We have no trouble putting away the first meal graciously NOT prepared by us in a month, which is finished off by a pair of frosty Pina Coladas. Turns out during this festive time that there will be free Bahamian fried food aplenty and so we encounter no shortage of conch fritters or Rum Punch, which washes down BBQ fare far too dangerously. There are pirate parties to attend that require quick-witted costume antics. There are swimming pigs to feed and underwater caves to snorkel. There are Bahamian racing-sloop duels to cheer and a cruiser’s class racing regatta to lose. There are miles of roads to walk and a telecommunications tower with which to catchup. But perhaps most important of all…there are other people! Not that Clare and I don’t like each other, but it certainly can be good to shake up the energy a bit and meet some new friends.

And it is the camaraderie of friendship that takes us down to the next settlement, Blackpoint, where there is a famous happy hour for cruisers. Beware when a Bahamian bartender starts showing off his mixing skills…you just may end up leaving your card at the bar and find sand in your sheets. How did we get home? Why are all of our clothes in the cockpit? Is the dinghy still here…oh good. Don’t skip town without taking a loaf of “Lorraine’s Mom’s” fresh coconut bread. If you’re capable of not devouring the whole loaf  within the first day then whip up some eggs on the second and indulge in the best french toast this side of the Atlantic.

When the wind settles down, be sure to get out diving. If you’re lucky you’ll snag a couple of lobster and share a meal with the neighbors. When the wind picks up be sure you have somewhere comfortable to wait it out, preferably in water that will float your boat during ALL tide levels. If not, then pull hook and move along. And if you’re going to be socked-in for several days make sure that both your pantry and your library are well-stocked. But if you’re lucky enough to be stuck with the love-of-your-life then you’ll find plenty of ways to pass the time.

Maybe you’re not as far south and east as you hoped to be, but when “your plans are carved in sand,” as one long-time-cruising friend put, “they change with the tides.” No doubt there have been some logistical hiccups and differential opinions along the way, but we are both glad to finally be settling back into island time. After hearing that it is not our first visit to their country the Bahamians are quick to offer us a hearty “welcome home” and continually exceed all expectations of hospitality.

Here’s to moving slow.