anyone who loves the sun, sand, and sea.

Eager to start your day, you make your way to the Marina Village with the aid of the hotel staff. Despite their helpful directions, you find yourself feeling lost on your way out. Eventually, you walk down the pathway to the marina. You are surrounded by blossoming flowers, beautiful towering yachts and designer retail shops that cover a range of 65,000 feet. A smile stretches across your face as you wonder, “Will it all fit in my suitcase?”

As you venture further into the village, you recognise the sound of the same type of music that you heard in the airport. You see ladies clothed in androsian print folk dresses luring spectating tourists into their circle of dance. Even though the band members are also moving their bodies to the music your attention is captured by the stage presence of the lead singer and his melodious voice. You stop for a minute to watch them and find yourself bopping your head to the music. As the song comes to an end, the singer announces, “We’ll be back with more Rake N’ Scrape music.”

You applaud and continue your explorative journey. You spend the entirety of your day in a delightful shopping adventure. As your stomach growls aggressively, you finally treat yourself to the local food you could not stop thinking about. "Welcome to Carmines," your waiter says as he gives you a menu. You order your food and are not disappointed with the robust flavours of your meal. The sky grows darker as the day goes on, and you make it your mission to return to your room. On your way back to Royal Towers you hear more music but this time it is different. There are deep echoes of drums, cowbells, horns, and the occasional sound of a whistle blaring. You find the source of the music coming from a group of individuals dressed in costumes made of cardboard and decorated with gems, feathers, glitter, and crepe paper. “It’s junkanoo time” they shouted. The dancers howl and lead the audience in chants as they perform a routine unlike anything you have ever seen. Your heart beats in excitement. Their movements are sharp and wild that it makes you feel like a free spirit just by watching them.